What Your First Fall Says About You

If there’s one thing that’s true about Death Stranding‘s gameplay, it’s that at some point, everyone falls. The core gameplay loop that all but introduced a new subgenre sees players transporting weighty cargo across long distances, with physics that are about as close to reality as they can get. As such, it’s generally only a matter of time before Sam takes a tumble after the player controlling him misjudges their next step. Now, with the arrival of Death Stranding 2 comes a soft survey of sorts for the player’s first fall in the game, not only revealing their experience with the franchise but also their approach to the sequel’s fresh yet familiar traversal mechanics.

The beginning of Death Stranding 2 sees Sam and Lou at the top of a mountain in Mexico, immediately giving players the tall task of moving down the mountain and across the range toward a distant destination. Needless to say, more than likely, players are going to fall here, so the question isn’t really “if” but “when.” That being said, should they arrive at their first destination without falling, they aren’t exempt from the perils of the journey ahead of them, which will do whatever it takes to knock Sam off of his feet, his cargo scattering on the ground before him.

Related

As a Father, Death Stranding 2 Is Making Me Never Want to Leave Home Again

Death Stranding 2 is stirring something unexpected in me as a father, reshaping how I see Lou and making it harder than ever to leave her behind.

A Player’s First Fall in Death Stranding 2 and What It Says About Them

The Overconfident Fall

Almost every Death Stranding 2 player, even those who have poured plenty of hours into the first game, is going to fall prey to a sense of overconfidence as they take their first steps. In fact, this is likely what will claim most players in the sequel’s first moments, as they make their way down the steep and rocky slope of its first mountain.

Perhaps they did play the first Death Stranding, but the time they’ve spent playing other games since with “normal” traversal mechanics has now claimed their muscle memory. So, instead of taking their first steps a little more cautiously, the exciting, adventurous music of Death Stranding 2‘s opening sequence has them sprinting down the mountain, hitting a rock, and falling, sending Sam’s cargo tumbling down into the canyon below. If they didn’t play the first game before playing the sequel, however, they’re likely to fall for the same reason, not considering the mechanical demands of one of the strangest franchises in the industry.

The Overachieving Fall

Another common first fall in Death Stranding 2 happens to players who load themselves up with way too much cargo in order to get more likes or just complete objectives a bit quicker — the “overachieving” ones, for lack of a better term. But not only does the game recommend that players not overload Sam’s poor back with too much cargo, it’s just really not necessary. Sometimes, multiple trips are warranted, and there’s nothing wrong with approaching things that way. Nevertheless, some players will still stack their cargo sky-high in Death Stranding 2 until a gate quake knocks Sam onto the ground, and they have to load it all up again.

The Overlooking Fall

A third type of first fall boils down to knowing a general rule of thumb when navigating Death Stranding 2‘s treacherous environments: always scan the terrain for obstacles. When using the scanner in Death Stranding 2, players can get a good idea of how difficult certain terrain might be to walk on. While it’s possible to discern this without the scanner, it’s not recommended, as it can lead to an unfortunate misstep. Players who overlook unforgiving terrain while walking will undoubtedly, then, experience their first fall.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Systems

Released

June 26, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Engine

Decima

Franchise

Death Stranding

Number of Players

Single-player

PS5 Release Date

June 26, 2025

• 

•