Balance is important in all things, but in Death Stranding it’s pretty much the entire point of the game. Sure you’re putting society back together following a calamity the likes of which only Hideo Kojima could imagine, but really it’s all about putting a bunch of boxes on your back and staying upright until you deliver them to their destination. And whereas other games just take balance as a default position for a standing human being, this one requires some work. Here’s how to maintain your balance in Death Stranding.

How to Maintain your Balance

The first tactic to keep in mind is the one presented to you in the game any time you start to lose balance. L2 and R2 are used by the player to orient Sam and force him to lean one way or the other. By watching Sam as he moves and shifts his own weight, you can usually see which way you’ll want to lean. If you’re walking on the side of a mountain, for example, you’ll want to lean into the angle of the slope. Holding down both L2 and R2 will usually keep your balance if you aren’t sprinting or doing anything too crazy, but that brings us to a few more tips for how to maintain your balance in Death Stranding.

For one thing, don’t stack your pack too high or carry too much weight. Both of these things will be a detriment to your continued balance and can lead to some nasty spills if you aren’t paying too close of attention. Typically things start getting tough to maintain once the stack is above Sam’s head, so try to trim down what you’re carrying if at all possible. You can also rearrange the pack so that it’s better balanced. Just hit Options and hit X to go to the Cargo menu. Tap Triangle to auto-arrange the pack for balance and weight. This will shift some items to Sam’s body or into other pouches, and restack the pack so that it is better balanced overall. Do this whenever you add or remove a piece of cargo to make sure your journey won’t be interrupted by a big fall.

Outside of this there’s a few options, but most rely on mid to late game items you won’t have early on. Power Legs or a Stabilizer attachment for your pack will unlock for you during the course of the adventure. If you don’t have them yet just keep playing, but remember that the campaign is a long one so be ready to wait awhile. And there are of course vehicles you can drive which don’t really rely on you maintaining your balance.

These are our current best tips for how to maintain your balance in Death Stranding. More may come up as the community digs into the game and figures out its many secrets. If you have further questions or tips of your own be sure to let us know.

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