Back in 2019, I reviewed Death Stranding on PS4 and it went on to be my personal Game of the Year. It was one of the most original and unique experiences I had ever played—a bold, uncompromising vision from Hideo Kojima that defied traditional genre conventions. It wasn’t for everyone, but for those willing to embrace its methodical, journey-driven gameplay, it was something truly special.
Now, with Death Stranding Director’s Cut on PS5, Kojima Productions has taken an already incredible game and refined it even further. This isn’t just a simple next-gen upgrade; it’s the definitive way to experience Death Stranding. The game runs and looks better than ever, new tools and missions improve the pacing, and additional content makes it an even richer experience. Whether you’re returning to this world or experiencing it for the first time, Death Stranding Director’s Cut is the best way to play.
At its core, Death Stranding is a story about human connection. You play as Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus), a courier in a fractured post-apocalyptic America ravaged by the mysterious Death Stranding event. Supernatural entities called BTs roam the land, Timefall rain rapidly ages everything it touches, and humanity is more disconnected than ever. Sam’s mission is to deliver supplies, reconnect isolated survivors, and establish the Chiral Network to rebuild society.
The narrative remains one of the game’s strongest aspects, blending sci-fi, horror, and deep philosophical themes. With a cast featuring Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, and Tommy Earl Jenkins, the performances are absolutely stellar. Kojima’s love for cinematic storytelling is on full display, and thanks to the power of the PS5, cutscenes now look even more breathtaking with improved resolution, better textures, and silky smooth frame rates.
One of the things that made Death Stranding so memorable for me was its commitment to making the journey itself the focus. The game isn’t about fast-paced combat or high-action set pieces—it’s about traversing an unforgiving landscape, carefully managing your cargo, and overcoming environmental hazards. Every delivery matters, and every trip requires strategic planning.
Moment-to-moment gameplay remains largely the same in the Director’s Cut, but the additions make a noticeable difference. The Buddy Bot, for example, allows you to have a robotic companion carry extra cargo or even transport Sam himself, reducing some of the tedium of longer treks. There’s also a new Cargo Catapult, letting you launch packages over difficult terrain, and new ramps for vehicles to make traversal smoother. These small but meaningful additions help streamline some of the more frustrating aspects of the original game, making for a more enjoyable experience without sacrificing the core gameplay loop.
Visually, Death Stranding Director’s Cut is absolutely stunning on PS5. The game now runs at a smooth 60 FPS in Performance Mode while maintaining crisp 4K resolution. The level of detail in the environments, character models, and lighting is even more breathtaking than before. The Decima Engine was already impressive on PS4, but with the added power of the PS5, it truly shines.
Load times are virtually nonexistent thanks to the SSD, making fast travel and restarting from checkpoints incredibly snappy. The DualSense controller also adds another layer of immersion—haptic feedback lets you feel the uneven terrain under Sam’s feet, and adaptive triggers give weight to carrying heavy cargo. It’s a subtle but effective way to make you feel even more connected to Sam’s struggles.
One of my biggest complaints about the original game was its pacing. Some chapters felt overly long, and certain missions required excessive backtracking. The Director’s Cutaddresses these issues in a few key ways. First, the addition of new delivery missions provides more variety and breaks up some of the repetition. Second, the improved traversal options, such as the new tools and refinements to vehicles, make getting from point A to point B smoother and less frustrating.
Combat has also been slightly expanded with new enemy encounters and a firing range where you can test weapons and refine your skills. While Death Stranding has never been a combat-heavy game, these additions provide a bit more depth for those who enjoy the occasional firefight.
There’s even a brand-new racing minigame, the Fragile Circuit, which allows you to take vehicles onto dedicated tracks. While it feels somewhat out of place in the world of Death Stranding, and I didn’t think it was that strong of an addition overall, it’s a fun little diversion that showcases how refined the game’s vehicle handling has become.
Whether you’re a returning player or experiencing Death Stranding for the first time, the Director’s Cut is without a doubt the best version of the game. It refines the experience with smart quality-of-life improvements, enhances the visuals and performance on PS5, and adds meaningful new content that makes the journey even more enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
For me, this game was already an unforgettable experience back in 2019, and the Director’s Cut only solidifies its place as one of the most unique and visionary games of the past decade. If you’ve never played Death Stranding before, this is the perfect time to dive in. And if you’re a returning player, the improvements make it absolutely worth revisiting.
Hideo Kojima set out to create something that defied convention, and with Death Stranding Director’s Cut, his vision is more polished and immersive than ever.
A PS5 review code was provided by PlayStation for the purpose of this review.
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9.5
- + Still an amazing world and story
- + Visual fidelity and performance is better than ever
- + Improves on the pacing of the original
- + Incorporates native PS5 features to make the game more immersive
- - Some of the new additions seem unnecessary and out of place
