8 Video Game Mechanics Harder Than The Final Boss

Death Stranding is one of the most unique, and uniquely maddening video games of the decade - the world's most expensive, best-looking walking simulator-cum-mail delivery simulator, albeit set in a post-apocalyptic hellhole where you're additionally tasked with the world's worst babysitting gig.

Though Hideo Kojima's creatively unhinged masterpiece does feature his signature robust combat, it's hugely de-emphasised compared to his Metal Gear Solid games.

Instead, the bulk of players' time is spent traversing the hollowed-out remnants of the U.S., delivering packages, and reconnecting the Chiral Network - basically the game's version of the Internet.

Death Stranding is primarily a puzzle game in AAA disguise, as players must figure out how to load up and carry their cargo for each specific delivery. Are you going to go on foot or use a vehicle?

And how will you balance your loadout to ensure you don't immediately fall over, all while dealing with inclement weather, those pesky BT enemies, and a baby who'll scream bloody murder if you so much as stumble lightly over a rock?

Managing all this can prove back-breakingly frustrating at times, enough that even the epically staged boss battles - and especially the final shootout with a gigantic, flying whale BT - end up feeling like much-needed respite from the glorified glossy version of Tetris that the core gameplay loop actually is.