Death Stranding - Trailers VS Game Release Cinematics

Death Stranding has come a long way from it's first 2016 trailer. Here is a comparison between some of Death Stranding's earliest trailers to the final PS4 cinematics. The first trailer is the E3 2016 reveal trailer. Next, we compare the 2017 TGA trailer with the in-game cinematics of the game’s final release being played on a PS4 Pro.

Sometimes early teasers and trailers for video games don't reflect the final product. In extreme cases it's night and day, but usually the differences are minor--either a small change the studio decided to make in the midst of development or alterations to hide a detail that would spoil the game. There are actually quite a few differences between the trailers and gameplay for Death Stranding--about 10 minutes worth.

In the video above, we showcase several of the key differences between what was shown in Death Stranding's E3 2016 reveal trailer (our very first look at the game) and the actual cutscenes seen in the final product that was released over three years later. There are graphical differences, obviously, but there are less significant changes between the two as well. In the scene where Sam Bridges wakes up on the beach, crawls to his BB, and begins to cradle it, for example, the handcuff that links him to his infant companion changes arms between the trailer and the game. In the trailer, Sam wears it on his left, while in the game it's on his right. The scene is longer in the trailer version as well.

In GameSpot's Death Stranding review, Kallie Plagge wrote, "Death Stranding is a hard game to absorb. There are many intertwining threads to its plot, and silly names, corny moments, and heavy exposition belie an otherwise very simple message. That comes through much more clearly in the game's more mundane moments, when you find a desperately-needed ladder left behind by another player or receive a letter from an NPC thanking you for your efforts. It's positive without ignoring pain; in fact, it argues in both its story and its gameplay that adversity itself is what makes things worth doing and life worth living. It's a game that requires patience, compassion, and love, and it's also one we really need right now."