Death Stranding: All you need to know about the PS4 exclusive

Death Stranding is coming out next week. It’s been years in the making, acting as the debut project from Kojima Productions – otherwise known as the minds responsible for the beloved Metal Gear Solid franchise. Coming exclusively to PS4 first and to PC in 2020, this unusual narrative adventure is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

The review embargo has lifted and we now have a full verdict on the weird and wonderful Hideo Kojima’s experience, complete with a score and everything we thought about this wonderfully bizarre game. Taking place across a bleak, unusual and unpredictable world, Death Stranding is shaping up to be something quite special.

Trusted Reviews has compiled everything you need to know about Death Stranding including all the latest news, gameplay, trailers, release date and more.

Death Stranding release date – When is it coming out?

Sony and Kojima Productions have confirmed that Death Stranding will be coming exclusively to PS4 on November 8, 2019. A PC release has been announced for Summer 2020 and will be published by 505 Games, meaning it won’t be a PS4 exclusive for too long.

Death Stranding Launch Trailer

Sony Interactive Entertainment and Kojima Productions have released the launch trailer for Death Stranding. It’s a long one, and contains a few moments we’d definitely consider spoilers, so if you’re hoping to go into this weird and wonderful adventure blind, it’s probably best avoided.

I’ve broken down some of the game’s mechanical aspects in more detail here, listing seven major things we took away from this unexpected gameplay reveal. It feels like Metal Gear Solid meets Breath of the Wild, taking each of these classic games and forming them into a single innovative experience.

Death Stranding Editions – What’s in them and what are the bonuses?

The release date reveal for Death Stranding brought with it the announcement of several special edition bundles for the upcoming game. Since it’s coming November 8th, fans will no doubt be eager to pre-order Kojima’s next project.

We’ve compiled each edition alongside their respective contents below so you can decide which one is right for you.

Base Game:

Pre-ordering the base version of Death Stranding through certain retailers and digitally on the PlayStation Store will grant you the following bonuses such as exclusive music, clips and cosmetic items for use in the game.

• Gold Sunglasses
• Gold Armor Plate
• Gold Hat
• Gold Speed Skeleton
• PS4 dynamic theme
• Chibi Ludens PSN Avatar

Special Edition:

• All base game preorder bonuses
• Custom Steelbook (includes game)
• Gold “Ludens Mask” Sunglasses

Collector’s Edition:

• Base game preorder bonuses
• Custom Steelbook (includes game)
• Death Stranding: Timefall –  Digital album and behind-the-scenes digital video
• Gold “Ludens Mask” Sunglasses
• Gold Power Skeleton
• Gold Armour Plate (Lvl 2)
• Gold All-Terrain Skeleton
• 10 PSN Character Avatars
• Ludens Keychain
• Bridges Cargo Case
• BB Pod Golden Baby Figurine

Death Stranding gameplay – how does it play?

Death Stranding is an open-world action game with survival elements, taking place across multiple regions the player must navigate to reconnect the United Cities of America. A recent showcase at Tokyo Games Show provided an extensive glimpse at how moment-to-moment gameplay will work, with the player taking on deliveries and doing whatever they can to achieve them. This will involve crafting resources such as ladders, climbing anchors and even vehicles to navigate the world.

Combat exists, but isn’t always required to progress. You’ll encounter hostile humans known as MULES who are obsessed with stealing cargo, although these are the only humanoid enemies we’ve seen thus far. It’ll be interesting to see how these systems expand in the full game, both in terms of who you’re facing up against and how you’ll contend with them. All of the mechanics seem genuinely fascinating, and if Kojima’s track record is any indication, they’ll combine together in some fascinating ways.

Supernatural creatures known as BTs can be found across the world, and you’ll need to sneak past them to survive or fight them using a variety of different weapons. The baby strapped to your body (known as a BB) is capable of detecting these things, drawing you in the right direction to avoid a potentially deadly encounter. If you’re caught, the world transforms and you’re hurled into a sudden boss encounter. From the demo it looks pretty thrilling, and we hope this is the first of many dynamic events like it.