Here's a Translation of the Full Short Story Behind Death Stranding's Opening Quote

Death Stranding isn't out until next week, but the review embargo has dropped and discussion is already swirling around Hideo Kojima's newest project. One tidbit that's been known for a while is that it opens with a quote from Kōbō Abe's "Nawa," a short story that has ties to the themes of Death Stranding.

Kotaku's own Tim Rogers, in honor of the Death Stranding, published a translation of it to his Medium blog this morning. "Nawa," or "The Rope," is a work of short fiction from surrealist author Kōbō Abe, who's often drawn comparisons to writers like Franz Kafka, and it's not hard to see why.

It's also easy to see some of the ways this work would have influenced Kojima for Death Stranding: family dynamics, ropes, oceans, metaphors. Rogers notes that he keeps both the exact dot count for ellipses consistent with the original text ("I feel like some meaning sleeps there, within the quantity of dots. I dare not disturb it.") and the tense switching that happens throughout the story.

The relevant passage, which appears in Death Stranding's opening moments, is this:

Death Stranding doesn't hit PlayStation 4 until next Friday, November 8, but you can read our review of it here. Kat has aptly dubbed it a PS2 game in spirit. It contains comprehensive cargo management, Troy Baker gnawing on every inch of scenery, ghosts, metaphors, and Conan O'Brien in an otter hat.

We'll have more to come on Death Stranding in the coming days, as it rolls out onto PS4 and PC next year.