20 beginner’s tips to know before playing Death Stranding 2 

Whether you’re new to the post-apocalyptic world of beaches and BTs or you’ve already connected a country as Sam Porter Bridges, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach isn’t like Those Other Games. 

Much like its predecessor, Death Stranding 2 is a largely singular, not-exactly-frictionless experience, from the social tools that allow you to interact and help other players to developing Sam’s abilities and equipment. Learning and improving in each aspect of the game is part of the journey of playing Death Stranding 2.

To ensure you have a smooth experience, replete with successful deliveries and weird walks on the beach, here are 20 Death Stranding 2 beginners tips to read — in no particular order — before you start.

1. In addition to repairing the condition of your cargo, Timefall Shelters will also protect you from BTs. They aren’t bunkers, so don’t think you can bait enemies and kill them from the safety of a shelter, but spotting one of these is always a sign that you’re safe.

2. You can prevent falling when losing balance by always carrying a weapon or any item that allows you to aim. When losing balance, press L2 to aim and stop moving for just a second. Doing so interrupts the stagger animation and gets you back on your feet faster. 

3. Don’t make recycling a priority. Because you need to keep the items in your backpack to recycle them until you find a terminal, you end up occupying space you could use to carry new items. Don’t be afraid to leave all empty items on the ground if you need the cargo space.

4. APAS Enhancements are passive abilities you can unlock by spending Memory Points. Although setting up the perfect combination of enhancements requires a lot of thinking and tweaks, you should always reset your loadout of enhancements before an important mission. It’s free and reajusting them allows you to better prepare for the type of mission you’re undertaking, whether it’s more confrontational or stealth-focused, for example.

5. Don’t waste time playing Tetris with your cargo. Go to the Cargo Management menu in the Ring Terminal and hold the Triangle button to auto-arrange your cargo — a quick solution that will save time and sanity.

6. In Death Stranding 2, you walk a lot just like you did in the first Death Stranding. But one less that’s carried over from the previous game is that you should always carry an extra pair of boots. 

7. Always carry at least two ladders. You can attach them to each other and clear both canyons and wide rivers.

8. Grip those shoulder buttons. You lose balance frequently when you’re at 60 percent cargo capacity or over, but holding the L2 and R2 buttons helps you stay upright before it becomes a problem.

9. Always take at least one PCC to build an emergency post box. These double as fabrication stations if you’re within the chiral network and can save a lot of time and backtracking.

11. Do side quests. Building relationships and improving locations unlocks new schematics and other useful items, so taking on odd jobs is worth the time. Besides, Death Stranding 2 is best played slow anyway.

12. Grab chiral crystals whenever you can. You’ll need them for improving constructions and some fabrication projects.

13. Tap the L1 button frequently to activate your scanner and see nearby chiral crystals and cargo dropped by other porters, the latter of which you can turn in for rewards — if you have room to carry them.

14. Electric batons can help with stealth. Distant enemies are less likely to hear a thwack than they are a gunshot, so if you have to attack a foe and the strand isn’t an option, use the baton.

15. Rest and hydrate on long trips. Using the canteen or holding Square and resting can both replenish stamina and help cargo take less of a toll on your endurance.

16. Use the assault rifle carefully. The only way to replenish MP bullets is by resting in a private room or using a Timefall Shelter.

17. Spare a thought for other porters. You could just brave a raging river, but if you place a ladder, it’ll make crossing easier for you and anyone else playing the game.

18. Check your map when the weather changes. Flooding rains make rivers burst their banks and can play havoc with your route.

19. Don’t sweat the route, though. You can draw or re-draw your route at any point during a delivery, and there’s no obligation to stick to it.

20. Remove your map markers when you’re done with them. Route and other markers remain on your map — and your scanner — unless you walk through the marker point. It gets very cluttered, very fast.