{"id":2165,"date":"2019-11-01T09:02:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T08:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senses.se\/en\/review-death-stranding-ps4\/"},"modified":"2025-06-16T19:18:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T17:18:48","slug":"review-death-stranding-ps4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.senses.se\/en\/review-death-stranding-ps4\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Death Stranding (PS4)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Death Stranding<\/strong> evokes similar feelings to those I experienced with what I consider the best film of the year, Once upon a Time in Hollywood<\/a><\/strong>. Quentin Tarantino<\/strong>‘s latest work divided both critics and audiences: some viewed its nearly three-hour runtime as uneventful, while others lauded it as an instant classic. I belong to the latter camp. The overall experience<\/em> and the film’s narrative journey were, for me, captivating. Despite its length, I found myself consistently engaged, save for a couple of minor instances of excessive voice-over. While distinct from Kill Bill<\/strong> or Pulp Fiction<\/strong>, it offered a unique cinematic experience. Similarly, Hideo Kojima<\/strong>‘s first independent game since his departure from Konami<\/strong>, where he developed the Metal Gear<\/strong> series over three decades, presents a comparably distinctive, audio-visually driven experience. However, like Tarantino’s film, Death Stranding<\/em> may be perceived by some as protracted, occasionally lacking in significant events, and potentially pretentious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Death<\/a>
Image: Sony (PS4 Pro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Summarizing the plot of Death Stranding<\/em> concisely is a challenge. Fundamentally, it’s an epic narrative set in a dystopian future where the United States is fractured and humanity confronts supernatural phenomena. These include a rain that accelerates aging and extraterrestrial entities that pose a mortal threat, transforming corpses into lethal beings unless promptly incinerated. The game explores themes of human survival, featuring a protagonist carrying a baby in a specialized incubator (referred to as BB). It delves into cycles of rebirth and, significantly, involves extensive traversal. As Sam Porter Bridges (portrayed by Walking Dead<\/a><\/strong>‘s Norman Reedus<\/strong>), players navigate expansive landscapes burdened with heavy cargo, ranging from essential supplies to human remains requiring immediate cremation. Throughout this journey, Sam encounters a diverse cast of enigmatic characters (played by, among others, Mads Mikkelsen<\/strong>, directors Guillermo Del Toro<\/strong>, Nicolas Winding Refn<\/strong> and the accomplished voice actor Troy Baker<\/strong>) whose allegiances are initially ambiguous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Death<\/a>
The world is beautiful and wide open. And you get to walk quite a bit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Crowning Achievement of a Dying Era<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To be direct, Death Stranding<\/em> likely represents the Magnum Opus of the Playstation 4<\/a><\/strong> generation, especially on the PS4 Pro. Similar to how The Last of Us<\/a><\/strong> served as a culmination of the PS3’s lifespan, Death Stranding<\/em> arrives as the PS4 enters its twilight. Its presentation eclipses that of most other games. Leveraging the Guerrilla Games’ engine from Horizon Zero Dawn<\/a><\/strong>, Kojima and his team have further optimized it, delivering visuals and audio of exceptional quality, particularly on the PS4 Pro. While God of War<\/a><\/strong> set a high benchmark for production value, Death Stranding<\/em> elevates it further. The fidelity of the facial models and, crucially, the eyes, is remarkably advanced. While graphical limitations remain visible, particularly in occasional resolution dips and aliasing, the game approaches the level of realism achieved by Hollywood in digitally animated characters like Caesar in the Planet of the Apes<\/strong> reboot<\/a>. The open world is detailed and visually compelling. The game’s trailers offer a glimpse of what players can expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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