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It sounds like a lot has changed in Death Stranding 2 in comparison to its predecessor, with players given newfound freedom to take "a range of approaches to every situation they're faced with," whether they prefer stealth, attacking, or doing things the long way.
Speaking with Edge in issue 411, Death Stranding 2 lead level designer Hiroaki Yoshiike explains that in the first game, "the player's purpose was always to deliver a package from point A to point B, so the enemy's role was purely to disrupt this task." Because of this, "it was essentially a game of tag."
Things have changed in the sequel, however, as director Hideo "Kojima-san wanted a clearer focus on combat, so we wanted to provide players with a range of approaches to every situation they're faced with." That also means that if you want to challenge your inner Metal Gear Solid fan, you can.
Yoshiike continues: "There are three main approaches: stealth, direct combat, or avoiding encounters entirely by navigating rougher terrains, and taking the road less travelled. Players can choose which route they want to take, and we ensured all three approaches were viable throughout the game. We then designed the enemy AI to respond to these different player actions, so there are many more responses beyond just giving chase."
Edge also notes that playing Death Stranding 2, enemies appear to be able to see further, and they'll investigate noises even if they have to travel a long way to do so. Therefore, it sounds like the stealthy approach won't necessarily be an easy one.
