Sony released the newest trailer for Hideo Kojima’s long-awaited game Death Stranding. You can watch the nearly nine-minute long trailer here:
To make things even better, the trailer ends by showing the release date of Nov. 8, 2019.
The trailer finally showed us the gameplay we have been desperately hoping to see. We also got a bit of an idea of what the story will entail.
First, let’s talk about the story…
A fallen America
In the game, you control Sam, played by Norman Reedus. Sam is on a mission to help save the former United States at the request of the former president.
In order to do so, he must help unite the country by traversing across the nation seeking out help.
A cataclysmic event has thrown the country into a post-apocalyptic future.
Although the trailer doesn’t fully explain how the U.S. plunged into chaos, the trailer does hint at a previous war. At the forefront of this war is the main antagonist Cliff, played by Mads Mikkelsen .
Cliff appears to have been a soldier turned weapon researcher. Although his motivations remain unclear, he appears to have stumbled upon a connection to something demonic.
Demon-like monsters called BT threaten the world as well as agents who make it their goal to capture you. The agents are called Homo Demens , and they’re from an extremist militant group.
When it rains, the agents will leave you alone, but that’s when the demons (BT) come out to try and nab you. In order to even see them, you need to use one of the weirdest tools in the game, a baby.
These babies are known as “Bridge Babies” or “ BBs. ” The trailer suggests that Mikkelsen’s character Cliff is the reason they exist. Although their full origins are not yet known, the trailer suggests that they have a connection to the same demonic force Cliff discovered.
Exploration first, action second
The world of Death Stranding looks massive. For the bulk of the game, you appear to be just traveling from one corner of the world to another. Luckily, you have plenty of gadgets to make the journey easier.
Sam carries a massive amount of tools on his backpack including a collapsible ladder and a spike for propelling down a cliffside. At times, he looks like less of a Kojima character, but more like Link from The Legend of Zelda with his huge array of tools you can’t quite believe he can carry.
Although your weapon wheel has a spot for guns and knives, the trailer shows more of an emphasis on evasion and stealth. When agents try to trap you, you bob and weave away from them rather than fill them with lead. When an enemy does get close, you can throw a few punches at them, or knock them out with their own gear.
However, you need to be careful when weaving around enemies. The trailer shows that if an enemy lands a hit on you, you can potentially drop some gear.
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So what now?
We didn’t get to see much in terms of combat. Other Kojima games like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain encourage the players to fight however they want to fight. This game appears to have the same concept, but for exploration. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; we just want to make sure we get to see Reedus kick some butt, too.
The early November release date doesn’t spell great news for “The Last of Us 2,” which fans hoped was being released this year. A source told Kotaku that “The Last of Us 2” will more than likely be pushed to February of next year.
We’ve been waiting so long for more information on Death Stranding. The November release date almost seems too good to be true, but we are happy that Kojima’s next gem is nearly within reach.
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