To sayDeath Strandingis a divisive game would be an understatement. On one hand, there are the Hideo Kojima fans and those who aren’t afraid to try something new and weird. On the other hand, some can’t seem to see past the core walking simulator gameplay loop. It is because of this division thatDeath Strandinghas such a niche fanbase. This doesn’t make it a bad game by any stretch of the imagination; it just makes it a hard game to sell to both gamers and non-gamers alike.
One big factor that preventsDeath Strandingfrom reaching a wider audience is that it is difficult to stream. Twitch, YouTube, and even Facebook streams can affect a game’s success. Niche indie games likeAmong UsandFall Guys: Ultimate Knockouthave seen their player count risethanks to multiple people streaming their games. Likewise, big titles such asBattlefield 2042have seen a rapid decrease in interest not just because of their game’s current state, but due in part to the lack of streamers playing them.
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Currently,Death StrandingandDeath Stranding: Director’s Cutstreams on Twitch collectively number in the hundreds. Considering thatthe director’s cut launched on PCjust a week ago, the numbers show that not many people are as interested in the game as when it was first released on the PlayStation 4 in November of 2019. This can be chalked up to the singleplayer nature and the fact that this is technically a three-year-old game, but there are still many reasons whyDeath Strandingis a challenge for streamers and their viewers to enjoy.
Death Stranding’s Overall Gameplay Looks Boring
As engrossing as the simple act of walking can be for the streamer,Death Strandinggameplay, in the eyes of a viewer, is like watching a Fed Ex guy make deliveries in a barren country. Players start on foot and eventually transition to more creative and time-efficient methods of transportation, but at the end of the day, they’re still doing fetch quests for the same NPCs located in the same locations. The monotony may be occasionally interrupted by a change in scenery or a burst of combat, but unless the streamer is going for a speedrun, the game itself can be a slog.
Never mind thatDeath Strandingtakes its time unraveling its secrets. It can take players hours just to finish the game’s introductory Eastern Region; whereupon they realize they haven’t seen the full breadth ofDeath Stranding’s scope. Players can sink forty hours into the game and still have new concepts and game mechanics be introduced to them, as evidenced by the mountainous terrain they come across near the end of the Central Region. While it is nice to see something fresh keep players on their toes, getting to the new stuff can take a long time and a lot of patience - something viewers might not have.
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The Story Isn’t Told In An Engaging Way
When streamers aren’t playingDeath Stranding, they’re engrossing themselves in the game’s story.Death Stranding’s narrative and lore are told primarily in two ways: cutscenes and logs. People should know by now thatHideo Kojima is notorious for his overly-long cutscenes(he is a major cinephile, after all). Though most ofDeath Stranding’s cutscenes aren’t as long as ones found in something likeMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, they can drag on long enough for people to be irritated with them. What’s more, the characters have a roundabout way of explaining things to the player. They either constantly reiterate the same things or they introduce a new concept without providing enough context. Both methods of conversation can make even the most patient viewer throw up their hands in defeat and leave the stream to watch something with more clarity.
The other method of storytelling found inDeath Strandingis in logs. Hundreds of emails can be found and read over the course of the game, many of whichflesh outDeath Stranding’s worldin a way some cutscenes can’t. The biggest problem here is that most of these logs come in the form of mountains of text which the player has to scroll through to read completely. The text is small, the paragraphs are large, and there is nothing fun or interactive about reading an email on stream. Apart from email logs, audio logs and calls occasionally permeateDeath Stranding’s narrative. While these are given full voice acting, the fact that all players and viewers see are still images when listening to these audio logs makes it just as boring to watch as reading the emails.
Not counting the usual stream hurdles such as having to work aroundDeath Stranding’s liberal use of copyrighted music, the gameplay and story ofDeath Strandingmake it difficult for viewers to watch. Any player hoping to stream the game would have to be very lively or find a creative way to keep viewers engaged so as not to have them leave the stream out of boredom or confusion. It’s a hard truth, but oneDeath Strandingneeds to take into consideration if a sequel ever gets made.
Death Strandingis available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
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