Warning - This article delves deep into some of the main plot points ofDeath Stranding.Provided players are willing to decode hours of cutscenes and logs,Death Strandingdoes, in fact, have multiple stories to it. Not only does the game focus on the narrative of the Norman Reedus look-alike Sam Bridges, but it also tells multiple tales which center on different characters and the unique world they live in. In this regard,Death Strandingcovers quite a lot of ground for being the first entry to a new IP.
Going back to Sam Bridges, there is quite a lot aboutThe Man Who Deliversplayers don’t know about. The character doesn’t talk very much, and what little there is to know about him is usually told through logs and other characters talking about him. But one sequence during the game’s prologue gives away one of Sam’s biggest secrets regarding his special nature.
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Sam Is Both A Repatriate And A Sufferer Of DOOMS
Early on in the game, players discover that Sam Bridges is a unique individual. Apart from being a Porter - a person who goes around the crumbled remains of America making deliveries - and a physically fit man, Sam also has a few otherworldy traits to him. Samsuffers from level 2 DOOMS- a condition that select people have that gives them a greater connection with the world of the dead. DOOMS sufferers all experience a chiral allergy that causes their eyes to produce tears whenever they come into close contact with either Chiralium or Beached Things (BTs). Those with higher levels of DOOMS can see the invisible BTs as well as manifest unique powers of their own. Fragile, for instance, can jump herself and others through her own personal limbo called a Beach. Having a lower level of DOOMS allows Sam to sense BTs but doesn’t allow him to see them without the aid of a Bridge Baby (BB).
Sam’s second unique trait that is revealed early on is that he is a repatriate, meaning he can come back from the world of the dead. Should Sam die, his soul will always find its way back to his body from The Seam - a sort of purgatory where living beings pass before they enter the afterlife. On top of being an integral plot point, Sam’s nature as a repatriate explains why players never die during gameplay. Sam’s first death inDeath Strandingoccurs when he is caught in a voidout explosion caused by aBT devouring a Corpse Disposal Team member called Igor. Igor and the members of the Corpse Disposal Team die, with Sam and Igor’s Bridge Baby being the only survivors of the event.
Sam’s First Repatriation In The Game Shows His True Nature
It is during this first death that players can catch the first glimpse of Sam’s past. As his soul returns to his body from The Seam, Sam experiences a vision where he is being carried by a man. Players discover later on that this man is Cliff Unger - a former United States Army Special Forces Captain and more importantly, Sam’s father.Cliff died trying to rescue Sam from the organization called Bridges, which was trying to turn his son into the first Bridge Baby. Sam died as well during his father’s failed rescue attempt but was saved by Amelie and given the ability of repatriation.
ThroughoutDeath Stranding, Sam tells his allies that he has been constantly seeing visions of what he thinks are memories of Igor’s BB. What he doesn’t realize is that his first vision occurs when he is not connected to the BB. While on screen it seems as though there is a Bridge Baby inside Sam’s body, this could be a symbol of his past nature as one. What he is seeing during select cutscenes and load screens are his own memories of his father and what happened during his time at Bridges as an infant. As it turns out,Amelie and the rest of Bridges weren’t able to erase Sam’s memoriesof his past and his connection to Cliff Unger.
It’s a small detail but one that fans of the game will notice and appreciate if they play through the game again.Death Strandingis a game that makes more sense with succeeding playthroughs and Sam’s first repatriation is just one of many instances where players can fully appreciate it the second or third time around. Playing through the game a second time may be difficult, considering there is no new game plus mode, buthopefully the upcomingDeath Stranding 2makes things easier for playersto understand from the get-go.
Death Strandingis available on PC, PS4, and PS5.
