The July State of Play event finally gave fans a glimpse of the much-awaited Death Stranding: Director's Cut. The upcoming PS5 version of Hideo Kojima's latest title adds a ton of new story and gameplay beats that should excite both the existing fans and the newcomers. What comes off as a bit surprising is the addition of new combat mechanics notably absent from the base game.
Death Stranding was released to polarizing reviews from fans and critics, with many disappointed and infuriated with the lack of focus on the combat in the game. Death Stranding was referred to by many as a "walking simulator," and while this isn't necessarily false, this is also not entirely true. While there are erratic and tense combat encounters in Death Stranding, the lack of varied combat mechanics, diverse lineup of weapons, and unique enemy encounters make them repetitive, something which Death Stranding: Director's Cut seems to be addressing.
The Major Issues with the Combat of Death Stranding
Even before its release, Hideo Kojima had talked about how combat takes a backseat in Death Stranding. Ironically, the game is brimming with tons of combat encounters with mules, homo demens, and BTs that players often encounter while traversing from one place to another. What is lacking, however, is the limited number of possibilities and tools players have to approach these often repetitive and predictable encounters. From a narrative perspective, players are discouraged from engaging in combat, especially using lethal weapons, as death has consequences in Death Stranding.
In Death Stranding, leaving dead bodies behind can lead to a voidout that yields craters and attracts BTs, ultimately nullifying that area. As such, the game's world is seemingly affected, and players are discouraged from using lethal weapons. However, diminishing the combat aspect of the game by not providing unique and satisfying weapons to use against enemies isn't a reasonable way to discourage players from indulging in combat. The game should have enough mechanics for players to satisfyingly pursue either pathway and face the consequences for themselves.
The lack of variety and options in combat, whether it be stealth or gunplay, is even more jarring given Kojima's history with combat-focused games. Metal Gear Solid 5 offers one of the most extensive and versatile combat experiences in a video game, giving players plenty of weapons and gadgets to experiment with. Metal Gear Solid 5 or Metal Gear franchise in general, also discourages lethal combat, but it still provides players the freedom to approach either pathway. While Death Stranding didn't have to go such lengths as Metal Gear Solid 5, it could have prioritized the combat a bit more than it did and presumably become more accessible to people who avoided it for being just a walking simulator.
How Death Stranding Director's Cut is Addressing those Problems
Thankfully, it seems, Kojima Productions has been taking fan feedbacks seriously and addressing some of the prominent issues of the original in the upcoming Director's Cut. The Death Stranding: Director's Cut state of play trailer gives a glimpse of the "advanced combat options" that the PS5 variant of the game is adding. It includes additional melee maneuvers, weapons, equipment, and more. One of the new weapons shown in the trailer is a maser gun that can electrocute enemies. Another noticeable addition seen in the trailer is the mounted machine gun that players can seemingly deploy on the battlefield.
Unlike Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Sam in Death Stranding isn't military trained, which explains the clumsy combat. Fortunately, Death Stranding: Director's Cut is adding a firing range arena where Sam can practice and become proficient in gunplay. It is a welcome addition that makes sense from the story's point of view, but also for players wanting to improve their skills.
Another widely criticized aspect of Death Stranding's combat was the lack of enemy variety, especially the BTs', which was supposedly the highlight of the game. On top of adding new weapons and equipment, Death Stranding's: Director's Cut will also add more BT battles, thus giving players more reason to try the new weapons and equipment.
Death Stranding is a profoundly atmospheric experience with a complex storyline and intriguing characters. While the core gameplay loop-that involves delivering packages- is extremely satisfying on its own, the lack of diverse weapons and unique combat encounters breaks the gameplay for many. As such, it is admirable to see Death Stranding: Director's Cut attract both veterans and newcomers by making up for the flawed combat experience that presumably hankered on the original.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut will be available on September 24, 2021 for PS5.