Death Stranding will be accessible for players of all capabilities, according to Hideo Kojima. The eccentric creator tweeted earlier today that there would be a 'very easy' mode available for those who want to breeze through the gameplay unassailed.
Kojima posted the news on his Japanese Twitter account, and if Twitter's translate tool is to be trusted, it reads, "Normally it is up to Easy, but Norman, Matz, Rare, etc. have appeared, so we prepared Very Easy so that it can be enjoyed by non-game-experienced Western fans. Mr. Yano who could not clear one side of Pac-Man was able to clear while enjoying with Berry Easy." Mr. Yano is likely a reference to the pen name Kanji Yano, who's a writer on Death Stranding. Apparently the star-studded cast is drawing interest from all corners of the world, gamers and non-gamers alike.
A tweet from Kojima's personal assistant, Ayako Terashima, confirmed that Death Stranding will be playable for those unaccustomed to maneuvering about the gaming world, but stressed that the 'Normal' and 'Hard' modes would satisfy those looking for something more hardocre. Part of her translated tweet reads, "I'm a beginner game in Very Easy mode. This is perfect for Western fans and RPG users who don't play games. Normal or Hard is recommended for action game lovers (BOSS talk)".
This move is a clear bid for accessibility, and one that should be celebrated. Kojima's brilliantly bizarre Death Stranding hype circus is working like a charm, and if people who have never touched a game are interested, they should be able to play. It won't affect gameplay for seasoned vets, but it will open the door for more people.
There will be some heavy Death Stranding presence at this year's Tokyo Game Show, which runs from September 12 to September 15. A new trailer is set to arrive, and it will likely be the last big Death Stranding push until the game releases on November 8.
Whatever difficulty you chose to play Death Stranding on, you can enjoy it while listening to its very own album, featuring artists like CHVRCHES and Khalid.
