With all the excitement building up for Death Stranding 2, I’ve jumped back into the first game and have been reflecting on some control issues I’d love to see addressed in the sequel. Specifically, while I enjoy playing as Sam when he’s light on gear, I find the controls can get a bit wonky during combat scenarios. I understand that the game focuses more on exploration than combat, but sometimes it feels like there’s a lack of awareness about when I’m trying to fight versus when I’m just trying to walk around. For instance, I can’t count how many times I’ve accidentally punched a truck when trying to drive it! And then there’s the awkward moments when you’re near a cliff trying to balance but end up falling off because you hit the command to climb down too early. To me, it would make sense to disable certain melee actions unless you’re actually in combat. Or maybe they could implement a combat toggle so the controls change based on what’s happening in the game? I’ve seen in trailers that Sam might be able to take off his backpack to fight, so that could be a hint toward this kind of system. What do you all think? Are there other control issues you hope get resolved in the sequel?
5 Answers
I get your frustrations, but I personally haven’t had too many issues with the controls aside from the accidental punches. I do think removing the backpack during combat could work as a toggle. It seems like a logical way to prioritize melee actions during fights, but will that actually happen? We’ll find out when the game drops!
Ladders in Death Stranding have always been a tricky thing for me too. And the vehicle controls could use a little fine-tuning, especially when navigating tighter spaces. Fingers crossed they make some improvements in those areas for DS2!
What platform are you playing on? I use keyboard and haven’t really encountered the same issues. I’m wondering if it’s more of a controller-related problem. Either way, I think making the combat controls different when you’re in non-combat situations could really change the game!
Honestly, I’m with you on the ladder and combat bugs. It feels like the hitboxes could just use a little polishing. There are times I accidentally pick up chiral crystals instead of doing what I want, which is just annoying. It shouldn’t be hard to distinguish those actions a bit better!
Right? If they can tweak the hit detection or how actions trigger, that would help a lot. I just want controls to be smoother, especially when you’re juggling items or trying to climb!
I think every player has dealt with that. Grabbing items off my carrier while trying to stabilize myself drives me nuts! I just wish those contextual actions were clearer. Keeping the combat and exploration distinct would be great.
I mean, I’ve definitely had times where Sam was supposed to aim but ended up grabbing his backpack instead. Totally frustrating! But yeah, if they could just separate those commands like they do in MGSV, that might solve a lot of problems.