Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Hideo Kojima’s point is about judging a work before experiencing it. In a GamesRadar report, Kojima discussed Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film Digger and said people were forming strong opinions about it without watching it. He connected that behavior with Death Stranding, which some people dismissed as a “walking simulator” after seeing footage but without playing the game.
What Kojima was comparing
Kojima recently spoke with Iñárritu about Digger and similarities they noticed between the film and Kojima’s games, including ideas associated with Metal Gear Solid 2. The conversation moved from artistic themes to audience behavior: people were discussing Digger as though they had reached a verdict despite not having watched it.
That is the basis of Kojima’s comparison with Death Stranding. He was not saying a film and an interactive game are the same kind of work, nor that their commercial results can be measured in the same way. His concern was that repeated online descriptions can become a substitute for direct experience.
Why “walking simulator” became the Death Stranding shorthand
GamesRadar reports that some people labeled Death Stranding a “walking simulator” without playing it. The judgment was based largely on available footage and on the way the game was discussed online. The label has continued to circulate, even though it is a dismissive description rather than an objective genre classification.
#1 Best Overall
- Remastered for the Playstation 5 Console - Take on the trials of Sam bridges with advanced combat, more character actions and a competitive Ranking system for special player challenges.
- Expanded content - Make use of additional weapons and vehicles, take on new enemy types and explore new locations such as the firing range and racetrack, featuring extra missions and minigames.
- New discoveries - experience an extended storyline through new missions in an expanded area.
- Unique social strand system - stay connected with other players from around the globe. (Internet and account for Playstation network required.)
Death Stranding does include long journeys and deliberate movement, but footage cannot show everything that happens when a player plans routes, manages equipment, responds to terrain and weather, makes delivery decisions, and interacts with the game’s wider systems. A short clip can establish an impression; it cannot establish how the complete play experience feels or what it asks the player to do.
How online discussion hardens into a verdict
Clips remove context
Trailers and short gameplay videos select moments. They may emphasize unusual movement, quiet stretches or a striking visual while leaving out systems that only become meaningful through play. Viewers can therefore mistake a fragment for the whole design.
Rank #2
- Experience environment and weather effects like tall grass, water currents, strong winds, rainand snow with the dual sense wireless controller's innovative haptic feedback.
- Get into the action more quickly than ever with the PlayStation 5 console's ultra-fast ssd and near-instant load times.
- Choose from two picture modes -performance mode with scaled 4K and up to 60FPS or fidelity mode in native 4K -both with ultra-wide and HDR support, so you can enjoy stunningly clear graphics and advanced texture streaming.
- Get even closer to the world of death stranding with bespoke adaptive trigger resistance when using different types of weapons, carrying Cargo or picking up items
- Hear death stranding sound effects come to life in 3D audio that immerses you in the environment (requires Compatible headphones)
Repetition creates apparent consensus
When the same label appears repeatedly in posts, videos and comment threads, it can look like independent confirmation. In practice, many comments may be repeating an earlier description rather than reporting firsthand experience.
Algorithms reward simple framing
Nuanced explanations are harder to summarize than a memorable phrase. Social platforms tend to amplify concise reactions, while context about a work’s structure, pacing or intentions is easier to lose. Kojima’s broader concern, as described in the report, also includes AI-driven falsehoods that can strip claims from their original context.
Rank #3
- 711719722595
What “Digger flopping” means here
The GamesRadar report says Digger was performing poorly at the box office. It does not provide a gross, budget, opening-weekend result or final worldwide total. That means the safest description is qualitative: the film was doing poorly at the time covered by the report, not that a specific, independently verified financial threshold proves it “flopped.”
Kojima’s sympathy is therefore about the experience of seeing a work judged before people see it. Poor box-office performance and online preconceptions may coexist, but the report does not establish that one caused the other.
Rank #4
- Included is the following: Death Stranding 2: On The Beach for PlayStation 5 (PS5), 2 pack of PremGear 2 Sizes Thumbsticks made to increase accuracy and comfort (1 High-Rise, 1 Mid-Rise), PremGear Quality Cleaning Cloth
- The large open-world environments of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach are full of secrets to be found. They are also incredibly varied and pose unique challenges to navigate
- Whether facing human foes or otherworldly entities, a range of options are at your disposal. Do you go in aggressively, sneak around enemies to achieve your goals, or try to avoid danger altogether? How you approach these situations is up to you
- Following on from the events of Death Stranding, this new story follows Sam on a fresh journey. Expect the unexpected
- Your actions can affect how other players interact with the game's world, and vice-versa. Make sure you leave your mark
Should you try Death Stranding if you dismissed it as a walking simulator?
If the label came from trailers or commentary rather than your own play session, the practical answer is to test the game directly. Treat it as a game built around traversal, logistics, risk and connection—not as a promise of constant combat or conventional action.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Expect a measured pace and substantial travel.
- Judge the experience after learning its delivery and traversal systems, not from a short clip.
- Stop if that deliberate structure does not suit you; direct experience is still a valid basis for deciding.
Sony lists Death Stranding Director’s Cut for PS5 in standard and digital deluxe editions, with a listed release date of September 24, 2021. Sony also lists a PS4 edition of Death Stranding. Edition availability and pricing depend on region and storefront.
The useful takeaway
Kojima’s Digger comparison is a warning about preconception, not a claim of artistic or commercial equivalence. A film can be discussed without being watched, and a game can be dismissed without being played. In both cases, the online label may describe what people expect to encounter rather than what the work actually delivers.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
