Death Stranding Gamescom Gameplay Demo: Everything We Learned From The New Footage

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima took to the stage at Geoff Keighly's Gamescom press conference to reveal more new footage of Death Stranding. While the story information we got was still vague, we're slowly getting more details about the way it plays. Hopefully we'll have an even clearer picture of Death Stranding by the time it comes out in November, but for now, we'll have to keep scratching our heads as we analyze and outline the scraps that Kojima feeds us.

The Gamescom gameplay trailer for the PS4-exclusive featured just a sliver of gameplay. Actor Norman Reedus plays protagonist Sam Bridges, whose mission to reconnect the fractured societies of the world amid the bleak remains of a ruined North America grows all the more intriguing with each new reveal.

Here's an analysis of the most interesting details from the new gameplay footage. If you're eager to learn even more about the game's story and characters, be sure to read our in-depth analysis of the previous Death Stranding trailer.

Gamescom is still in full swing, and there's plenty of big news coming from the show. The highly-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Google Stadia, the release date of The Witcher 3 Switch port was confirmed, and Gears 5 is getting Halo: Reach multiplayer skins. These are only a few of the notable stories from the show, and there's likely more to come, so be sure to check our Gamescom hub frequently as we continually post the latest stories.

What excites you the most about Death Stranding and its never-ending craziness? Let us know in the comments below!

As you explore the world, it seems you can rest and take a nap. It looks like this is done to facilitate regenerating the health of both Sam and his BB. With all the beautiful sights we've seen thus far, this seems like a nice feature you can use to relax after the game's more tense encounters.

Previously we've seen Sam pull from a variety of tools in an equipment wheel, such as a ladder and a rope, to help him explore the environment. However, there's another unique tool in Sam's arsenal: the ability to urinate. Yes, you're not drunk. You read that correctly.

It seems that Sam's bladder will fill up over time, as you can see from the heads-up display indicating the number of milliliters of urine in his bladder. According to Kojima, urination can be a tool against enemies. Though, the specifics of how remains unclear.

After Sam finished peeing, a weird mushroom sprouted from the ground. Kojima noted that Death Stranding's world is connected, so if more players urinate on the spot, then that mushroom will grow fully and become a useful consumable you can pick up.

In past trailers, the arm on the back of Sam's suit was used to detect BTs, which are the deadly invisible creatures seen in previous trailers. However, it does have other functions. In the new gameplay, you can use the arm to scan the terrain and locate points of interest in the world.

The ladder is what Sam uses to reach far-off locations. Based on previous trailers, it could be extended upwards and even be used as a bridge. It's not so mind-boggling, but the new gameplay shows that the ladder can extend quite high, meaning that it seems capable of readily adapting to whatever your climbing needs might be. Despite how long it reached, the ladder might have a limit of how far it can achieve and may demand that you use it multiple times to reach the tallest locations.

One of the significant objectives of Death Stranding is to deliver cargo and establish connections with the other inhabitants of the world. In the gameplay, Sam came across what's called a UCA Delivery Terminal, which is a tiny haven you can visit to drop off cargo and ultimately establish strands with characters and organizations in the world. Host Geoff Keighly portrayed the person that Sam was helping in the gameplay; though actor Matt Mercer was voicing him. Apparently, he was requesting the delivery for a trio of character figurines.

According to Kojima, not all the people you deliver cargo to are involved in the main story and are more commonly relegated to the game's side activities. However, he advised that you'll want to connect with them anyway since doing so will provide you with unique rewards and services.

The Delivery Terminal menu had a few interesting options that could allude to some of the activities you'll be doing in Death Stranding. As mentioned in the previous slide, you can take on orders from people around the world and deliver the cargo they need. However, there are options for claiming materials, recycling, and fabricating equipment, which could mean you might be spending time scavenging the world for resources and crafting. Also, it's likely you'll store any excess materials in your private locker or pool them together for yourself and others in a shared locker.

There might be a process of collaboration when it comes to deliveries, seeing as there's an option to Entrust Cargo for Delivery, which could allude to you asking others to help you complete specific orders.

Another interesting callout from the Delivery Terminal menus was when Sam initiated finishing a delivery. The successful job was estimated to grant you a total of 30 "likes." It's possible that these "likes" serve as a currency to your ability to establish connections with others, but how it all works is still beyond us.

Upon activating a connection, Sam puts his dog tag-like necklace into a special terminal, which makes him float. It's worth noting that Sam sheds a single tear. What this means remains to be seen, but we're confident it will have some symbolic meaning in the larger Death Stranding experience.

Like a real baby, Sam's BB is sensitive to the things happening in the environment. If you accidentally fall a great distance or suffer considerable damage, the BB will start crying. To stop its weeping, you'll need to detach the BB from Sam's suit and rock the baby into a relaxed state via the PS4's motion sensor.

Kojima noted that your BB could be affected in more severe ways and even become poisoned if you're not careful. It's still unclear how the BB's mood will impact gameplay or how far you'll need to go to comfort it. Regardless, you'll need to be extra careful.