Believe it or not, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has an online mode, but it’s not your typical multiplayer experience. It’s something unique that defies the usual notions of what online gaming looks like.
The Strand System Explained
Hideo Kojima describes Death Stranding as a "Strand-type" game, where players forge connections with one another without ever physically meeting.
Using the power of the metaphorical "rope" ( essentially the game’s in-game Network), players can link up and see each other’s creations come to life in a shared instance. For new players, it might sound needlessly complicated, but trust me, it’s not.
The online features in Death Stranding 2 make it stand out from other open-world games, beyond just its “walking simulator” gameplay. The Strand System is arguably the game’s best feature. It adds something special to a world already rich in atmosphere and exploration.
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+ 3If you place a ladder near a river, other players who share your instance can see it and use it. Sometimes you’ll notice paved, trodden paths as you expand the Chiral Network. These show where other players have walked before, giving you a literal path to follow in their footsteps.
This silent cooperation from players across the world makes Kojima’s hiking adventure feel more alive. Even as a lone deliveryman crossing vast continents, you’re never truly alone.
Limitations of the Strand
Interacting with player-made objects lets you forge Strand connections, allowing both players to share structures. But you won’t see everything from every player you've connected with.
That limitation was also present in the first game.
click to enlarge + 3It all comes down to Bandwidth Allocation. The game limits how much player-created content you can see at once. You only get a select few shared connections. On your end, you also have limited bandwidth, so you can’t just cover Australia in ziplines and call it a city builder.
Increasing bandwidth is tied to story progress. You need to access Terminals and expand the Chiral Network to build more. It’s a smart way to prevent excessive clutter and curb potential griefing from players who place bridges or signs that mess with others' paths.
Encourages Positivity
That’s why some of the most useful structures in Death Stranding are roads. Anyone can contribute to them, but they take a lot of work, a topic I covered in a previous piece. Roads drastically improve deliveries, and they’ll appear in other players' instances if they share yours. You won’t see the entire network, so you’ll still need to donate your materials and put in the hard work. But it proves you’re not alone out there. Other players are working in the same world, just out of sight.
click to enlarge + 3The game’s online features are often compared to Dark Souls. While that game lets you see ghosts and leave cheeky messages like “Hidden Path Ahead,” Death Stranding takes a more positive and interactive approach. You earn Likes for your contributions, get encouraged by other players’ signs, and sometimes stumble upon life-saving structures at just the right moment.
The Strand System is a force of quiet positivity. It brings people together as they trek across this shattered world filled with monsters and Troy Baker’s Higgs. Kojima has refined the system in the sequel, making cooperation feel more meaningful and rewarding than ever.
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