Kojima created something that should be prescribed by medical professionals for physical and mental ailments and I mean this with 100% sincerity nor is this a case of simply something you like being a help in poor times, no, I'm am not even sure I like Death Stranding outside of the story as it goes against everything I would think of as fun in a video game, I know it's a 10 by my rating system but I love it for very strange reasons, reasons that are akin to powerful medicine. It illicates a very zen, soothing, opiate like state of being that even Minecraft can not come close to achieving. 

In the last month, I lost power in my lower back leading me to be unable to walk for a few days, I thought I was going to loose my mind after distracting myself with go, go , go for some time and suddenly being left to wallow with my thoughts was painful until I booted Death Stranding 2 which I had just wrapped the story and entered the end game loop. I spent 35 hours or so over three days in a deep trance, delivering packages across Austrialia, refining my delivery methods and having a transcendent experience. My thoughts were rarely ever on what was troubling me, physically or mentally but on ordering packages and weights limits and balance of the MC and what vehicles I'd be using at the end of my current delivery and where I should be leaving vehicles or infrastructure for deliveries I'll be doing six hours from now. It was like a very strong drug. 

I suffer from something called Diverticular disease, it's mostly a non issue of little pockets in the lining of the gut, it's all good as long as I am on the ball with what I eat but a few weeks ago I ate a very large bag of popcorn among some other poor choices which snowballed some issues eventually leading me recently into what is called Diverticulitis, the little pockets in the gut have gotten infected and it has now confined me to the couch once again in severe pain waiting for antibiotics to work and by chance Death Stranding Directors cut was first on my PS5 wish list for ten euro as an upgrade and here I am again. A cure in sight. A platinum I can redo as it's got a fresh list on PS5 and once I get going I'll have that trance like state ahead to forget the world, my body and everything earthly. Only packages will matter. I'll only see routes and effective use of time and space. I could be a floating head for all it'll matter. 

If I could find a way to implement Death Stranding 2's loop into my life I would be a better person. I'd be constantly happy. I would love life. I think most people, despite their neurology would play these games and get to the point where it becomes opiate like experience would greatly benefit from it but many write it off so early, a real shame. Strand like games became a meme but this is simply a simulation game done to extremely high production value by massively talented people. We need more of this genre. We need Rockstar coming out with a farming/hunting and crafting simulator streching across a world as realised as Los Santos and a story as wel crafted. We need Insomniac making a lown mower simulator with a fully realised suburban area and a rags to riches story of a hero, saving the city limits one feesh lawn at a time. We need Naughty Dog making the Last of where you seek only to survive the days and gather resources to keep your humble restaurant open but with a gritty story about revenge against the assholy who killed and ate your prised pig. We need a power washing simulator that expands on it's whacky story and realises that story with full AAA level production and you having massive story beats in between jobs, the lore is already there as far as I can grasp.  

Anyway. Thank God for Hideo Kojima, Yoji Shikawa and all the talent at Kojima Productions who are so unbelievably, unimaginably talented at what they do and since 30% of people finished DS2 already even though it's lower sales, here's hoping DS3 will come along after Physint and that horror game. I pray it done it's job for Sony, even if it sold a fraction of the 20 million players DS1 had and the 5 million copies sold, I hope the spectacle and buzz was enough for them and enough for Kojima Productions to do a DS3 at some point.