We don't usually publish review round-up articles. That is because most of the time we are able to come up with a review of our own, either in time for the embargo's expiry or shortly after that.

　　However, considering the fact that we won't get our hands on Death Stranding before its launch, we thought we'd be remiss if we did not report on what our fellow colleagues who did manage to play the game already thought about Hideo Kojima's first independent title since leaving Konami.

　　As anyone who has followed the development of the game could have expected, this turned out to be arguably the most divisive game in years. The aggregate pages on Metacritic and OpenCritic range from perfect scores all the way down to Stevivor's 3.5/10, where Steve Wright ended his review stating 'Even if Death Stranding’s narrative was good — and it’s not — a game needs to have actual gameplay. What you find within is abysmal; frustrating, tedious and beyond repair, it is to be avoided at all costs.'

　　That's not to say there aren't any reviews scoring the game somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. IGN's Tristan Ogilvie, for instance, rated Death Stranding 6.8/10, adding that 'Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight.'

　　That said, the average review score on both Metacritic and OpenCritic is currently 84, which means there are plenty of very positive ratings out there from critics. For example, Gamespot's Kallie Plagge appreciated Death Stranding a lot, as is evident from the 9/10 score as well as her final remarks ('Death Stranding is dense, complex, and powerful, steadfast in its belief in the power of love and hope when faced with overwhelming adversity').

　　Eurogamer doesn't rate games in points, but they do provide recommendations for the best games and that was the case for Death Stranding. Oli Welsh wrote: 'Hideo Kojima's first post-Metal Gear game is a messy, indulgent vanity project - but also a true original'.

　　Lastly, the Guardian's Dan Dawkins rated the game 4 out of 5 stars, concluding that 'With gameplay that denies instant gratification, Hideo Kojima's unashamedly political game is this year's most interesting blockbuster game by far'.

　　Death Stranding will be available globally on November 8th for PlayStation 4. Recently, though, Kojima himself confirmed that the game will also launch on PC next Summer thanks to a deal with publisher 505 Games.