Death Stranding 2’s Gameplay Is Too Good For Me To Waste My Time Watching Its Bad Cutscenes

by

In my attempt to truly immerse myself in Death Stranding 2, I spent a total of 12 hours exploring diverse landscapes such as Mexico and Australia, delivering packages, engaging in combat with adversaries, and watching every available cutscene along the way. Although I was captivated by the gameplay mechanics of being a porter in Death Stranding, which might just be my favorite gaming loop yet, I found myself struggling to enjoy the overall experience due to an inconsistent flow. The issue, similar to the first game, lies within the lengthy and poorly-written cutscenes that seem disconnected from any coherent overarching narrative.

The abundance of elements in this game made it challenging for me to immerse myself fully in the gaming experience. After an enjoyable hour of delivering items and exploring, a lengthy 15-minute cutscene would follow, leaving me drained. Consequently, I’d often need to take a break by resting. Despite my eagerness to play Death Stranding 2, I was beginning to feel let down, as the enjoyable gameplay was somewhat overshadowed by these extended interruptions.

In simpler terms, the final straw for me was the appearance of a character named Rainy. Her debut scene consisted of an extended dance routine in the rain that Sam observes. Later, she has an emotional reunion with Sam’s companions, who seem to know her well despite never having mentioned her before. It isn’t until her third scene that anyone informs Sam about Rainy. However, her arrival doesn’t alter the gameplay experience at all, even though she is another magical character. These scenes are visually appealing, but they lack depth or meaningful content. Instead of enjoying the gameplay, I was frequently interrupted to watch what felt like unnecessary and annoying spectacle.

On my recent playthrough, I decided to venture out of my comfort zone in games designed by Hideo Kojima – I began to skip the cinematic sequences for the first time during initial gameplays. Initially, I was apprehensive, fearing I might miss crucial plot points or lore details. However, I planned to use this newfound freedom judiciously, only when a scene extended excessively without any apparent progression. Yet, that cautious approach didn’t persist for long. Just an hour into my decision, I found myself skipping every cutscene as soon as it began.

After that, something amusing transpired: I found myself immersed in Death Stranding 2 for a continuous six hours. At last, I was liberated to savor the aspects I appreciate without being subjected to the hubbub of the narrative. No longer did I need to allocate mental energy towards deciphering how the most recent illogical plot twist aligns with its predecessor. Instead, I was able to return to the straightforward joys of strolling around, transporting packages, and constructing facilities.

It’s not surprising that things turned out like this, given my expectations. I won’t feign surprise by saying I thought Death Stranding 2’s storytelling would be anything but poor, but when I started playing, I did intend to watch all the cutscenes regardless. To be honest, it was more about fairness than anything else – perhaps this time Kojima’s writing would resonate with me. I felt compelled to give it a chance.

Thus far, I used to endure his games without a hitch. I watched every post-credit sequence in MGS4, trekked through to the “we ran out of money” climax in MGSV, and sat patiently for the lengthy final cutscenes of Death Stranding in one go. Every moment was unbearable, but I fulfilled my responsibilities. However, at 38 years old, I find myself lacking the endurance for such prolonged engagements.

In all honesty, my experience with the first Death Stranding has taught me a valuable lesson that I should have grasped earlier. Despite watching every cutscene during my initial playthrough, I later replayed it twice without them, saving myself 11 hours. Although I had the recipe for happiness, I didn’t want to assume that the story of Death Stranding 2 would be as frustrating and illogical as its predecessor. I chose to maintain faith in Kojima not only as a designer but also as a writer.

Although all hope has vanished, it strangely brings me joy. With no more ties to worry about the interludes, I’m eagerly anticipating an exceptional experience playing the remainder of Death Stranding 2.

Read More

2025-07-02 00:09