While not ever player has had the same experience with Death Stranding, even some of the harshest critics have at least been able to appreciate how the game's world looks. The vision of a post-apocalyptic America as shown in Death Stranding includes some stunning visuals for the vast landscapes the players will have to traverse in order to reach the game's conclusion.
Not every area has a proper name however, with most locations simply being relegated to "area around other area" status. Even some of the major delivery points in the game are similarly named, with places like "Distribution Center North of Mountain Knot City" only being described by the more important location nearby.
Now, while art is obviously subjective, with Death Stranding's reviews representing exactly that, the following are some of the most widely appealing areas in the game. One in particular has almost taken on a life of its own for both its aesthetic design as well as the fact that it is one of the only places where players can instantly die. However, each entry does bring its own bit of visual intrigue to the massive world that makes up Death Stranding.
Marsh Outside Capital Knot City
This is one of the first areas in the game, where players will conduct their first delivery to a nearby incinerator. As such, these rocky lands offer themselves as the first proper introduction to most of the game's mechanics, as well as providing a beautiful backdrop for the somber tone of what that first delivery is.
This area also doubles as a tutorial for how to keep Sam's balance while carrying packages and crossing over uneven terrain, as all of these things will come into effect while the player makes their way through the first delivery. However, thanks to the nature of the mission, this area also becomes a safe space to stumble and get comfortable with walking long before finding vehicles, since there is no real way to fail.
Chiral Crystal Hilltop
This location is found just north of the Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City, and can actually be missed by players who opt to go around the hill and stick to simply following the river. However, an early mission does hint that this might be a place worth investigating, considering that it meets all the standards described for finding Chiral Crystals, as long as the player is willing to struggle through the menacing BTs that plague the area.
The Chiral Crystals found on top of this hill are reportedly found at high elevations where Timefall rains frequently fall, according to a helpful piece of mail from one of Sam's fans/clients. This should lead most players exactly here if they want to gather a large amount of crystal quickly, offering a breathtaking view of the surrounding area along with the materials.
Timefall Farms
Timefall Farms is a fairly secluded settlement that, if it wasn't required for the story, might be a fairly rare find for players, all things considered. However, players looking to lessen the severity of the Monster Energy product placement might want to make a B-line for this little farmstead right away.
Nestled into a little valley and past both a mule camp and BT territory, there are few places in Death Stranding that feel more disconnected and fragmented than Timefall Farms. As a result, the aesthetic is completely unique, with golden wheat spreading across the land that almost feels claustrophobic with the hills hugging in close on each side.
The Recharging Spring
There are many springs in Death Stranding, all of them offering different effects for players who stumble upon them and decide to take a quick break and soak their worn bones, unless the player is stopped by Timefall. The Recharging Spring, located outside of the Evo-Devo Biologist's outpost, is one that stands out against the others simply because of the dueling climates that surround it.
With snow falling only a few steps out of the hot spring, the surrounding area takes on a number of contrasting colors as the snow slowly turns into rock before lush grass starts to grow, just below the frozen mountain top. This makes for one of the most soothing locations in the game to relax and watch BB swim in his little capsule.
Mama's Waterfall
This area is just outside of Mama's Lab, an area that the player visits a little under halfway through the game, or farther along depending on how much playtime players dedicate to building roads or communal transit systems. However, while it is beautiful, this is one of few places that can kill a player instantly, if they aren't careful.
Being swept up in the river that leads into this waterfall will cause Sam to go careening over the edge of the water, where he presumably either drowns below or smashes into the rocks at the bottom. Regardless of how it happens, immediately after going over the falls, players will be immediately transported into The Seam.
Private Rooms
While not quite an exotic local like some of the other entries, the sleek, simple design of the Private Room is the perfect place to stop and relax between deliveries. Some of the best Easter Eggs are even included in the Private Room, in case players needed to be reminded of exactly how creepy the game can get when they think they're comfortable.
On top of that, this is the only place that players can sift through a playlist of all of the music they've encountered throughout the game and play all of their favorite tunes. Combining some chilled out music with the heavy Sci-Fi vibe reinforces the genre aesthetic every time players stop to give Sam a much needed break.
Snow Capped Mountains
One of the later sections of Death Stranding tasks Sam Bridges with traveling to Mountain Knot City and connecting the Preppers that are scattered across the cold, lonely mountains. The deep snow and steep cliffs do well to amplify the unconventional gameplay mechanics of Death Stranding in an appropriately chilling way.
To bring the visuals together, once players have arrived at the highest areas of the snow capped mountains, they are treated to a view of the light snow against the dark mountain making a starkly contrasted landscape. On a side note, the above picture does help point out that the dots on the mushroom at Sam's feet hold a very distinct pattern.
BT Infested Areas
This final entry is much more vague and abstract than the rest, and likely the most prominent example of exactly how subjective art can be, considering that most players would call BT infestations anything but beautiful. However, when looking at the Timefall in these areas that almost turns into its own brand of chiral rain, the atmosphere takes on a delightfully sinister visual.
The rain turns black like the tar that accompanies BTs, and even takes on occasional touches of gold and red when in combat with one of the large BT Beasts. Its these atmospheric changes that helps to raise the tension when facing of against BTs in the first place, which much like the complete scope of Death Stranding, is something truly spectacular for those who looks deeper.
Death Stranding is available now for PS4, with a PC release slated for Summer 2020