Topic: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach | OT

@Ravix Dang, you beat me to it! Ah well, I hope to be wrapping up the final part of my current game and joining asap. Reading John’s praise for the game up above got me really pumped.

Yes, any and all Kojima fans or non-fans who just want to play a great game, join in on the fun and the discussion.

@Ravix I slept on it and probably won't be joining you in that great effort to connect (Australia?) I forget where the game is even set, but I do know forcing myself to want to play it probably wouldn't end well. I'm looking forward to seeing whatever screenshots you do end up sharing.

@psmr Congratulations on joining the PS2 club. Make sure to get one of these too so you can enjoy your crisp DVDs the way they were meant to be viewed (not really, it still works with the controller but the remote is pretty and one of my favorite peripherals from the PS2)

Also thank you for your levelheaded response to what we discussed previously. It's not an easy topic, but I appreciated your attitude then and now. It's a lot rarer than you might think, your attitude. It made an impression on my friends too, a good one so yes thank you. It's small things that make a big difference and it made a very big difference that night, I can say the same for some other people on here. I'll leave it there, and stay on topic. You don't need to reply.

@GirlVersusGame yeah, definitely best not to force it. It's okay, stick to some less heavy gaming and get your groove back 😄 or steal everything possible in DoS2, for example. Oh yeah, I think I saw Tjuz's pics that is what made me think of Ratchet, the more animated games do look amazing, though! Like. Pixar movie. Poor Sackboy, but maybe Astrobot can dress up as sackboy for you? Or would that be like him wearing the skin of his victims, hmm. Maybe not. It is a really good platformer, though. And collecting outfits is quite fun and nostalgic. Maybe one day you will forgive the little bot 🥺

I've yet to do any photomoding, just did one delivery, and i'm not sure I did a lot in game 1 either, maybe the occasional zip-wire otter hood shot. I'll have to have a browse of what other people got frim DS1 to refresh the kind of thing that works. I tend to just stare at the scenery and walk in-awe of it (and think 'can I stick a zip-wire there') rather than take time to frame photos. The world can be quite empty too, so it is often more desolate beauty.

I really should have got a photo of the initial sandstorm, that would have been cool. Ah well.

@Th3solution I suppose you could say I will always beat you, and you could forfeit the fantasy league based on that if you like, too? 😛 I haven't gone far. One or two cutscenes, and one delivery. My lord, when they show the super detailed cinematic landscapes I forgot how spectacular they make it look. Obviously the game is then less detailed, but wow!

Oh yes, when asked something early on, definitely say "no I won't do it" but say it a few times, you will see why. No spoilers, just easter-eggy goodness. Wink wink. (Now i've made it sound bad. But it made me laugh, so you will see)

Enjoy the start of your journey and watch out for my signs. Maybe if I get a chance I'll go to the start area and leave a really pointless ladder and sign to see if you find it.

@GirlVersusGame we’ve discussed a few things recently so not 100% sure about what my levelheaded response was (seems most unlike me tbh 😁) but if I made a positive difference for whatever reason I’m glad.

So on to your message about PS2, I actually had that DVD remote back in the day… and I agree, it’s a lovely remote aesthetically (and functionally). Doubt I’ll buy one this time though as I don’t really collect DVDs anymore. I’m currently looking for a decent deal on an official stand as it just makes the PS2 pop imho. I recently narrowed down he remainder if the 37 games I’ll be buying too, so I’ll post the full lost when I get the chance.

Early impressions after two little sessions are that it feels quite slow (expected) but because so far it is nothing new - just refreshing the mechanics we already know - it does seem a little more... boring. But I know the game has more for me than this, so I will be patient with it.

It is really giving me strong visual memories of the first game, though, and I can fully imagine the DS1 starting area and tasks as if they were yesterday, but everything was new then, and I was in awe while learning the mechanics and discovering the world, which obviously felt better than being reintroduced to things you know already. Back then learning how to walk without falling over, how to cross water or when to place ladders, and even finding spare boots was interesting to me. I was immersed in the role early. Also, the initial songs in DS1 were, i'd say, lightyears better, and the first few in DS2 didn't give me any of those same 'feels', unfortunately.

What it is doing is setting up a few story beats this time, and there is a sense that soon something will happen to change the game significantly.

But playing this really has me pining for the feeling of the first game where I had absolutely no idea what was really going on, there were only handprints, intrigue, ice cold rivers, and deliveries to get done to help out the survivors. Everything was a new wondrous adventure and mystery. But now? Maybe now it seems like a chore. Do I, perhaps, resent the silly little survivor people in their silly little shelters after they all had me running silly little errands in DS1? Maybe?

What am I to you? Just a delivery man? Ahh, just leave me alone. Why Me? I'm Sam!

But maybe, just maybe, dear readers... I'm Sam, too.

@Ravix Have you met those horrible spider things yet? They are at the start too.

@GirlVersusGame yes, I met those spiders instantly on my first outing as I went down and left off the starting mountain area rather than just staying on the ridge all the time, so I know to give them a wider berth. They do seem pretty harmless in the grander scheme of things, though, and i've since met more. There are far cuter critters that act in a similar swarming way that are more like Little Ghost Shaped Blobs, too 😄

Right, I need to remember to leave my backpack under a shelter in my next session, so i'm writing it here for recall in case I get distracted and forget that part when I play later 😅 I accepted the mission last night, so I am hyper aware of trying to remember to do what was asked properly, first time. It was only a passing comment they made to help make things easier to manage by making the delivery after dealing with the BTs and not just rushing about like a madman with vital equipment on my back 😄

Oh, and for anyone interested... a funny thing happened on one mission last night. I accepted a delivery and planned my route, then went to do a little side collection (in a truck i'd borrowed) before fully heading off on foot via my route for the next main task. But after an epic-ish and seemingly needless climb, I got there and realised it still said "accept next delivery" in the menu, so I knew something had gone wrong and it hadn't triggered the actual quest 💀 make sure to always click Head Out, I guess (I thought I had) anyway... I built the watchtower as i'd already fabricated the PCC myself, and then cleared the base before trekking back on an easier route to actually accept the commission properly. Then I walked all the way back to where I was, built another watch tower, this time with the tutorial element triggering, and scanned the empty base that had everyone already knocked out in it 😅 a 'fun' little diversion, but they didn't randomly respawn, so that was good. I do wonder if my original tower will now be in other people's games, though, as it is just up a hill a bit from where the tutorial one goes, and being a genuine structure it might get copied over to other people's games and confuse them 😁

woops!

@Ravix Man, I need to catch up. I haven’t been able to start the game yet. Too much real life stuff to trudge through. That, and the fact that I underestimated the final optional boss in Saros for the true ending. It’s wiped me out three times in a row. 😮‍💨

It sounds like the game controls and mechanics come back quickly? Or at least hopefully there’s some tutorials before being dropped into the deliveries. It’s been a few years since I played DS1, and I have almost no memory of how to control Sam.

@Th3solution i've only played 2 sessions (didn't get on yesterday, either) and it is still kind of the tutorial, so yeah, you'll be fine with the onboarding process. Everything is a little fiddly at the start, trying to remember all the slots on the various radial wheels etc, but you get used to the stuff you use more and it soon becomes second nature. I'm not there yet, but I know it will be soon. He does seem to walk faster than I anticipated, I don't know if that is different from ds1 or maybe my pro controller left stick is set sensitive or something (I don't think it is though, so maybe he is just faster than I remember) ah, where's he got to be in such a hurry 😅

(Tip control tip. Hold up on d-pad and have it hovered over auto arrange cargo, so you can tap UP and x any time your cargo is badly stacked without going into full menus while on the move hoovering up cargo 👍)

Anyway, oof! That sounds like you need to be playing DS2 instead of Saros, then. If it is that much of a struggle. It might be a case of where a little break means you go back and destroy that boss with a fresh approach on another day 😄 plus, it also it means I don't have to sit around in the rain as I wait for you to catch up.

Okay. This game is starting to pick up speed now! It kind of went very 'Metal Gear' for a moment, and at times it really does feel like you are playing a very sexy delivery-based reskin of MGSV.

I've fought some weird stuff, the typical Kojima fare... typical as in bats*** crazy... and honestly I don't want to put the game down. But... I have. Though I might get dragged back into playing again in a bit, it really is a bit moreish at the moment. I can feel the hands dragging me back into the tar 💀

So, between two bits of combat gameplay (keeping it spoiler free and vague, for now) I got into such a good flow of finding lost deliveries, building badly placed structures, completeing errands and building up a rapport with the annoying bunker b****es. They reward you quite well for being mildly attentive, so it feels like there is at least a reason to take them their silly assorted nick-nacks while risking your life in this utterly perilous landscape. I think I unlocked the colour orange? well worth it i'm sure you will agree. The random painting obsessed woman gave me some rather sinister artworks, too... is she going to be the main villain, organising awful nightmares from her secluded mountain bunker to torment Sam via her art posts? I think she is, you know... either way, I put the monstrosities up on my private room walls to loom over me as I gently sleep and recover from my terrible sunburn. There is another guy, he seems to really like the legendary delivery-man from the UCA... so, erm... who's going to tell him? 👀 I can see him being a secondary villain as a completely obsessed stalker narrative develops 😅

Kojima, you mad b****rd you've done it again! 😁

(And yes, I am being silly about the bunker people becoming villains. But... they kind of already are, if you think about it. Sam doesn't need this dumb sh**, does he? He's a single father, for crying out loud!)

@Ravix It's been a crazy evening, I'm going to peruse through your adventures for a while, I need to be reminded about the good wacky people on here and not the faceless weirdos as they say. Which by the way Henry is looking dashing with his Alice Cooper eyes. I'll edit in the feedback when I get there.

a funny thing happened on one mission last night. I accepted a delivery and planned my route, then went to do a little side collection (in a truck i'd borrowed) before fully heading off on foot via my route for the next main task. But after an epic-ish and seemingly needless climb, I got there and realised it still said "accept next delivery" in the menu, so I knew something had gone wrong and it hadn't triggered the actual quest 💀

• Full disclosure this has happened to me in the first game and recently in another game too, it was either Wildlands or Palworld. The difference is in those games travel is easier and faster but for you, it was a journey. I'm thinking it was Palworld more-so but Wildlands have enemies who respawn so I'm thinking I cleared something, then activated the mission, and had to clear it again.

He does seem to walk faster than I anticipated, I don't know if that is different from ds1 or maybe my pro controller left stick is set sensitive or something (I don't think it is though, so maybe he is just faster than I remember) ah, where's he got to be in such a hurry 😅

• I think I remember feeling that extra speed too, I do wonder if it's because he had some technology already unlocked from the first game. Some games do that and he'd already learned to craft things so it's possible Kojima did it for continuity.

Okay. This game is starting to pick up speed now! It kind of went very 'Metal Gear' for a moment, and at times it really does feel like you are playing a very sexy delivery-based reskin of MGSV.

• I'm not sure where you are in the game but my very last memory/moment was returning to his little base in a mountain or something, someone was taken or murdered, I went outside and had to go forward and left. I didn't see what was next which is fine it felt a little depressing and was hard to find the right mood. I do remember before that there was was a sand-storm/things were very red, when it cleared I had to for the first time fight enemies but I think they were robots, it's blurry.

The random painting obsessed woman gave me some rather sinister artworks, too... is she going to be the main villain, organising awful nightmares from her secluded mountain bunker to torment Sam via her art posts?

• I'm thinking perhaps I must meet this lady, to at least have a look at her work, it's got me curious.

either way, I put the monstrosities up on my private room walls to loom over me as I gently sleep and recover from my terrible sunburn.

• As you should, and it's the best place for them.

The real question, would you say the game so far is at all sad/depressing or is the action/exploration eclipsing that? I really wanted to continue with that game but the timing was really bad someone I cared about had just passed and the game didn't help , My concern is that sometimes things sort of freeze a moment in time and then events become part of that other thing (in this case a game) so when you return to that game both are associated and it's hard to separate the two. It's very hard to word, that's why I never went back to the game. There's that lingering something, I don't know if it's ever happened to you, and I don't know how to explain it.

@Ravix
After a harder-than-expected epilogue boss with Saros, I did finally take it out and get the second credits to roll and now have been on to delivering packages in the desolate post-apocalyptic landscape of America for now anyway… just got the story beat about a gate to Australia

My PS5 says I’ve been playing DS2 for 7 hours. I’ve split it between 3 sessions. The game is great, and so far I really like it. If I had to be disappointed in anything, it would just be that it feels very similar to the first game so far. It’s the age-old debate about whether sequels should change drastically to keep things fresh, or just make minor adjustments to improve on the first formula. Having played Saros just prior to this and very much liking how it didn’t change too far from the Returnal magic but yet added some new twists to make it feel unique, I can only hope that Kojima changed things in DS2 that I’ve yet to see. Because the setup, mechanics, sound effects, and tools are largely familiar in the opening hours. The main innovation so far is the story and the slightly different map and landscape. But I figure things will get crazy soon enough because I know from the trailers that Biggs is out there with some kind of electric guitar attack. 😅 Can’t wait to see that. And isn’t this the game that has the ventriloquist dummy sidekick? Am I getting mixed up with another game trailer? I’ve not seen any such quirky character yet. Lou is adorable, Sam and Fragile are their usual stoic selves, and the bunker people are just normal (although I’ve yet to meet the artist).

The first boss fight was pretty cool, with a great enemy design. Again, I’m having a hard time not comparing this to Saros because my muscle memory was programmed by that game for the last 50 hours, but the movement and flow of combat is a little clunky. Honestly as much as I love the MGS games I’ve always felt that they feel better when approached in stealth than they do in action combat. But yeah, outside of me fumbling through the controls and trying to dash in combat like I’m playing Saros, the boss felt like it was stripped out of that game, which has just some outstanding art direction and enemy design. Death Stranding is upper tier in the artistic aspects also and graphically the game is beautiful and the use of textures, colors, and music is very very good. I agree that so far the first game’s music was better though and seemed to fit the ambiance of the game better.

This game got a lot of 10/10’s and so I have a strong feeling that it is going to really get crazy and start to throw some curve balls really soon. I think this part in Mexico is all mostly just glorified onboarding, I suspect.

So I’m going to faff about doing some deliveries and leveling up before bringing Lou back his present. Gotta meet this artist and gotta go find those walking sticks that those old people lost in the flood. I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to create a community made up exclusively of geriatrics and one pregnant woman, but I, Sam Porter Bridges, am here to help.

@GirlVersusGame “The real question, would you say the game so far is at all sad/depressing or is the action/exploration eclipsing that?”
Rav gave you a much better informed answer but my perspective is that the gameplay portions so far are the dominant part of the experience and there’s a lot of little humor and encouragement mixed in to maintain an overall inspiring attitude. And I like how Sam talks to himself a lot also while he’s trudging and straining and will give himself a pep-talk as he reaches or clears a big obstacle. There’s a feeling of positivity that permeates, but there’s no doubt that one of the game’s main themes is loneliness and isolation. The first boss fight was also a big tonal whiplash where I felt a reality check of how dark and gloomy things are in the story. There’s some macabre ideas and disturbing imagery for sure.

So it’s difficult to say for me too, especially since I’m not as far along as Rav, but it’s a sad and depressing setting, with some dark elements, but there’s topics of hope and optimism sprinkled and the gameplay where I’ve spent most of my time is quite a nice way to contemplate and use my brain to puzzle out things. Then when you make a successful delivery and the people are grateful and happy then it gives the game some positive vibes in such a depressing landscape.

As I was playing the game, I actually was thinking to myself that it does strike me as one that you would click with as far as gameplay because of the structure building aspects, and the route planning and problem solving. Your love of simulators, building games, and open worlds is a good fit for this gameplay loop. It’s definitely not as complex as the simulators and building games you play where you create huge structures and entire set pieces, but the gathering of materials and balancing components and using a area on a map to calculate where to put stuff and dream up a solution to make a route easier, well that part is sure to be satisfying for your gaming brain.

The depressing and sad aspects are definitely there and I completely understand that notion you mentioned where a game (or a movie, book, song, or any piece of art) sometimes gets subconsciously affiliated with a time or event in one’s life, whether it be a good event or a bad one, and forevermore when that song plays (or you play that game, see that movie, etc) you’re transported back to that time or event in your life and the memories pour back. There’s still some songs that I have trouble listening to because they remind me of a certain time in my life.

@Ravix I hope to do a few deliveries today, and will hold off on moving the plot forward for a little while. I am seeing a lot more lost items populate my map and so there’s plenty more distractions than what were present earlier on my first passage through these areas. I have two of the four main locations up to a 3 star rating. My delivery ranking arm of my personal Star is quickly approaching max.

I did to all the VR training missions too, which I found helpful.

I haven’t done much construction, only doing the required tutorial stuff with the tower and timefall shelter. So i guess my structures are level 1…? I need to delve into that part of the game more. I too am seeing a lot of the storage cylinders and usually don’t find them very helpful. But I’m sure there will be times where I need one if I’m really far from a facility. The well placed bridge, ladder, or rope is definitely what I’m appreciating more. I suspect we get to build roads and zip lines eventually, or something akin to those, and that’s where the online game world can really come in handy.

I’ll post more if I’m able to play some later

@Th3solution nice, hopefully you get to make some peppers happy today, then 👍 (do you hear the noise when you see thumbs elsewhere yet? I think I do... 👍👍👍 yep, the mania has set in 😄)

I've not got around to playing it today with other things to do, but i'm perhaps going to have a little session soon, and maybe later this evening another proper run at things. Though having the game on = links, I believe, so I did turn it on this morning just to see my new connections and hopefully load my stuff into anyone elses world that was playing 😅 it has to be said, my favourite part so far in helping other players is Aid Requests. I'm not exactly sure how we ask for items, ourselves, but for others little flags appear and you dump an item and push square and away it goes to their game. I've sent boots, anchors, ladders and weapons to loads of random people, and they all seem pleased with them, so i'll keep doing it)👍 have you met this mechanic by either requesting or aiding yet? I can't imagine why anyone would need items in Mexico, yet, but there are a lot of requests that do come in. Maybe they are bad at planning their loadouts, but I imagine if I learn how to request items i'll be using it at some points if I need a helping hand/ladder somewhere tougher.

Ah, yes. I have a feeling map 2 will be the main actual game, there isn't a lot that needs building in Mexico, but hopefully we get dumped into a much bleaker land with fewer connections, as Mexico is looking fairly cluttered by now, and I quite like the struggle of an empty new zone more for the slower gameplay. And then when it is more connected (ds1) I tend to zoom around zones building things amd riding on vehicles or ziplines making fast deliveries rather than struggling on foot every time. But the long trek before all that is definitely the most appealing and rewarding aspect. Thankfully I've peeped the landscape on the new map and it looks pretty brutal, Mexico was quite easy going and I only ever placed maybe one ladder and one anchor there. You could walk over most obstacles with ease, and then the tri-cycle is unlocked early so, zoom you go. Definitely hoping for a kick in the nuts and a return to reality in the next session 😄

The help is nice, sure, but the discovery alone is far more interesting. When connected you get an idea of the kind of routes people like to take, and a bit of insight into their own plans, which is also a cool. And yes, I am hoping for ziplines, they are far more fun than the road networks, but also take a real effort to construct climbing to good spots, weighing up distances to various peaks, and random teamwork if someone else has placed one somewhere you can link to a new area.

Do you know exactly how shared structures work, like if you 'like' it does it remain forevermore or does it stay in your world only if you add to it/improve on it? It seems like the rest of the stuff is random additions based on who is online in the session/lobby at the same time, as i've seen two differently placed bridges in one spot on different days, for certain. Both far inferior to my bridge, of course 😄

Okay, talking about it = withdrawal. (Hence the excited word splurge that is my comment) Time to load the game, I think.

Good luck on the path, Sol (Or a less witcher based phrase) it kind of fits DS, though 😄

@Ravix I don’t know really how shared structures work, or how to create a player aid request. In the first game, I think I saw a few online structures disappear, but they are susceptible to timefall so it may have been natural degradation instead of just being deleted. I would think that if you invest in improving someone else’s structure then it should stay in your game for sure. You can also make a strand contract or whatever they call it with another player whose structures or signs you’ve liked and then I would assume that should keep them around also.

As for the player aid requests, I started noticing them this last play session, but I didn’t engage with any of them.

A couple random questions and observations:

-when I launch the game it show the PS Studios montage every time. All other first party games will show it only for the first time the game is booted and thereafter it will go straight to the game menu. It’s weird that this game shows it every time. Is that your experience?

-does resting, eating, and drinking and urinating have any effect on anything major? I have noticed that drinking the chiral tea boosts stamina by 10%, but I’ve not really seen any other effects. When I urinated it made a mushroom like in the first game, but I don’t know what happens if you don’t empty your bladder. My Sam’s never got very full.

-there are so many systems with their respective leveling that it’s a bit overwhelming, even as someone who played the first game. There’s the Porter grade with the 5 parts of the Star (I’m doing poorly on the Bridge Link point), there’s several individual stats that each level independently based on what you spend time doing, there’s the individual rankings with each prepper and location, then each of the structures has leveling up it can do… there’s just a lot to keep track of. And I know it’s only going to get more complicated. 😅

Anyway, I’m enjoyed the gameplay and just wandering around picking up random stuff to deliver. I’ve met the Bokka, but not made it up to the artist yet, although I’ve picked up some items for her.

@Th3solution are you not wizzing about on the tri-cycle thing atm? It really speeds up getting those lost items to C1, Bokka and Artist.

Speaking of wizzing... I know in DS1 I definitely whipped it out and urinated on those grasping tar BTs that try to drag you down. They do not like Sam's wee-wee. So that was one use for it. So far I have only took to weeing near peoples structures as a kind of mushroomy greeting. I'm not sure if you can like other players mushrooms this time, I feel like DS1 that was a thing 😅 and in DS1 it was the only way to get EX grenades by relieving yourself at a base, but they changed that now. The flask is good for stamina top ups in the wild, so it is always worth making room for more liquids when most needed. If you're full you wont be able to drink and it could be at a vital moment where you need stamina to escape or balance, so it is worth managing from that standpoint. But so far there hasn't been a need for either in Mexico.

I wouldn't worry about the upgrades, I hope my excitable messages aren't somehow triggering an intense overthink in you 😛 I just know as soon as I realised you can game the system I've been holding my breath every so often to level up my lung capacity, and naturally ive been carrying overloaded backpacks to get as many likes per trip to the peppers. Combat is the only tough thing to level up, as it is limited, so far. But there is the VR training, I guess, and if you want to level melee/strand you can just parry & bind the vr grunts over and over in that circle that spawns one enemy.

But yeah, I wouldn't worry or overthink about the levels, the numbers go up when you do stuff naturally, and some things you can help along the way during quiet moments.

At first I was stuck as a stealthy porter grade, but that has since been dormant at ~10 as I completed a bunch of deliveries on my Trike. Bridge link can only go up with Qpid use, I guess.

The start sequence I assume Kojima or PS thought it adds more gravitas so they keep it every time. I think maybe the newer games do do that, now, though. But i'm unsure. It is only a DS flavoured sting, not one that features spidey, Ellie or Kratos etc.

Don't tell me you think it is going to change the logo for a jump scare at some unexpected moment 💀 you know what Kojima is like 😭 speaking of, every time I drink that chiral tea and Sam tilts his head wayyyy back I am fully expecting a hallucination of him being grabbed from behind 😅 and every single generic cutscene animation like that i'm just waiting for the moment when it is something more. Damn you Kojima! The story will have to advance a bit, but something is going to get us, I know it 👀

It's a fun loop once you get going isn't it? I didn't end up playing much at all yesterday. Just saw some cutscenes and set off on my Australian journey, and never got back on the game later. At some point our paths will merge and you will catch up pretty soon

Sorry guys I missed both replies, but I'm reading them now, then I'll delete this and reply properly. Thank you for taking the time to do it.

@Ravix Yes, I am using the tricycle and it is making things quite a bit faster, although I smashed into a large rock coming off someone else’s bridge and a bunch of my deliveries got damaged. I should give the bridge a thumbs down but I guess that’s not a thing. 😅

It is an addictive game for sure, and once you get going it has the trappings of good open world games where the exploration and checking off items on a list scratches a certain itch.

As we enter the week, I’m not sure how much game time I’ll have. Weekdays are a lot more variable. I may not catch up anytime soon, but we’ll see.