Hideo Kojima’s latest game Death Stranding is out, and we’ve learned that you’ll probably want to break out the popcorn when you beat it, as the Death Stranding ending sequence clocks in at over two hours by some reports, making it longer than most movies released in theaters.
A thread on the ResetEra gaming forum talks about the Death Stranding ending sequence, highlighting one review that complains about its length. According to the reviewer, the game’s final moments are more like a movie, clocking in at more than two hours total. I received a similar number from a colleague here, who has recorded footage of the entire game.
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Another reviewer, however, has contested this calculation of the ending’s length.”Yes, I’ve reviewed the game,” one user responded in a reply to the thread. “It is, at most, more like 45 minutes collectively.” This is a contrast to the estimate supplied in the highlighted review (and the actual time calculated by that of my colleague), but the cause of the variation can be explained by the nature of the Death Stranding ending sequence.
No major spoilers here, mind, but the ending is indeed quite heavy on the cutscenes. However, there are also interactive elements where the player character can move around. It’s up to the player whether these count as part of the “ending sequence” or not.
Hideo Kojima is no stranger to lengthy cutscenes. The Metal Gear games were often likened to movies with their deep plotlines and cutscenes that could last five, ten, or even fifteen minutes in one go. Kojima is an avid cinephile, stating that he tries to watch at least one movie per day in a 2014 interview, sometimes going beyond that.
We’re still a solid week away from the worldwide release of Death Stranding on November 8, so gamers who want to play it will likely be busying themselves with avoiding spoilers and setting aside free time to play Kojima’s latest game.
