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Today at Tokyo Game Show, Death Stranding received almost an hour of extended gameplay footage, and we’ve summed up the most important bits for you here (via PlayStation Blog).
Sam kicks things off by chatting to Die Hardman — played Tommie Earl Jenkins — through a terminal at the Bridges base. Like Geoff Kieghley’s character, Die Hardman offers Sam a mission to undertake in the world, but before he heads out Sam must prep for the journey ahead. The cargo must be managed as there is a weight limit for how much Sam can carry, and boots will wear out over time and need to be replaced. There’s a piece of equipment called an Active Skeleton, which will let him run faster and farther despite the heavy cargo, and the Floating Carrier will carry deliveries and be pulled along behind Sam.
Sam chooses his approach by viewing the map and examining the area’s topographical features. Gear such as ladders and anchors will help him cross the Eastern region of what was the United States. Some of these ladders will be left behind by previous players, tying into the strand system that Kojima has described, and ladders can be awarded ‘likes’ for some indiscernible reason.
I know from my harrowing Duke of Edinburgh experiences that hiking is hard work. Sam needs to take a rest every so often, to stretch out his legs or catch forty winks. There’s a Monster energy drink that Sam can sip to top up his stamina. And, don’t put baby in the corner. The BB Happiness meter monitors the Bridge Baby’s status; when Sam falls in deep water, the BB Happiness plummets and the baby must be consoled before Sam can continue on. He will be able to relax in hot mud springs, and sing to the BB to comfort it. The BB will award ‘likes’ too, strangely enough.
Camps of enemies are dotted around the regions, and if Sam evades the guards, he can loot ‘post boxes’ to find weapons, support buffs like health sprays, and steal one of their vehicles. If he’s rumbled, the enemies will throw baby out with the bathwater and hunt Sam down with electrical weapons.
Finally, Sam reaches his destination: Port Knot City. In this Bridges base, Sam delivers his cargo and is thanked by a holographic representative for his efforts and adds Port Knot City to the Chiral Network. Then, Sam heads to sleep after a long day of showing off an entirely unique new genre of video game: a post-apocalyptic FedEx simulator.
Death Stranding launches on November 8 for the PlayStation 4, and then for PC at a later date. Watch the gameplay demo below.
