Death Stranding is a fascinating game, just as divisive as it is loved. But in the almost two years since its release, Kojima Productions has finally released the Death Stranding Director's Cut which functions as something of a middle-ground between those who loved the original, and those who wanted something a little more forgiving in their journey to rebuild America.
The Director's Cut features many new features that change the way you play or just add some new interactions with the world. But many of its biggest changes come in the place of quality-of-life changes, that make that trek just a bit more comfortable from the first time around.
10 The Game Runs At A Steady 60fps
When Death Stranding originally launched on the PS4, it played at a locked 30fps. And though this 30fps was undeniably smooth and steady, it was surely disappointing to many fans that it could never go higher, especially when it was announced that 60fps was always the goal with the launch of the PC version.
Now though, fans can finally witness Norman Reedus' Sam Porter Bridges complete journey with the 60fps it was intended for, and with 4K to boot.
9 Floaters Can Follow You on Ziplines Now
One of the best pieces of equipment in Death Stranding are the floaters, the little carriers that can be strung together to help you haul your cargo. Or used as a mode of transport, if that's your thing. But an oddly upsetting omission from them is that despite their ability to float, they couldn't actually accompany you on ziplines.
But now, floating carriers can follow you on ziplines with ease, zipping their way to even the hardest to reach locations of Death Stranding's world
8 Sam And BB Can Be Customized Even More
Customization has always been important in Death Stranding from the smallest little trinkets hanging from BB's pod to the chiral structures you could build across the world. But with the Director's Cut, that customization has been taken a step further.
On top of BB's trinkets, the whole pod now can be colored from simple shades to even tartan and camo. Sam has a bit more too, with his backpack able to attach patches now for a little extra expression.
7 You Can Rest In Even More Places
Being a game all about walking, it was common for players to need a moment to rest to gather their stamina back up. In Death Stranding, this can happen anywhere, letting Sam sit down and give himself a shoulder massage, and even fall asleep. And if you rested in an area where lots of other players rested, you'd get an even bigger boost.
In the Director's Cut, this has been taken a step further, allowing you to rest without even having to get off your reverse trike. A porter needs to rest their feet, after all.
6 Monster Energy Drink Has Been Removed
Kojima's works are known for odd product placement, and Death Stranding was no different. In Sam's personal room at any Bridges facility was a table full of Monster energy drinks that could give him a boost to his stamina was out making deliveries.
But in the Director's Cut, Monster is mysteriously missing and replaced with a more on-brand Bridges Energy drink. Maybe the Death Stranding finally caught up with Monster.
5 PC Exclusive Content Comes To PS5
There are many cameos across the world of Death Stranding, from famed authors and directors to game reviewers and late-night show hosts. These included people like Sam Lake and chiral holograms of Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn.
But for the PC version, a few extras were added, such as Half-Life headcrabs and Cyberpunk 2077's motorcycle and ranged hacking. With the Director's Cut, these features finally make their way to PS5.
4 Highways Now Stretch Into The Mountains
A major part of Death Stranding are the highways that stretch across almost all of the map. Highways were a collaborative effort from players (like everything in Death Stranding) that made travel that much easier for everyone. But they were notably missing from the snowy mountain region, one of the roughest areas in the game.
No more, however. In the Director's Cut, highways can finally reach into the mountains, meaning much fewer tumbles down the slope and more successful deliveries.
3 Delivery Bots Actually Appear In The World Now
At a certain point into Death Stranding you're introduced to delivery bots, an unsettling pair of legs that can perform light deliveries for you at the expense of the goods getting more severely damaged. Though many players may have hoped the delivery bots would appear in the world walking to their destination like other porters in the world, this was not the case.
But now, delivery bots can actually travel in the world both by themselves and alongside Sam. You can even take them for a ride if your feet need a rest.
2 Combat Has Been Deepened
Being a game about making deliveries, combat should be one of the last things on your mind. That said, sometimes combat with MULEs and terrorists is unavoidable. Originally, this came about through punches and the odd kick, or a well-placed piece of thrown cargo. nd even lethal means, if you were willing to risk a void out
In the Director's Cut, a few more moves have been added, such as dropkicks that can be performed from a sprint, standings turrets, and even a non-lethal Maser gun which can incapacitate anyone in its path.
1 DualSense Support Adds More Heft To Cargo
Kojima can sometimes be given a reputation for being a prophet, and though that is altogether a crazy title, Death Stranding seems oddly built for the DualSense controller.
Now, each environment has its own feel when traversing it, every gun has a unique trigger, and most importantly your cargo finally has a real weight to it, the triggers resisting your pull the heavier the load on Sam's back is. Maybe Kojima can have this one.