[TheNewKing]

Hello everyone
The second trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was released a short while ago
It was announced that the game will be officially released on June 26
How excited are you for the game?!

[miskkie]

Not very...hahah. Wasn't a fan of the first one.

[DoctorEldritch]

@miskkie I have not played the first one, I read there is a lot of idle walking there, never had the time to check myself if that's true.

But for those waiting for it (do we have any who do?), here is a bit of a scoop:

[ZaidH]

@TheNewKing Very excited for this! Loved the first game. It’s too early to say, but DS2 seems to be shaping up like Assassin’s Creed 2, a sequel that dramatically improves on the base formula. Nearly jumped out of my seat during that "Solid Snake" shot 😆

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH How does the first game play, actually? I read the reviews that there is a lot of walking, and structures you build can be used by other gamers, but beyond that, I tried to keep myself spoiler-free.

But the reason I have not tried it yet was, interestingly, that mechanic where objects and signposts of others are usable to you, and vice versa, I dunno why, but it did not sit right with me, I wanted to have a personal story with this game, rather than shared experience. It is a Kojima game.

Then I read that you can play the whole game offline and have no traces of other people in your game, but it defeats the purpose because the whole underlining theme of the game is to connect people, so if you are not "playing with others" then you're doing it wrong. I do not necessarily agree that there is a right and wrong way to play games, you do what you enjoy the most, but the whole thing confused me by that point enough that I decided to do nothing.

When you were playing it, did you play online or offline?

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch I would describe it as a puzzle game where the world itself is a huge puzzle. Unlike other games where you unlock items that just have varying effects like HP increase, in this game every single item helps you solve these geographic puzzles. At a glance, it just looks like a game where you go from Point A to B, but here you have to creatively use the tools at your disposal to navigate rough terrain. Death Stranding is like Breath of the Wild where items provide you with so many creative choices and don't hold your hand at all.

As for the online component, consider this scenario. Early in the game, you have very limited access to items, but you're given access to a bike because why the heck not. The problem is that your base is on the northern side while most of the missions are in the south, with a shallow stream running right in the middle. But there's a shiny bike right there, just waiting to be used! So if you're playing creatively, you could use a huge ladder as a makeshift bridge and ride your bike across it.

OR

You could pool resources to build a small community bridge and cross the stream like Prince Charming.

In short, the online component acts as a time saver rather than something that interferes with the main story. It's more of a dopamine hit, where you get joy from helping others on their journey. I think you'll find this aspect not invasive at all 😄 The signposts are mostly there to cheer people up, and you can safely skip those.

If you've played MGSV, then think of Death Stranding as having the same unparalleled freedom, except this time instead of stealth, you're figuring out how to deliver packages in the most efficient way possible.

I hope my wall of text didn't deter you from playing the game 😅 It's truly one of the most unique experience out there. Sounds weird on paper, but my goodness is it a joy to play.

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH I do not mind walls of text, they signal the passion 😉 You convinced me, I'll give it a try. I can always go offline if I want to. But how long approximately does it take to go through it? Just so I could plan better. And what does Prince Charming have to do with bridges, bridges are in the purview of Trolls?

Though, on a side note, I have not played any MGS games. I should really get into that series same as I did with Yakuza, but with all the games and remasters out there, I am a bit sot to which game would be a good entry point to start with. Did you play other MGS games before MGSV?

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Yay!!! It took me 39 hours, including me goofing around and completing some side missions. The first few missions are a little on the slow side (people play these and call the game a walking simulator 😅), but after you reach a "special" mission the game becomes cohesive and things open up quite a bit. It happens pretty early on, so you’ll get there in no time.

And what does Prince Charming have to do with bridges, bridges are in the purview of Trolls?

Play and find out 😂

I’d personally recommend starting with MGS3: Snake Eater. There’s a reason it’s getting a remake treatment in the form of MGS Delta 😁 Absolute masterpiece. It’s like the Yakuza games—tight and serious main story, but goofy as hell on the sides. This is where Kojiima truly shines.

And yep, I played MGS1, MGS3, MGS: Peace Walker, and MGR: Revengeance before MGSV. Not sure about the general consensus, but I’d say you can probably just play MGS3 and Peace Walker before diving into MGSV. I've an inkling that you will really love this series 😄

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH Well, I like to be thorough but methodical, so I'll put in 45 hours for safety. Not sure how soon I'll get on that, this amount of time is a bit of a commitment, I'll finish some of the games I have now and at the top of my list first, but I put the game on the list now close to the top. And the prince bit has me intrigued 😅

Is it ok to start with the third game? I mean, with Yakuza, I'd rather not start with game 3 plot-wise. I'd say you can start with the first one, or you can start with zero, but then move in sequence, for Haruka story continuity if nothing else. In MGS it can be any game? Just want to make sure. I like continuity, I have not played remastered Uncharted or Fable 3 because I wanted to play the games in the right sequence.

Originally Posted by ZaidH

I've an inkling that you will really love this series 😄

You're the third person to tell me that 😅 But it's exactly because I am confused about continuity that I dragged it for so long...

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Oh yeah, DS requires commitment and the right headspace, so take your time. I’d recommend slotting it between two action-heavy games 😅

MGS3 is like Yakuza 0, where even though it’s further down the release order, it still makes for a great starting point. It’s also the first game chronologically, so it gives you an easier time understanding the series. The only major downside to playing MGS3 first is that MGS1 and MGS2 might feel like a slight downgrade gameplay-wise, kind of like going from Yakuza 0 to Kiwami.

Playing in release order is ideal, but Metal Gear 1 and 2 (not to be confused with MGS1 and MGS2) have pretty dated gameplay and story, which might make it harder to get into the great games that start with MGS1 😅 If you’re willing to play or watch MG1 and MG2 first, then yeah, release order is the way to go.

See, now that's a sign that you should really dive into Metal Gear 😁 Which game did the other two folks recommend as the starting point?