20 Things You Need To Know Before You Play Death Stranding 2

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Having successfully reconnected the fractured United States, Sam Porter Bridges now faces an even more daunting challenge in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. His mission expands globally, requiring him to establish connections with isolated communities across Mexico, Australia, and distant territories. This expanded scope introduces increasingly complex logistical hurdles and dangerous encounters with both human adversaries and supernatural entities. Our comprehensive Death Stranding 2 survival guide provides essential strategies to navigate these treacherous landscapes effectively.

This beginner’s guide systematically addresses the game’s multifaceted systems, beginning with fundamental navigation principles like strategic route mapping and environmental scanning. We progress to advanced topics including hostile entity management, transportation options, and catastrophic meteorological events that can dramatically impact your journey.

Related guide: Campaign duration – Estimated completion time for main storyline

Before embarking on any expedition, whether for primary missions or standard delivery tasks, meticulous route planning becomes crucial for success. Access your map interface and utilize the Square button functionality to establish your departure point, then designate your ultimate destination to chart your course.

The topographic display reveals not only imminent dangers but also detailed geographical characteristics of each area. While direct routes may appear time-efficient, they often conceal hidden perils that can result in cargo damage, injury, or complete mission failure. Learning to identify and circumvent hazardous zones significantly improves survival rates.

Among the most critical Death Stranding 2 survival techniques is frequent environmental scanning. Activate this function by pressing L1, deploying your Odradek apparatus to emit reconnaissance pulses across a broad radius. Key environmental elements detected include:

• Chiral Crystals – These luminescent formations reduce encumbrance effects when collected, allowing for increased cargo capacity and improved mobility across difficult terrain.
• Cryptobiotes – Consuming these organisms replenishes Sam’s blood levels, effectively restoring health during combat encounters or environmental damage situations.
• Lost Cargo – Retrieving and delivering these abandoned packages to nearby outposts builds crucial reputation and unlocks valuable resources.

Understanding terrain difficulty ratings becomes essential for planning efficient routes. Steep inclines dramatically increase stamina consumption, while rocky surfaces may cause stumbling and cargo damage. River crossings require careful assessment of current strength and depth to avoid being swept away.

Weather patterns introduce additional complexity, with Timefall rain accelerating cargo deterioration and reduced visibility increasing navigation challenges. Planning routes around forecasted weather events can prevent catastrophic losses.

Hostile entities in Death Stranding 2 range from rogue human factions to otherworldly BTs (Beached Things), each requiring distinct engagement approaches. Human adversaries typically employ conventional weapons and can be subdued through stealth or direct confrontation, while BT encounters demand specialized equipment and evasion tactics.

Vehicle availability expands as you progress, with different transportation options suited to specific terrain types. All-terrain trikes navigate rough landscapes effectively, while trucks provide substantial cargo capacity for major delivery operations.

Resource management proves fundamental to sustained operations. Beyond the essential items detected through scanning, established settlements offer fabrication capabilities for creating specialized equipment, defensive structures, and transportation upgrades.

Building connection networks between outposts unlocks shared resources, blueprints, and fast travel options that dramatically reduce expedition times. Prioritizing network expansion often yields greater long-term benefits than individual delivery optimization.

The game’s asynchronous multiplayer component allows players to benefit from structures and resources left by others, creating collaborative pathways through otherwise impassable regions. Contributing to this shared infrastructure benefits both your journey and those of other players.

Your backpack customization journey begins during the initial stages of gameplay, offering basic organizational options. The real transformation occurs when you reach Episode 3, where advanced attachment systems become available. You can fabricate various specialized modules that enhance carrying capacity, provide supplementary ammunition reserves, or add protective shielding for your storage containers. Since your backpack features constrained compartment space, strategic selection of these enhancements becomes paramount for mission success.

Pro players recommend utilizing storage facilities for the bulk of your collected items to effectively control weight limitations. Nevertheless, maintaining a curated selection of essential tools and equipment remains crucial for field operations. Understanding attachment synergies can dramatically improve your operational efficiency – for instance, combining weight reduction modules with ammo expanders creates a balanced loadout for combat-intensive missions.

When assembling your field kit, prioritize versatile weaponry that adapts to various combat scenarios. Maintain at least two primary firearms selected according to anticipated enemy types and engagement distances you expect to encounter.

PCCs (Portable Construction Components) represent invaluable tactical assets that enable instant deployment of critical infrastructure. These devices can generate power sources, create traversal solutions across gaps, and establish communication points – essentially functioning as mobile base-building tools.

Climbing Anchors serve as vital navigation aids for scaling vertical surfaces and precarious rock formations. Compared to attempting risky ascents without proper equipment, these implements significantly reduce fall risks and fatal climbing mishaps.

Related guide: All buildable structures

A common mistake many players make is over-prioritizing offensive gear while neglecting mobility tools. The most effective operators balance combat capability with traversal options, ensuring they can both engage enemies effectively and navigate the environment safely.

Seasoned operatives consistently emphasize the importance of carrying backup footwear during extended missions. These spare shoes can be secured to your boot attachment point, serving dual purposes for both emergency replacement and inventory organization.

The necessity stems from the progressive degradation your primary boots experience through constant use – deterioration accelerates substantially when traversing hazardous landscapes. Should your equipped footwear become completely compromised forcing barefoot movement, Sam experiences significant mobility reduction alongside gradual health and blood level depletion over time.

Advanced strategy involves rotating between multiple shoe pairs during long treks to distribute wear evenly. This approach can extend the functional lifespan of your footwear collection by approximately 40-60% based on terrain difficulty.

Exercising extreme caution when advancing toward hostile encampments and concealed outposts represents non-negotiable operational protocol. Several specialized techniques can enhance your stealth capabilities during these critical maneuvers.

The Odradek scanning device – activated via L1 button press – incorporates sophisticated motion detection technology capable of identifying enemy activity. This system visually marks adversarial units with distinctive crimson highlighting through solid objects.

For optimal results, combine scanner usage with environmental awareness, utilizing natural cover and timing patrol rotations. Many unsuccessful infiltration attempts result from players relying too heavily on technology while neglecting basic stealth fundamentals like sound management and light discipline.

When embarking on extended journeys across Death Stranding 2’s expansive landscapes, securing reliable transportation becomes essential for efficient traversal. Your initial mobile option is the Tri-Cruiser, a versatile three-wheeled vehicle that can be manufactured within large facilities equipped with garage capabilities. As you progress, you’ll discover additional vehicles scattered throughout the world—some abandoned by hostile forces, others left behind by fellow players through the game’s asynchronous multiplayer systems.

Transportation units offer significant cargo management advantages, allowing you to store substantial quantities of materials without worrying about weight distribution mechanics that plague on-foot travel. The convenience extends to item collection—you can gather resources directly from the ground without disembarking. However, maintaining power levels requires diligence, as vehicle batteries gradually deplete during operation and require regular recharging to prevent becoming immobilized in hazardous regions far from civilization.

Pro Tip: Always carry a portable generator when exploring remote areas to avoid battery emergencies. Experienced players recommend checking power levels before departing any safe location and planning routes that pass by charging stations.

Beyond basic vehicular travel, Death Stranding 2 introduces sophisticated mobility solutions that dramatically enhance exploration efficiency. The DHV Magellan serves as a mobile operational base that accompanies you throughout main mission progression. After successfully completing Order 12, this mobile command center unlocks its teleportation capabilities, enabling instant travel to any location previously connected to the Chiral Network—a game-changing feature for reducing backtracking time.

The Monorail network represents the pinnacle of logistical transportation, capable of moving extraordinary quantities of resources between established facilities. This system accommodates not just bulk cargo but entire vehicles, creating an interconnected supply chain that streamlines base development and resource management. Strategic players establish multiple rail lines and distribution hubs to optimize material flow across the game world.

Common Mistake: Many players underestimate the resource investment required for Monorail construction. Begin gathering materials early and prioritize connecting your most frequently traveled routes first.

Death Stranding 2’s hostile environments present constant challenges, with natural phenomena actively working against your survival efforts. Various meteorological events occur regionally, demanding adaptive strategies and preparedness. Gate Quakes manifest as sudden, violent tremors that dislodge massive boulders and trigger cliffside collapses—these brief but deadly events require immediate evasive action.

Extended Sandstorms create prolonged visibility issues and physical disorientation, battering travelers with powerful winds from multiple directions. The most insidious environmental hazard remains Timefall, a corrosive precipitation that rapidly deteriorates vehicles and metallic containers, necessitating protective measures and timely shelter seeking.

Related guide: How to survive weather events and disasters

Advanced Strategy: Seasoned players monitor weather patterns using in-game forecasting tools and plan expeditions during calmer periods. Always carry repair sprays to counter Timefall damage and identify natural shelter locations along your planned routes.

While Death Stranding 2 maintains its single-player narrative focus, the integrated online components facilitate meaningful interactions with other players’ experiences. The asynchronous multiplayer systems allow you to benefit from structures, warnings, and resources left by fellow travelers, creating a sense of shared struggle against the game’s challenges.

The collaborative elements extend beyond simple item sharing—you can coordinate infrastructure development, establish supply routes, and even rescue other players in distress through specialized missions. These features transform the isolated journey into a connected experience where collective efforts yield tangible benefits for all participants.

Optimization Tip: Actively contribute to community structures to increase your connection level, which unlocks additional benefits and recognition from other players.

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