Death Stranding vs SnowRunner

Enjoy delivering things? Well, boy, do I have the game for you if you want to become a futuristic postman! Yes, this is the SnowRunner vs Death Stranding video – that absolutely no asked for.

Once upon a time, when we were all trapped at home and had to wear masks, I played a game. It featured trucks, cargo delivery and, as it turns out, was gloriously effective at keeping me sane. And growing a YouTube channel.

It must have been similar for many of you too because since then SnowRunner has become a widely praised and widely played success. More than 10 million players, so says its developer.

There is, of course, a world outside of developer Saber Interactive’s pretty but largely empty countryside. One where someone called Hideo Kojima lives. The man whose demo disc of a new PlayStation title, known as Metal Gear Solid, kept me busy for weeks.

The then relatively unknown stealth-‘em-up’s first outing in 3D was not even out and I had already mastered tactical wall knocks, breaking necks and hiding. Eventually when I did play the full game, I was hooked on its epic plot twists, dramatic voice acting, action sequences and unique gameplay.

Please note: This is the script from my YouTube video, click play above to watch or go here.

Huh, what’s with the box?!

Mr Kojima had earned himself a lifelong fan who has played every game of his ever since. Even the somewhat unfinished Metal Gear Solid 5 and the brilliant GameBoy Colour version.

Well, except one game that is hardly the perfect fit for a channel called A Tribe Called Cars. But then the parallels between it and SnowRunner are hard to ignore and I was keen to play his first game since parting ways with Konami in 2015.

As it has been said before, SnowRunner is Death Stranding with trucks. Or Death Stranding is SnowRunner with monsters and a baby. You decide.

Either way, not only do both games offer awesome vehicles with occasionally janky handling, Death Stranding has the same overall premise. Deliver things from A to B. Take a shortcut, don’t take a shortcut – the choice is yours, but the price can be high if things go wrong.

Except that in Death Stranding, you begin in the aftermath of a catastrophic global event. Earth now features rain that speeds up time for whatever it touches. Hence why cargo gets damaged if you spend too long in it.

Then there is a highly dangerous black substance called Chiralium, which can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, apocalyptic nightmares and even death. Scariest of all, however, are deathly ‘BT’ visages that are not particularly keen on hugs and pleasant walks.

BT blues

For those who have played Death Stranding, you will know all about the fun of BT (not British Telecom) monsters and how you should avoid them like the plague. For those who have not, well, I will not ruin the surprise.

Suffice to say, when your shoulder-mounted, BT-pointing radar and the baby attached to your chest detect the presence of these mysterious and dangerous death-bringers, it is intense.

Now, deliveries can be made for various people. However, most are represented as holograms, making them as real as the body-less SnowRunner folk who get you to do all their work without even inviting you to the local kebab house.

This cargo can vary in size and the main hero, Sam Porter Bridges, only has so many slots to utilise and can only carry so much weight. Overload him and he will sway left and right as if drunkenly searching for a local kebab house. Possibly even fall over in a big heap on the floor.

Cargo damage is a thing, too, unlike in SnowRunner. Some tasks require the items to arrive in a certain condition and sometimes also before a certain time. Pizza, for instance, needs to remain upright and gets cold in 60 minutes. Then there is a later package that, well, let me just say you do not want to drop it.

Or deliver it to the wrong place. Suffice to say, potatoes and metal beams are much less dangerous.

While SnowRunner rarely forces you to be fast, except in time trials, Death Stranding uses urgency to shake things up and keep you on your toes. Because speed and efficiency mean a better score and a better score means a better rating and faster progress to fancy equipment that usually makes life easier.

Slow-burner

Like with an un-upgraded SnowRunner truck, initial progress is slow and potentially off-putting. Despite being built like a brick shit-house, Sam is no speed demon either.

However, as you progress you really notice how much stronger he becomes – and how effective later equipment can be. It is easy to see which early reviews of Death Stranding had made any meaningful progress.

There is, for instance, a hovering trolley (not of the Tesco variety) that Sam can drag behind him. Plus automated bots that can do deliveries for you, electric trikes and a variety of futuristic trucks – that in their non-long range versions have the battery range of a Renault Twizy.

Yes, worrying about whether you can make it home is also a common anxiety in SnowRunner. Both games really try to make you plan ahead. But there is no need to shower and use the toilet in one of them.

You can even bolster your puny, fleshy limbs with mechanical legs that once again ensure Sam can carry increasingly large loads. Or run faster. All available in gold because shiny.

Why bother, though? Partly for the satisfaction of seeing where the story goes, which is suitably grand, odd and twisty as you would expect from Mr Kojima. But also to see what cool stuff you unlock along the way. Plus what happens when you help reconnect America, which is the overall goal.

Yet as it is with SnowRunner, a big part of the appeal is exploration. As someone who has visited Iceland (the country) multiple times, I can understand why it had such an impact on Mr Kojima when he went in 2014 and why Death Stranding looks the way it does.

Ice, ice, Iceland, baby

Simply put, the environment is expansive, breath-taking and detailed without being overwhelming or a drudgery to traverse. Iceland’s geography means it has some of the most insane terrain on earth and much of that beauty, hope, bleakness, diversity and variety is present.

Those who love to admire the view in SnowRunner will appreciate this masterclass in game design. Fans of Japanese influences seen in Metal Gear Solid and even his first game, Penguin Adventure, will be content too.

Death Stranding’s harsh and unpredictable weather is also portrayed brilliantly, making me long for dynamic weather in SnowRunner or its likely sequel.

Like if having a BBQ, you will pray hard for the sun. Although later in the game you can build structures that keep you out of that dangerous rain or, thanks to its online connectivity, use those built by other players. True multiplayer, this is not, but being able to help and be helped by mysterious travellers is original.

What I love about Death Stranding and SnowRunner is that both games stick rigidly to their gameplay mechanics and as such can hold your attention for a very long time if they click with you. And that progress can be done your way although in the former you unlock new stuff fastest by completing the main story objectives.

It is that same purity that is perhaps why both games have their fair share of detractors. Not everyone wants to drive slowly or walk endlessly. Neither is especially conducive to dopamine surges.

Honest work

You could also argue that games should be about escapism and that doing seemingly mundane jobs can be a little close to home. Yet there is something fulfilling about what are rather lonely, explorative, noble and manual pursuits. That is, helping others.

Technology versus nature with beautiful views along the way – SnowRunner and Death Stranding are unlikely cohorts. The reality, however, is that if you enjoy one of them there is a good chance you will enjoy the other.

Yes, the driving mechanics are much less satisfying in Death Stranding and you spend a great deal of time on foot. Yet there is much SnowRunner could learn in terms of creating a living, breathing world with clear ramifications for your actions. Or inaction.

Much like SnowRunner, I actually nearly gave up on Death Stranding. As with all great games though, the time you invest is increasingly rewarded and before you know it is sunrise and birds are making noises outside your window.

Doing just one more delivery and learning that, in life, it is often the journey that we should cherish the most.

And that is it for this rather random video, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. If so, gently caress those like and subscribe buttons. Maybe even donate to my Patreon or via YouTube so I can keep making videos.

Death Stranding, developed by Kojima Productions and 505 Games, is available on PC (Epic and Steam), PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A sequel has been announced.