20 Things You DIDN’T Know About Death Stranding
Tips and tricks to help you get started!
With the recent release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, a lot of new players are diving in to Hideo Kojima’s Stranding series, and they’re sure to have a few questions! Luckily, the team here at You Don’t Have To have put together a list of the most interesting and important details you may have missed from your perusal of Twitch streams! If you already knew or didn’t know any of these bits of trivia, like and comment below, purchase a one-year paid subscription, and submit a piece of hand-drawn fan art! But most of all – have fun!
1. Down Under?
As you start playing Death Stranding 2, you may notice that a LOT of the voice actors have distinctly Australian accents! This isn’t just a hiring quirk or a mistake on the part of the localization team, though! Death Stranding 2 actually takes place on the Australian subcontinent, and almost all of the characters are Australians! Even some characters from the first game are replaced by their identical twin counterparts who were raised in Australia! Well, that explains a few things!
2. To Like or Not To Like?
Throughout the game you’ll be pressured to trade in your precious Likes earned from deliveries to reward NPCs and other players for building structures, placing signs, and posting on social media! Weigh your options carefully – those Likes, once given, can never be recovered! Save your likes for those who really earn it, by placing ladders you didn’t know you needed or putting the 40th sign on the entrance ramp to every shelter!
3. It’s A What Now?
While technically, Death Stranding is a walking simulator, series co-creator Hideo Kojima insists it actually is better defined by a new genre label, the Strand-like, generally referring to games that are similar in themes, perspective, and game mechanics to Death Stranding. Death Stranding is considered to be the pinnacle of Strand-type games… so far! But don’t think it’s secure on the throne... almost every major title coming out in the next year or so can claim to be a Strand-like!
4. Dark Strands!
It’s a little known fact that Death Stranding’s awkward, arbitrary sounding title was chosen for a very good reason – to draw a parallel to the game’s greatest inspiration, Dark Souls, by having the exact same initials! DS, DS, you get it! Now, when you hear that DS2 improved in almost every way the formula from DS1, don’t get so angry! Maybe they’re talking about Dark Souls 2!
5. Ride On!
As a Strand-like, [and a walking simulator] the first Death Stranding was originally intended to take place entirely on foot. Series star Norman Reedus, however, refused to cooperate with development until he secured the promise of a sick motorcycle his character could be shown on, as a cross-promotion for his travel show Ride. After several months of Reedus doing crazy faces any time the motion capture scanners were on, Kojima finally relented… but he had his own trick up his sleeve!
6. It’s All Greek To Me!
The motorcycles in Death Stranding are not your pappy’s hog! These high tech bad boys sport not two, not four, but THREE tires! This means they’re technically not bicycles, but tricycles – these words sneakily include the Greek words for ‘two’ and ‘three!’ This pun ties in with other wordplay throughout the game, but it’s one that even hardcore fans tend to miss!
7. Whatcha Haulin?
Next time you’re on a delivery, take a look at your cargo screen – the developers have hidden some hilarious Easter Eggs in the item descriptions, Dark Souls-style! From shock-absorbent underwear to revolutionary Playstation consoles, the number of in-jokes and references are incredible! Just don’t open anything without permission… some of these spoil quickly!
8. Grab a Slice!
Speaking of quirky deliveries, you might have noticed that both games feature pizzas! That’s right, the iconic delivery item of countless cartoons and movies! But did you know that pizza is actually a real type of food, and not just a media trope? Pizzas are a common staple in many American cities, popular as a quick hand-held snack or as a full meal! The next time you see a pizza delivery in a show or videogame, remember that it’s based on a real cultural practice!
9. Golden Touch?
As you’re carrying packages across the land, keep an eye out for shiny yellow crystals! These can be collected and used as crafting materials, but they hide yet another secret! Look closely, and you can see that they are all in the shape of a human hand! Nobody is really sure why, but it’s pretty neat!
10. Give Me a Hand!
Your odradek scanner is a funky piece of equipment! Besides scanning for packages and showing you where ghosts are, it has some other functions that the game doesn’t tell you about! Have you ever seen it wave, or give you a thumbs up? It seems the scanner can act just like a hand! So why can’t Sam use it to hold a package, or a gun? Maybe Kojima’s just saving that for Death Stranding 3!
11. Fair and Square!
Wombats are known for producing cube-shaped fecal matter!
12. Not A-Lie-ve Man?
You might think you recognize Sam’s best friend Deadman, as the character is based on the likeness of actor Guillermo del Toro, but did you know that Deadman is actually voiced by a different actor?
This is quite possibly a reference to the fact that the character of Deadman is supposed to be an artificial chimera of reanimated tissue… just like in Frankenstein! Coincidence? Or another Kojima premonition?
14. Tron Legacy?
Death Stranding is rich in influences, but one that few people pick up on is the use of colored lighting on clothing and devices, distinctly reminiscent of the bright blues and reds of the Tron series! The developers have not confirmed or denied that the designs are inspired by the legendary franchise, but come on! What other science fiction movie has motorcycles?
15. Hang Tight!
Having trouble keeping your footing while hauling packages? Pay attention to the popups! Holding the trigger buttons makes Sam grab onto his shoulder straps, steadying his backpack, and making it less likely you’ll fall down! And if you still have trouble, try walking on flatter ground or carrying less at one time! If your route carries you down too steep of a slope, don’t worry – just throw the packages down the hill and pick them back up at the bottom! Work smarter, not harder!
16. Heartbreaking!
One of the most important characters in Death Stranding is Heartman, whose iconic symbol is, of course, the common heart! But did you know that the human heart actually looks nothing like a drawn heart shape? It’s hard to swallow, but every time you use a heart emoji, you’re spreading dangerous medical disinformation!
Yes, even that Like, Heartman!
17. Urine Luck!
When Sam drinks too much of his stamina-restoring Monster Energy flask, nature calls! Whip out the Wicked One and drain the main vein, and you’ll do more than ease some pressure! Tiny edible creatures known as Cryptobiotes are attracted to spots where Sam has relieved himself, forming nutrient-rich colonies that are ripe for the picking! And these colonies show up in other people’s worlds as well, infesting the land with teeming piss spots! So the next time you consider hitting the head, remember – you could be saving someones life with your next outdoor whizz! The more high traffic the area, the better for everyone!
The only way I could tell this was an April Fool's post is that there were only 17 things.