Over half of the players have already delivered more than 25 hours of packages across a fractured landscape, and nearly all of them want to keep going. The Director’s Cut polished the rough edges, yet the bones of the experience—its sprawling narrative and meticulously crafted audiovisual world—remain unchanged. The story alone drives 81 out of 96 reactions into raves.
What it's about: L'expérience révolutionnaire du légendaire Hideo Kojima revient encore plus étoffée dans l'édition ultime DIRECTOR'S CUT. Sam Bridges a pour mission de donner de l'espoir à l'humanité en reconnectant tous les survivants d'une Amérique décimée. Parviendrez-vous à réunifier ce monde déchiré ?
In-game
« I played this game at a very low moment in my life, all the themes within hit more close to home as a result, the world is better connected »👍 anonymous review · Nov 2025 · 194 h played421« In this game, you can soothe a baby, build highways and pee on mushrooms to make them grow. And people say video games aren't art. »👍 anonymous review · Dec 2025 · 32 h played2111« Hideo Kojima is easily one of the people with the biggest egos in the gaming industry, and someone who loves sucking his own ♥♥♥♥, but if he keeps making games like this, we can’t say absolutely anything to him because he deserves it. »👍 anonymous review · Jan 2026 · 59 h played5« Made a huge mistake writing this game off as a walking simulator years ago. If you end up bored by the first couple hours of this game and quit you are really missing out on a real masterpiece of fiction. Give it a chance. »👍 anonymous review · Aug 2025 · 48 h played1111« Great game with a lot of talking and explanations but the gameplay can be pretty fun, also tense and spooky. Some episodes really suck. Btw it was directed, scripted, sculpted, written, casted, ect by Hideo Kojima . »👍 anonymous review · Aug 2026 · 113 h played1« I'm at 160 hours in epic, close to finishing the game. Saw that it's on sale here so bought it to replay it someday. This is honestly one of the best titles I've ever played or seen. This is a work of art. No less. »👍 anonymous review · Sep 2026 · 0 h played2
« J'ai essayer de l'apprecier mais finalement j'ai abandonner, C'est chiant à mourir. »👎 anonymous review · May 2026 · 12 h played« c'est un bon film, pas un bon jeu »👎 anonymous review · Jun 2026 · 26 h played« Impossible de changer la résolution d'affichage , le jeu propose uniquement 1920:1080 :( :( »👎 anonymous review · Apr 2026 · 2 h played« not for me superweird story is not easy to catch u walk and it rains and i dunno 2I10 »👎 anonymous review · Jul 2026 · 1 h played« Every positive thing I might have wanted to say has been completely overwritten by that ending. »👎 anonymous review · Jul 2026 · 132 h played« au final c'est sympa et cool la marche »👍 anonymous review · Jun 2026 · 68 h played
In players' words
« I played this game at a very low moment in my life, all the themes within hit more close to home as a result, the world is better connected »👍 anonymous review · Nov 2025 · 194 h played421« J'ai essayer de l'apprecier mais finalement j'ai abandonner, C'est chiant à mourir. »👎 anonymous review · May 2026 · 12 h played« In this game, you can soothe a baby, build highways and pee on mushrooms to make them grow. And people say video games aren't art. »👍 anonymous review · Dec 2025 · 32 h played2111« c'est un bon film, pas un bon jeu »👎 anonymous review · Jun 2026 · 26 h played« Hideo Kojima is easily one of the people with the biggest egos in the gaming industry, and someone who loves sucking his own ♥♥♥♥, but if he keeps making games like this, we can’t say absolutely anything to him because he deserves it. »👍 anonymous review · Jan 2026 · 59 h played5« Impossible de changer la résolution d'affichage , le jeu propose uniquement 1920:1080 :( :( »👎 anonymous review · Apr 2026 · 2 h played« Made a huge mistake writing this game off as a walking simulator years ago. If you end up bored by the first couple hours of this game and quit you are really missing out on a real masterpiece of fiction. Give it a chance. »👍 anonymous review · Aug 2025 · 48 h played1111« not for me superweird story is not easy to catch u walk and it rains and i dunno 2I10 »👎 anonymous review · Jul 2026 · 1 h played« Great game with a lot of talking and explanations but the gameplay can be pretty fun, also tense and spooky. Some episodes really suck. Btw it was directed, scripted, sculpted, written, casted, ect by Hideo Kojima . »👍 anonymous review · Aug 2026 · 113 h played1« Every positive thing I might have wanted to say has been completely overwritten by that ending. »👎 anonymous review · Jul 2026 · 132 h played« I'm at 160 hours in epic, close to finishing the game. Saw that it's on sale here so bought it to replay it someday. This is honestly one of the best titles I've ever played or seen. This is a work of art. No less. »👍 anonymous review · Sep 2026 · 0 h played2« au final c'est sympa et cool la marche »👍 anonymous review · Jun 2026 · 68 h played
Anonymized excerpts from public Steam reviews — picked among those most voted "helpful" by the community.
What players say, by aspect
PositiveMixedNegative
Gameplay
72 % pos · n=116
Story / writing
84 % pos · n=96
Graphics / art
92 % pos · n=36
Audio / music
88 % pos · n=33
Multiplayer
86 % pos · n=7
Stability / bugs
0 % pos · n=5
Performance
25 % pos · n=4
Content / longevity
100 % pos · n=4
Interface / UX
0 % pos · n=4
Detailed data (table)
Aspect
Mentions
Positive
Mixed
Negative
Gameplay
116
83
13
20
Story / writing
96
81
6
9
Graphics / art
36
33
0
3
Audio / music
33
29
1
3
Multiplayer
7
6
0
1
Stability / bugs
5
0
0
5
Performance
4
1
0
3
Content / longevity
4
4
0
0
Interface / UX
4
0
0
4
Positive reviews by playtime
🎮 Players who like it have spent 50 h on median; those who dislike it: 10 h.
<2h
45 % (n=11)
2-10h
71 % (n=72)
10-25h
82 % (n=62)
>25h
95 % (n=345)
Fixed or still broken? Sentiment over time
➡️ Stable reception over time
% of positive reviews per month (months with ≥ 15 sample reviews).
💶 Price history
Steam price tracked automatically since Mar 30, 2022 · All-time low: €9.99 (Feb 09, 2026)
100% completion difficulty ("platinum")
2,4 %Demanding
of players have unlocked the rarest achievement — the upper bound of those who "100%'d" it. 63 achievements in total; the median achievement is unlocked by 27,6 % of players.
LIVEsyugo_jin8 viewers
· JA — ［JP/EN😸］おはよー！今日もパル→マベライ→デスストLIVEreksifer_aegis6 viewers
· EN — Back to the Grind, as if I don't do my job enough! || !tip !etsy !throne #District11LIVEdarkumi875 viewers
· EN — Death Stranding - Part 29LIVEJM4N901244 viewers
· EN — Hmm Kojima Came Calling, So I Answered.. │ !commands !discord !lurk !clip [ENG]
The narrative pulls players forward, drawing 81 positive mentions out of 96
Gameplay feels fresh and immersive, earning 83 positive mentions out of 116
Rich graphics and atmospheric audio earn widespread acclaim: 33 graphics and 29 audio positives out of 36 and 33 mentions respectively
Weaknesses
Bugs bite unexpectedly, racking up 5 negative mentions out of 5
A clunky interface trips up users repeatedly, with 4 negative mentions out of 4
Performance hiccups surface in 3 complaints out of 4 total mentions
Who is it for?
Fans eager to sink their claws into a singular, story-rich sandbox will thrive here. Those who value deep atmosphere, methodical exploration, and the distinct flavor of Hideo Kojima’s imagination will find their match.
Is DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT worth it in 2026?
Overall yes, the community is won over: 92% of 66,396 Steam reviews are positive (player score 89/100). Most-praised strength: The narrative pulls players forward, drawing. Current price: 39,99€.
Verdict
DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT refines its predecessor without changing its heart, and players overwhelmingly reward that restraint. Despite lingering technical annoyances, the game maintains a towering 92% positive rating, even reaching 89% since launch, sealing its reputation as a modern cult classic.
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💬 Discussion
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