Death Stranding guide: from weapons, preppers, and cameos to birthdays and more

This Death Stranding guide is an essential companion to the game, as there's a lot to figure out and not all of it is particularly intuitive. If you want to make progress through Kojima's delivery simulator then you need to understand the various systems involved, whether you're revisiting the game after a long break or checking it out for the first time in preparation for the launch of Death Stranding 2 later in 2025. Along the way you'll have maps to reveal, various items of gear to unlock and master, preppers to find out in the wilderness... and you even need to choose a birthday! That's a lot to be dealing with, so a guide to Death Stranding is just the ticket to making things easier for yourself, so we've got the basic info covered through to the more detailed stuff you'll need to learn along the way.

How to transfer a PS4 save to PS5

If you want to know how to transfer a Death Stranding PS4 save to PS5 you're probably not alone as there isn't an immediately obvious option when first fire up the game. To find it you'll have to get into the game, look in a particular menu and be standing in a specific place. Then there's the matter of what will and won't carry over, with some PS4 to PS5 changes meaning a few things will be lost or changed in some way. 

Tips

Not sure where to start? These Death Stranding tips will get you off on a good footing with the game. From the basics of getting around and dealing with BTs to what gear you really need and how best to use it.

DOOMS Birthday

Right at the start of the game you'll be asked about your Death Stranding birthday, which the game says will affect your DOOMs ability. Quite how, or the results, are never really explained but check this run down of what it all means so you're not guessing blind. 

Ending

if you don't understand the Death Stranding ending or just want to know what was going on, then this will explain it all. What it meant, things you might have missed, and everything else laid out and easy to make sense of. 

Aphenphosmphobia explained 

Death Stranding aphenphosmphobia is never really explained in the game, although the idea is obvious - Sam Porter doesn't like to be touched. Why, or what that means is all explained here. 

Fast travel

While this is mostly a game about going places slowly, Death Stranding fast travel does exist. It doesn't unlock immediately though, so if you want to know how it works and when it kicks in then read this.  

Weapons 

It'll take some time but you will eventually get some Death Stranding weapons to play with. Guns aren't unlocked until later in the game, so this explains where and when you get them. There are also some options and upgrades off the critical path you might want to seek out.

Cameos

As well as the famous faces in the main cast, there are Death Stranding cameos everywhere in the world. Many of the different Preppers you'll meet as you make deliveries are scanned from real life celebs, and we've got them all here if you want to track them down. 

How to get more likes

Knowing how to get more likes in Death Stranding is vital to progress, as it counts towards leveling up you character and abilities. It's a woolly system though, so we've cleared up the basics to help you be more loved. 

Holograms

As you play you'll unlock Death Stranding holograms, as well as see them out and about in the world. The game never really tells you what to do with them though and you can't even use them until a certain point, so we've explained all that here. 

EX grenades 

Death Stranding EX grenades are the first (sort of) weapon you unlock in the game. These throwables are meant to be used against BTs but are never really explained. You're just told to try them out, which we've done here if you're not sure what the deal is.

Preppers, gear, and upgrades  

There are a lot of Death Stranding preppers, gear, and upgrades to track down if you want to unlock all the gear in the game. Most of these people will be discovered as you play the story, but a few are left out and you don't know what rewards they have until you unlock them. So we've got all the details for you here.