Death Stranding: Director's Cut

If you're on board with his insane premise, this is best version of Death Stranding to get.

My advice? If you’ve got a partial PS4 save file ready to go, or even an endgame file that’s not at 100 percent completion, Death Stranding Director’s Cut is a wonderful way to tie up loose ends. Some of the additions are interesting distractions at best, while others are genuinely helpful tools that provide alternate plans of attack as a futuristic delivery man. The short but memorable line of new side-quests is essentially icing on top. Brand-new players, by all means. Tear into this poignant, artisanal, off-the-rails hiking video game, even if it’s slow at first. And don’t forget to smash that “like” button.

If you've never played Death Stranding, I think you should. Whether it's the original release or the new Director's Cut, the game is worth experiencing. Not to say it's perfect by any means (read Game Informer's review for a second opinion). But there's nothing like Death Stranding. And there may never be again; I struggle to think Sony or any other publisher will ever let Kojima be this free a second time – at least not with this kind of budget. That's what makes Death Stranding worth experiencing. Gravity Gloves, race tracks, and cargo catapults are just icing on the cake.

Death Stranding: Director's Cut is like going for a hike through the most haunting beautiful woodland you could possibly imagine, only for a guy in a cinema-quality Jason Voorhees costume to leap out at you unexpectedly from behind some trees and try to shove you into the mud. Naturally, the surprise creates some tension the first time around. Maybe the second time it happens too. But eventually that tension transitions into annoyance. That annoyance quickly into embarrassment for everyone involved. That dichotomy between Death Stranding's two halves has only been further exposed by the Director's Cut. Exploring its wondrous world is an experience quite unlike any other, but it is so routinely shattered by stilted combat and pantomime villains that you'll routinely wonder whether it's worth the effort.

Some art will, given time, morph alongside us. Some art will wait calmly, even stubbornly, for us to return with a new perspective. Death Stranding, by my estimation, has done a bit of both. It has sat patiently, confident in its mechanisms and gargantuan in its ideas, but it has also shifted — just a little bit — while we all did our best to grow. So: Is Death Stranding: Director’s Cut worth playing? Absolutely. Especially now. Was Death Stranding also worth playing in 2019? I’d say so. I just wasn’t ready for it yet. [Polygon Recommends]

The Death Stranding Director’s Cut adds enough new tools and toys for players to utilize to make the experience worth replaying for those diehard fans. And for those that were unsure about getting in, the shuffling and redistribution of tools ensures that the early game is more approachable, while still retaining the sense of scale and progression offered at launch. The other features, like the firing range, racing track, and new location elevate an already rich experience. So collect your order and tie up your laces, because you’ll want to walk another 500 miles or more to experience what’s on offer here.

A pandemic later, Death Stranding feels even more powerful, meaningful and precious. A once in a lifetime experience that you should definitely live, to learn more about yourself and how big our achievements can be when we are determined to work together.