Industry icon Hideo Kojima proudly proclaimed on Twitter this week that the first of Death Stranding’s imminent Tokyo Game Show 2019 presentations would include 50 minutes of gameplay footage. It’s actually just one of three showcases publisher Sony has lined up, with a further 30 minutes pledged for the following day, and a cast roundtable scheduled to wrap things up.
The auteur is unquestionably one of the greatest minds in games, but his comeback parade is beginning to turn into something of a circus. Don’t get us wrong, we’re eagerly anticipating the PlayStation 4 exclusive, and we’ve shielded it from criticism for daring to do something different. But does anyone really clamouring for over an hour of footage this close to launch?
The question is a complicated one, because while it feels like the open worlder has been in the limelight for an eternity, we actually still don’t know a lot about it. Kojima Productions has dropped a half-dozen or so trailers – each one defined by its bizarre disregard for brevity. But between all of the corridor photos and cryptic clues, it’s all getting a bit tedious, isn’t it?
Compare and contrast to another hotly anticipated PS4 exclusive which is scheduled to re-emerge later this month. The Last of Us: Part II has also been host to its fair share of trailers, but because they’ve been scattered and individually meaningful, there’s still a sense of anticipation; Death Stranding is beginning to attract the rolling eye emoji in Push Square’s editorial Slack chat.
To reiterate, we’re still seriously excited for the game; it’s right at the top of our Most Wanted list. But, while it’s partly our fault for clinging to every single one of Kojima’s tweets, we are starting to feel weary. We want the game to release because we want to play it, but we’re also eager to see an end to the insufferable hype cycle. What about you?
Where do you stand on the Death Stranding debate? Are you sick to death of seeing this game? Do you need more information on it before you decide whether to buy it? Protect a cosmic kid in the comments section below.
Comments 41
Of course I want to see all of DS trailer/gameplay video
im excited to see more, but the marketing for this game has been pretty bad, sony gave kojima too much control.
If they don't wish to show much more then that should be ok. It's those that are demanding to know every little detail that souring things a bit.
Kojima is entitled to show how much or how little of his game he pleases. He also knows his audience loves his approach to marketing and are happy to go along for the ride. It's those that aren't that seem to want to dismiss the game entirely because they haven't had the game explained to them on a chalkboard. It's sad really that when there's hype there now has to be anti hype.
There’s been a distinct lack of naked Norman Reedus butt for the past few years. Hope they can fix that.
More info please. They've showed a lot of mysterious things, but I'm still unsure what the core gameplay is like.
@Stragen8 Can’t disagree, disappointed it wasn’t the cover art to be honest.
@crimsontadpoles Travelling across America to open up communication points and delivering cargo, while avoiding enemies. I think that's your core gameplay loop.
At the moment, I still haven't written the game off because I still do not know what the point of it is. The last look we had, it wasn't all that different from the one before that - walking around great looking if completely boring environments with a great pack on your back and a baby too.
The difference is that now we know you can urinate and have to pacify the baby and, it seems, its just an Escort mission to wander around and link up places. Considering the first few initial CGi clips that sparked interest, the latest few have actually pushed me away. I don't give Kojima a free pass just because he's Kojima, its the 'game', the story and what we are doing in between the cut-scenes. I don't want to be taken on an abstract journey either that is only special because its different and niche.
I just want to hear the game has gone gold, read and watch the reviews and figure out if the game is something I'd really like. The last Kojima game I really played for any length of time was Metal Gear Solid 2 back on PS2, and I didn't even get a chance to complete that because my PS2 and my games were stolen.
@Rudy_Manchego they missed a perfect opportunity
I'm quite enjoying the not knowing. I'm going to keep an eye on the scores, but I'll still buy it, probably in the New Year when I've got plenty of time to play it.
Isn’t there not an option for ‘Would love to see gameplay clips but definitely want to avoid any kind of plot spoilers’?
I'm starting to think I'm one of about fifteen people on the planet that has zero interest in this game. Seems like the game will be odd just for the sake of being odd and I'm not sure if releasing more promo material will change my interest in it.
It's part marketing and Kojima wanting to show more gameplay to those who want more info about the game (based on his recent twitter posts anyway). Nothing wrong with getting more game-play and lore about the world. That said DS is the biggest PlayStation exclusive this year thus it's probably best that anyone getting weary of DS to avoid game sites because we'll going to drowning in promotions about it up to release.
@BAMozzy you summed it up perfectly for me. I don’t need every detail about the game, by any means, but it’d be nice to see something besides walking with a massive backpack and shaking soothing?) a baby.
@Rossif3r I’m one of those fifteen as well. I don’t want it just because Kojima’s name is on it. There’s been nothing shown that gives me the feeling I want to play it. For everyone excited about it, I hope it’s good, but nothing has pulled me in yet.
I just want some actual details about the gameplay loop, setting, and characters. Basic stuff that any company should be able to easily supply. But, of course, the game is largely marketing itself on mystique and the weight of Kojima's reputation in the industry. That's not enough for me, though. ESPECIALLY when it comes to a new I.P.
I enjoy the fun fast paced, arcade style games over the contemplative artistc stuff. I am not interested in this game unless it is something else entirely from what I expect.
Not even been compelled to wat h anythingafter the 1st trailer. I will check it out upon release but it didnt grab me from the start so will just leave it there until it launches.
It really annoys me when people ridicule creators marketing their product as much as possible to attract as many people as possible to buy it.
Just because you guys don't have the self-control to avoid seeing more than you want to doesn't mean Kojima should stop giving insight into DS, alot of people (not me) still aren't sure what to think of DS and need convincing to pick it up (or straight up ridiculing what had been shown as the Internet would do).
Kojima is a legend of the industry but even that doesn't guarantee anything when it comes to actual success of the product, MGSV's sales were barely a footnote compared to other heavy hitters let alone even scraping to touch the success of games like Fortnite, Fifa and Cod and that was his established series on multiple platforms whereas this is an entirely new IP that more than likely will be instantly ignored by the casual crowd releasing on just ONE platform (for now atleast), so for once how about laying off on the usual fear mongering.
No more spoilers........it's of benefit to no one.
The more I see the less I want to play it.
I'm sure I will watch it from a curiosity standpoint. Hopefully they blow me away.
Depends. Maybe, if they show something interesting or worthwhile. Nothing I've seen so far makes me want it.
I don't want to spend money on invisible babies and Norman peeing. I need some details as to what the gameplay actually is. Right now it's more of a "meh".
I want to see the minute-to-minute gameplay loop. Once I see that, I'll stop watching the trailers.
Fresh from launch all the waaaaay baby
@3MonthBeef I went to a premiere, midnight showing of Matrix 2 to be amongst the first to see it as the hype was real. And to this day I am still traumatised by it.
As for DS, yeah, meh, whatever. These days I am reasonably good at keeping my expectations in check unless I am 100% sure it is validated. Then I am all aboard the hype train. Not so sure in this case, at all.
I’m kind of amazed at how a handful of trailers turned this game from “OMG this is one of the most mental things I’ve ever seen, it’s so mysterious and intriguing I’ve got to watch 30-minutes-long analysis of this 4 minute trailer!” to “oh ok, so you just trek across barren lands with a baby. And you can pee. Wow.”.
I think I’ve never seen a product turn from incredibly mysterious to plain boring in such a way 😅
All aboard, come join the hype train.
Everyone jump on the hype train.
Come on now hype train.
Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too.
And it's getting nearer, soon it will be with you.
Oh hype train sounding louder .
Glide on the hype train.
Come on now hype train.
Adapted from a song by Cat Stevens and Yusuf Islam.
Disagree!
DS build up of trailers and reveal has made much more sense than TLOU2.
The long gameplay incoming only reflects gamers expectation and meets what they really want (hopefully)
Edit
Yea about that. How come it's so convenient to criticize DS but nobody dares criticize TLOU2 non story so far?
I mean mainly the press of course.
I’m a big metal gear solid fan and appreciate all of its quirkiness.
But seeing death stranding, gives me the impression of being in on an inside joke that I’m not a part of. A lot of the concepts just appear very pretentious. Like being in one of those art galleries and all you see is an actual toilet in the middle of a painted white room - and you’re supposed to interpret that as art.
Like yeah, sure. Okay.
I loved metal gear. But this. This isn’t it.
I just hope Kojima proves me wrong. Otherwise I’m not sold.
The only reason I want to see more gameplay is to see if it's more than just the boring looking walking sim it seems to be now
@get2sammyb
“But does anyone really clamouring for over an hour of footage this close to launch?”
Did you mean “is anyone really clamoring”? That sentence doesn’t read right.
@throwmeaname this comment couldn’t possibly be more accurate.
This is the same as Cyberpunk - I know Im buying it, so I've seen enough.
Kojima just upload a briefing video before the long trailer that will be available later today Norman Redus doing his charm. i am in love
If Hideo says not to watch, I ain't watching. Day one either way
I really have no interest in this game at all. It does not look particularly appealing to me. It looks impressive visually in the technical sense but otherwise looks dreary and dull. The intense realism of the character design makes it all look very boring to me and nothing I have heard of the story so far catches my interest overly much.
Everyone seems to be just assuming this game is gonna be the best thing ever because of the names attached to it. And while I have no doubt it will do well, that doesn't mean the game is for everyone. Or even for a majority of players. Honestly everything I have seen so far suggests an technically impressive game that is still very niche and appeals only to certain people.
I've seen enough to know I have zero interest in this game. Way more interested in The Last Of Us Part 2 and Ghosts of Tsushima.
I would like a week to go by without kojima not appearing in the news the guy just loves being the focus of attention.
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