The unique wholesome cosiness of Death Stranding

Death Stranding is a game I had put off playing for far too long due to how frequently it was called nothing more than a walking simulator. Now that I have PlayStation Extra, and thus easy access to the game via subscription, I simply had to finally give it a go. And I’ve been playing nearly constantly since starting it earlier in April.

As of writing this I am still in the very early episodes of the game but I have hit Porter Grade 218 already. Since I am currently prioritising exploring the environment and taking optional standard orders at every opportunity, it is taking me just that bit longer to arrive at story-relevant destinations. And this is all because I’m so captivated by its world and mechanics. So to better explain my adoration for the game, here are some of my early thoughts.

Always alone, but connected forever

Death Stranding stars Norman Reedus (honestly yet another reason I gave this game a shot in the first place) as Sam, a freelance courier working in an apocalyptic world. Beached Things – abbreviated as BTs – now roam the Earth, and all of America has been left in the dark and disconnected due to the cataclysmic event that brought along the BTs — the titular Death Stranding. Sam is roped into reconnecting the separated colonies with one another online as he continues to deliver supplies and resources along the way.

The countless amounts of challenging treks and rocky paths you take as courier Sam make for an incredibly lonely journey. But the prevailing sense of unity and connectedness present throughout the game is legitimately heart-warming. Death Stranding does everything it can to carry this message in every part of its overall design. For example, the majority of characters you will meet on your journey are actually holograms — while the ones you physically encounter within the wild will quickly turn to violence because they are only interested in stealing your cargo.

Characters’ personal situations place them further in isolation, with Sam being the most obvious one to showcase this. We learn about his aphenphosmphobia — the fear of touching or being touched — which doesn’t help his social awkwardness, and, of course, his job entails him working and travelling alone.

Certain characters get their own time to shine in the respective episodes named after them. Each key character appears linked through sharing common goals, since their motivations have them actively battling their own loneliness, whether they are ally or villain.

Immaculate gameplay and story integration

With the whole game being based on giving and taking — including both NPC and online player input — Death Stranding is an extremely cathartic experience through its emphasis on togetherness amid isolation. Everything in the game is connected in one way or another; even the term “Strands” has various definitions, with it meaning both connectivity and separation. Sometimes you have to break existing bonds to forge new ones.

The more work you put into the game, the better rewarded you are, with online structures and more tools and resources becoming available the further you get into the story. And the mechanics emphasise the consequences of your actions: for example, killing any NPC will result in a corpse left behind, which you will need to incinerate, unless you want a nuke going off once it turns necro.

The game goes the extra mile by actually punishing you for not doing your part; failing to be the one to cremate the body docks you of Likes – the points system that determines your porter grade – and Die-Hardman will give Sam a scolding. You can even upset your companion BB-28, and surely no-one wants that.

While the core premise and gameplay loop of Death Stranding is about effectively managing your time, inventory and route optimisation, so much thought and attention to detail has been put into every nook and cranny of the game.

A subtle but extremely effective example of this is how the Elder, one of many delivery recipients located in the Central Region, can potentially die and become a BT if players stop delivering his medical cargo. It’s something that can be easily missed, but remembering to be attentive and compassionate when times are as hard and desperate as they are here is the important takeaway.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are tons of celebrity cameos portraying holographic delivery recipients, and these are simply fun to discover as you progress.

Hope in hopelessness

In some respects, Death Stranding is like an interactive movie, but it’s one that you have to play for yourself to truly appreciate as a video game.

It’s a title all about compassion. Its characters grow due to the relationships they build with one another, and you’re continuously rewarded for journeying through the game and leaving behind a trail for others to follow and further build from.

Death Stranding is one of the grandest, most optimistic adventures to be had in modern gaming. With its exploration of grief, loss, connection and resilience in the face of absolute adversity, the way the title effortlessly presents hope prevailing and the kindness of humanity continuing to exist even at the end of the world is beyond beautiful. Alongside gorgeous scenery, a stunning soundtrack accompanying your journey and even hot springs to be found along the way, Death Stranding is a sight worth seeing and losing yourself in. Maybe it’s just me, but it really is as wholesome and cosy as it is meaningful and well-intentioned.

In closing, I actively seek out games that do good for my mental health, with Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) being my previous favourite go-to title for immediate comfort. That is, until now. Death Stranding has well and truly moved me, and I’m nowhere near done with it just yet. If you’re yet to give it a go then I wholeheartedly implore you to do so. It may very well be just as much of a therapeutic experience for you, too.

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