DEATH STRANDING
Delivering the goods
Strands, sticks, ropes, knots – but what does it all mean? Well, it’s all actually simpler than you might think. With the game releasing not long after this issue is on shelves, the mists have cleared over what Death Stranding actually is – though as players worldwide help Sam Bridges (Norman Reedus) on his mission, it will take a little while for everyone to uncover the best ways to assist each other.
That game-spanning mission sees Sam trekking from the east coast of a ruined United States to the west, connecting ‘strands’ (lines of trade and communication) to ‘knots’ (Prepper stations and settlements) along the way. We see this in action as Sam sets out from Capital Knot City to Port Knot City in order to deliver some sperm and eggs (for reasons unknown – but it might be linked to the Bridge Babies for, er, obvious reasons). Making deliveries gets you Likes, and strengthens the strand for that location. The sensor hooked up to your own BB tracks your delivery destinations, including terrain height, through a compass view. On the map you can plot routes that have multiple waypoints in order to circumnavigate tricky areas.
KNOT A PROBLEM
Trekking that distance is time-consuming, arduous, and dangerous – but made much less so by other players helping out along the way. As long as you have an area of the map connected to the chiral
“TREKKING IS TIME-CONSUMING, ARDUOUS, AND DANGEROUS.”
network you’ll be able to see the marks your fellow players leave on the world, from literal footprints to dropped packages you can return to them for a reward to traversal tools like gap-spanning ladders or ropes up cliffs.
You can also build larger structures, which provide even more assistance. Shelters, for example, enable you to repair damaged gear (and play pop songs); lockers allow you to manage equipment away from a base; and charging stations let you charge your battery energy for tools like the bola gun that wraps up enemies and the speed skeleton torso that allows you to use battery charge for a burst of sprinting speed. At one point Sam hops on a motorbike left by another player and manages to drive it over a large bridge spanning a river, erected through the joint efforts of players across the world.
Simple obstacles like that river can be a challenge for Sam if you’re not careful, so making effective use of your own tools and those left behind by other players is critical. Wade into water that’s too deep and your stamina will take a dive before you get swept away, losing some of the cargo on your back and distressing your Bridge Baby. Once again, the sensor can help you spot potentially troublesome areas – things like deep water or slippery moss are marked by red dots.
STRAND AND DELIVER
Losing cargo not only means you’re unable to complete delivery missions, it can also leave you without equipment. Gone are the days when Solid Snake could jam an impossibly large number of items and weapons down his sneaking trousers. Every tool Sam takes out into the field has to be physically present and accounted for on his person.
As well as mission-vital packages, every item, from traversal tools to grenades, has to be put in a box to take with you. It’s up to you where you stack it, whether that’s on Sam’s back, strapped to his arms, or carried like a briefcase… you can even hang boots from a special boot clip. But to use the items you’ve brought out into the wilds you’ll need to physically remove them. Come across extra items on your journey? It’s another load to take on, if you want it. These all affect Sam’s stats and how well he can balance. Lean too far one way and little taps with p or i are necessary to make sure you stay on track. A little hover-carrier device, which you can level up along your journey (and when cargo-less ride like a hoverboard), can ease this burden.
It’s all about physicality. Simply moving across the world is a physical challenge that requires consideration. The need to think about your load translates into combat as well; fail to stealthily bind enemies using your ‘strand’ rope and they’ll try to take you down, but you can whack them with your many parcels to knock them out. Sometimes you’ll need to leave your parcels elsewhere in order to gain better manoeuvrability while you take out a threat, such as a BT – the mysterious, inky-black Beached Things linked to Hades, the next world.
There’s stealth, there’s combat, there are missions and fancy gadgets. Fans of Metal Gear won’t be disappointed, but it’s the physicality and shared world of Death Stranding that’s setting it apart – a whole new strand of its own.
“EVERY TOOL SAM TAKES OUT INTO THE FIELD HAS TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT ON HIS PERSON.”