A crucial part of Death Stranding is managing and expanding your inventory. Depending on how you choose to organize your backpack and other inventory slots, Sam’s poise, posture, and speed will be affected. You can eventually acquire exoskeletons and vehicles to assist with your overall carry limit, but it’s essential to understand the basics in the beginning.

Below you can find everything you need to know about the basics of inventory management in Death Stranding, as well as a few handy tips to better deal with the challenges later on. For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our gallery highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve found so far.

How To Manage Cargo

First, you need to ensure that you’re keeping track of what’s on your body at all times. While exploring, it can be easy to pick up stray cargo, and before you know it, you’ll find that Sam’s stamina is reduced and his ability to balance negatively impacted. There’s a consequence for every item added to your inventory if you’re not careful. Even if you’re far under the carry limit, you can still notice an impact on your movement speed and balance with enough things stacked on you.

Once Sam’s backpack fills up, he’ll eventually begin to stack objects on top of his backpack. While this is fine for a few items, a full stack of cargo can make it difficult for Sam to maintain his balance. It’s especially noticeable when walking, as making slight movements to the left or right can cause Sam to struggle under the weight, prompting you to grip onto his backpack to avoid tumbling to the ground. Failure to counteract a loss of balance will cause Sam to fall, and his cargo to tumble out of his pack. Center of gravity is a real thing in Death Stranding, so be mindful of whenever Sam starts to lean too much in any direction and pay attention to the button prompts the game gives you.

While you can organize your backpack manually, you also have the option to have the game arrange it for you. By pressing the triangle button in the inventory menu, you can quickly optimize your cargo’s layout, placing heavy objects at the bottom and filling out other cargo slots on Sam’s suit. It’s a useful feature for optimizing Sam’s loadout and ensuring you have the best posture possible. However, a downside to this is that the auto-arrange option won’t acknowledge sensitive cargo. The option isn’t always your friend, so be sure to check out our feature explaining why.

As you progress, you’ll unlock accessory upgrades that allow you to put specific items into them. For example, you get a small utility pouch that holds all your blood packs. These accessory pouches are automatically loaded after selecting auto-arrange, so you don’t have to worry too much about what goes in them, but it’s something to consider when managing everything on Sam’s person. Another handy tip to better maximize your carrying space is to place weapons like the Bola Gun–which takes up two small cases worth of space in your bag–onto your tool rack instead of your back. Though it’s worth noting that the moment you equip a different tool in-game, the weapon will return to your backpack.

Sometimes the burden you need to carry is too much no matter how you redistribute the cargo on Sam’s person. Fortunately, you do have a few tools that can help with this problem. As stated above, vehicles like the Reverse Trike and the Truck can assist with what you can’t carry. When you fabricate a vehicle, you’re free to distribute cargo onto it. Though be mindful that too much cargo on a vehicle will decrease its top speed. And when you’re plotting your route, it’s important to note if there are BTs on the way. A vehicle packed with cargo you can’t carry on your own is helpful, but if you’re forced to leave it behind, then what’s the point? Be smart about when to use vehicles to support your ever-expanding cargo inventory.

The last tool at your disposal when there’s too much cargo to carry without being over-encumbered are exoskeletons. You can earn your first pair by completing deliveries to the Engineer located south of Lake Knot City. Many of the exoskeletons expand your carrying weight by a decent amount, but the one that does so the most is the Power Skeleton. As you increase your rank with the Engineer, you’ll get upgraded versions of the Power Skeleton, which can carry even more. It comes at the sacrifice of carrying two pieces of cargo on your legs, but it’s well worth it for the expanded carrying weight.

In Death Stranding, it pays to always be aware of what’s in your inventory. Though you may be tempted to stack everything into your backpack without thinking, you’re sometimes better off rearranging items, offloading them, holding them in your hand, or loading them onto a vehicle.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-inventory-guide-how-to-manage-your/1100-6471199/

In the first few hours of Death Stranding, you spend a lot of time walking and hiking up cliffs. Along the way, you’ll encounter dangerous enemies like MULEs and BTs for the first time, and for the most part, you’ll be rather defenseless against them. During these stressful opening encounters, you might start to wonder when you’ll be armed with your first projectile-based weapon–or, well, a gun.

Below we detail when you get your first firearms in Death Stranding. For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our gallery highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve found so far.

When Do You Get Your First Guns?

The world of Death Stranding is fascinating in that there’s not much wanton violence. In fact, its scientific lore discourages senseless killing due to a phenomenon that causes a person’s spirit to return to the world as a BT if their body isn’t cremated soon after death. Worse yet, their body may trigger a Voidout, which is a devastating explosion that can leave a crater-sized hole in its wake. As a result, traditional firearms are discouraged, and the only people in the world who seem to use them are the Homo Demens separatist group.

So when do you get your first non-lethal projectile weapon, then? Well, it takes a while, but you’ll eventually unlock one not too long after starting Episode 3. Progress the story to the point where your objective is to get the local preppers connected to the Chiral Network, and you’ll eventually meet the Craftsman. He’ll put you through the wringer and ask you to grab a toolbox in a BT-infested shopping mall.

Succeed in the Craftsman’s request, and he’ll reward you with your first weapon: the Bola Gun. Keep pushing the story forward, and you’ll eventually unlock the Sticky Gun and the Anti-BT Gun. For more details on each weapon and tips on how to use them, refer to the descriptions below.

The Bola Gun

The Bola Gun is an invaluable firearm as it can instantly tie up unsuspecting human enemies from a distance. However, keep in mind that doing so will quickly alert their comrades around the area. Still, once you’ve managed to take down an enemy with a bola shot, follow up by kicking them while they’re down to knock them out, as they’ll get up much quicker if you don’t.

If you increase your rank enough with Craftsman, you’ll eventually unlock another version of the Bola Gun that can temporarily tie up BTs. It’s a lifesaver when you’re surrounded by BTs or encounter a large group that you can’t sneak past.

The Sticky Gun

Unlike the Bola Gun, the Sticky Gun isn’t built to harm human enemies physically. Instead, you use it to snatch cargo off them right under their noses–though it can also be used to grab any cargo from a distance. Essentially, the Sticky Gun fires adhesive rounds connected to a wire that can stick to cargo and reel it in. It’s a handy tool for avoiding confrontation while grabbing far-off supplies you may need in the field. Be mindful that after using the Sticky Gun to grab cargo, make sure to lower your aim, and then hold either shoulder buttons to ensure you catch it before it hits the ground.

The Sticky Gun is unlocked not long after syncing up the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City to the Chiral Network. You’ll get the ability to fabricate one during a main story delivery.

The Anti-BT Handgun

You get your third firearm–the Anti-BT Handgun–while helping out the Junk Dealer and the Chiral Artist during the latter end of Chapter 3. It’s not the best, since it takes several rounds to defeat a standard BT, but it’s the first gun you have to defend yourself against them. Given its damage output, the Anti-BT Handgun is recommended for use alongside Hematic Grenades.

More Weapons In Store!

Given all the dangers inhabiting Death Stranding’s world, its people have had to be resourceful. As stated above, they’ve had to rely on more imaginative weapons than traditional firearms to combat a myriad of otherworldly threats. Keep playing, and you’ll see just how much human ingenuity has advanced weapon design in Death Stranding’s world.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-guide-when-do-you-get-your-first-g/1100-6471241/

In Death Stranding, the path to making a successful delivery is paved with myriad dangers. When you’re not avoiding horrifying BTs or hiking up a steep mountain, you’re dealing with MULEs. This bandit-like crew of unofficially sanctioned deliverymen who live for the high of making deliveries, so much so that they’re willing to attack innocent porters and steal their cargo to get it. MULEs are a frequent annoyance who can instantly inconvenience even the most straightforward delivery.

Below you can find tips detailing how to engage with MULEs and what to consider before you cross into their territory. For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our feature highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve encountered so far.

How To Sneak Past MULEs

You typically run into MULEs at their camps spread across the world. They’re often situated on the way towards significant delivery stations, so you’ll usually have no choice but to cross their territory. MULEs attack on sight, so it’s essential to stay hidden–at least if you want to pass without causing any trouble.

It’s pretty easy to sneak past MULEs, as there aren’t a lot of them in a camp. You’ll find a few patrolling the outskirts either on foot or in a truck, but as long as you cut through the small pockets of open space between them, you can typically emerge unscathed. If you see tall grass, make it a point to take advantage of it as cover. Keep in mind that tall grass will be useless as cover if you’re carrying too much cargo.

Despite your best efforts to be sneaky, you’re likely to encounter trouble from the MULEs’ scanning pylons, which periodically trigger as you travel through their territory. When a scan initiates, any marked cargo on Sam will get pinged, alerting MULEs to the location it was last picked up. If this happens, immediately try to find cover as far away from where you were pinged as possible. With some luck and persistence, you’ll avoid their incoming patrols. It’s worth noting that in Episode 3, you’ll get an ability that allows your Odradek’s scanning ability to negate MULE scans. It’s unlocked after you arrive at the Timefall Farm for the first time.

If you’re not carrying any cargo (tools or deliverables), know that MULEs will largely ignore you as long as you stay away from their main camp area. Get too close and they’ll become aggressive, so maintain your distance and you should be able to walk through their territory with no trouble. This behavior can be a nice way to spare yourself any trouble from MULEs. For example, you might want to build yourself a postbox to offload all your equipment prior to entering MULE territory.

How to Fight MULEs

Nobody is perfect, so there will inevitably come a time when MULEs will corner you into a fight. Early on, the best strategy is to run for dear life. When you do, try not to sprint in a straight line, as they’re quick to throw their shock spears ahead of you, which upon contact can knock cargo from your backpack and temporarily halt your movement for a short time. This effect gets to be more strenuous later on when you get vehicles, as MULE shock spears can render your ride immobile for a much longer time.

When push comes to shove, you can defend yourself against MULEs by punching them when their guard is down–which temporarily knocks them unconscious. That, or if you’ve got a piece of cargo in your hand that you don’t care about, you can smash it onto a MULE’s face for a swift knockout. But if you’re feeling particularly brave (and are without valuable cargo), you can tackle them by sprinting and pressing the attack button with both triggers held down. This maneuver can stun MULEs, leaving them open for attack; it’s also particularly useful against armored MULEs.

It’s also possible to use more defensive maneuvers against an attacking MULE. While it’s perfectly viable to dodge an incoming MULE’s lunging attack with a well-timed sidestep, you can counter it with your Strand as long as you hold it up just before contact. If performed successfully, Sam will use his Strand to throw them off balance, leaving you an opening to deliver a swift grapple attack that instantly knocks them out. The Strand is also capable of stealthily dispatching MULEs for a brief time. Approach a MULE from behind, hold up your Strand, and use it to incapacitate and tie them up in one fell swoop.

Speaking of tying up MULEs, you’ll eventually unlock the ability to fabricate a Bola Gun, which can instantly tie up an unsuspecting MULE from a distance. However, keep in mind that doing so will quickly alert their comrades around the area. Regardless, if you’ve managed to take down a MULE with a bola shot, be sure to pass by and kick them while they’re down to knock them out, as they’ll get up much quicker if you don’t.

Other useful tools against MULEs are Smoke Grenades and Shock Bombs, which are both incredibly effective at stopping a pack in their tracks. Once you’ve unlocked these grenades for fabrication, it’s recommended to have them on hand whenever you’re crossing through MULE territory. You never know when you’ll need them.

There is decoy cargo, like the Smoke-Emitting and Vog-Emitting cases, which can draw MULE attention while also potentially incapacitating them. Both are handy when you get pinged while sneaking and want to turn back the odds in your favor.

Regardless of how much you make use of the tactics we’ve detailed, if you find yourself overwhelmed, there’s no shame in running way. A swift escape is always within reach in any MULE encounter, so always keep that in mind. It’s generally not worth engaging for too long if it means all your precious cargo getting damaged beyond repair, or worse, stolen.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-mule-guide-how-to-deal-with-those-/1100-6471002/

In Death Stranding, you’re going to be putting cargo of all shapes and sizes into Sam’s handy auto-expanding backpack. This can start to look ridiculous after a while, especially if you’re stacking deliverables and gear on your back with no rhyme or reason. In the world, you can only really grab cargo and put it in your backpack, but if you pause the game and go to the Manage Cargo screen, you can be more granular about how you organize your stuff.

Thankfully, the process of transferring stuff across your backpack and various pouches is made easier thanks to the Auto-Arrange Cargo option, which allows you to optimize everything in your possession automatically. While this is the go-to way to ensure you’re always carrying cargo efficiently, it doesn’t always optimize for special circumstances.

Be mindful of factors like special cargo, such as pizza and cryptobiotes, which both call for being packed in particular ways; pizza needs to be positioned horizontally to avoid being ruined, and crytobiotes need to be packed higher up in your backpack to avoid contact with water. The Auto-Arrange option will typically pack this cargo deeper into your backpack instead of placing them where they can be kept from harm.

Auto-Arrange Cargo also doesn’t take into consideration what’s most efficient when it comes to what to equip onto your tool rack. For example, if you have a Bola Gun–which takes up two small cases worth of space in your bag–Auto-Arrange will often place it on your back instead of your tool rack. A simple reorganization will fix this, but it’s something to consider whenever you’re dealing with tons of large, heavy cargo and are looking to save on space.

These two examples are small, yet significant ways that the Auto-Arrange Cargo option can negatively impact you. Keep them into consideration, and you should get along fine using Auto-Arrange to optimize your loadout. For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our gallery highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve found so far.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-strandings-auto-arrange-cargo-feature-might-/1100-6471057/

Death Stranding is a game that’s all about walking, and you’re going to spend a lot of time doing it. But you’re probably thinking, “Hey, isn’t Norman Reedus riding a motorbike at the beginning? When do I get one of those?”

Below we detail how to get your first Reverse Trike–what the game calls motorcycles. For more Death Stranding features, check out our in-depth beginner’s guide and our gallery highlighting all the most significant celebrity cameos we’ve found so far.

How To Get Your First Reverse Trike

Getting your first Reverse Trike is relatively easy, as it can be found only a few hours into the main story. Once you reach the Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City, you’ll find a rusted up Reverse Trike with a dead battery. You won’t be able to do anything with it until after a few more main delivery missions. But once you make your way to the Wind Farm in Chapter 2, you unlock the generator as a craftable structure.

You’re then tasked with making the long trek back to Capital Knot City. However, once you make it back to Distribution Center, place a generator next to the Reverse Trike to power up its battery, and then you’re pretty much good to go!

When riding your Reverse Trike, it’s essential to keep an eye on its battery meter on the bottom left corner of the screen. The distribution centers and roads you encounter run on a power grid, and your bike won’t drain its battery when driving on them. It’s a good idea in the early game to keep a PCC on hand in the unfortunate situation you do run out of juice in the middle of nowhere. You can also be a good Samaritan and leave generators around to help other players.

Another important factor to consider when driving the Reverse Trike is how much cargo you’re carrying when riding it. If you’ve got a lot loaded on your back and on its carrying compartments, then its top speed will be significantly reduced. It seems to make the biggest impact when you load too much cargo onto the bike itself. Regardless, be mindful of how you distribute your weight in order to guarantee it reaches top speed at all times.

If you hold back while driving the Reverse Trike, you can do a wheelie. A fancy trick at first, performing a wheelie can help you maneuver over rocks and rough terrain when you’re stuck. The Reverse Trick is capable of driving through shallow water–although doing this will drain the battery faster. However, it does have its limits, and it’s important to be cautious. The Reverse Trike is more fragile than you think, and driving off a medium-to-large ramp can lead to instant disaster. You can eventually fabricate your own Reverse Trike, but you don’t get access to that until later in Chapter 3, so this first one is all you get. Play it safe when traveling and try not to get stuck on some rocks or break it, because then it’s back to walking.

The Reverse Trike–or any vehicle for that matter–also produces a lot of noise, making it impossible to be stealthy around enemies. It’s easy to speed past MULEs, but if they hit your bike with one of their shock spears, it’ll be immobilized for a decent while, forcing you to wait for it to come back online or run away on foot. When you’re in BT territory, you might think you can evade them, too, but that’s not going to work. BTs have particularly sensitive hearing, so the second the ground fills up with tar, your Reverse Trike will get stuck, and you’ll need to abandon it. However, this doesn’t mean you lose it forever; once BT presence dies down, your bike will be right where you left it, albeit a smidge damaged. In both cases, the best course of action is to hop out of your Reverse Trike before entering enemy territory or finding an alternate path around.

The Reverse Trike is a critical tool for getting around in Death Stranding early on, but like everything else in the game, it requires caution. As long as you’re not reckless and keep it well maintained, the Reverse Trike will make Sam’s journey a whole lot easier. But as soon as you unlock the ability to fabricate both Reverse Trikes and Trucks, feel free to fabricate as many as you’d like and drive as recklessly as you want.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-motorcycle-guide-when-do-you-get-y/1100-6471059/