Death Stranding isn’t mean enough

I’ve been playing Death Stranding. That is to say that I’ve played it, but I haven’t finished it. And I’m calling attention to that to make it clear that this isn’t a review. After more than 20 hours with the game, I want to talk about my relationship with it. And why I wish it followed through with its punches.

Death Stranding is going to seem alien and strange to a lot of people. Despite debuting exclusively on PlayStation 4, it’s nothing like God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, or so many other Sony tentpoles. Instead,  Metal Gear Solid director Hideo Kojima has made something that has a lot more in common with the kinds of games you would find on PC.