A trailer and a published Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating for Death Stranding Director’s Cut hints at a potentially sneakier gameplay element. The latter explicitly stating a certain game mechanic that is staple in most stealth-oriented games.
Death Stranding Director's Cut (PS5) has been rated by the ESRB: https://t.co/avozcRxk0i pic.twitter.com/NFvOwfwIJG
— Gematsu (@gematsu) June 21, 2021
Kojima Productions made an outstanding presence at recent Summer Game Fest when it showed its PS5 offering of Death Stranding. Represented by founder Hideo Kojima himself, a short trailer was released depicting game protagonist Sam Bridges in an eerily familiar ambiance. But not in a manner that is self-contained to the franchise, but rather with allusion to Kojima’s previous notable work.
Sam’s In
The video began with Sam entering a facility while carrying luggage at his back as a usual “porter”. The hero infiltrating enemy camps is not necessarily entirely new to the game as players had seen. However, the trailer gives off a vibe that is reminiscent to the Metal Gear Solid series. The setup, which is a guarded facility, and the background sound, which sends off a familiar tune, being telling signs. The combination of which having the signature Hideo Kojima directions screaming all over it.
While these two elements alone are strong signals to the existing franchise’s influence, another factor comes in a form of a box. This is no ordinary cardboard box, however, as fans of the aforementioned series are well-acquainted with. More specifically, it somewhat references to Solid Snake’s iconic on-the-go disguise. But Sam, clueless at going about it, merely chose to jump into it and returning it back to its original space.
A Tribute or Not
There is a possibility that Kojima may just be paying tribute to his prized creation back with Konami. That is, everything shown being merely aesthetics and not suggesting drastic changes with the director’s cut. But it’s worth noting that Death Stranding itself isn’t necessarily devoid of similar mechanics. In the game’s current state alone, Sam is already capable of stealth, albeit not as adept as an infiltration agent. Not only can he get past unwitting enemies, he can also leave them unconscious through takedowns.
But if the trailer does indeed insinuate changes that adhere to a familiar style of gameplay, it only makes Death Stranding Director’s Cut even more interesting. To see Sam Bridges breaching Mule’s defenses while on a critical mission would indeed be a fan service to both DS and MGS fans. However, we can only speculate considering what we have been given—for now, at least.
Image used courtesy of PlayStation/YouTube Screenshot