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Review of Death Stranding Director's Cut on Xbox Series X/S

by Gemma Looksby Gemma Looksby photo Nov 2024
Cover image of Death Stranding Director's Cut on Xbox Series X/S
Gamefings Score: 8.5
Released: 07 Nov 2024
Genre: Action
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: 505 Games

Introduction

Imagine a world where delivering packages is both a necessity and a bizarrely profound existential experience. Welcome to "Death Stranding: Director's Cut!" - a game that gives new meaning to the term "postal service." It's not just about the package; it's about your feelings, ruptured connections, and the looming threat of invisible monsters. Take a break from your usual FPS carnage, grab your cargo, and prepare for the strangest delivery job of your life.

Gameplay

In "Death Stranding", you play as Sam Porter Bridges (Oh hey, Norman Reedus!), a courier tasked with reconnecting a fractured America by delivering supplies across a surreal, post-apocalyptic landscape. Forget fast travel, this game makes you earn your deliveries like a true hero. The addictive loop of traversing varied terrains while managing your cargo is both captivating and mystifying. Balancing a tower of packages on your back while navigating a mountainous region? Challenge accepted. Just don't fall or you'll end up looking like a toppled tower of Jenga pieces.... with an existential crisis. Oh, and those pesky Beached Things (BTs) lurking in the shadows? Yeah, they really don't want you to succeed. They're like critics at a film festival - ready to tear you apart if you make one wrong move.

Graphics

Graphically, "Death Stranding" is a visual feast that runs beautifully on the Xbox Series X. The landscapes look like they were pulled straight from the mind of a fevered dreamer. From lush green pastures to eerie, desolate wastelands, it's all right there for your eyeballs to drool over. Plus, with the Director's Cut enhancements, expect shiny textures and smooth animations that make you feel like you're gliding over the terrain (especially when you're falling flat on your face). A special shout-out goes to the motion capture performances, as Reedus and the other cast members give life to their characters with an emotional depth that simply resonates.

Conclusion

"Death Stranding: Director's Cut" is not just a game; it's an experience. It's a philosophical journey wrapped in layers of interfaces that'll make you ponder the very nature of connection - or at least why you decided to take that awkwardly balanced cargo up a mountain. So, if you're ready to step into a world that blends strange deliveries with deep narrative musings and mind-blowing visuals, look no further. Just remember: it's not about the destination, but getting distracted by the cargo like every time you pick up a pizza. 10 out of 10 would awkwardly deliver again!

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