Death Stranding may just be the strangest AAA title in decades, but in an industry flush with borrowed ideas, that’s no bad thing. Hideo Kojima has, as promised, released a full 50 minute gameplay video outlining the gameplay loop of the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive – and frankly it’s like nothing you’ve ever played before.

So yes, there is lots of walking through desolate environments, but it’d be reductive to leave it there. As protagonist Sam – otherwise known as that chap from The Walking Dead – you’ll need to prepare meticulously for each and every mission by carefully balancing your cargo on your back. In fact, when you’re out on the field, you’ll sometimes need to shift your weight to stay upright.

You’ll also need to plot your own course to destinations. There’s no Grand Theft Auto-esque GPS here; instead you place markers to get where you need to be, and you must consider the topography of the landscape. Obviously, if you’re expecting canyons, then you’ll need ladders to use as makeshift bridges and the like; there may also be resistance that you’ll have to slip by.

Because, yes, there is combat in the game, as a giant boss fight we won’t spoil for you evidences. Much like Dark Souls, you’ll happen upon the remnants of other players should you choose to explore online, so there’s a sense of connection permeating the entire campaign. The overall objective is to complete deliveries, so you can consider this the weirdest episode of Postman Pat ever.

Seriously, though, it will prove divisive because we’ve never seen anything quite like this before, but there’s more originality packed into this 50 minute video than the entire industry has delivered over the past half-decade. It’s iterating on Metal Gear Solid in some ways; it’s plotting its own path in others. The bottom line is that this appears to be bizarre in a good way.

We can’t wait.

[source youtube.com]