Death Stranding



 Game Verbs - what do you actually do in Death Stranding?

Walk – Most of the game is about the act of carrying lots of stuff from one place to another, with tricky terrain in between. Walking is so much the focus that you even need to pack extra pairs of shoes because the ones you wear degrade over distance.

Run – although this is rarely possible or recommended. Only when you have hardly any packages on your back should you run. And even then you risk falling over depending on the terrain.

Stumble – as your balance shifts due to the varying weight and distribution of packages and materials that you decide to take with you on a delivery. This isn’t like other games where all your inventory is magically stored in a pocket universe. Each ladder, rope, blood pack and pair of boots has weight and must be distributed about your body – or on your back. Thankfully, there is an automatic feature that will distribute your loadout for you. That won’t help you with the total weight though.

Balance - The heavier the load, the more careful you need to be when moving. Head too quickly down a slope will cause Sam to shift to a shuffle and perhaps even slip or fall over, depending on the terrain. Sudden shifts in direction can also cause him to lean dangerously to one side and you need to rectify this by leaning left or right with the trigger buttons. I found a good method was to grip both L2 and R2 almost all the time. This causes Sam to grab his straps with both hands and gives you the most stable centre of gravity for moving.

Crouch – This is almost a cheat version of keeping your balance, although you move slowly and so completing the game in this manner would be incredibly onerous. There are certain times during the game when you encounter areas packed with BTs, or Beached Things. These inter-dimensional ghosts will sense Sam if he moves too quickly or makes too much noise. So crouching is just about the only way to safely manoeuvre through these sections. Even then, you’ll need to make use of grenades or perhaps even just make a run for it in order to try and escape the BTs.

Hold – your breath. The R1 button makes Sam hold his breath whenever BTs are approaching. 

Scan – the environment for all manner of things, including cargo, enemy encampments, and – most importantly – the topography of the land. A quick scan of a running river will show you the deep areas and allow you to plan your crossing. You use stamina quickly in deep water, which runs the risk of you being swept off your feet and losing packages in the swift current.

Rock – BB to calm it. An upset or damaged BB won’t be effective in sensing BTs. It will also cry, so you need to take the time to soothe it. The shortcut button combination to get to this is far from intuitive, but this is just another example of Death Stranding being almost delightfully obtuse.

Climb – over rocks and up sheer surfaces. A quick climb over a fence can also mean a nice shortcut from having to walk all the way around in order to enter a town or encampment. Climbing uses stamina, though, so push it too far and Sam will stumble back down, possibly losing/damaging cargo in the process.

Forge and Follow – trails. As your connections grow, trails will appear in the game that show the paths most taken by players. You also contribute to these, as you’ll often receive ‘like’ notifications from people sending their appreciation for your forging footsteps.

Build – At first, simple structures such as post boxes, watchtowers and shelters. Later, much larger structures that require extra resources and even cooperation from other players to complete and/or add to. Each structure is 3D printed from each construction kit that you carry and it is consumed in the process.

Contribute – You’ll come across structures started by others with the option to contribute resources to make them more completed. For example, in the case of roads, you rock up to a terminal, hold the Options button and choose which resources you have on you you’d like to donate and how much. A total then builds up as multiple players work to add new sections of road over difficult terrain.

Like – structures, ladders, ropes, paths and all manner of other things from other players (yes, this includes mushrooms that grow from them taking a piss in their world). All it takes to give a like is to click in the touch-pad and as you gain porter levels the period of time in which you can spam the button to give out multiple likes for the one thing increases. It’s all wonderfully positive and the feeling is great when there’s a constant influx of messages on the screen informing you that other players have liked all manner of things that you’ve built or contributed towards during your play time.

Attack – BTs with blood grenades, which destroys them and leaves behind valuable resources for you to collect. When it comes to human enemies, you need to be more careful, as dead bodies are a no-no in this world (they basically become nukes if they come into contact with BTs). Non-lethal options include a cool bola gun and then, later on, guns with non-lethal rounds. Each weapon is easy and intuitive to use once equipped.




Timeline - how long to beat, any trophy/achievement issues, how much is left after passing?

Golly, a long time. There is almost endless potential to just enjoy this world, building up your delivery status with each settlement after completing the story. I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes 150 hours to get a Platinum Trophy.

Saving Frustration - any issues with the save system for parents/players with regular interruptions?

You can’t choose discrete saves, so this might be an issue for those who like to manage their saves. Story scenes pause easily and can be skipped. The game will often log you out of online mode whenever you awaken your console from sleep mode, but it’s very easy to reconnect via the menu without needing to restart the game.


Patchwork - how is the game being supported with updates?

I believe there was a day one patch. The 1.05 came soon after. This fixed, according to the official press release, “various performance improvements”. While that incredibly detailed list is not too helpful, I’ve found Death Stranding to be a very stable game with no bugs experienced.

Online - any online details and population trends

Asymmetrical co-operative aspects. You do not actually see other players, only their ghosts, structures, signs and footprints. No aspect requires PS Plus to work.



Summary - an elevator pitch to sum up the experience

Death Stranding is a mudslide-slip-and-dip-check-your-weight-twist-your-ankle-slow-your-descent-find-shelter-grip-your-straps-hold-your-breath-sink-your-bike ride! It is unique, beautiful, harrowing, sad and positive. Some will hate it, but for those of us who love it, that love will burn inside you until all you think about is the next footstep. 
The next connection
The next delivery.
The next vista
The next journey.



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