Death Stranding - Aka Norman Reedus and the Funky Fetus

[Ponderous Pillock]

So after a little search I figured I'd make us an ole thread here in the Games forum for people to talk about, speculate, muse etc on Kojima's latest cutscene-fest Game, Death Stranding.

First up, the two trailers we have seen so far:


E3's Reedus reveal trailer

Game Awards 2016 World Reveal Trailer

The thing I am quite enjoying of this right now is that Kojima seems to be taking a "Best kind of revenge is a life lived well" attitude.

Sony is just throwing the cash at him and then sensibly stepping back, apparently giving little to no strings attached as publisher.

He's formed a very close working relationship with the guys over at Guerrilla Games who proceeded to present him with the powerful DECIMA engine.

Before Kojima Productions has really even got off the ground, he's opened up a small satellite studio attached to Guerrilla in order to allow for close collaboration on the Decima engine, improving the game engine enormously in under a year.

He's reassembled the consulting team he had planned for Silent Hills with Del Toro and Reedus both returning.

Reedus tends to help create his characters after helping built Darryl up into an actual, rounded character in The Walking Dead. (And one of the few likeable characters in the TV show, in my opinion) and has become friends with Kojima after working together on the canned Silent Hills.

Del Torro has lent his likeness due to him being busy with his own projects (and still understandably wary after doing a shitload of work for Silent Hills, only for Konami to cut the project's throat). However, his character will be played and voiced by someone else.

Also Mads Mikkelson has now signed on for the project which has got women all over gushing their panties.

======================

So, what of the game itself? Looking at the two highly cryptic trailers, I have a feeling Kojima has decided to park his tanks all over Konami's lawn.

Spoiler: Kojima Declares the Skeleton War on Konami

I think a lot of notes and ideas that were mused for Silent Hills, brainstormed by Del Toro, Reedus and Kojima are going to be recycled heavily into this game and Konami will rue the day for it as they try and make a fucking MGS Zombie Game fly in 2017.

So, we'd be dealing with the concept of Sin, but not on the same scale as we've dealt with before with Silent Hill, which is more about individual sin and confronting it.

No, the trailers seen so far, to me, point to it being more about mankind's sins and judgement, mostly via man-made disasters like warfare, oil spills and polluting the oceans, or when we have the power to do something and simply don't bother, or our interference makes things worse. (Namely the Syrian Civil War). And them being turned against us.

Kojima's games have frequently been relatively subtle commentaries on large global events at the time, so that's what I reckon it will be a commentary on.

So, aside from "OMG ITS SKELETON WAR THE GAME!" what do you guys think?

 

[c-no]

The game has my interest since it was first mentioned. Since it's a PS4 exclusive, it's going to be one of the few games I'd buy the console for aside from Bloodborne and any other platform exclusive titles. Considering the second trailer, one can only guess that Earth is literally fucked not only with dead sea life but also with warfare on par with say the Middle East stage in MGS4. Considering Del Toro look-alike held a pod of some sort holding a baby, perhaps the game may have something related to breeding people as a tool of war or something.

Whatever one thinks of Kojima and how Phantom Pain was, this game ends up being a better product. Sony is a back that has more money so no doubt he could have a better budget to work on. Only question with this game is that once it's out, how it will stand. Some of us were hyped up for Phantom Pain and there was some let down though that could be due more to us holding up hype than being cautious.

 

[Quijibo69]

It feel like this will be new hype let down. Seems to be the running theme lately with video games.

 

[XYZpdq]

I hope it turns out to be some abstract spreadsheet simulator about managing resources and the way you administrate determines which cut scene plays or something similarly a humbug to people who want action.

 

[Anchuent Christory]

For better or worse, nobody makes games like Kojima so I'm very intrigued.

It's a shame he had to leave the Fox Engine tech behind, but what Guerrilla games lacks in their gameplay refinement, they more than make it up with their technical expertise, so being able to jump in with a fully featured engine will benefit him greatly.

 

[Ponderous Pillock]

For better or worse, nobody makes games like Kojima so I'm very intrigued.

It's a shame he had to leave the Fox Engine tech behind, but what Guerrilla games lacks in their gameplay refinement, they more than make it up with their technical expertise, so being able to jump in with a fully featured engine will benefit him greatly.

Apparently it's running a lot deeper than that. DECIMA has already been enormously improved. Possibly because some of the coders who worked for Kojima previously have also jumped with him into his new studio.

The Photo realism is mostly Kojima Prod Coding and tweaking. Kojima has cryptically noted that the "Decima engine is perfect for open world games." which people have taken to Kojima wanting to build on MGS V's open world nature, and what was also rumoured to be happening with the cancelled Silent Hills.

 

[Roosechu]

I know it can't be a new MGS, but it gives me huge MGS deja-vu.
I am quite sure it will be a spiritual sequel, carrying on some themes that couldn't be expanded in Metal Gear due to plot containment and Konami.

 

[DumbDosh]

The game has my interest since it was first mentioned. Since it's a PS4 exclusive, it's going to be one of the few games I'd buy the console for aside from Bloodborne and any other platform exclusive titles. Considering the second trailer, one can only guess that Earth is literally fucked not only with dead sea life but also with warfare on par with say the Middle East stage in MGS4. Considering Del Toro look-alike held a pod of some sort holding a baby, perhaps the game may have something related to breeding people as a tool of war or something.

Whatever one thinks of Kojima and how Phantom Pain was, this game ends up being a better product. Sony is a back that has more money so no doubt he could have a better budget to work on. Only question with this game is that once it's out, how it will stand. Some of us were hyped up for Phantom Pain and there was some let down though that could be due more to us holding up hype than being cautious.

There are talks of it being a timed exclusive for PS4 and then coming to PC later.

I know it can't be a new MGS, but it gives me huge MGS deja-vu.
I am quite sure it will be a spiritual sequel, carrying on some themes that couldn't be expanded in Metal Gear due to plot containment and Konami.

I see it as a natural evolution from Snatcher, Policenauts, and MGS.

Each of those games had Kojima's style of including deep complex themes and ideas that are explored through the universe of that game's world. Where Policenauts examined the ideas of man's biological capabilities and limits when it came to living in space and space travel, and MGS explored genetics, information, the nature of enemies and allies through the times, peace, revenge, as well as instinct/sense and age. I'm sure Death Stranding will be centered around it's own theme, which seems to be related to life and death as well as birth.

The combination of it being a creative explosion for Kojima since this has been his first big budget console game where he has complete control with no pre-existing material since Zone of the Enders on the PS2 (or probably Policenauts on the PS1 since that was fully his baby) along with him discussing the concept of hack and slash action games as man's first invention, a stick and his new gameplay as their second invention, a rope totally sells me on this game.

 

[Ponderous Pillock]

This is why I am feeling pretty good with Sony's attitude. They know anything Kojima will produce will be pretty much solid gold. It's why they've just asked him for a budget then handed the cash over with no questions asked whatsoever.

Kojima's also saved a ton of money by not having to spend six years or so building a new engine from the ground up thanks to Guerrilla Games, main reason being is because he really wants to reassure his fans he's still here for them, and to stick it hard to Konami.

I would not at all be surprised if he tried to push for Death Stranding to be out near to, if not the same time, as MGS: Survive which has been delayed to "2017" without stating which quarter.

 

[P.A]

I would not at all be surprised if he tried to push for Death Stranding to be out near to, if not the same time, as MGS: Survive which has been delayed to "2017" without stating which quarter.

Doubtful he'll get the game done in time. Last I heard, they only picked the game engine not too long ago. Unless Sony has some time bending wizardry, I wouldn't expect this until 2018 at the earliest, and even that's still being somewhat generous.

The biggest problem being that we know very little about Death Stranding as a game. The trailers look very stylish, but they're hardly showing gameplay footage. Who knows if the actual programming part has even begun yet.

 

[c-no]

Take this with salt fellow Kiwi's since this does come anyone can be an anon and claim to be working for Kojima:
On 8Chan's /v/, there was a thread that tried to leak some basic info on the game.

Spoiler: Take with a lot of salt

tl;dr: man experiences an accident, ends up in another world (like MG:Survive?), the baby we see(Norman Fetus) is' the son of Norman's character. Rival in the game is the wife of Norman's character.

I wouldn't put stock in it since I last remember hearing the character you see near the end of the trailer that had a Del Toro lookalike was to be the main antagonist. Also, anyone can go on an image board and claim to be a member of a dev team.

 

[wholetthegodsout]

That's a very interesting concept for a AAA action adventure video game if true. I only question whether it will make the game uninteresting on replays when all information is known and "solved" if the key is to play it online with a group of people working out the mystery.

The trailer gave me the vibe that aliens or some otherworldly force had taken over Earth and was using humans as a resource. I definitely loved how Kojima combines real world military aesthetics with fantastical imagery.

 

[RJ MacReady]

That's a very interesting concept for a AAA action adventure video game if true. I only question whether it will make the game uninteresting on replays when all information is known and "solved" if the key is to play it online with a group of people working out the mystery.

I can see Death Stranding being one of those games people continue to ponder for years. MGS's staying power was the mind-bending weirdness of its narratives and characters.

My impression is that he won't eagerly blow up his titles into franchises because he wants to run Kojipro less as a business and more as an art studio. I think people forget that his magnum opus was enabled by Konami's ruthless capitalism and not pure artistic motivation: MGS caught on and they stoked it into a franchise. Whether anyone will remember Death Stranding in the long run has to do with whether he wants sequels or just standalone art pieces.

 

[broilerrx]

So we went from MGS5 featuring Tyce and The Skullz to Death Stranding featuring Mads Mikkelson as Tyce with black magic and his skeleton army? So does this mean Norman Reedus is going to be Jace, or will a different character end up filling that role?

 

[c-no]

I think people forget that his magnum opus was enabled by Konami's ruthless capitalism and not pure artistic motivation: MGS caught on and they stoked it into a franchise.

When considering how Kojima had to make more games after MGS 1, he didn't really get much fame for games like Zone of Enders or Boktai in comparison. He would no doubt want to be known for being more than just a guy who made the Metal Gear series.

 

[Ponderous Pillock]

Take this with salt fellow Kiwi's since this does come anyone can be an anon and claim to be working for Kojima:
On 8Chan's /v/, there was a thread that tried to leak some basic info on the game.

Spoiler: Take with a lot of salt

View attachment 161834 tl;dr: man experiences an accident, ends up in another world (like MG:Survive?), the baby we see(Norman Fetus) is' the son of Norman's character. Rival in the game is the wife of Norman's character.

I wouldn't put stock in it since I last remember hearing the character you see near the end of the trailer that had a Del Toro lookalike was to be the main antagonist. Also, anyone can go on an image board and claim to be a member of a dev team.

I have a feeling its someone shitposting there, I really do. I remember someone claiming to be from Valve who was "part of the junked Episode 3" team claiming how it would've been open world and god knows what else. Which is funny considering it was pointing us towards an arctic hellhole for the next game.

Elba would be a funny pick because he does not like the geekdom world all that generally, he loathes that the role people bug him about the most is Heimdall and calls the movies "torture" to make. He's also done very very few voice acting roles in video games, or voice over work generally.

The man is a seriously trained classical actor and is currently leading an (actually legitimate) fight to try and make studios at home and abroad a little more "colourblind" when it comes to casting roles, basing it on talent rather than skin colour.

Cumberbatch is another utterly weird pick to muse, also with a busy stage and screen schedule you begin to feel this post is less about getting in a few famous faces for the talent and to add a bit of star power to trying to create the perfect cast of the currently hottest actors plus one of the most talented directors of the era. Which smells fishy to me.

I can see Death Stranding being one of those games people continue to ponder for years. MGS's staying power was the mind-bending weirdness of its narratives and characters.

My impression is that he won't eagerly blow up his titles into franchises because he wants to run Kojipro less as a business and more as an art studio. I think people forget that his magnum opus was enabled by Konami's ruthless capitalism and not pure artistic motivation: MGS caught on and they stoked it into a franchise. Whether anyone will remember Death Stranding in the long run has to do with whether he wants sequels or just standalone art pieces.

Ya know, I feel that that's what we're missing in the gaming world is a decent artsy game studio that could build good titles that make you think on a scale that'd make them popular.

There's Quantic Dream, but that got browbeaten down because David Cage is ehhhhhh and frequently runs out of money and time while producing his games. After that it's all tiny, tiny studios who make shorter, less good looking, "thinking" games which can vary from decent to outright stupid.

 

[Randall Fragg]

So we went from MGS5 featuring Tyce and The Skullz to Death Stranding featuring Mads Mikkelson as Tyce with black magic and his skeleton army? So does this mean Norman Reedus is going to be Jace, or will a different character end up filling that role?

......
Alright, fess up. Which one of you is Kojima?
I swear to god if there's a character in this who's a fat basement dweller with a goofy polo shirt and an obsessive fanfiction comic, it'll be all but confirmed that Kojima posts on here.

 

[Aquinas]

I swear to god if there's a character in this who's a fat basement dweller with a goofy polo shirt and an obsessive fanfiction comic, it'll be all but confirmed that Kojima posts on here.

I doubt he'd make a character out of me.

 

[unshaven]

Is anyone else bummed that Junji Ito won't be working on this? His involvement was probably my biggest reason to wait for Silent Hills

 

[DangerousGas]

Is anyone else bummed that Junji Ito won't be working on this? His involvement was probably my biggest reason to wait for Silent Hills

Fuck yes. Ito, Del Toro and Kojima are pretty much the trio that could have made the perfect Silent Hill experience. I'm glad that Kojima hasn't just ragequit the video game scene entirely (although I would've understood his doing so, post-Konami), but I will forever lament the loss of that particular team for Silent Hills.