Death Stranding: Director's Cut

 PC
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Digital Chumps
    Apr 15, 2022
    100
    At its core, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is an inventory management game. The more you play, the more freedom you have to do things with that inventory. You can help others. You can hurt others. You can save citizens. You can kill them. You can grow your world. You can destroy it. Regardless of your decision, DSDC is a game unlike others in that your assumptions about core gameplay loops and storytelling are pushed aside in favor of exploring a disconnected future. For those who have yet to play DS, DSDC is clearly the iteration of DS that is worthy of your time given its iterations that are increasingly respectful of your time and patience while also giving you additional creative outlets to muck about. For those of you who were unable to get hooked into this game, then DSDC may not be the answer you seek in a cinematic experience. Give it a shot, though; I’d love to be proven wrong.
  2. Jeuxvideo.com
    Mar 30, 2022
    95
    In the end, Death Stranding Director's Cut does exactly what is expected of it: bringing to PC all the qualities of the PS5 version (which was already an ultimate edition of Hideo Kojima's masterpiece) but with the flexibility specific to its platform. We therefore find support for 2K and 4K resolutions, ultrawide screens, a framerate of up to 240 fps and support for DLSS. Small - and only - difference compared to the PC edition of two years ago: Intel's Xe Super Sampling can now be used. Enough to make this Director's Cut PC an even more versatile title than in the past, which is an excellent point. A choice setting to enjoy Hideo Kojima's masterpiece in the best conditions, with all the additions of this improved version: new tools for deliveries, new activities and missions. An ultimate port for a game that marked its time.
  3. God is a Geek
    Mar 29, 2022
    95
    The Death Stranding Director’s Cut on PC is well worth it for fans and for those who missed it first time around.
  5. Noisy Pixel
    Mar 29, 2022
    90
    The PC version has a few added features, but quite honestly, they are par for the course when it comes to PC gaming. That’s not a bad thing, as you have options to customize the graphics and performance of the game to your heart’s content, but I found nothing to really gush over. Death Stranding has always been a beautiful game, but playing on an UltraWide monitor might give you a better idea of the sheer scope of this experience. It’s a testament to some fantastic graphical leaps that have happened in recent years that still manage to impress me in this newest release.
  6. GameWatcher
    Mar 29, 2022
    90
    With a few of its existing rough edges smoothed out, Death Stranding Director’s Cut manages to be a more approachable experience than its previous incarnation, and for those coming back to it, there’s just enough new to warrant a second journey across America.
  7. TierraGamer
    Mar 30, 2022
    85
    Death Stranding: Director s Cut gets us closer to Hideo Kojima s idea for the game. As we know, this is more than just a different story, it's a different kind of experience. It feels as next gen as the first time we played this game that challenges its existence.
  8. GameStar
    Apr 21, 2022
    83
    A less onerous version of the courier epic with some useful innovations for novices, not quite as sweet to experts.
  9. Hey Poor Player
    Apr 24, 2022
    80
    In a world full of pandering pablum and endlessly milked franchises, it’s extraordinary for a big-budget game to be so daringly different. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut doesn’t just re-invent the wheel, it re-invents the whole cart, and that’s why the definitive edition of Hideo Kojima’s opus is well worth playing.
  10. GamingTrend
    Apr 19, 2022
    80
    Death Stranding: Director's Cut provides the best Strand experience without changing too much. This version offers new content and features making an overall good experience even better.
  11. GameGrin
    Mar 29, 2022
    50
    An absolutely enjoyable experience gameplay-wise, but a definitely skippable story; you're better off playing Death Stranding like a walking simulator and completing each area as you're introduced to it, rather than rushing to an unfulfilling story conclusion.
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  1. 3DJuegos
    Apr 11, 2022
    Death Stranding: Director's Cut is a solid PC port with great performance and chock full of new content. Is it worth returning to Hideo Kojima's most personal game on PC? It depends on how willing you are to replay this huge, unique, open world adventure. [Recommended]

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best PC Game of 2022
75
#75 Most Discussed PC Game of 2022

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 147 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 112 out of 147
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 147
  3. Negative: 23 out of 147
  1. iPauld
    Apr 1, 2022
    10
    One of my favourite games of all time now with extra content on PC,loving it!
    running it on an RTX 3050 at all max settings with DLSS On and    One of my favourite games of all time now with extra content on PC,loving it!
    running it on an RTX 3050 at all max settings with DLSS On and it looks truly beautiful!
    highly recommend this
    sidenote:if you have a PS5 DualSense controller the game now has haptic feedback and adaptive triggers which enhance the gaming experience greatly!    … Full Review »
  2. Young_Fawn
    Jun 21, 2023
    9
    A True Masterpiece

    Death Stranding is, in my opinion, one of the greatest games ever made and I wish I'd given it the respect it deserves    A True Masterpiece

    Death Stranding is, in my opinion, one of the greatest games ever made and I wish I'd given it the respect it deserves sooner.

    When Death Stranding was announced, I think I was in the same boat as a lot of people who had been following Hideo Kojima since more or less childhood. I was probably expecting something closer to MGS than anything else.
    When the game came out I was bitterly disappointed and did in fact jump on the bandwagon and very much used the idiotic "Walking Simulator" argument to speak badly about the game, this was when it came out in late 2019.

    I decided to give the game another go when the Director's Cut came out and decided to push the "MGS" mentality to the side and play the game for what it is and I was not disappointed.
    The world Kojima has made, despite being apocalyptic, does feel very lived in, going from place to place, delivering cargo that people -need- is rather rewarding. Old man needs strong painkillers, I've got you. Cosplayer needs a new sewing kit? I'm on my way, Chief, just hang on.

    The mechanics in the game are very interesting, with the multiplayer aspect also seamlessly transitioning into your every day gameplay is phenomenal. The community really comes together to build highways, shelters, private rooms and zip-lines all the way through; if everyone contributes, everyone has an easier time.

    I believe a lot of people had an issue with the amount of Cargo sometimes you need to carry from A to B and whilst, yes, this is an issue early on the game, before you get vehicles in abundance and floating carriers; once you're past that stage cargo becomes significantly easier to manage. Although I do think there is an argument to be had that it shouldn't take 6-8 hours to get to the point where it's no longer as harsh of an issue.

    The set pieces and the world itself is beautiful, from flats, to rocky mountains to snowy mountains, to swamps to grasslands, the world feels very real in terms of biomes and each one comes with its own set challenges to overcome and the pace of the game means that you're never really stuck in one biome for -too- long to the point where it begins to get tedious.

    The story isn't exactly the easiest to follow but it's not the hardest to follow either. For example, for those who have played Kojima games before, it's easier to follow than MGS2 Sons of Liberty but harder to follow than the likes of MGS3 Snake Eater. As long as you're paying attention and read through a few logs and emails, you should be fine. And what a story it is, very well crafted, very philosophical and overall just an enjoyable experience.

    Now the game is not without it's flaws. Despite me personally enjoying the gameplay loop of taking packages from A to B, I can understand why some people might find this tedious and unrewarding. There is also a point in the game, which I won't declare where, but one character starts banging on about lore to do with the Death Stranding from millions of years ago and in my opinion, the scene went on for -far- too long. I'm sure we're all familiar with the tedious cut-scenes which could have ended around 1/2 of the way through and the same goal would be accomplished. Sometimes I feel some of the lore that's spoken to you through dialogue would be quicker to read in a Log due to how it's delivered.

    There are also certain parts of the game where the game just tells you. "Figure out how to achieve goal." Type missions. Although this isn't necessarily a bad thing, you do find yourself doubting if the course of action you're taking, or about to take, is the right one and you don't want to waste your time. Especially if it involves potentially trekking back miles and miles only to find out that you were wrong and need to double back -again-.

    The upgrades and items you get for combat and travelling are in abundance, although I feel like it's fair to say you'll only use a handful of them and you'll tend to not want to try out certain ones because all it's going to do is take up more cargo space, I think they could've cut the fabricated items in half and still it would've been fine.

    The OST is one of the best soundtracks you'll find in any game, it really adds to the atmosphere of the game when you're just travelling from A to B and makes you feel a little less lonely and makes the journey a tad less tedious and more enjoyable, sometimes I even found myself not delivering until the song finished.

    Overall, Death Stranding is a masterpiece of a game, I can gladly hold my head high and say I was wrong about this game when it came out and after taking around 35 hours or so to complete it, I wish I could forget it and do it all again. The game is a 9/10 for me and everyone who appreciates games as an art form should definitely play this at some point to completion.

    As for you, Sam Porter, I hope to see you again in future games; and if not, thanks, it's been one hell of a journey.    … Full Review »
  3. Flyk3
    Aug 27, 2023
    10
    For me, an absolute masterpiece. 3 years after I played through the main game, the Directors Cut takes me back and it feels like coming home.
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