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Is Death Stranding actually a walking simulator?

Is Hideo Kojima's newest video game for PlayStation 4 a walking simulator or something much more?

Brittany Vincent

November 8, 2019 1:30 PM

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Hideo Kojima's latest game, Death Stranding, is being referred to online as a "walking simulator." The term, which is typically used as a pejorative one, implies that all you do in the game is walk around, with little interactivity. With that in mind, is Death Stranding classified as a walking simulator?

If so, what does that mean, and what do you do in the game? Are people online right on the money when they apply this label, or are they way off base? We're breaking it all down for you.

Is Death Stranding actually a walking simulator?

The long and short of it is no, Death Stranding isn't actually a walking simulator. That's an extremely inaccurate descriptor. True, you do a lot of walking in the game – that's mostly all you do for certain long stretches – but there's a lot more to it than that.

In a nutshell, Death Stranding has you delivering cargo to people all across a fractured United States. The goal is to reconnect everyone (and get them hooked up to the chiral network as you go) to form the newly-christened United Cities of America. To do that, Sam Porter Bridges basically has to make a solo trip. Yes, that means he has to walk a lot. He has cars, too – motorcycles and trucks, ziplines, and all kinds of other ways to get around, including fast travel. 

For one thing, yes, there is combat, and plenty of stealth segments you've got to pay attention to if you want to get past. You've got to face off against wandering MULEs, BTs and large boss encounters, and let's not forget you've got to figure out both how best to approach the terrain you need to cross and the equipment needed to get there. You run the risk of damaging cargo that's required to complete missions if you don't approach each order with the right amount of care.

Just like you wouldn't classify games like Shadow of the Colossus as a walking simulator, Death Stranding escapes this diminishing phrase as well. That, and when you get right down to it, all video games are walking simulators to some degree, right? That renders the term a bit moot.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's certainly more than just a game where you're literally only walking every single second of your time within it. Walking is of course a major part of Death Stranding, but you'd be remiss to reduce it to a term that was essentially coined to make fun of certain titles.

Now that you've learned a bit more about the type of game that Death Stranding is (not a walking simulator), head back over to our Death Stranding guide for more tips and tricks on how to become the best porter possible. 

Brittany Vincent

Senior Editor

Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!