Well… WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS! Somehow Kojima Productions stealth dropped an Xbox version of Death Stranding, their 2019 PlayStation exclusive that seemed locked to that platform for eternity. While it did come to PC the following year it still seemed unlikely but five years to the day since the PlayStation launch, Xbox players got their hands on the Director’s Cut release and now have a chance to judge the game for themselves.

At its core, the game could be described as a post apocalyptic postman simulator. You take on the role of Sam Bridges (likeness and voice of Norman Reedus), a porter that travels a devastated United States following an event called the Death Stranding. His job involves delivering packages between isolated settlements which is a task that requires specialists to navigate not only the rough terrain but deal with gangs wanting to steal from you and dangerous entities trying to kill you. After an incident during the opening sequence of the game, Sam is tasked with travelling west across the country, delivering cargo and reconnecting settlements while searching for his long-lost sister.

Visually, the game still looks cutting edge with character likenesses (and there’s a lot of cameos too) that are incredibly detailed, even now in the age of Hellblade II. The visual design overall is a strong point too with a distinctive aesthetic that works well with the impressive scenery and unique sci-fi theme. Enemy encounters can be spectacles with some wild looking beasts to deal with.

Initially the main gameplay mechanic will revolve around ferrying packages safely across the game world. Carrying a lot of items can impact your balance and there is often a tradeoff with what you can carry, how quickly you can travel and the ease in which you can defend yourself. Losing your balance can lead you to falling over, losing items and even worse damaging them and failing missions. As you progress additional tools become available that make this less of a problem but the first few hours will feel slow paced until you get to that point. Combat also takes a back seat early as the game pushes towards stealth and avoidance which is helpful but becomes unnecessary as you advance.

While I’ve noted my time playing the game, one point of frustration is that it tends to drag out story points, especially the game’s conclusion. When you think the game is over (and credits roll, even) there’s still a couple more hours of reveals and cutscenes to sit through before most of the plot threads are tied off. I understand this is very much a Kojima thing but it is also an indulgence that takes away from what seemed like an appropriate conclusion much earlier in the campaign story.

Overall this is a unique adventure that does require you to be able to accept that a lot of your time will be spent ferrying cargo over combat but if you can find the challenge in it you may see it as a refreshing change over other high profile games.

Death Stranding is out now on Xbox and also available on PlayStation and PC. Played on an Xbox Series X.