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Death Stranding Gameplay Footage Shows Off Urination, Baby Soothing Mechanics

Teaser gameplay footage for Kojima Productions' Death Stranding PlayStation 4 game was unveiled at Monday's Gamescom Opening Night Live press conference. The footage showed off the game's urination mechanic, which involves the player character Sam standing and peeing at the ground or object in front of him. A mushroom was shown sprouting from the ground after the urination, inferring that the mechanic will have ramifications on the gameplay.

When asked whether the urination mechanic could be used as a weapon, the game's director Hideo Kojima said, "Yes, it could be used as a weapon, but also it can be one of the keys, and you'll find out later. You saw the mushroom growing? So, if everyone does it in the same spot you will have something good later on."

Kojima also mentioned that the urination can only be seen from behind; any attempt to move the camera for a front-on view will prompt Sam to move away. It is also not possible for the character to urinate while around other people.

The footage also showed a character with the likeness of The Game Awards presenter Geoff Keighley, who also hosted the press conference. The player character was also shown carrying a baby around. Taking damage also appears to affect the baby companion; after falling partway down a cliff, the character is shown soothing the child using motion control mechanics.

Kojima Productions describes the game:

Besieged by death's tide at every turn, Sam Bridges must brave a world utterly transformed by the Death Stranding. Carrying the stranded remnants of the future in his hands, Sam embarks on a journey to reunite the shattered world one step at a time. What is the mystery of the Death Stranding? What will Sam discover on the road ahead? A genre defining gameplay experience holds these answers and more.

Kojima Productions is developing the game using Guerilla Games' Decima Engine. The game will be an action game, and will have open-world elements with "some degree of freedom." Kojima stated the game's name originates from the phenomenon of cetacean stranding, where dolphins and whales wash up on land and die. While other games offer elements analogous to "sticks" for gameplay, Death Stranding will also offer "ropes" to tie and link players together.

The game will ship on November 8.

Source: The Game Awards livestream on YouTube, IGN (Matt Kim)