This past Saturday we had the last nice day of the year, and indeed the decade. It was a decent 50 degrees with no rain. I had to take this opportunity to use my legs. There's a spot not far from my house I just discovered. Take the outer trail and pass ponds and a sheer cliff face from where humans violently tore the ridge open to build some condos. (Also, if you slip through a hole in the fence, you can find a shack covered in graffiti where teenagers do weed.) It was while I was using my physical legs I had time to think about Death Stranding and why I hadn't reviewed it yet. Because while I loved being outdoors, I found myself a bit lonely. I was missing the single best thing of Death Stranding's experience.
Your main enemy in Death Stranding is steep terrain and your main tool is your body. It's a game where you feel the weight of a massive backpack. Carrying that weight down a steep hill is not a simple task. No, it's a complex strategic balance of knowing your character, Sam Bridges' limits. How much can his back can tilt before he falls over, how high can he hop other his obstacle, and when it is actually safest to run. He can twist his back in ways that horrify me while carrying 100 kilos of weight. But he can't safely jump down anything without falling over his ass. While the real me was inching down a steep hill with my non-digital meat legs this weekend, I was making the same moves as Sam. Do I dare slip on these leaves? Do I cut left to avoid this pack of mud? Do I grab this tree to steady myself? There's a full kinesthetic simulation within Death Stranding. That's impressive enough, but the game insists on also having a story and enemies.
