Death Strandingis a series focused on reconnecting the disparate parts of an isolated world. Following an apocalyptic catastrophe, Sam Bridges helps reconnect the United Cities of America, before moving on to Mexico and Australia in the sequel, restoring humanity by way of the Chiral Network. He’s basically the guy who installs your broadband.
However, he’s not really alone.As per Kojima’s self-proclaimed ‘Strand-like’ genre, the game offers online connectivity that can have players share messages, requests, help out with lost cargo, and even have communities come together to contribute materials in building bridges, roads, shelters, and paving paths as they go.
But forget that, I’ve found disconnecting is better.
I Was Disconnected In Death Stranding By Chance
When Death Stranding launched in 2019, I was awaiting my own Sam Bridges to install some new internet. I was going to be offline for about two weeks, and so I figured this big game had come at the perfect time. Off I went on my delivery journey, connecting up the UCA bit by bit, trek by trek, and had a wonderfully lonely time crossing the dangerous terrain with a trusty ladder (or three) in hand.
It was only after these two weeks, when I had finished the main story, that I could finally reconnect my console to the internet. Upon loading up my save on Death Stranding once more, I was surprised - and quite frankly, overwhelmed. I had spent 50 hours making my own way across the country, dealing with terrible conditions and vast isolation as I made humanity a little less isolated.
Now, there were messages everywhere, holographic signs, bridges and ziplines I hadn’t placed, and a holographic Tallneck from Horizon Zero Dawn placed by some other Porters out there. The world went from being isolating to completely overcrowded, and I found myself wanting the comfort of my own company once more.
I’m Disconnected In Death Stranding 2 By Choice
This time around, I do have internet. So I startedDeath Stranding 2and set off into Mexico, adjusting to this different way of playing. I helped out with the occasional lost piece of cargo, and found bridges later showed up on what I was expecting to be a difficult crossing to tackle. As I went on, and the structures and signs only increased in quantity, I made a decision.
I disconnected.
As I stepped foot through the Plate Gate and into the colossal map of Australia, there was not a sign to be seen. No pre-existing structures from Porters who came before me. No paths trodden where I had yet to tread. Just a sparse wilderness, left untouched by the Death Stranding. A continent that needed reconnecting, and I, the sole person capable of doing it.
To me, this just makes more sense. There’s an irony in disconnecting myself to play the game about reconnecting with others, but that’s where I find the beauty in Death Stranding. It’s a lonely job, one that is difficult. You’ll need to put the work in if you want to make your journey any easier, and even then, the significance will be incremental.
You are able to limit the online connectivity to exclude structures, if you instead just want requests, signs, and lost cargo.
However, despite the goal of the ‘Strands’ in Death Stranding being for other players to help you out, or even with the options to limit how much online you actually see, I’d argue that the game is best experienced when you’re disconnected from it entirely. Just one introverted man with haphephobia, and a long road ahead - a road you have to build as you go, entirely on your own.
