I just question whether that actually happens. It's ridiculously easy to flip a AAA game you don't like on release week for minimal loss. People don't defend games they secretly hate. Franchises/IPs, maybe, but not individual games.

If I had a console to play this, I would be all over it. This looks beautiful.

When it comes to Hideo though I wonder at the fanboys.

That's actually fair.

I watched a few streams of this and just don't get it, but it's possible that it could be more fun to play.

Sure did look like a Fedex simulator, though.

Good point, well said. I've only played about an hour so far. Just trying to get past the ludicrous story and just enjoy the atmosphere....and I have to say though, I definitely don't hate it and totally plan to play some more.

Finally got this, it's fun so far! But definitely weird and can be a bit frustrating. But I think I'll really like it.

I think I might pick up a cheap used copy of this. How cheap do you think I could get it for?

I'm going a month without drinking and possibly without smoking pot (Melancholy March, day 3!) and I want a new game to focus on, so I got it used from Amazon for $35. It's arriving tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited to play it, I've decided, for experiencing the weird art and craft of this as opposed to the fun or exhilaration. Reviews have led me to this conclusion. Those who claim they fall asleep playing this are the ones who have pictures of guns in their profiles. Those who claim it's a modern classic piece of art like Grimes and other cool people are the reason I bought it.

Its beautiful on many levels. I love it.

Beat this last night. While I loved the core game of delivering things, the spotty pacing and boss fights near the end were rough. But I enjoyed the endgame a lot. Was this the "four hour cutscene" everyone was talking about? Cause it wasn't that long, and it definitely wasn't all cutscene.

Excited to get back to the delivery loop now that I've beaten the narrative. There's a lot I never got to.

I'm officially hooked on this game. Been a long time since I've felt this hooked. It's hard to explain why or how... and I understand how just watching people play this game it wouldn't make sense...

I feel invested... it feels like a real experience, somehow. I feel I'm really helping and making a difference in these dumb NPCs lives.

The music is great, the acting is fantastic... the story is bonkers, yet feels real/plausible.

I'm 12 hours in and as of now I'd give the game an 8.8 out of 10. I have quite a bit of game play to go, and I'll update my rating when I mostly complete it.

Hmm sounds like I really need to give this one another go. Honestly I didn't give it a fair shot, was consumed/in the middle of Devil May Cry 5 and RE2 when this came out, but all this positive feedback makes me think I should revisit....

Yeah man... I can see how if you're invested in other, more immediately excitable games, it could be hard to get into Death Stranding. I was playing only Rocket League for quite a while before deciding to delve into a deep game.

This game requires a lot of patience and investment. Really invest some time and attention and patience and it pays off. For me it's not a the normal "fun", catchy game (especially at first), but more of a work of art. It works on some ingenious levels in critiquing the gamer himself and the world we currently inhabit. But don't get me wrong, after it gets its hooks into you, I think it's a lot of fun too.

How long are your play sessions with it? What's the saving situation?

I've been playing when the toddler naps and then when we put him down for good. So, when I was home all day with him, it was 1.5/2 hr sessions (twice in a day if I was lucky), and then about 3/3.5 hours at night, when Raz lets me. (She's rewarding me for not drinking lately). The time flies. As I said, I'm hooked and I hate putting the controller down. Saving is super convenient. You can pretty much save whenever you want.

I'm gonna have to lower my rating to a 7.6. I was expecting more evolution in the gameplay by now. I seem to have fallen into a boring loop hole in the last 4 hours. We'll see if it evolves more.

What part are you at? The game definitely has some pacing problems.

I just threw a nuke in the lake. I'm raising my rating to 8.1 for story and excitement.