Some games are instant classics. Others take a little more work.
Then there are games like Death Stranding—games that challenge your expectations so thoroughly that they almost dare you to quit before revealing what makes them special.
I almost did.
More than once.
As someone who grew up completely obsessed with Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima has always been one of those rare developers whose name alone could sell me on a game. Metal Gear wasn't just one of my favorite franchises...it helped define what I thought video games could become. The gameplay was incredible, but it was Kojima's storytelling that kept me invested. Every codec conversation, every boss encounter, every absurd plot twist somehow fit into a larger narrative that felt unlike anything else in gaming.
So when Kojima Productions announced Death Stranding, I didn't need convincing. I was all in. What I wasn't prepared for was how long it would take before I finally understood it.
Getting Older Changed the Way I Play Games
When you're younger, you have time.
You can spend entire weekends grinding levels, farming resources, or pushing through slower sections because eventually something exciting is waiting on the other side.
As I've gotten older, that's changed.
Between work, responsibilities, and life in general, a game has to earn my time pretty quickly. If it doesn't hook me in those opening hours, there's a good chance I'll move on to something else.
Death Stranding asked for patience. A lot of patience. And honestly...I wasn't sure it deserved it.
"It's Just a Walking Simulator..."
Like a lot of people, I'd heard the jokes.
"It's just a walking simulator."
"You deliver packages."
"Nothing happens."
At first, it honestly felt like those criticisms might be true.
The world was absolutely stunning. Every mountain, every valley, every rain-soaked landscape looked like a painting brought to life. Kojima Productions built one of the most beautiful worlds I've ever explored.
The mechanics even felt familiar. There were hints of Metal Gear Solid hiding beneath the surface. Inventory management. Careful planning. Route optimization. Creative problem-solving.
But something wasn't clicking. The BTs were confusing. The mysterious black tar seemed completely random. Characters talked in riddles. I wasn't emotionally invested yet. I pushed forward for a while before finally putting the controller down.
Months later, I tried again.
Made it farther. Still didn't get it.
So I stopped. Again.
For almost two years, Death Stranding sat in my library unfinished.
The Third Time Was Different
Eventually, I decided I owed Kojima one more chance. No expectations. No rushing. Just commit to seeing it through. Then something happened. I made it past those opening chapters.
The world suddenly exploded open. Roads became available. Vehicles changed traversal. New equipment completely transformed exploration. The story stopped asking questions and finally started answering a few of them...while somehow introducing even bigger mysteries.
Combat became more frequent. The lore became deeper. Every delivery felt meaningful.
I kept telling myself... "Just one more package."
Then another. Then another.
Before I knew it, hours had disappeared. Somewhere along the way, I stopped playing Death Stranding like an action game and started experiencing it exactly how Kojima intended.
That's when I finally understood why so many people call it a masterpiece.
More Than Delivering Cargo
On paper, Death Stranding sounds almost ridiculous.
You're a porter named Sam Porter Bridges. After a mysterious catastrophe known as the Death Stranding shattered civilization, humanity survives in isolated settlements scattered across a broken America. Your mission is to reconnect those cities by rebuilding the Chiral Network—one delivery at a time.
That's the objective. But it's not really what the game is about.
Death Stranding is about connection. Every package represents hope. Every bridge connects strangers. Every road brings isolated people back together.
Even its unique multiplayer system reinforces that message. Other players can never directly join your world, yet you'll constantly discover ladders, bridges, climbing ropes, roads, generators, and shelters left behind by complete strangers.
Someone you've never met makes your journey easier. Later, you unknowingly return the favor for someone else. Without saying a single word, players work together to rebuild an entire country. I've never experienced another multiplayer system quite like it.
A Fever Dream That Somehow Makes Perfect Sense
Trying to explain Death Stranding's story to someone who hasn't played it is nearly impossible.
There's tar.
Ghosts.
Rain that ages everything it touches.
Babies in portable life support pods.
A beach that isn't really a beach.
Characters with names that somehow sound completely ridiculous and perfectly fitting at the same time.
It's pure Kojima. The deeper I went, the weirder it became.
And somehow... The crazier everything got, the more invested I became. Every strange reveal made me want to understand just a little bit more. What started as confusion slowly became fascination.
What looked bizarre from the outside revealed itself to be one of the most emotionally intelligent stories I've experienced in gaming.
It's a lonely journey.
It's uncomfortable.
It's beautiful.
It's hopeful.
It's heartbreaking.
It's unmistakably Hideo Kojima.
Then Came Death Stranding 2
When Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launched, there wasn't a second thought. I was coming back. This time I wasn't skeptical. I couldn't wait to return. The sequel somehow expands everything. The environments are even more breathtaking. Traversal offers more freedom. Combat is more dynamic. The scale feels enormous. But what surprised me most wasn't the gameplay. It was the emotional weight.
I expected another strange science-fiction adventure. I didn't expect to experience such an incredible range of emotions.
Joy.
Hope.
Love.
Loss.
Anger.
Loneliness.
Kindness.
Despair.
Acceptance.
Very few games have ever managed to pull me through that entire emotional spectrum.
Death Stranding 2 doesn't tell you a story. It asks you to feel it.
Higgs Became One of My Favorite Video Game Villains
No discussion about Death Stranding would be complete without talking about Higgs.
From the moment he appears, he steals every scene.
The performance behind the character is phenomenal. Higgs manages to be terrifying, charismatic, hilarious, unpredictable, arrogant, strangely philosophical, and at times even relatable. He's not simply evil. He's entertaining.
Every interaction feels like you're watching someone who genuinely enjoys chaos while hiding layers of pain underneath.
His design is equally unforgettable. The golden mask became one of the defining visual symbols of the series for me. In fact, it inspired one of the very first Death Stranding-themed designs I wanted to create for Dangerous by Design.
Some characters stay with you long after the credits roll. Higgs is absolutely one of them.
Why Death Stranding Resonates Beyond Gaming
One reason Death Stranding connected with so many players is because its central message feels increasingly relevant.
We're more connected than ever through technology. Yet many people have never felt more isolated. The game's answer isn't grand speeches or impossible heroics. It's small acts of kindness. Helping someone you'll never meet. Building something that makes another person's journey easier. Leaving the world just a little better than you found it. Connection isn't always about having long conversations. Sometimes it's as simple as knowing someone else cared enough to help.
That's an incredibly powerful message.
Why It Matters to Dangerous by Design
At Dangerous by Design, we create apparel inspired by the games, stories, and worlds that shaped us.
Not because we want to copy them. Because we want to celebrate what they made us feel. Every design starts with a shared experience. A boss fight that made us cheer. A character we'll never forget. A quote that stuck with us years later. A world we wish we could visit again.
Death Stranding is one of those experiences.
When I designed apparel inspired by Higgs and the world Kojima created, it wasn't just because they looked cool. It was because those moments meant something.
Just like the Chiral Network connects isolated people through shared purpose, Dangerous by Design hopes to connect gamers, military veterans, science-fiction fans, and pop culture enthusiasts through the things we all love.
You might wear one of our designs because you recognize the reference. Someone else notices it across a room. Suddenly you're talking about your favorite boss fight. Your favorite character. Your first Metal Gear Solid. The moment Death Stranding finally clicked for you.
Those small connections matter. That's what this community is built on.
Another Kojima Masterpiece
Death Stranding taught me an unexpected lesson.
Sometimes the best experiences don't reveal themselves immediately.
Sometimes they're slow. Sometimes they're challenging.
Sometimes they ask more from us than we're used to giving.
But if we're willing to stay the course, they reward us in ways we never expected.
I almost missed one of my favorite gaming experiences because I quit too early.
Twice.
I'm incredibly glad I came back. Death Stranding isn't a game for everyone. It was never meant to be. But for those willing to trust Kojima's vision, it's one of the most unforgettable journeys modern gaming has to offer.
If you've been thinking about giving it another chance, this is your sign.
Load up your cargo. Take the next step. Reconnect the world.
And as every porter knows...
Keep on keeping on.
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