History YMMV / DeathStranding

** Any further videos published by IGN on Website/YouTube will have viewers questioning why IGN still decided to make content for a game ''after'' they gave it with a 6.8 score. Some claim that IGN is merely hopping on the bandwagon brought about by hype.

** [[WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}} Jim Sterling]], an admitted long-time ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' fan, is very open about finding little to enjoy in the game during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hy87yKfXn0 their review]]. They make a comparison to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' since both games have, in their opinion, an obsession with "detail" and "realism" at the expense of actually being fun and engaging to play.[[note]]Unsurprisingly, Jim also has their own 8.8 entry on that game's YMMV page.[[/note]] Jim's usual viewership generally agreed with the review (with some begrudgingly accepting that the game simply wasn't Jim's style); elsewhere on the Internet Jim was accused of AccentuatingTheNegative, despite their (Jim's) insistence that the review was nothing personal against Kojima Productions and that they were in fact glad that Kojima was able to put out a game that was true to his artistic vision.

** [[WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}} Jim Sterling]], an admitted long-time ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' fan, is very open about finding little to enjoy in the game during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hy87yKfXn0 their review]]. They make a comparison to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' since both games have, in their opinion, an obsession with "detail" and "realism" at the expense of actually being fun and engaging to play.[[note]]Unsurprisingly, Jim also has their own 8.8 entry on that game's YMMV page.[[/note]] Jim's usual viewership generally agreed with the review (with some begrudgingly accepting that the game simply wasn't Jim's style); elsewhere on the Internet, unsurprisingly, Jim was thrown in with the likes of incompetent game journalists by rabid Creator/HideoKojima fans, despite their (Jim's) insistence that the review was nothing personal against Kojima Productions and that they were in fact glad that Kojima was able to put out a game that was true to his artistic vision.

** The extreme connection between Mama and Lockne is already...odd (for instance, how they refer to the baby as ''theirs'', when Mama is actually Lockne's surrogate), but things get even weirder when they combine their souls, giving Lockne MismatchedEyes, calling to mind a million {{Mary Sue}}s. Then Lockne caresses her own face as a way to "hug" Mama...

* GeniusBonus: A particularly sharp-eyed fan noticed that the "dog tags" Sam wears ([[spoiler:the Q-pid]]) have [[http://img.kojimaproductions.jp/img/works/modal/menu-img-01.png equations engraved on them.]] Some fans were able to figure out that they are [[http://mokadara.tumblr.com/post/145930543457/death-stranding-and-quantum-physics related to black holes and quantum physics]]; [[spoiler: the chiral network uses the time and space-related unusual properties of the Beach to transmit data]].

** Much mirth was made of the characters' names and nicknames and how they relate to the characters' histories and occupations. The names aspect is {{justified|trope}} due to the setting establishing that one's career and affiliation become part of their legal names.

** Jim Sterling (of ''WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}}'' fame), an admitted long-time ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' fan, is very open about finding little to enjoy in the game during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hy87yKfXn0 their review]]. They make a comparison to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' since both games have, in their opinion, an obsession with "detail" and "realism" at the expense of actually being fun and engaging to play.[[note]]Unsurprisingly, Jim also has their own 8.8 entry on that game's YMMV page.[[/note]] Jim's usual viewership generally agreed with the review (with some begrudgingly accepting that the game simply wasn't Jim's style); elsewhere on the Internet, unsurprisingly, Jim was thrown in with the likes of incompetent game journalists by rabid Creator/HideoKojima fans, despite their (Jim's) insistence that the review was nothing personal against Kojima Productions and that they were in fact glad that Kojima was able to put out a game that was true to his artistic vision.

*** He is located high in the snowy mountains amidst craggy rocks making getting to him tricky & risky if you're carrying cargo.
*** The region he's in is often inside a timefall blizzard which causes your equipment, containers, stamina, and batteries to degrade ''fast''. Your visibility is limited increasing the risk of you falling off a ledge or wandering onto a steep cliff.

** Jim Sterling (of ''WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}}'' fame), an admitted long-time ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' fan, is very open about finding little to enjoy in the game during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hy87yKfXn0 his review]]. He makes a comparison to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' since both games have, in his opinion, an obsession with "detail" and "realism" at the expense of actually being fun and engaging to play.[[note]]Unsurprisingly, Jim also has his own 8.8 entry on that game's YMMV page.[[/note]] Jim's usual viewership generally agreed with the review (with some begrudgingly accepting that the game simply wasn't his style); elsewhere on the Internet, unsurprisingly, Jim was thrown in with the likes of incompetent game journalists by rabid Creator/HideoKojima fans, despite his insistence that the review was nothing personal against Kojima Productions and that he was in fact glad that Kojima was able to put out a game that was true to his artistic vision.

* EnsembleDarkHorse:
** Higgs' attitude, design, [[spoiler: backstory and pizza delivery sidequest]] earned him quite a large fanbase, making him the second most prominent character in fanworks, rivaling Sam. Even his actor, Troy Baker, said that he never expected Higgs to become so popular.
** Cliff's status as a TragicVillain and Mads Mikkelsen's acting made him win one popularity poll after the other.

* HarsherInHindsight: The game's themes were already extremely relevant to contemporary political and social issues, but things got even more on-the-nose a few months after release. A major aspect of the game's setting is that the Death Stranding has led to the survivors bunkering down in safe locations and avoiding physical contact with one another, mostly relying on digital avatars to communicate, while transport of physical goods would be handled by deliverymen decked out in protective gear. Mere months after the game's release the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic eventually led affected countries to pursue the policy of social distancing to minimize further spread of illness, in which people were encouraged to sequester themselves in safe locations to avoid physical contact with each other and rely on digital media to communicate, while transport of physical goods would be handled by deliverymen decked out in protective gear.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** Particulars notwithstanding, the idea of "needing to stay quiet when an unseen monster that uses sound to hunt is nearby" becomes this after the release of ''Film/AQuietPlace''.
** The climactic fight in this game is [[spoiler:Sam and Higgs fistfighting while standing in water]]. About seven months later, Creator/TroyBaker was a part of [[VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII another game]] that featured [[spoiler:very similar circumstances for its final fight (though not involving his character).]]

* Sam. Seemingly gruff and stoic, he really shows off his more playful and sweet side in various private room animations and whenever he interacts with BB-28.
* Heartman's tendency to give Sam [[MemeticHandGesture likes]] and his excitement when he meets Sam for the first time is certainly endearing.

* SlowPacedBeginning: It is strongly recommended not to bother with standard orders until after beating Chapter 3. The reason being that before then you are limited to the linear Eastern Region, and must slog from end to end with few tools at hand. After reaching the Central Region you quickly get access to movement-enhacing skeletons, vehicles, auto road-pavers, and most importantly ziplines. From here on out the gameplay is much smoother, varied, and it's now possible to optimize your route by completing multiple deliveries at once. Premium Deliveries are also unlocked during Chapter 3, which offer far more Likes than standard orders and are needed for achievements.

*** After the final boss battle, Deadman says something along the lines of "Oh Sam, I could just kiss you right now!"
*** In one of Deadman's emails, he recommends the movie "Film/TheShapeOfWater" as "just a romantic movie" to him. This is, of course, a reference to Creator/GuillermoDelToro, after which Deadman was modeled after, but it gets more interesting if you look into the similarities between the main couple in the movie and Sam and Deadman. The movie follows a quiet girl who falls in love with a monster, a figure Deadman can probably associate himself with, due to his origin. It's like Deadman is hoping Sam will pick up on the movie's characters as a metaphor for the two of them.
*** Sam and Deadman were likened to [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Solid Snake and Otacon]], the protagonist and his support from Kojima's earlier games, due to their similar dynamic. Snake and Otacon are frequently cited as the most famous never confirmed gay couple in video games and have copious amounts of ho-yay in their respective franchise. The icing on the cake is that Snake and Otacon end up as essentially foster parents to a young girl, Sunny, which parallels Deadman and Sam's love and care towards Lou.
*** In one of the final scenes of the game, where Sam got over his aphenphosomphobia at least somewhat, Deadman hugs him and says "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to give you a hug!"
*** Conversely, Deadman is the first person we see Sam willingly engage physical contact with other than [[spoiler: Amelie]].
*** If you look at the table before the shower cutscene mentioned above, you can see Sam and Deadman's cufflinks lying on top of eachother.
*** During a codec call at the start of the World War II battle sequence, Deadman openly admits that Sam is the one who allowed him to break from his obsession with the dead and open up for making connections with living people.
-->'''Deadman''': You're very special, Sam.

** Higgs has an [[AbhorrentAdmirer obsession]] about Sam. His bunker is covered in photos of Sam and scribblings on how much he hates him. He actively spies on him and gives him more and more absurd requests related to delivering pizza. He also [[LecherousLicking licks]] him when he's covered in grime and chiralium after getting to Edge Knot city. When he summons [[spoiler: the Extinction Entity]], he grabs Sam by his ponytail and manhandles him around. He also teases Sam mercilesly at different points in the game, calling him "Sammy" and "Samuel".
** Heartman seems very eagar when he meets Sam for the first time, chatting his ear off and even throwing a few innuendos towards him. Sam relates to his story of losing his family during their first meeting, which is remarkably fast for him, something even Heartman notices. A post-game email from Heartman says he [[spoiler: started a new relationship with a woman named "Samantha".]]
*** Quoting an entry from the heartwarming page: "During this whole month, Heartman forewent his search for his family to track down Sam. 30 days of searching, times 60 NDE's a day. 1800 chances to find his wife and child, thrown away to help find The Man Who Delivers. Sam must mean a lot to Heartman if he gave that many chances up to find him. This also adds another layer: for the first time in years, Heartman could do something else but wallow in his particularly hellish grief."

*** Funny enough, this is the only IGN video in Youtube to have an equal amount of likes and dislikes, further amplifying the polarizing nature of the game.

** Higgs has an [[AbhorrentAdmirer obsession]] about Sam. His bunker is covered in photos of Sam and scribblings on how much he hates him. He actively spies on him and gives him more and more absurd requests related to delivering pizza. He also [[LecherusLicking licks]] him when he's covered in grime and chiralium after getting to Edge Knot city. When he summons [[spoiler: the Extinction Entity]], he grabs Sam by his ponytail and manhandles him around. He also teases Sam mercilesly at different points in the game, calling him "Sammy" and "Samuel".

*** Conversly, Deadman is the first person we see Sam willingly engage physical contact with other than [[spoiler: Amelie]].

*** Sam and Deadman were likened to [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Solid Snake and Otacon]], the protagonist and his support from Kojima's earlier games, due to their similar dynamic. Snake and Otacon are frequently cited as the most famous never confirmed gay couple in video games and have copious amouts of ho-yay in their respective franchise. The icing on the cake is that Snake and Otacon end up as essentially foster parents to a young girl, Sunny, which parallels Deadman and Sam's love and care towards Lou.

*** Converesly, Deadman is the first person we see Sam willingly engage physical contact with other than [[spoiler: Amelie]].

*** Sam and Deadman were likened to [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Solid Snake and Otacon]], the protagonist and his support from Kojima's earlier games, due to their similar dynamic. Snake and Otacon are frequently cited as the most famous never confirmed gay couple in video games and have copious amouts of ho-yay in their respective franchise. The icing on the cake is that Snak and Otacon end up as essentially foster parents to a young girl, Sunny, which parallels Deadman and Sam's love and care towards Lou.