Death Stranding Director's Cut Reviews
An enhanced version of a polarizing game, one with a unique gameplay mechanic that can become monotonous and an intriguing story that falls apart at the end. This release doesn't change much, but it makes a stunning game look even more beautiful, and adds some appreciated tools and variety to help you on your journey
Review in Arabic | Read full review
I very much enjoyed Death Stranding on the PS4, and that hasn't changed after playing through Death Stranding: Director's Cut on the PS5. It's not perfect in its overall story and gameplay execution, and it isn't a game that everyone will enjoy. If you can get past that, it's still is a uniquely rewarding experience that looks and plays better on a PS5, and it's one of the few PS5 titles that doesn't demand a fortune to upgrade for existent owners. At the same time, the content additions are a bit thin and don't add a lot to the experience, so the upgrades in visuals and performance are likely the main reason to upgrade your version.
Death Stranding is a game that caught me by surprise, I am far from a Hideo Kojima fan and I was never overly impressed with the Metal Gear Solid franchise, but this game just hits different.
The new UI tweaks, slight gameplay changes, small bits of story content and more all add up to a worthwhile and wonderfully bizarre package that still proves Kojima Productions have truly crafted a game unlike any other.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut is a refined experienced. From the memorable sound design to the meticulously detailed open world, it has stuck with me – even more so than when I played the original back in 2019. If that was Hideo Kojima’s intention with this re-release then bravo. Mission accomplished.
When I was first asked what mark I’d give Death Stranding out of five, I said I would give it a question mark. It’s certainly not conventionally “fun”, at least not for the first several hours. It depends on how much the player is willing to embrace Kojima’s artistic vision and absorb themselves in it. Death Stranding simultaneously tedious and exciting, profound and inane, terrifying and laughable. Like the spectral beings that inhabit this post-apocalyptic America, it’s often shapeless and hard to comprehend. One thing is for sure though: it’s like no game you’ve ever played before. 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.
But there's no denying Death Stranding: Director's Cut's technical achievements. It's incredibly immersive, putting every new capability built into the PlayStation 5 to the test and coming out triumphant. If you were disappointed by Death Stranding's unwieldy gameplay the first time around, the Director's Cut isn't going to win you over. But if Kojima's storytelling won you over, this will be a worthwhile upgrade.
However, additions aside, let's not forget what remains, indisputably, the most important and valiant element, even in this Director's Cut: Death Stranding. Experience that, regardless of one's personal taste, is valid, important and destined to remain lucid in memories for a very long time. Almost as prophetic as the brilliant Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Sam Porter Bridges' journey westwards, despite some some somewhat stretched and unnecessarily brainy sequences, remains deep and full of messages and social themes too powerful to be ignored, which pass first from the gameplay and our efforts, and then culminate in a genuinely moving final sequence.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In our review of Death Stranding Director's Cut we put aside the big words because once again we needed to explain, explain and explain again its indecipherable gameplay, as well as the introduction of the new gadgets and tasks released with the Director's Cut. Whether you only discover it now, or you decide to upgrade from the previous version, Death Stranding remains an experience that, regardless of your personal taste, is valid, important and destined to remain lucid in the memories of those who will trust it, for a very long time. Almost as prophetic as the brilliant Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Sam Porter Bridges' journey westwards, despite some unnecessarily brainy and drawn-out sequences, remains profound and filled with messages and social themes too powerful to be ignored, which first pass through the gameplay, with the efforts required of the player, and then culminate in a genuinely moving final sequence. We will not begin, as practice would require, to justify at any cost the high rating that will surely be making someone turn up their nose, but if you are tired of the usual experiences, and want to experience on yourself something really new, try Death Stranding ... and trust that never as in this case, a gameplay on YouTube just will not be enough to make you understand what you're about to meet.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is better than Death Stranding. Beyond that, there’s not really a lot I can say about it. If you didn’t like Death Stranding, you’ll find this game a little bit more tolerable. If you did like Death Stranding, you’ll enjoy this upgraded version; Or you won’t. Seeing as the point of Death Stranding was to struggle, maybe a less frustrating version of the game isn’t what fans want.
Death Stranding Director's Cut is a rare game that has no middle ground. It delivers a unique experience that encourages planning and patience but places high action on only rare situations. It falls under the umbrella that if you like this gameplay style, you're going to love Death Stranding, and if you don't, there's nothing for you here.
Let me be clear: if you didn’t like Death Stranding when it first came out, then this Director’s Cut will do basically nothing to fix any of the game’s issues for you. It is still obtuse at times, a bit too long, a bit too confusing for some. However, if you were a fan of the original launch, then there’s just enough new content here to justify the upgrade. It sure gave me the perfect excuse to start a fresh save and enjoy these brand new additions.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut is an essential game for anyone who does not play the original. If you have already played the original, you will not find anything that encourages you to return beyond your own desire to see the scarce new narrative content. The customization and playable facilities offered by the game do not excessively break a unique experience that can be lived as in the original. On the other hand, the desire to gamify a work that did not need it, yes it can tarnish the experience of the player, because if something did not need the game of Hideo Kojima is the competition or the races.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The new release of Death Stranding was scaring for the extras, but every doubt disappeared when taking in arm DualSense
Review in Italian | Read full review
The most polarizing AAA game of 2019 receives a fresh coat of paint, elevating it beyond its 8th generation confines.
Hideo Kojima has proven to us over and over again that he is a genius when it comes to making games. Death Stranding is not only a great masterpiece, it is a unique experience with an immersive story worthy of a movie. However, its gameplay left us on several occasions pondering it could be much more refined how repetitive the game can become because of it. For those who have never played Death Stranding, the Director's Cut edition is a must. If, on the other hand, you already purchased it for Playstation 4, consider returning to this world if you really liked the game and want more of the same.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Games of this caliber are exceedingly rare. Death Stranding Director's Cut is a masterpiece, without question the definitive version for one of the best games I've played in the last few years. Whether you've played the PS4 version or are thinking of checking it out for the first time, don't pass up your chance to play this gem on PS5.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut guarantees an even more epic adventure in a definitive version that offers new gameplay features and takes full advantage of PS5, especially for those embarking on the experience for the first time. If you've already finished the campaign on PS4, I don't recommend purchasing the upgrade. If you didn't finish the story and will continue in this version, I suggest starting from the beginning to take advantage of everything the director's version has to offer in the form it should be presented.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Death Stranding: Director's Cut is the most personal work of Hideo Kojima, a game that some will love and others not so much. If after reading the analysis you are interested in what it proposes, it is recommended, but always taking into account what it is. Some of the additions in this edition are interesting, such as the new scenes. On the other hand, some of the objects that facilitate the experience may not be to everyone's liking.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Kojima’s unique and captivating journey across America on PS5 feels like it achieves what it couldn’t on PS4, due to excellent DualSense enhancement and meaningful updates.