Death Stranding Director’s Cut makes the most of the PS5

Alright, I’m going to make the obvious joke: was there really something cut off from Death stranding? For better or worse, Hideo Kojima’s deeply indulgent post-apocalyptic delivery simulator didn’t feel like it went through heavy modifications. But Kojima himself said he didn’t like the name of this new PlayStation 5 version of the game, dubbed a “director’s cut,” arguing instead that it had simply produced new content for it. So this is it.

In all cases, Death Stranding Director’s Cup is one of the more interesting PS5 upgrades. For $ 10 (if you own the PS4 version), this new edition includes additional missions, improved visuals and performance, more tools and items, DualSense-powered haptic feedback, and 3D audio support. This all adds up to one of the best showcases of PS5 hardware we’ve seen so far.

Already a beautiful game on PS4, Kojima Productions did not have much to do Death stranding seem comfortable on the PS5. The technical improvements are largely related to resolution and performance: there is a 4K quality mode and a slightly less crisp 60 fps performance mode, although the former typically sticks to 60 fps and the latter is still high enough resolution. I normally play games in their performance modes, but a quality mode that doesn’t limit you to 30fps is welcome here.

Another notable addition is the ability to play the game in an ultra-wide aspect ratio. This gives you a wider field of view at the expense of screen space – you have black bars at the top and bottom of your screen, but you can see more of your character’s surroundings. It is a great choice for Death strandingpanoramic views. On my 55 inch TV, however, the image looks a bit small from the distance from the sofa. I think the mode would work better on a larger set – especially if it’s OLED, where the black bars will be less of a problem – or for anyone who uses a smaller TV like the 48in LG CX as a monitor.

Death stranding was the first game I thought of when Sony announced the PS5’s DualSense controller, which has triggers that can provide varying resistance levels. In Death stranding, you spend a lot of time carrying heavy loads on your back and using the trigger buttons to balance the load. With the DualSense, the weight is reflected in the difficulty of pulling the trigger, giving you a better indication of when you might end up overworking and hurtling down a mountain. The increased precision of haptic feedback also helps transmit the feel of the ground underfoot, as well as weather conditions like rain. Astro’s playroom is still the best DualSense demo, but Death Stranding Director’s Cup is almost as impressive.

This release also includes one of the best 3D audio implementations I’ve heard yet. I’ve found the feature a little underwhelming on most PS5 games so far, for all that Sony has touted the console’s Tempest sound engine. But in Death Stranding Director’s Cup, it really adds to the immersion. The speaking characters in the cutscenes seem to be placed precisely around you, and you can hear from where the ghostly enemies are trying to hunt you down. Definitely worth playing this one with headphones.

The additional content appears to be quite light, although I haven’t been able to play the whole game a second time yet. Many additions are generally original, from a full race mode to a catapult that lets you launch heavy cargo across the landscape, while there are more fundamental tweaks like new hand-to-hand combat moves. I don’t think any of this will change anyone’s opinion of the game, but there is enough new stuff here to make the replay feel fresh.

A free 60fps patch as seen in games like Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last of Us Part II would have been appreciated, but I think the $ 10 upgrade is worth it for any PS5 owner who enjoyed Death stranding on PS4. At $ 49.99 for new players, it’s also a reasonable time to jump into a game that’s really unlike anything else. Death stranding is definitely not for everyone, and it remains the case here, but with this release you get a very complete package that makes the most of its platform.