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10 beginner’s tips for reconnecting America in Death Stranding

by on November 8, 2019
 

The broken America in Death Stranding is filled with countless threats that constantly want you to damage your goods, and your precious feet. Whether it’s rocky terrain that can take a lifetime to cross, pesky Mules that want to grab your package (ooh, Matron!), or the invisible BTs that always seem to pop up when you absolutely, positively could do without them, we’ve got some tips to help you reconnect the United Cities of America. Whats more, we’ll make you a better delivery man than anyone at Yodel, Hermes, or DHL. So, without further ado, here’s 10 beginners tips for Death Stranding to help you make Sam Porter Bridges into a rather efficient post-apocalyptic postie.

Patience is a virtue

No matter how tempting it is to run through a swarm of BTs, DON’T DO IT! I mean it, be patient and use your BB to sneak past them. The risks aren’t worth it, no matter how close you are to your destination. Crouch and move to avoid making any noise, and always hold your breath. When you can’t hold you breath any longer, wait a few seconds until you can do it again. Rest and repeat because those extra minutes getting out an area with heavy Timefall will stop you getting towed away to fight some big tar monster without a proper arsenal, and without losing all your packages.

10 beginner's tips for reconnecting America in Death Stranding

Scan environments before checking the map

The map in Death Stranding is more complex that Stephen Hawking‘s math-homework, so streamlining the journey is much more useful. Plotting a course is important, but do it in-game as opposed to in the map. Pressing L1 allows you to scan the environment and skip between checkpoints, and doing so will let you see where you need to go in front of you. You can also add a waypoint so the most direct line pops up. You’ll not travel across tough terrain until later, so getting where you need to go quicker is done so by making use of the in-game scanner.

Always fabricate ladders and climbing anchors

If you’ve yet to connect a new area in Death Stranding, other player’s creations aren’t available to use, so fabricating ladders and climbing anchors is the most effective way of climbing up and down tricky areas. They’re only 5kg a piece, and if you haven’t got a Floating Carrier or Power Skeleton yet, you won’t be able to carry a great deal of equipment. You’ll want at least one of each to make early journeys as efficient as possible, so owning these will be a godsend.

Walking is tiring, so rest up

It can be time consuming journeying across a fractured America. Your stamina will decrease often, you’ll lose blood, and your Bola Gun ammo will run out. Finding a Private Room – whether in one of the ports or a custom-made one – is vital to refill all of your stats. Not only that, but if BB goes into shock they’ll be no use to you, meaning BTs won’t be detected, and believe me you don’t want that being a problem. You can also create EXO grenades by relieving yourself with a number one and two, as well as a nice hot shower. Finally, Private Rooms allow you to listen to any music you’ve collected, and with a soundtrack as good as this one, you’ll no doubt spend a lot of time listening to it. There’s a mini Death Stranding tips tidbit in itself: listen to the soundtrack!

10 beginner's tips for reconnecting America in Death Stranding

Ping the Mules!

While dealing with BTs can be a pain, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the Mules either. These glorified magpies will hunt you down if you step into one of their patrols, so using your Odradek to frazzle their signal is vital. It’s not available from the off, but when you get this ability, you’ll want to press R1 a couple of seconds after you alert them. This way, their signals become fried, meaning all you have to do is avoid being seen. Stick to the tall grass, big rocks, or bushes to sneak past undetected.

A happy BB is a helpful BB

I mentioned earlier about BB being a tool for detecting BTs, and there’re a few ways for them to get upset. They’ll get stressed if you alert BTs to your position, as well as falling over or getting swept away by a strong current. You can calm them down by finding a quiet area and rocking them back and forth with the controller, and using hot springs that are located across America will let you play with them whilst having a good wash. It doesn’t take long to make them happy again, and it’s well worth putting in a bit of time to perk them up.

Use your Odradek at all times

There’s a lot of terrain that proves a challenge in Death Stranding. Walking over rocky areas or passing through deep water can damage equipment, so always use your Odradek scanner if you’re unsure about a questionable area. Pressing R1 scans the environment, and all tough terrain is highlighted in red. If you’re planning on running through water and there’s a red area, you’ll more than likely be swept away by the current, so use a ladder or build a bridge. Also, if a rocky area is highlighted red, always find another way round. It’s not worth the stress.

10 beginner's tips for Death Stranding

Automatically redistribute your cargo

It can be time-consuming deciding where to store your cargo before you set out on a mission. You’ll eventually get a Floating Carrier and a truck to make journeys easier, but there are times when you’ll have to solely rely on carrying it on your person. One useful tool to make sure the cargo is easily spread – and help to avoid falling over – is using the Triangle button in the cargo menu to automatically redistribute your items so that you’re not trying to balance 100kg of cargo in one big tower on your back. This will help you carry stuff on your side and your legs, balancing the cargo and meaning you’re less likely to fall over when climbing over uneven terrain.

Call out for help

If you do find yourself fighting one of the big monsters when the Hunters drag you into the tar, it can be tough if you don’t have a decent amount of blood-infused weaponry. Pressing the touch DualShock 4 during a fight will bring other connected players (in avatar form only) into your world to throw out useful items, such as blood bags and guns. It can be quite easy to avoid these encounters, but if you do find yourself tussling with one of these behemoths, using other people’s weapons allows you to have a bit of extra support to stop a potential voidout from occurring.

Be a receiver, not a giver

When you become connected to another new area, all user-created structures become available for you to use. It takes a lot of time and energy to carry your own materials across America, so use other’s hard work to progress. Sponging off others isn’t entirely bad because you can throw some likes in their direction, and it also means you’re not wasting your own time building things that more often than not appear anyway. Generators refill your vehicle’s battery, Watchtowers are useful to detect nearby threats, and Safe Houses are Private Rooms out in the field. New areas (by the time you connect them) will already have countless structures for you to use, so don’t waste your time building things when they’re already there. Cheeky? Maybe. Useful? 100%