When it comes to how much time they’ve spent in the spotlight, there aren’t too many games out there that can compete withDeath Stranding. That’s because since Hideo Kojima’s first post-Konami title debuted on PS4 in 2019, it’s been treated to multiple follow-up releases. In 2020, the game made its way to PC as one of Sony’s earliest endeavors on the platform, before the launch of the enhancedDeath Stranding: Director’s Cuton PS5 a year or so later.Fast-forward to 2022, and the game is still making news headlines thanks to its upcoming fourth re-release.
It might have flown under the radar slightly thanks to the release of recent heavy hitters likeElden RingandHorizon Forbidden West, butDeath Stranding: Director’s Cutis set to launch on PC on March 30. Fans have known about the game’s existence for a while thanks to NVIDIA’s database leak last year, but there’s still plenty of reasons for them to be excited about playing it. In an effort to make the open-world game’s re-release as enticing as possible, Kojima Productions has packed it with new mechanics, missions, and content that players should be aware of before jumping in.
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Death Stranding’s Premise
If players have experienced any ofDeath Stranding’s previous releases, they’ll have a good idea of what to expect when theDirector’s Cuteditionmakes its way to PCat the end of March. At its core, Hideo Kojima’s latest title is still an open-world action game, set within a sandbox that’s shaped like a post-apocalyptic approximation of the United States. Players are thrown into the boots of Sam Porter Bridges, a futurist delivery-person played byThe Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus, as he travels across the desolated wasteland with his Bridge Baby buddy.
Even thoughDeath Stranding Director’s Cutadds some significant new content to the mix, players will still spend most of their time sneaking past ghost-like BTs as they navigate through the game’s harsh terrain. While they do so, they’ll be treated to a story that feels like a tragic realization of the warnings Hideo Kojimaembedded into his previousMetal Geartitles. In a world that’s succumbed to apocalyptic disaster, the creator’s love for geopolitical thrillers and sci-fi adventures shines through brighter than ever. What’s on offer might be challenging from a story perspective, but there’s some heartwarming and powerful moments along the way that shouldn’t be missed.
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Death Stranding’s New Content
For theDeath Stranding Director’s Cutrelease, Kojima Productions has tapped into the eccentric energy that frequently defined its previous incarnation’s time with theMetal Gear Solidseries. Most of what’s been added to the experience has been designed to make the task of traversing the open-world’s terrain more enjoyable.
At several points throughoutDeath Stranding’s single-player story,Director’s Cutowners on PC will subsequently get access to new tools and pieces of equipment. These run the gambit from the cannon-like Cargo Catapult, all the way to the Buddy Bot delivery companion. Each has its own undeniable charm, and can shake up the flow of the game significantly.
Extra tools, that fundamentallyenhance Sam Porter Bridges’ arsenal, aren’t the only new pieces of content being added toDeath Strandingwith theDirector’s Cutrelease. Several new modes have been thrown into the mix as well that offer players the chance to indulge in recreational activities between deliveries.
For example, a shape-shifting Race Track can now be built and played with towards the second half of the game. The ability to try outDeath Stranding Director’s Cut’s newest weapons, gear pieces, and customization options at a firing range, is arguably the most welcome addition though. Accessible at most major terminals, this location also offers a wide array of challenges that are unlike anything else seen in the game.
Rounding out the new content inDeath Stranding Director’s Cutare the extra missions that have been added to the game. While each of the new weapons and delivery tools come with their own side-quests, there’s only one chain of missions that really has any story significance. These can be accessed early on from the Distribution Center west of Capital Knot City, and revolve around a mysterious Ruined Factory. What these extra story missions lack in terms of length, they more than make up for it in terms of content. Beyond enjoyablecall-backs toMetal Gear Solid, some story seeds are planted that could be big forDeath Stranding’s future as well.
Death Stranding’s PC Upgrades
Even thoughDeath Stranding’s original PC release was already comparable to the enhanced experience available on PS5, the platform’sDirector’s Cutedition will feature even more technological advancements. For starters the game is set to be one of the first to take advantage ofIntel’s new upscaling technology XeSS, which should produce impressive graphical results for early adopters.
In general,Death Stranding Director’s Cut’s PC publisher 505 Games has promised that the upcoming release will be the definitive experience from a technical perspective. Faster load times, smoother frame rates, ultrawide monitor support, and improved graphical effects, have all been confirmed to be aspects of the experience. So far though, there’s been no acknowledgment thatSony’s DualSense controller will be fully supported. This suggests that while it will still be usable, PC players shouldn’t be surprised if the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that defined the PS5 version are missing in an official capacity.
In a welcome turn of events though, it has been confirmed that an upgrade path will be available on the platform that’s akin tothe one on PlayStation consoles. Provided that players have the original game installed on their PCs, the option to buy theDirector’s Cutfor $9.99 will be available on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Just like on PS5, any existing save file will be transferable over for good measure too. Alternatively, if the latest re-release of Kojima’s hit is the first time that a player is looking to buy intoDeath Stranding, theDirector’s Cutedition will set them back $39.99 instead.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cutis available on PS5, with the PC version releasing on Jul 15, 2025.
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