Death Stranding Director’s Cut has arrived and promises a whole host of new features and improvements to the already excellent Death Stranding.
This guide will break down what’s new in this release, along with when and where you can unlock everything.
Early Game Assistance and Quality of Life Improvements
As a counter to the difficult nature and high barrier to entry that hurt newcomers to Death Stranding, the early game now grants you an active skeleton and weapon very early on. These additions make those opening hours much more accessible. The support skeleton and maser gun fabrication blueprints are obtained as early as episode 2 upon accepting and completing Order No. 77. Check out our guide for it here. The support skeleton is a battery-powered active skeleton that reduces cargo weight when under a heavy load and boosts your movement speed. The maser gun is a non-lethal weapon that deals stun damage to enemies.
After receiving Request No. 14 at the Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City, Die-Hardman will introduce you to the firing range. Here you can freely shoot any weapon you would like so long as you have unlocked the schematic for it under your fabrications. The firing range is accessible from any terminal at a distribution center from the Private Room/Training Area tab.
As a part of the quality of life improvements added to Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Fragile Jump, this game’s fast travel mechanic, is now presented in a map selection method instead of the previous list selection method. Now it’s a lot easier to see and choose exactly where you want to go. To unlock Fragile Jump, progress through the story to Episode 3.
New Constructions and Fabrications
One of the handiest new fabrications added to the Director’s Cut is the cargo catapult. This construction is available upon reaching Episode 5 and requires a PCC [Lv. 2]. The cargo catapult allows cargo to be loaded and shot across long distances then remotely parachuted down to a safe area. This construction is great for keeping your cargo safe along hazardous paths.
Once you reach the “Junk Shop” and receive Order No. 35, you should get an email from Thomas Sutherland about a Racetrack. This addition to the Director’s Cut is a ton of fun. Travel south of the Timefall Farm to reach the Racetrack terminal and deliver the materials needed to complete it.
You will need:
Chiral Crystals: 650
Metal: 2240
Ceramic: 1960
Completing the racetrack will create the Fragile Circuit, where you can race against virtual porters in the Chiral Racing Cup.
Adding to the vehicular fun are the new Jump Ramps. These jump ramps are most valuable when paired with a reverse trike to hop across chasms and other gaps in the terrain. Jump ramps are incredibly convenient in the mid-game areas.
Chiral Bridges are a new structure meant to work in narrow terrain and reach elevated areas where standard bridges cannot reach. These bridges are great for narrow escapes from MULEs because they have a unique ID management system where only porters within the chiral network can use them. Watch out though, these bridges disappear when it rains or snows.
The last of the new fabrications are the Buddy Bots. These new buddy bots look the same as the delivery bots you unlock during the regular game, but this one will accompany you on your delivery instead of delivering for you. Buddy bots are unlocked upon completing Request No. 83, which is unlocked simultaneously with Request No. 41 at the K4 South Distribution Center.
Buddy bot can carry tons of cargo and are super handy for bringing materials over to in-progress constructions. You can even use the map to instruct Buddy bot to take materials to a facility for storage. And if you find that you’re getting tired of the constant walking, have Sam hop onto an empty Buddy bot and enjoy the ride, do note if you are delivering cargo, your highest grade will be an A if you ride the buddy bot all the way there.
Customization Options
Lastly, Death Stranding Director’s Cut adds some customization options to make Sam’s journey just a little bit more unique. First up are the new BB customization options. Now you can change BB’s housing color to a whole plethora of colors from red, to blue, to green, to purple, to yellow, you get the idea. BB customization is unlocked upon completing Order No. 78, which is unlocked in Episode 2 after completing Order No. 77. BB is customized from your private room when you select “View BB”.
Backpack customization has been expanded upon in this rerelease and adds more functionality to your backpack than before. Now you can descend from high places with ease thanks to the new maneuver unit [Lv. 3] that you can add to your backpack. You can also extend the battery life of your active skeletons and masks with the extended battery attachment, now equipable on your backpack. Backpack customization is available upon completing Request No. 35 from the Junk Dealer.
Tomorrow Is In Your Hands
That’s the full breakdown of everything new in Death Stranding Director’s Cut. It’s quite a lot and a fairly substantial upgrade over the original. The quality of life and early game assistance is enough to make the game easier to get into as a new player. There is plenty of new content to keep returning fans discovering something new as they reconnect America once more.
Better not miss our review of Death Stranding Director’s Cut right here.
