Puts you in the role of post-apocalyptic mailman as you ferry packages to and fro across a ruined America that's been brought to life by gorgeous photorealistic graphics. It's a long, arduous process that's made difficult by the weight of your cargo taking a toll on your balance and stability, as well as the path forward being rife with obstacles like highwaymen, destructive rainfall, supernatural entities, and even the terrain itself. While new items and features are introduced at a steady pace to ensure things get easier as you progress, traveling across the vast, empty expanses for miles on end doesn't necessarily become any more exciting. As a result, this is very much one of those love it or hate it kind of things.
I can see the game being a tedious slog for some and a straight shot of melatonin for others. There is an audience for this though. Personally, I was enamored with the story, themes, and overall originality of the mechanics. I enjoyed the sense of serenity that came from the slow-paced traversal so much that I was actually bothered whenever action would take center stage. I had no problem with the various enemy camps spread across the gargantuan map as I could deal or not deal with those as I saw fit. However, at several points you're forced into boss battles and the coverless third-person shooter system makes them more of a chore than anything. I was impressed with the scale of each encounter, but the game is definitely at its worst whenever guns are involved.
The online component makes the journey a little less lonely. You won't get to actually interact with another person, but structures built by other players will appear in your world to act as helping hands. Coming across a bridge or zip-line someone left behind not only makes your trek less of a hassle, but also allows you to feel strangely connected to individuals you'll never see. These random acts of kindness inspired me to not take up my own placed ladders or climbing ropes after using them with the hopes that they might prove useful to anybody else came that way next. Sweetening all of this is the "likes" system which allows you to award others with bonus experience points at the touch of a button whenever they've built something that's pleased you. Seeing that somebody not only used a road or safe house I crafted, but saw fit to reward me for it always brought a smile to my face. It's easily the best multiplayer experience I've ever had.
This is another meticulously crafted work of singular vision from the biggest auteur in the gaming industry. It transported me back to the PS2 era where you could find titles like Mr. Mosquito and Katamari Damacy that were entirely their own unique things. Because of this I believe Kojima delivered on his boasts of having created a completely new genre. I've certainly never played anything like this before. It's the kind of radical experimentation we need nowadays, even if the end results always end up being this divisive. While I definitely have a high affinity for the game I must admit not everyone will be as enthralled with it as I was. So despite the high score I'm giving it my ultimate recommendation is that you find a way to try it before you buy or even rent it in order to make sure it's for you.
9/10
I can see the game being a tedious slog for some and a straight shot of melatonin for others. There is an audience for this though. Personally, I was enamored with the story, themes, and overall originality of the mechanics. I enjoyed the sense of serenity that came from the slow-paced traversal so much that I was actually bothered whenever action would take center stage. I had no problem with the various enemy camps spread across the gargantuan map as I could deal or not deal with those as I saw fit. However, at several points you're forced into boss battles and the coverless third-person shooter system makes them more of a chore than anything. I was impressed with the scale of each encounter, but the game is definitely at its worst whenever guns are involved.
The online component makes the journey a little less lonely. You won't get to actually interact with another person, but structures built by other players will appear in your world to act as helping hands. Coming across a bridge or zip-line someone left behind not only makes your trek less of a hassle, but also allows you to feel strangely connected to individuals you'll never see. These random acts of kindness inspired me to not take up my own placed ladders or climbing ropes after using them with the hopes that they might prove useful to anybody else came that way next. Sweetening all of this is the "likes" system which allows you to award others with bonus experience points at the touch of a button whenever they've built something that's pleased you. Seeing that somebody not only used a road or safe house I crafted, but saw fit to reward me for it always brought a smile to my face. It's easily the best multiplayer experience I've ever had.
This is another meticulously crafted work of singular vision from the biggest auteur in the gaming industry. It transported me back to the PS2 era where you could find titles like Mr. Mosquito and Katamari Damacy that were entirely their own unique things. Because of this I believe Kojima delivered on his boasts of having created a completely new genre. I've certainly never played anything like this before. It's the kind of radical experimentation we need nowadays, even if the end results always end up being this divisive. While I definitely have a high affinity for the game I must admit not everyone will be as enthralled with it as I was. So despite the high score I'm giving it my ultimate recommendation is that you find a way to try it before you buy or even rent it in order to make sure it's for you.
9/10