How does multiplayer work in Death Stranding?

Death Stranding has finally arrived on PS4, and brings with it a genuinely unique blend of online multiplayer – but how does it work exactly?

Kojima Production’s debut outing is predominantly a solo experience, but incorporates its themes of connecting others into its online elements in some fantastic ways – fueled by a virtual currency known as likes. 

How does multiplayer work in Death Stranding?

When exploring the open-world you’ll come across structures built by other players such as generators, ladders, timefall shelters or private rooms you can retire to for restoring stamina, crafting items and even having a cheeky little nap. 

More often than not, the spoils of other players are a genuine lifesaver. A ladder for ascending a cliff or a grappling hook leading you down a precarious mountain can make navigating the world much easier, especially if you’ve failed to craft the necessary equipment yourself. 

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So, Death Stranding doesn’t have any online multiplayer modes, it’s a passive experience where you’ll encounter the creations of other players throughout the open-world which you can make liberal use of and shower with likes if they happen to come in handy. Or not if you’re a porter with a mean streak. 

If you want to communicate with friends or see their creations in your game more often, a Bridge Contract can be formed to assure you’ll encounter them on a more frequent basis. In my experience I found this worked pretty well, with likes dished out appearing on your friend’s screen in real-time if you’re both playing simultaneously. It’s like a social network in the post-apocalypse, for lack of a batter description.

Earning 5/5, our Death Stranding review describes it as one of the PS4’s finest exclusives, setting a new benchmark in a variety of departments: “Death Stranding is unlike anything else out there in the gaming medium right now. It’s huge, innovative and utterly unashamed in what it wants to be. Kojima Productions is heavy-handed in its implementation of modern political themes, but they tie into the narrative and involve the player in ways that feel beautifully compelling- resulting in one of the strongest final acts I’ve seen in some time.”