GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
Tokyo Game Show 2019 is now in full swing. A number of games are being shown at the event and among them is Death Stranding. Over the course of the show game director Hideo Kojima will appear on three streams to showcase gameplay from Death Stranding. The first provided more insight into more of Death Stranding’s open-world gameplay, which involves navigating mountainous terrains to deliver goods and even sneaking through bases, which will be a welcome treat for fans of Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid titles. The second Death Stranding demo, meanwhile, focused on the safe house; a private area of sorts where players will spend time between missions.
As shown in the demo, in this area you don’t actually play as Norman Reedus’s character, Sam Porter Bridges. Instead, you play as a “soul” that commands his actions. The player has free reign over the camera and Sam will react to your movements. During the presentation, Kojima compared it to a Bishojo Game, where it’s about interacting with the character on screen. In the demo Sam was pointing at where he wants to go, such as the shower because he was covered in dirt or the storage area where weapons are kept, where he can stock up and inspect his tools.
Since Sam is basically at home in the safe house and you can observe him with less pressure of being set upon by the strange things that occupy the world outside. Opportunists who try and swing the camera around to look at Norman’s Reedus, when the chance arises, will find that he covers his bits up. Keep trying to look at his junk and eventually he’ll lose his cool and punch you, which results in the lens of the camera cracking.
As the soul influencing Sam’s action, you can get him to shower. Given that it’s a Kojima Production game, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that the act of taking a shower has some unexpected gameplay implications too. The biological fluid collected from your showers is converted into a crystal which can then be used to power weapons. This process also happens outside of the shower–it seems Death Stranding takes place in a world where effectively using your pee, poop, sweat, and blood is important to survival.
Another interesting element of Death Stranding shown during the demo was Sam’s interaction with the enigmatic Bridge Baby, also known as a BB. The child is shown mimicking what Sam does, so when he taps on the glass, BB does the same. But then BB gets a bit too into it and escalates to smashing its head against the glass, eventually breaking through–but it turns out to be a daydream.
Death Stranding will also let players return to the game world after the credits roll and help out fellow players by leaving things that will guide them on their journey. As shown in the first gameplay demo, players will be able to rate these.
There are a number of other small things revealed in the demo, such as the ability to wear sunglasses and customize aspects of your character. One such thing you can customize is your backpack, which you can add additional pouches or batteries to. Players will have to physically place them and use limited space efficiently. It’s reminiscent of the inventory from Resident Evil 4. You can also change the color of the backpack, if you’re into that sort of the thing.
Eventually, Sam points at the table and directs your attention there. On the table are a number of items, including a jar with some sort of bug in there, which Sam eats. There’s also a pretty rad-looking pair of sunglasses, which Sam puts on and models, before giving a thumbs up to the camera. A hat with the Bridges logo can also be found on the table, and the colors of the glasses and hat can be tweaked.
On a nearby wall is a holographic map of the world, where players can look at main missions, read important mail–which sometimes feature mission hints, requests, or general correspondence. There’s a data archive that contains important documents that will fill the player in on the world and story.
Much later in the game demo, we’re shown a scene from the viewpoint of a BB, who is seeing Mads Mikkelsen’s character drinking wine. He talks to the BB and then toasts it, before taking a sip of the wine–it’s a bit weird and out of place, but it’s Death Stranding, so to be expected. A quick cut later and we’re back in the open-world, customizing voice clips that alert Sam to key information, selecting music, and
There are a number of cool little touches in the location which you can see for yourself in the video. These include a music player, drinkable beer, singing with characters in other dimensions, and a mirror that takes pictures of you when you pose and make funny faces, among other things.
Make sure to watch the first presentation too, if you haven’t already. It’s around an hour of Death Stranding gameplay and showed off a boss battle, bike travel, and more.
Death Stranding’s release date has been confirmed as November 8, 2019 for PS4.
