When Death Stranding launched last year, I thought, boy, this is a timely game. That it was all an allegory for working at Amazon in some dystopian future. Maybe, but now, the game seems more relevant than ever.
It’s not just because the game features the political implications of a fractured country. In Death Stranding, people are holed up in their bunkers. They are isolated. They are social distancing and avoiding social contact with others.
When I originally played the game, this element seemed so foreign. Why would people isolate themselves? Why don’t they go out and meet Sam?
But now due to coronavirus covid-19, some people do not want to go outside and interact with anyone, whether that’s co-workers, friends, or delivery people.
That’s why in Japan, Domino’s now has “zero-contact” delivery, allowing people to leave their money and get their pizza without being close to the delivery person.
The game suddenly feels more real and very relevant:
As evident by this father and his DIY baby-pod Kotaku previously covered:
No wonder meme images of Sam Porter Bridges delivering toilet paper and other goods have gone viral.
Kotaku contributor and author of Cyber Shogun Revolution author Peter Tieryas did an insightful thread on just how prescient Death Stranding is:
Hideo Kojima made a game that reflects the time in which we live.
But if you do get the urge to replay Death Stranding, do remember this: