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[PC Gamer] (PC) Game of the Year 2020: Death Stranding



Truly no game encapsulated 2020 better than Kojima's journey to reconnect the world.


James Davenport: Cut out the noise around all the odd Kojima-isms, the myth of the nonsensical two-hour long cutscenes, the needless cameos and indulgent winks at the camera—it's all there, and I like it, but it made up a miniscule percentage of my 100-plus hours wandering the American wastes.

What's important: Death Stranding is one of the best games about getting from point A to point B ever made—looking at you Breath of the Wild. It's a game of logistics and physics, resolutely and finally where it belongs on the PC among its simulator siblings, each of Normie's legs given the same attention that SCS Software gives to the 18 tires on a semi-truck.

It's a gorgeous exercise in isolation and serenity, touching on themes of what happens when late-capitalist culture alienates us from one another, and our attempt to chase whatever mindless serotonin high we can in place of those relationships. Death Stranding wants to find purpose in labor, to steer what we accomplish back towards serving one another rather than the ideas of misguided leaders.

Andy Kelly: Death Stranding has completely changed the way I think about traversal in videogames. As much as I love Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, merrily skipping across Norwegian mountains feels, suddenly, quite ridiculous. I don’t think every open world game should go to the same lengths of simulation as Death Stranding, because the exhausting struggle of crossing a river or ascending a mountain peak is very specific to that game.

Wes Fenlon: Who cares if Death Stranding was released on consoles in 2019. This is the videogame of the year 2020—and like James said, it's a PC simulation through and through. Like Metal Gear Solid 5 before it, Death Stranding is a game that understands the satisfaction of choosing from a vast array of tools, making a fastidious plan, and executing on it.

Jody Macgregor: It's an entire game about terrain, what could be more PC gaming than that? How about the fact if it has an entire side story about NPCs who are obsessed with Valve games?

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MiyazakiHatesKojima MiyazakiHatesKojima Get ITT!!!! (trademark infringement here)
 
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In a world where weak hardware didn't exist, Cyberpunk would have taken this for sure. It has it's bugs and shortcomings, but a great game nonetheless.

Yeah, honestly I think there is case to be made for Hades, Flight Sim 2020, Cyberpunk 2077, and Death Stranding. I wouldn't have really argued with any of them.

edit: Also DOOM Eternal, meant to include that as well.

I haven't played DS on PC but the footage in this review looks great, just visually speaking.
 
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jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
Nice.

Those that havent played it yet, dont give up on it too soon. It gets better after the opening chapters.
 

Patrick S.

Banned
The only game of the year awards I really value are Mack's, from Worth a Buy.



I'm really envious I don't have a VR headset to be able to play his GOTY, Half Life: Alyx. Would LOVE to play this.
 
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OnionSnake

Banned
Definitely an odd game, but the PC version is very well made and a lot of people really vibe with this game. Good choice.
 

Krappadizzle

Gold Member
I can't bring myself to get past the 1 hour mark. I've tried multiple times, but the game is so damn boring.

There's so many better choices on PC, MSFS, Deep Rock Galactic, Warhammer 2 DLC, Doom Eternal, Crusader Kings III, Baldur's Gate 3, Hades, Cyberpunk 2077 etc..
 
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harmny

Banned
I noticed PC gamers love Death Stranding but console gamers don't care much for it. I wonder why that is.
Football manager one of the most played PC games in the world and the game is basically a spreadsheet. Or think about farm or euro truck simulator. Different kind of audience for sure
 

Blond

Banned
I dunno, I feel like I got what the game was saying the entire experience and it’s my game of the generation for a reason.

I wouldn’t say I quit gaming, but I understood the metaphor and it made me definitely look at my interest in gaming as a whole and I stopped taking it so damn serious by the time I finished it.
 
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Airbus Jr

Banned
Seriously Death Stranding best PC game ?

Cyberpunk 2077( PC version) should be the choice

Yal picking 2019 game for 2020 PC GOTY making PC look bad
 

Kadayi

Banned
Not sure if CP2077 was in with a shout given release time, but honestly...Crusader Kings 3 would have been more fitting surely? I had a lot of fun with Death Stranding, but honestly, it's got a truly terrible UI and there's an inordinate amount of busywork to it. I love the traversal aspect and the story is undiluted Kojima, but at the same time it's not for everyone.
 

Kenpachii

Member
Kinda pointless to do this for PC, as PC games have very long legs with updates that are pretty much full blown content updates.

They don't label them 1 2 or 3 like console games they keep on pushing content in the games.

There is no year something. And if you do u get weird titles like this.
 
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Edgelord79

Gold Member
I usually don't care too much about lists, but out of all that released on PC this year... this?

What a vapid choice.
 
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Dr_Salt

Member
The only game of the year awards I really value are Mack's, from Worth a Buy.



I'm really envious I don't have a VR headset to be able to play hiy GOTY, Half Life: Alyx. Would LOVE to play this.

Occulus rift S has a $100 discount right now on amazon.
 

kyussman

Member
What a prophetic game Death Stranding turned out to be after the year we've all just had.
Anyway,I'll always go to bat for this game.....games don't generally stay me afterwards like this one did.
 
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