Death Stranding (first title from Kojima Productions)

there is a lot of backtracking and back and forth, I think what he means is no back tracking just a longer/larger journey across the US.
I guess that makes sense; was thinking that you can't really just 'roam' like you would with say Skyrim. You can't just go to any section of the game world.
 
Game is pretty mixed for me so far, but I'm only a few hours in. Interesting setting and story, but the gameplay just seems too repetitive and sterile. I assume it will expand more gameplay wise, but that is part of the problem with really long games. Feels like after 5 hours, I'm still in a tutorial/starter area phase.
 
IMO the game would have been better paced/etc if the game world was much larger, but instead of being more 'open world' basically have the game be linear.

The best moments of the game is when you are traveling to new places, and the challenge that provides. I can imagine this game being better where you literally traveled across the US and things moving in a linear fashion.
So basically like metro exodus does. Open world is like diversity. It's not good if it's only present for its own sake.
 
It is a long haul of slowly expanding and unlocking parts of the game. Overall it is a delivery sim, and I agree with Mchart. It would have been a better game if you just pushed forward across the US.
 
So basically like metro exodus does. Open world is like diversity. It's not good if it's only present for its own sake.

The problem with this game (so far) for me isn't even the open world part. Even if it was a linear game, the actions and sequences are so repetitive and detached from real incentives. At the beginning the narrative seemed interesting, but it kind of died off. Going from point A to B is a feature in many games, but in this one is seems even more focused on that and little else. Lots of notes to read between missions, but the missions themselves seem so sterile. The one boss fight I had so far involved the most simplistic combat I've seen in years.

From the sound of things I'm only 1/6th the way through, but those are my impressions so far. I think I will stop doing side quests because they're so similar with no real incentives to do them. Generally you get likes for completing side quests, but I can't see how that translates to anything tangible in game.

Good news is, the game itself is well polished.
 
The problem with this game (so far) for me isn't even the open world part. Even if it was a linear game, the actions and sequences are so repetitive and detached from real incentives. At the beginning the narrative seemed interesting, but it kind of died off. Going from point A to B is a feature in many games, but in this one is seems even more focused on that and little else. Lots of notes to read between missions, but the missions themselves seem so sterile. The one boss fight I had so far involved the most simplistic combat I've seen in years.

From the sound of things I'm only 1/6th the way through, but those are my impressions so far. I think I will stop doing side quests because they're so similar with no real incentives to do them. Generally you get likes for completing side quests, but I can't see how that translates to anything tangible in game.

Good news is, the game itself is well polished.

Getting stars from settlements unlocks gear and vehicles, including the weapons. That is all I've found so far.
 
Getting stars from settlements unlocks gear and vehicles, including the weapons. That is all I've found so far.
You could probably do the regenerating quests forever, but so far I agree that this is the point: collect star awards by getting five stars from every site. Also build all the roads, which makes getting the stars far easier.

You're going to need some of that stuff.
 
I've generally found that going around things and moving as fast as possible at all times negates the need for carrying much of anything. Outside of the rare invisible wall, you can scale pretty steep grades without needing ladders or ropes. Vehicles litter the landscape. So do other people's bridges and whatnot. You can create more blood bags at will if you get shot by Mules or Terrorists. At first I was constantly carrying a ton of shit "just in case" and I'm over that now. I carry blood bags, a couple hematic grenades, and that's basically it. Well, that and a skeleton for the sake of moving faster. Don't get in the mode of carrying a ton of stuff because you don't need to.
 
Blood bags, grenades, spare boots, BTGun, 2 bolas.

I literally only take the truck anymore, rarely ever go on foot, its just to convenient to stack orders and run a loop. I'm enjoying the game and want 5 stars at most bases, but not enough that I'd draw it out more than needed.
 
Blood bags, grenades, spare boots, BTGun, 2 bolas.

I literally only take the truck anymore, rarely ever go on foot, its just to convenient to stack orders and run a loop. I'm enjoying the game and want 5 stars at most bases, but not enough that I'd draw it out more than needed.

Pretty much where I am at. Finally found a truck, built a road. Got the bola gun. How do I get the BT Gun? So far just been tossing grenades at people and then smack the crap out of them. Seems like it took almost 14 or so hours to get to the "real" part of the game. First map area seemed like a giant, long tutorial as it was so limited.
 
Pretty much where I am at. Finally found a truck, built a road. Got the bola gun. How do I get the BT Gun? So far just been tossing grenades at people and then smack the crap out of them. Seems like it took almost 14 or so hours to get to the "real" part of the game. First map area seemed like a giant, long tutorial as it was so limited.

Its towards the south of the second map, the Chiral artist, i beleive rank one is 3 stars and 2 is 4 stars. uses your blood like the grenades.

you get real guns too, but killing means voidouts or trips to the incinerator.

steal trucks till you get the bridges truck. the bridges truck has vastly more space than mule ones. the distribution center unlocks them.
 
Its towards the south of the second map, the Chiral artist, i beleive rank one is 3 stars and 2 is 4 stars. uses your blood like the grenades.

you get real guns too, but killing means voidouts or trips to the incinerator.

steal trucks till you get the bridges truck. the bridges truck has vastly more space than mule ones. the distribution center unlocks them.

Yeah been using a stolen one, looks about burnt to a crisp now, thinking it will go out anytime soon. Any way to repair it? I'm out of pretty much all resources, built the road up until the terrian got real rough and spiky for lack of a better term. Would need to build a bridge over those parts but the resources really caught up with me now, and can't easily walk so many things over there. Right now I am trying to build my personal shelter which should be easy, but would like to get the road ways up because the further you get in chapter 3, the worse the terrian seems to get.
 
Yeah been using a stolen one, looks about burnt to a crisp now, thinking it will go out anytime soon. Any way to repair it? I'm out of pretty much all resources, built the road up until the terrian got real rough and spiky for lack of a better term. Would need to build a bridge over those parts but the resources really caught up with me now, and can't easily walk so many things over there. Right now I am trying to build my personal shelter which should be easy, but would like to get the road ways up because the further you get in chapter 3, the worse the terrian seems to get.

I didn't build that much, a few bridges and some of the rougher road segments. Never even used my shelter. the loop you want to run is the starting base-engineer-craftsment-south knot distribution. pretty easy to 5 star the engineer and craftsmen, and you should be able to unlock the bridges truck by doing that.

can't repair mule vehicles, just gotta steal another but they respawn and there is a three mule bases to grab them from (main base/engineer, south of craftsman, and south east of south knot distribution center). The junk dealer and film director are worth poking but the film directors big order can't be done until you have the bridges truck but its great for grinding the starting base stars.

weather station is a trek at first, but easy if you come at it from the south, the time fall farm is super simple as well, just a run through mules is the biggest issue.

*vehicles repair automatically all you need to do is park on the private room plateform and enter it. only bridges vehicles can be repaired.0
 
I don't know how y'all stand driving trucks. They control like hot buttered shit and they get stuck or slide off the side of a hill way too often. I've had way more luck sticking with motorcycles. They can actually be used to climb mountains pretty well if you time the turbo and jump functions repeatedly. Outside of sheer cliffs and the rare invisible wall, they do rather well.

Anyway, I've finally hit chapter 8. Thanks to being able to fix the controls (make sure Steam is set to have Xbox Configuration Support), the second encounter with Unger was waaaay easier than the first. It's almost funny how hard that first fight was thanks to control issues alone. I think whatever causes that issue gets worse and worse the further you get. I tried disabling it and the game is almost unplayable at this point.
 
I got to the weather station by walking. Didn't run into much timefall or BTs. I just went past a paver (didn't have enough to build it) and then walked up the hill.

Is there anyway to quickly equip/un-equip something from the weapon wheel/tool rack? This is one thing I haven't figured out. Seems like I have to open the weapon wheel, drop an item, press Y to pick it up and throw on your back, then hope the last item I selected to move from my back to the tool rack shows up there. Is there a way to just select a weapon and immediately replace something automatically?

I drove into a BT, first one I ran into so far. Problem is I didn't have any anti BT weapons equipped on the weapon wheel. So I selected BT grenades quickly, but they didn't show as available, only PCCs and the like. Couldn't drop them quick enough and ended up getting "killed" by it.

Quirky controls aside, the only real issue I have with the game personally is how the tool rack/weapon wheel works. I just can't seem to figure it out. Using an Xbox controller if it matters.
 
I got to the weather station by walking. Didn't run into much timefall or BTs. I just went past a paver (didn't have enough to build it) and then walked up the hill.

Is there anyway to quickly equip/un-equip something from the weapon wheel/tool rack? This is one thing I haven't figured out. Seems like I have to open the weapon wheel, drop an item, press Y to pick it up and throw on your back, then hope the last item I selected to move from my back to the tool rack shows up there. Is there a way to just select a weapon and immediately replace something automatically?

I drove into a BT, first one I ran into so far. Problem is I didn't have any anti BT weapons equipped on the weapon wheel. So I selected BT grenades quickly, but they didn't show as available, only PCCs and the like. Couldn't drop them quick enough and ended up getting "killed" by it.

Quirky controls aside, the only real issue I have with the game personally is how the tool rack/weapon wheel works. I just can't seem to figure it out. Using an Xbox controller if it matters.
You just open the wheel and select what you want. You have to hit the button indicated to go to the next page on the wheel if it doesn’t show on the first page. You don’t need to be dropping items in combat, although you can if it’s an empty box that you just want to get rid of.
 
You just open the wheel and select what you want. You have to hit the button indicated to go to the next page on the wheel if it doesn’t show on the first page. You don’t need to be dropping items in combat, although you can if it’s an empty box that you just want to get rid of.

Thanks, just figured out the icon with the arrow bounced off the thumb stick = press down.

And what is the button for the Odradek scanner? Can't seem to find it in the button layout.

Edit: Just have to tap the scan button.
 
Last edited:
I got to the weather station by walking. Didn't run into much timefall or BTs. I just went past a paver (didn't have enough to build it) and then walked up the hill.

Is there anyway to quickly equip/un-equip something from the weapon wheel/tool rack? This is one thing I haven't figured out. Seems like I have to open the weapon wheel, drop an item, press Y to pick it up and throw on your back, then hope the last item I selected to move from my back to the tool rack shows up there. Is there a way to just select a weapon and immediately replace something automatically?

I drove into a BT, first one I ran into so far. Problem is I didn't have any anti BT weapons equipped on the weapon wheel. So I selected BT grenades quickly, but they didn't show as available, only PCCs and the like. Couldn't drop them quick enough and ended up getting "killed" by it.

Quirky controls aside, the only real issue I have with the game personally is how the tool rack/weapon wheel works. I just can't seem to figure it out. Using an Xbox controller if it matters.

once you go to the timefall its easier to drive. Basically I loop around from the distribution depot rather than go straight, coming up to the weather station from the south is much simpler.
 
I got to the weather station by walking. Didn't run into much timefall or BTs. I just went past a paver (didn't have enough to build it) and then walked up the hill.
Sounds like you didn't go in a straight line.

One thing I learned about this game is, if you think you can just go in a straight line from A to B, you're going to tangle with BTs or you're going to get into some other situation (falling rocks). It's like they purposely make it that way. If you know where the pavers are, you can kinda follow where the roads will be built and then avoid BT interactions. You'll eventually be forced to deal with BTs, but just go low and slow and bring lotsa hematic grenades.
 
Sounds like you didn't go in a straight line.

One thing I learned about this game is, if you think you can just go in a straight line from A to B, you're going to tangle with BTs or you're going to get into some other situation (falling rocks). It's like they purposely make it that way. If you know where the pavers are, you can kinda follow where the roads will be built and then avoid BT interactions. You'll eventually be forced to deal with BTs, but just go low and slow and bring lotsa hematic grenades.

I assume so, because otherwise there would be no challenge. The game is growing on me, could be better. Just seems like the entire first map was so limited and was a 10 hour tutorial.
 
I think it's pretty good for what it is. I would rate it a solid 70-80% based on the quality of the production.

I still feel that the game would have been far better served had they focused on a much larger map that you move through one stop at a time in a more linear fashion, versus the smaller map with lots of backtracking.
 
With the plot missions, there are basically ALWAYS rainstorms you can't wait out and BT's in the way. You can go around them and be super deliberate or you can ride on the edge of the area (usually the edge of rock and grass or the bank of a stream) and haul ass by 'em. That has been my MO ever since I realized that killing them or or going slowly nets you nothing.

At first I wasn't sure about the backtracking comments, but now that I'm in the mountains...oh lord. I've made a giant spiral loop. If I had known it would be like this, I probably would have carried a bunch of PPC's and built a network of ziplines early on. Even then, with the constant snowfall those are always deteriorating. Some guy on my server kinda did that, but about 1/2 of them are gone now.

I kinda like where the plot has gone recently, but damn am I sick of this game now. You get better tools and whatnot, but you really are doing the same thing over and over and over. The game is basically a series of fetch quests. The end can't come soon enough.

Edit: Made it to Chapter 9...the end is almost in sight!
 
Last edited:
Getting closer to the end to. Not a perfect game, but not bad either. Although repetitive I kind of like the mountain trekking. Pretty much take my truck everywhere with me though. Haven't been back to the lower lands since I got to the mountain area. Kind of wish the game made travel between sections easier and would take you back and fourth to map areas for story missions.
 
Stolen truck I'd used a bit before I unlocked the level 3 long-range truck -- you can take them basically everywhere, just note that they're quite easy to get stuck if you try to do too much rock climbing.

20200816111104_1.jpg


...so you wind up doing this on occasion...

20200814152822_1.jpg


...or this. Also, that truck is pink.

20200817063827_1.jpg
 
I still can't do anything in those damned trucks. They get stuck or spin out at the drop of a hat. They won't move for 5 seconds and then all of a sudden they'll rocket off the side of a cliff. Even the physics with moving the front wheel to reverse and change direction doesn't work like it should. I hate 'em.
Sadly, it becomes tougher and tougher to find a motorcycle the further you get, too. They're almost nowhere to be found on the far western edge of the map, which is where you'll be up until the last couple missions.
I've just reached the final mission. The last few have been pretty decent, too. After 40 hours and 60'ish fetch quests it feels like I finally got to the real game in Chapter 9.
Something I've noticed, though. They start "revealing" a lot of things around that point. Unless you've been skipping all of the cut scenes...you're probably well aware of everything going down. Hopefully the VERY end offers something more insightful.
 
So I have 135 hours in and just started chapter 6. I am taking it nice and slow, and last night I just built all of the highways. And I am so glad I did. I did 2 orders right afterwards that put them to good use. A few of the things I agree with:

1. Pause when a BT detected? I disabled that.
2. The mini cut scenes when you recycle or deliver a product? I plow through them.
3. Mules are stupid. Most certainly. I have access to different weapons and toys yet I still use Bola lvl2 even against the mules that have guns. 1 headshot bola, and they are down. I carry enough blood bags to rival a blood bank and make Dracula jealous. Being shot by them is never an issue.
4. I disabled partial online. First map is when I got tired of seeing other people's crap. Signs everywhere, bridges everywhere, posboxes scattered throughout the land. F that. I disabled partial online and started tearing down other people's structures. I'm fine if people want to use my strutures and contribute to their upkeep.

I love the pace. I've played a lot of fast paced fps, and this is a nice change with beautiful visuals. I scout areas for strategic bridge placement. Being curious I started looking for another hot spring, and I found one that raises your max stamina by 1 block. In a really strange way, walking in mountain areas and snow areas is really relaxing, but I usually take my trike when I can. I haven't even built any ziplines. I feel they remove the appreciation this beautiful world deserves. If you scout long enough and watch the weather, going to places like the Junk Dealer, Film Director, and the Chiral Artist's mother are pretty easy. Heck in some areas I have even setup signs with the compass like every few ten meters or so to help with the next delivery. Some of these stops are well worth it. Like the Craftsman who gives you an endless supply of custom hematic grenades which some say are stronger than even the standard lvl2 hematic grenades.
 
Jump (A on controller). It gets me out of everything, save for the one time my truck model clipped into rocks. But that happened only once. I take trucks all over the mountain ranges. Everywhere. Only once did I leave it for the last leg of the trip because it would take longer to go around than to use someone's links they placed atop the mountain. I get over the most obscene rocky cliffs, there is always a way for a truck to pass somewhere.

Floating carriers suck, link breaks too easily and ejects everything. I roll with a truck everywhere. I'd take screen shots but after a crash I read that disabling Steam Overlay helps, so I did that. Sadly that means all the screen shots I thought I had taken over the course of the game didn't get taken.
 
I'd take screen shots but after a crash I read that disabling Steam Overlay helps, so I did that. Sadly that means all the screen shots I thought I had taken over the course of the game didn't get taken.
Huh, that's where I take mine...

3. Mules are stupid. Most certainly. I have access to different weapons and toys yet I still use Bola lvl2 even against the mules that have guns. 1 headshot bola, and they are down. I carry enough blood bags to rival a blood bank and make Dracula jealous. Being shot by them is never an issue.
4. I disabled partial online. First map is when I got tired of seeing other people's crap. Signs everywhere, bridges everywhere, posboxes scattered throughout the land. F that. I disabled partial online and started tearing down other people's structures. I'm fine if people want to use my strutures and contribute to their upkeep.
This is one of those games that feels like it might have replay value on higher difficulty levels. Mules are certainly stupid on 'normal', but it doesn't seem like it'd take much tweaking to make them a real problem, i.e. make them more accurate, more aggressive with stun weapons, just have more of them, and so on, and if they made them smarter... well.

Same for the BT encounters. Outside of the boss battles they're mostly avoidable, perhaps completely avoidable, and they're not that hard to combat even when surrounded, but it could be a lot, lot worse (or better, if that's what you want!).
 
What is the best balance? I don't want to see the signs, but I do like the structures. I agree though, sometimes there are too many structures built by others. I tend to ignore most of them except safe houses/chargers. I do build a lot of chargers myself for my truck.
 
I mostly just ignored everything except chargers and discarded vehicles. I can't really think of an instance where the signs were helpful or a hindrance. Rainstorms and BT locations were predictable enough without any signs. You can see Mules miles away with your radar.
 
Just got this game, I'm only about 2 hours in. Just had to take Bridget to that place in the mountains. Liking this game, I wil most likely stay out of this thread to avoid spoilers.
 
Just got this game, I'm only about 2 hours in. Just had to take Bridget to that place in the mountains. Liking this game, I wil most likely stay out of this thread to avoid spoilers.

There isn't much to spoil, honestly. I don't mean that in a negative way, either. The story and game nuts and bolts that people are discussing here aren't really related.
You can mostly look around this thread without any worries of the game being ruined.
 
Huh, that's where I take mine...


This is one of those games that feels like it might have replay value on higher difficulty levels. Mules are certainly stupid on 'normal', but it doesn't seem like it'd take much tweaking to make them a real problem, i.e. make them more accurate, more aggressive with stun weapons, just have more of them, and so on, and if they made them smarter... well.

Same for the BT encounters. Outside of the boss battles they're mostly avoidable, perhaps completely avoidable, and they're not that hard to combat even when surrounded, but it could be a lot, lot worse (or better, if that's what you want!).
Ha I forgot to mention that I am on the hardest setting. I do wish they were a little more challenging. At least make me sweat a little. To be fair, I AM at level 310ish. Some of those levels give perks like less chances of being knocked over, etc.

I have only been overwhelmed by mules maybe 2 or 3 times when I was dumb enough to ride straight to the center of their camp. All other times I just start at the edge of their camp and work my way in popping them off 1 by 1 as they get near me.
 
What is the best balance? I don't want to see the signs, but I do like the structures. I agree though, sometimes there are too many structures built by others. I tend to ignore most of them except safe houses/chargers. I do build a lot of chargers myself for my truck.
There are only 3 options:
Offline
Partial online (You share your stuff but you cant see other player signs and structures. You DO see their dropped cargo, their likes, and they can refill your structure resources.)
Full online
 
There are only 3 options:
Offline
Partial online (You share your stuff but you cant see other player signs and structures. You DO see their dropped cargo, their likes, and they can refill your structure resources.)
Full online

I don't mind the structures, just not a fan of all the floating icons everywhere.

Just finished the game, took me about 60 hours. Some areas are not connected to the Chiral network, I assume those are more extra areas to connect not related to the main story? Going to screw around and explore some more. May turn offline off completely for a bit for those last random areas I decide to travel to.
 
Yeah, there are a few spots that are optional, some are real PITA's to both get to, and level up.
 
Some areas can be a real pain to get to, but I built all my highways. Not the type of grind work everyone wants to do, but if you are in the game for the long haul, the highways make a huge difference. For non-road serviceable areas I usually scout ahead and place signs in the best trails. It is subtle, but you do also sometimes see an old trail already on the ground.
 
Back
Top