Death Stranding is a unique game, and the Director's Cut only solidifies that more. During Sam Bridges' trek across America, there are many colorful characters he can meet — primarily the preppers, individuals who had set up their own shelters. These characters would tell Sam stories of the world, but more than anything, they were mainly real-life individuals snuck in as not-so-subtle cameos.

RELATED: Death Stranding Director's Cut: Biggest Changes From The Original Game

Many people were aware of the preppers being cameos, though you may not have recognized many of them, especially since almost none of them used their real voices. Some are interesting, others unexpected, and one is even controversial, and yet somehow, they all seem to fit. So in no particular order, here are some of the more interesting cameos.

10 Edgar Wright, (Thomas Sutherland In-Game)

DS Edgar Wright Cameo real portrait and in game hologram

Though not actually a prepper himself, Thomas Sutherland, found at one of the many distribution centers in the game, is himself one of the rare cameos masquerading as a Bridges Staff member. The cameo itself is of English director Edgar Wright.

Edgar Wright has made many popular British films, many of which star Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, as well as well-known American films like Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and Baby Driver. Seeing as Kojima styles himself after the film director, this one feels fitting.

9 Daichi Miura, The Musician

DS Daichi Miura Cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

In the beginning area of Death Stranding's expansive world, you can come across a somewhat out-of-the-way prepper known as the Musician, who offers Sam a harmonica to use on his journey and philosophises frequently about the power of music. This prepper is the aptly-named cameo of the Japanese musician Daichi Miura.

A popular musician, he is most recently known for his work on Kamen Rider, having produced an opening and ending theme for the series and film. Death Stranding itself uses music quite frequently to heighten emotional moments, so a known musician who praises the power of music seems a perfect addition.

8 Jordan Vogt-Roberts, The Director

DS Jordan Vogt-Roberts Cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

Deeper into the game in an area filled with craggy landscapes and hot springs, you can come across a prepper known as the Director. They offer insight into old films and their own obsession with them. Fitting then, that they are the film director Jordan Vogt-Roberts.

Vogt-Roberts has a slightly more personal relationship with Kojima. Though known presently for directing Kong: Skull Island, he has shown admiration for Kojima before, and is currently directing the Metal Gear Solid film, which Kojima has also expressed interest in. So his appearance is again, one that feels incredibly fitting.

7 Hermen Hulst, The Craftsman

DS Hermen Hulst Cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

One of the first people players will meet once they reach the Western Region is the Craftsman, who, among other gadgets, offers players the Bola gun, allowing them to engage in non-lethal combat scenarios at a distance. But in a noticeable trend in naming, the Craftsman is named after Hermen Hulst, previously Managing Director of Guerilla Games and current head of PlayStation Studios.

RELATED: Most Useful Pieces Of Gear In Death Stranding

A major part of Death Stranding's development was the use of Guerilla's Decima engine that they used to create Horizon: Zero Dawn. So this cameo can be viewed as an homage, a way of paying respects for the use of the Decima engine.

6 Mala Morgan, The Chiral Artist

DS Mala Morgan Cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

Some of the more distinct prepper interactions in the game are those between the Junk Dealer, the Chiral Artist, and the Chiral Artist's Mother. They involve an emotional story tying the three together that evolves over the course of the game, with some even changing the shelters they reside in.

What makes this much more distinct is the presence of actor Mala Morgan as the Chiral Artist. Unlike almost every other prepper in the game, she physically appears in the world and is both mo-capped and voice acted by herself. There is a tangible feel with her that the preppers are real people and not just holograms. Sorry, chiralgrams.

5 Geoff Keighley, Ludens Fan

DS Geoff Keighley Cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

In a cameo appearance that probably surprised absolutely no one is the presence of the Ludens Fan, Geoff Keighley. Ludens is the mascot for Kojima Productions, so having Kojima's biggest fan playing a fan in-game feels like a fate destined for Keighley.

Though likely needing no introduction, Keighley is known for hosting the Game Awards, as well as other gaming shows throughout the year. In the past, he has worked on video game documentaries known as The Final Hours, documenting the hectic final steps of a game's development to release such as on Metal Gear Solid 2 and, more recently, Half-Life Alyx.

4 Junji Ito, The Engineer

DS Junji Ito Cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

The cameo least likely to have been named after their real-life counterpart (unless you really stretch the definition) is the Engineer. They offer Sam smoke grenades and the power skeleton, so clearly, they're an engineer in the world of Death Stranding. But in reality? This character is none other than Junji Ito.

RELATED: Best Combat Systems In Horror Games, Ranked

Junji Ito is the famed mangaka behind many horror works such as Uzumaki and Tomie, with his distinctive art style known just as well as his horror writing, and his incredibly fitting cat with a skull pattern on its fur. Considering the horror roots of Death Stranding and Ito himself stating that he was possibly going to assist Kojima in Silent Hills, it only makes sense for him to appear in the game.

3 Conan O'Brien, The Wandering MC

DS Conan O'Brien real life portrait and in game hologram

One of the game's more interesting preppers is that of the Cosplayer — at least that's what the game has you believe until you are properly introduced to the proper leading character of this prepper shelter, the Wandering MC. Dressed head-to-toe in an otter-styled outfit is the unexpected cameo of American talk-show host Conan O'Brien.

For reasons frankly unknowable, O'Brien is featured in Death Stranding both with his own likeness and voice, just like the Chiral Artist. For some reason, he seemingly just portrays himself. Furthering the oddity of his appearance, he is nice enough to give you an otter hood of your own to help you paddle yourself to safety, should the need ever arise. Yeah.

2 Hirozaku Hamamura, The Collector

DS Hirozaku Hamamura Cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

The most controversial addition to the game is definitely the Collector. Styled in-game as an appreciator of old games and consoles, in reality, he is actually known as Hirozaku Hamamura, former Editor-In-Chief of Famitsu, Japanese game reviewer.

This was cause enough for concern prior to the release of the game, but after Famitsu gave the game a perfect score, alarms were raised for some people. Many thought the incident toed a thin line between paying homage to someone who'd worked in games for so long, and just maybe currying a little bit of good favor.

1 Sam Lake, The Veteran Porter

DS Sam Lake cameo real life portrait and in game hologram

Rounding it off is the Veteran Porter, found in a slightly awkward section of the mountains of the central region, somewhere between the snowy highs and the more rocky slopes of the weather station. They tell stories of how they used to work for Bridges before needing to retire themselves. But of course, there's more to them. They look familiar. Is that Max Payne? No, but pretty close.

The Veteran Porter is Sam Lake of Remedy Entertainment, creators of Max Payne, Alan Wake, and most recently Control. Many of Lake's stories are written with a kind of surrealism, and his name is also one well-known for video game story-writing.

NEXT: Death Stranding Has Ruined Other Open World Games For Me