Death Stranding Director’s Cut Cheats & Cheat Codes for Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Windows, and More

Death Stranding, developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, was originally released for the PlayStation 4 in 2019. After its initial launch on the PS4, the game was eventually released on Windows. A Director’s Cut version was released for the PlayStation 5 in 2021. Hideo Kojima directed the game and it’s best known for being Kojima’s first project after his split from Konami.

Kojima is a recognizable name in the world of gaming partially thanks to his work on the Silent Hill franchise. Konami and Kojima were working on Silent Hills, which received a playable trailer known simply as P.T. in 2014. Sadly, Kojima split from Konami in 2015, ending any progress on the new Silent Hills title. After Kojima left, fans worried that the Silent Hill franchise would never get new content. After last year’s Silent Hill Instant Transmission, those worries have finally been put to rest.

Due to Death Stranding being the first Kojima Productions game to be released after the cancellation of Silent Hills, many fans made the mistake of assuming that Death Stranding would be like the Silent Hill franchise. Many fans desperately wished to associate the two games, lifting Death Stranding up to be a sort of spiritual successor to the Silent Hills game that never was. Unfortunately, the games have nothing to do with one another. Silent Hill as a franchise has built itself up to be one of the grandfathers of the survival horror genre. Death Stranding, on the other hand, is an open-world action game.

Death Stranding received mixed responses from players and critics upon release. While plenty of publications praised the game, like GameSpot.com giving it a 9 out of 10 and calling it “superb”, other renowned gaming sites, like IGN, weren’t so nice. IGN rated Death Stranding a 6.8 out of 10 and said, “Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight.” This seems to be the most common complaint about the game. Players and critics give it credit for its interesting ideas and well-executed concepts, but many complained about the frustrating gameplay and slow-paced plot.

Death Stranding Premise

The name of the game, Death Stranding, refers to a cataclysmic event that resulted in Beached Things (BTs) roaming freely. Beached Things are invisible creatures that come from “the Beach”, a mysterious place linked with the afterlife. In reality, the Beached Things that come from this strange, ever-changing land are actually undead people made through necrosis. When BTs consume living people, they create a “voidout”, a nuclear bomb-level explosion. The explosion isn’t the only disaster caused when such an event occurs. It also produces “Timefall” rain which rapidly ages everything below it. These catastrophic events forced surviving populations to live in remote colonies known as “Knot Cities.” These settlements make up what’s left of the United States, which becomes known as the United Cities of America (UCA).

The remaining population are in quite a dilemma, as they still need resources and goods in these remote cities. BRIDGES is the company that steps up to the plate. Not only do they provide carriers that brave the harsh dangers of the world outside the cities, but they also become an integral part of the United Cities government. BRIDGES’ porters go to some extreme measures to avoid the free-roaming BTs, including carrying around a “Bridge Baby” (BB). These Bridge Babies are premature children more or less stuck in a state between life and death. They were never “born” so they aren’t alive, but they never died either. Porters carry the BBs in pods with them, because they can help identify the presence of a BT.

Death Stranding follows the main protagonist Sam Porter Bridges, a freelance courier on a job to Central Knot City. Naturally, as things often go for video game heroes, a routine job ends in catastrophe. Sam is forced to take shelter before reaching the city because of a Timefall and he has to escape a BT on his way to Central Knot City. Once he reaches the city, he’s pulled into even more hardship when he’s forced to deal with a corpse on the verge of necrosis.

Death Stranding Main Characters

Sam, the main protagonist, is portrayed by AMC’s The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus (he played Daryl Dixon). Reedus’ appearance in Death Stranding furthered the hype of Death Stranding potentially being a spiritual successor to Silent Hills. At the end of P.T., once players escaped the endless loop of the house, they saw Norman Reedus’ character step out into Silent Hill. Disappointed fans were excited to see Reedus have a section shot at starring in a Kojima video game.

• Sam Porter Bridges: Samuel “Sam” Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) is the main protagonist of Death Stranding. Sam is a porter for BRIDGES and he also has DOOMS, a condition that sometimes allows living people to sense, see, and sometimes even control BTs. DOOMS can also manifest powers within a person, like teleportation, for example. People with DOOMS are the best candidates to become porters because they’re braving the dangerous world outside the cities regularly, meaning they will likely come in contact with BTs and the devastation they leave in their wake. Sam is a key player in the Chiral Network expansion, a communication network designed to connect all of the Knot Cities. Sam, unfortunately, struggles with humanity. He spends most of his time alone and after a tragic childhood that left him feeling neglected by his mother, Bridget Strand, and the suicide of his wife. He learns to stay disconnected from people. Sam does, however, form a close-knit bond with his bridge-baby, BB-28. He also has aphenphosmphobia, meaning he has a fear of being touched or forming intimate bonds.
• Samantha America Strand: Samantha America Strand, more commonly known as Amelie, is Sam’s “adoptive sister”, but Amelie is so much more than that. She is the sixth extinction entity and in her early 20s, she developed cancer. Her “ka” (her soul) and her “ha” (her body) separated during the surgery designed to save her life. Amelie’s ka woke up on the Beach, while her ha went on to become President Bridget Strand. Amelie’s ka and ha were always aware of one another’s existence despite the separation and Amelie became publicly known as Bridget Strand’s daughter, as part of a fabricated story to present to the public. Amelie saved Sam from the Beach as a baby and sent him back to the real world, where Bridget took him in as her son. In restoring Sam’s life, she accidentally set off Death Stranding by upsetting the balance between life and death.
• Fragile: Fragile owns the Fragile Express company and becomes Sam’s ally on his expedition to the west. Fragile is an interesting character because she was born post-Death Stranding. The only world she’s ever known is the apocalytpic world overrun by BTs. Her parents named her after their company, Fragile Express, which she would one day own. Fragile was born with DOOMS, which allowed her to stay strong in the miserable world state. Her parents created Fragile Express with the hopes of helping the country heal and return to the way it once was. After her father’s death and her mother’s abandonment, she took over. After her takeover, Higgs Monaghan merged his courier company with hers.
• Higgs Monaghan: Higgs Monaghan, also known as the Man in the Gold Mask, is the main antagonist of Death Stranding. At first, he started out as a porter who eventually became a close business partner of Fragile, even going as far as to merge his business with Fragile Express. Eventually Higgs met Amelie and became obsessed with her power. Higgs believed that she was the only person with the ability to save America. Higgs became Amelie’s herald, so to speak, but he grew tired of waiting for her plans to work. Unwilling to wait, Higgs unified and became the leader of the Homo Demens, a terrorist organization with a mission to destroy the UCA. Higgs poses as Sam’s biggest obstactle throughout the game, as he attempts to impede Sam’s expedition to the west.

Death Stranding Titles in the Series

Currently, 2019’s Death Stranding (and the Director’s Cut) is the only title in the series. Death Stranding 2, a sequel to the original game, is in the works, though. Kojima confirmed at the 2022 Game Awards that Death Stranding 2 is in production, but the game doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet. Vague guesses indicate that the game may be out in 2024 or 2025, but nothing has been set in stone. The 2022 Game Awards did deliver a Death Stranding 2 world premier trailer.

Titles in the series:

• Death Stranding (2019)
• Death Stranding: Director’s Cut (2021)
• Death Stranding 2 (in production)

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut Cheats & Trophies

Since Death Stranding was originally created for the PlayStation 4, and the Director’s Cut was released on the PlayStation 5, it doesn’t support cheats or cheat codes. As most console gamers know, modding or using unintentional cheats on consoles is exceptionally difficult. Developers usually need to build in hidden cheat codes for players to find, memorize, and utilize, like the original Dead Space cheat codes. For gamers looking to cheat or use exploits to make the game easier, they won’t find much.

PC players can try mods and trainers if they want to. Console players won’t be able to use these sort of downloads, but there are some floating around for Windows users. Wemod.com has a Death Stranding trainer that includes over 22 cheats that makes the game much easier. These cheats include things like unlimited health, unlimited stamina, unlimited suit battery, no BB stress, super speed, unlimited weight, and no reload.

Despite Death Stranding and the Director’s Cut having little in the way of cheats and exploits, the game does feature plenty of incentives to keep playing. For example, the game features plenty of achievements and/or trophies to work toward. The game also features plenty of fun Easter eggs to find, including Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn. Players will find an Aloy hologram by completing the Craftsman’s deliveries. Death Stranding features plenty of celebirty appearances in addition to Norman Reedus, like Conan O’Brian, Guillermo del Toro, Junji Ito, and Edgar Wright. Kojima even appears multiple times throughout the game. It also has a clear callback to P.T. and the Silent Hill game that never was.

While Death Stranding doesn’t necessarily go out of its way to make the game easier for players, it gives the players plenty of incentive to play, replay, explore, and complete all the side missions.

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut PlayStation Trophies

While other versions of Death Stranding have their own trophies and/or achievements, for the purpose of this guide, let’s take a look at a PlayStation 5 trophy guide for Death Stranding: Director’s Cut.

• Greatest of Great Deliverers – Obtained all Death Stranding trophies.
• Delivering Is What I Do – Complete the prologue: Porter.
• Rebuilding America – Complete Episode 1: Bridget.
• We Need You – Complete Episode 2: Amelie.
• I Won’t Break – Complete Episode 3: Fragile.
• BB… – Complete Episode 4: Unger.
• We’re Whole Again – Complete Episode 5: Mama.
• BBs: A Bridge Between This World and the One Beyond – Complete Episode 6: Deadman.
• “BB” – Complete Episode 7: Clifford.
• Sixty Deaths and Sixty Births in a Day – Complete Episode 8: Heartman.
• The Particle of God – Complete Episode 9: Higgs.
• I’m Your Die-Hardman – Complete Episode 10: Die-Hardman.
• Bring Back My Baby – Complete Episode 11: Clifford Unger.
• She’s waiting for you on the Beach. – Complete Episode 12: Bridges.
• Thank You, Sam – Complete Episode 13: Sam Strand.
• Thanks for Everything – Complete Episode 14: Lou.
• Everyday Delivery – Complete a standard order.
• Deliveries Done – Complete 36 standard orders.
• Birth of a Legend – Complete at least 10 unique premium deliveries in each order category with an evaluation of “Legend,” “Legend of Legends,” or “Legend of Legends of Legends.”
• Growth of a Legend – Complete at least 20 unique premium deliveries in each order category with an evaluation of “Legend of Legends” or “Legend of Legends of Legends.”
• A Helping Hand – Issue your first supply request.
• The Automation Revolution – Complete a standard order with a delivery bot.
• Apprentice Builder – Complete your first structure (signs, ladders, and climbing anchors also count.)
• Master Builder – Complete at least one of every type of structure (including signs, ladders, and climbing anchors.)
• A New Day for the UCA – Connect your first new affiliate to the UCA.
• In Sam We Trust – Connect all facilities to the UCA.
• Well Connected – Reach connection level three with a facility.
• Best Beloved – Reach the maximum connection level with all facilities.
• Like and Be Liked – Give your first Like.
• The People’s Porter – Reach a total of 2,400 Likes on the Results Screen.
• The World’s Most Popular Porter – Reach a total of 50,000 Likes on the Results Screen.
• Good Samaritan – Deliver your first piece of lost cargo.
• Giver of Gifts – Make your first donation of weapons, equipment, etc.
• Chiral Crafter – Recycle chiral crystals for the first time.
• A Thirst for Knowledge – Restore your first memory chip.
• Fount of Knowledge – Restore all memory chips.
• The Custom Kid – Acquire your first piece of customization data.
• Soak and Sigh – Take your first hot spring bath.
• The Post Guides the Present – Read 100 mails.
• The Past Guides the Present – Read 100 interviews.
• Pathfinder – Help porters through a MULE or terrorist area for the first time.
• Childminder – Reach maximum connection level with BB.
• A Baby Blessing – Get a Like from BB.
• Prominent Porter – Reach Grade 10 in any delivery evaluation category.
• Great Deliverer – Reach Grade 60 in all delivery evaluation categories.
• Catcher Crusher – Defeat a Catcher.
• Snooze ‘n’ Soothe – Heal by sleeping for the first time.
• Boots Are a Porter’s Best Friend – Change footwear for the first time.
• Hooked on Delivering!? – Deliver 700 items of cargo.
• Pumped Porter -Deliver 3,000 kg of cargo.
• Well-Traveled – Travel 80 km and complete an order.
• God Particle Go-Getter – Find Higgs’s home.
• Rest In Pieces – In a BT area, cut an umbilical cord for the first time without the BT noticing.
• Any Porter in a Storm – Trade with another porter for the first time.
• Sleep Tight, Little BB – Soothe a crying BB and stop the crying for the first time.
• A Shout in the Dark – Send a shout-out and have it returned for the first time.
• Public Service Porter – Dispose of chiralium-contaminated cargo in the crater lake for the first time.
• Trail-Blazer – Upgrade all types of structure to the maximum level.
• I Couldn’t Hold it In! – Pee outside for the first time.
• All Roads Lead to the UCA – Complete your first road.
• Soothing Sounds – Use the music player for the first time.
• Building Bridges – Reach Bridge Link Grade 1. Homo Faber – Fabricate all available weapons and equipment.

Death Stranding: Directors Cut Cheats FAQ

Does cheat engine work on Death Stranding?

Yes, players can use Cheat Engine alongisde Death Stranding: Director’s Cut. In order to use mods like Nexus Mods’ Death Stranding Cheat Table, players need Cheat Engine to make it work. To use Nexus Mods’ cheat table, players must have access to Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and Cheat Engine (7.1 or later)

Is the directors cut for Death Stranding worth it?

It’s difficult to answer questions like this because gaming is all a matter of personal preference. Some players may genuinely believe that something is high quality, while other gamers are uninterested. That said, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut actually has a slightly higher rating than the original release. Most critics and players agree that the director’s cut is a solid remaster that cleans up the original game.

For example, IGN rated the original game a 6.8 out of 10, but Death Stranding: Director’s Cut received a slightly higher 7 out of 10. IGN said that the remastered Director’s Cut “is more accessible than the original, but feels like a compromised version of the director’s vision.” Since one of the main complaints of the original game was the gameplay and the slow pacing, the remaster addressed these concerns and attempted to improve on them.

What’s the difference between Death Stranding and Death Stranding Director’s Cut?

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut added a lot of quality of life updates to the game that made the gameplay and pacing a smoother and more enjoyable experience. These updates include changes to the FPS, new explorable areas and maps, and training rooms. There were also new mechanics that made the game easier overall, like the ability to tie down loads the player transports. Most importantly, the game is a remaster for the PlayStation 5. The Director’s Cut looks and feels like a next gen gaming experience, whereas Death Stranding is just a PlayStation 4 game.

How long is Death Stranding Directors Cut?

According to HowLongToBeat.com, the main story will take just under 37 hours. This requires players to solely focus on the main story and not get side tracked by the open world exploration or side quests. A run consisting of the main story and all the side quests will take about 58 hours and a 100% completionist run will take almost double that at 109 hours.

When compared to HowLongToBeat’s entry for the original Death Stranding, players can see that the Director’s Cut did condense some thing. The original main story took 40 hours and a completionist run took 113 hours. This may not seem like a huge time difference, but when taking into consideration one of the main complaints about the original game was the pacing, cutting out some unnecessary bits was a great improvement.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©PlayStation / Kojima Productions.