Director’s cutman
It is hard to believe that it has been two years since the release of Death Stranding, a game that has stuck with me ever since its release. I never fathomed that a video game about delivering packages would be one of the most memorable of last generation, but here we are. Kojima has now unleashed a Director’s Cut that features a load of new content and more narrative exposition with PlayStation 5 upgrades to boot. Giving me an excuse to dive back into this world was welcome and I took the opportunity to check out the new content and explore the world in its new higher fidelity. This is easily the definitive version of the game, but none of the new pieces will make players love this game if they fell off the original.
Let’s start with the cumbersome activity of transferring progress. For players that own the original Death Stranding, this new PS5 upgrade can be purchased for $10, which is a good deal. Once you do that though, do not delete the PS4 version. To get my save into the new game I had to load up the original, travel to a station and dismiss all my current delivery orders. Then go into the settings and upload my file to the cloud. For anyone that deleted the game this means having to redownload it. Once I saved it on the server, I logged into the newly downloaded PS5 version and pulled it down. It is a far cry from Microsoft’s solution of saves just working and it continues to be a problem for Sony’s machine.
MSRP: $69.99 ($10 upgrade for existing owners)
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Price I’d Pay: $69.99
Now onto the new additions. First up is the firing range. This can be accessed at any time in any of the distribution centers. This allows players to test out every weapon in a handful of ways. There are targets to shoot as well as VR missions to complete. Think of it like the ones in the Metal Gear games and you get the idea. This is actually one of the better additions as it gives players a chance to check out the nuances of each weapon while adding content to play. I really enjoyed these missions and the new feedback on the Dual Sense is really cool.
Next up is the racetrack, which was the least exciting addition after playing it. A mission opens up that instructs Sam to create the track and there are a few missions to complete which will unlock a new vehicle to use in the world. Sadly, the races are minimal and just not that interesting. The new vehicle is fast, but useless on the rough terrain. The races themselves are also underwhelming. I found it to be more of a diversion than an interesting new mechanic.
Sam also now has new ways to deliver cargo. The buddy bot is by far my favorite. It can tag alongside Sam carrying his cargo, so he won’t lose balance as easily. If I wanted it would also carry me. I could also send the bot on its merry way while I took my time moving to the next area. It basically takes a lot of the tedium out of deliveries for those that grew tired of it. There is also a catapult that can be created to launch cargo across the world. This was neat the first few times as I managed to toss items ahead of me and land them with a parachute, but I preferred the buddy bot in most scenarios.
For those wanting more story there is a new mission that takes place in a ruined factory located northeast of Capitol Knot City. This is the area featured in the first trailer that takes plenty of nods from Metal Gear Solid. There are guards here to take out and it gives a little more background on the plot of the main game. I enjoyed this area, but like everything else in this version it feels a little light on content. The new area is interesting for sure, but there isn’t enough of it to make a crater-sized impact on the overall game.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is easily the best version of Kojima’s latest game. The new features and additions are more than worth the $10 upgrade for existing owners. Visually the game always looked amazing, but the new higher resolution just showcases the details even better. For anyone who enjoyed the original this upgrade is easy to recommend. For those that never played it, this is the version to get. I continue to think about this game on a weekly basis and enjoyed revisiting it with the new content.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
