Death Stranding Director’s Cut – Review

Nearly two years ago, Death Stranding saw the light on PS4. The game was a very original PlayStation exclusive by the hands of none other than Hideo Kojima. Death Stranding was one of those games you simply loved because of its original premise but was probably overlooked by a lot of gamers who want their games to be a bit less obscure. That being said, we loved the game, even with the somewhat calm gameplay compared to the story that unfolds as you progress. Now, very much like Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, Death Stranding also gets its definitive edition with its own Director’s Cut. We revisited the game and will mainly be focusing on some changes to the original formula. Those wanting a bit more information can always click here to read our original review.

Let’s first dive into the graphical quality of the game. Everything still very much looks the same, albeit with some texture updates and a few new effects thrown into the mix. Water effects have been improved, soil textures have gotten an overhaul, and everything just runs a lot smoother. You won’t notice any frame drops, which certainly helps with the immersion of this fantastic title. Of course, you can still see that this game has a PS4 foundation, as it is not on the same level as the newly developed PS5 exclusive titles. That being said, the game looks amazing on our next-gen console, and we simply loved exploring the world of Death Stranding once more, even though we knew what was lurking around every corner.

While some new missions have been added to the experience, many new additions are actually QOL improvements. Combat has been made a bit more fluid with some new moves and weapons, the buddy bot allows you to do deliveries in a semi autopilot fashion by hitching a ride on top of it. Of course, this only works if the load is not too heavy, and if you encounter BTs, it’s best to fend for yourself as your buddy is slow on its feet. On top of this, we also have a firing range that has been added, a race track, a new vehicle, boss battles, and so on. All of these improvements and additions are somewhat small when looking at the bigger picture, but when combined, they do make a meaty upgrade of the base game experience. For those who own the PS4 version, you’ll also be pleased to know that upgrading to the Director’s Cut will only cost you some pocket change, rather than having to repurchase the game or pay a heavy price for the added ‘DLC’ content.

During our first outing with the game, it didn’t receive the highest possible score. We found that the game still had a few pacing issues and belonged to a very specific niche genre. Now, however, we find that all the crinkles have been ironed out and that this is truly a definitive version of the game. True, there are still a few pacing issues where you go from very impressive cutscenes to playing FedEx simulator, but the added content, the overall quality upgrades, and small customization options, make for a great bizarre adventure.

Conclusion

If you have played the original version and you are not interested in side-content or just had your dose of Death Stranding, then we reckon the Director’s Cut will not bring that much to the table to convince you to play it again. If you have not played Death Stranding yet, or are dying to replay the game on your PS5, then we can wholeheartedly recommend this definitive version. Not only does everything look crisper, but the loading times have also been reduced, the additional content is a lot of fun to explore, and everything feels a bit more fluid.

Ibuki

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Aspiring ninja.

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