Death Stranding: Director's Cut looks set to inject a good amount of variety into Hideo Kojima's first post-Konami title. Before the PS5 edition of the game had its full unveiling at last month's State of Play, one could have predicted the game would receive new story content, weapons, and delivery options. But one thing no one likely expected was that Death Stranding would be getting its own circuit racing mode.
The mode, dubbed the "Fragile Circuit," is certainly the most surprising addition to Death Stranding: Director’s Cut thus far. While drivable vehicles are nothing new to Death Stranding, this unique mode presents players with the chance to get behind the wheels of even more post-apocalyptic vehicles without having to brave the rough terrain of the open world, which is something few are likely to take issue with.
The Premise Behind Death Stranding's Fragile Circuit
As evidenced by the most recent trailer for Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, the Fragile Circuit is a series of racing challenges Sam can take part in. As the name implies, the circuit is seemingly funded and set up by Fragile Express - a delivery service run by Lea Seydoux’s character Fragile. As players speed across America, they’ll be cheered on by holograms of the various allies and friends they’ve forged connections with throughout Death Stranding’s campaign, as well as be able to test their motor skills against holographic opponents.
While it’s not yet known how or why a racing circuit exists given the desolate state of Death Stranding’s world, that’s likely to be explained upon reaching the game’s second major area, the central region. The racetrack featured in the trailer is virtually identical to the highways players can build in the central region, implying that the circuit races will likely take place in said area. At this time, it’s unclear if one will have to finish development on the game’s highway to participate in the Fragile Circuit, but given the monumental undertaking that is, it’s hard to imagine this new feature being locked behind such a difficult task.
Death Stranding: Fragile Circuit's Confirmed Tracks and Vehicles
On the topic of the racetrack itself, the Death Stranding State of Play trailer showcases a few different variants for players to race on. At present, two different courses are confirmed: one long and one short. That said, the only difference between the two looks to be that the latter course tightens the length of the top portion of the track. It’s not currently known if other variations of the same track - or new tracks altogether - will be available. The trailer does indicate that there are 12 different Fragile Circuit races to choose from, but it looks like the distinguishing feature of each race is the vehicle being used rather than the course itself.
Returning Death Stranding vehicles include the Reverse Trike and the truck, and it’s probably not a stretch to assume that variants of each - such as the Ride With Norman Reedus version of the Reverse Trike - will also make an appearance. New to the game is the Roadster: a red, aerodynamically designed racecar that looks to be significantly faster than any other existing in-game vehicle. The Roadster was seemingly designed exclusively for this mode; it’s hard to imagine this low-riding car having much utility outside of circuit racing.
It remains to be seen if any other Fragile Circuit-exclusive vehicles will be present in the game. However, it would be nice to see post-apocalyptic takes on other distinct-looking vehicles like four-wheelers, smart cars, or a recumbent bicycle be usable in this abstract new mode.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut will release on September 24, 2021 for PS5