The build to the release of Death Stranding has been one shrouded in a great deal of mystery, and, for many fans, the material that has thus far been revealed about Hideo Kojima's brand new game has likely only served to create additional confusion rather than clarify it. Now, the Death Stranding release date has finally arrived, and these players currently have a chance to unravel some of these mysteries for themselves. However, as fans begin their time with Death Stranding, an early piece of dialogue may leave them with yet another question.
Specifically, in the beginning stages of Death Stranding, Deadman, a character whose physique is modeled after famed-director Guillermo del Toro's, makes reference to Aphenphosmphobia. It is stated that Sam Bridges, the game's primary protagonist, has this condition, and while some fans may be familiar with it, certainly not every player will. As such, it is the intention of this guide to answer the question of what is Aphenphosmphobia in Death Stranding?
Simply, the Aphenphosmphobia that is being referenced early in Death Stranding is the fear of being touched. This can mean being touched either physically or emotionally, and there are many other names for Aphenphosmphobia, including Haphephobia, Thixophobia, and Aphephobia, Furthermore, the symptoms of Aphenphosmphobia include those that are often associated with anxiety, such as chest pain, dizziness, sweating, and more.
Additionally, those that have Aphenphosmphobia may also have Chirophobia, which is the fear of hands, or the more-commonly known Agoraphobia, where the person may perceive an environment to be unsafe without any easy means of escape. While these connections are not always present, these other phobias certainly appear to have a relationship to what players will encounter as they make their way through the story of Death Stranding.
As players do progress through this new game's narrative, they will learn even more about the Death Stranding protagonist's relationship with Aphenphosmphobia, though additional points of confusion are certain to arise as well. Indeed, the intimate details of Death Stranding are not designed to be easily revealed to the player, and fans are likely to encounter several more unknown terms before reaching the game's conclusion.
Death Stranding is available on PlayStation 4, with a summer 2020 release for PC.
Source: Common Phobias, Wikipedia