Death Stranding gameplay shows Norman Reedus eating bugs, pulling faces, and customising gear

Death Stranding
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)

Yet more Death Stranding gameplay was shown at the close of the Tokyo Game Show 2019, and this time around we got a tour of the Safe House...things got a little weird... again. The biggest takeaway is that Norman Reedus will punch you in the face if you stare at his crotch for too long, because of course he will. But the gameplay also gave us a look at some other features such as customisation options and... being able to eat bugs that float in a jar. 

The Safe House area we get to see is set to be a little private spot where you spend your time in between missions. I guess Sam (aka Reedus) does need to take a break between all that walking, after all. Hideo Kojima ran through the features of the Safe House and showed off Sam as he messed around in front of a mirror and took selfies. From smacking his face, to sticking his tongue out, it looks like you can make Sam piss about in more ways than just... well, actually peeing. 

This area also appears to be the go-to place for customising all of your gear. Kojima showed off the different colour options of Sam's backpack, as well as switching up the shade of the cap he can wear as he walks about in the wild. You're also able to access your weapons in this area, and get Reedus to try on his shades to add some more coolness to your indoor shenanigans. 

In the Safe House Sam can also interact with BB, who appears to mimic everything Sam does. You can also take a shower when Sam is a bit grimy from his escapades in the wild, look at a map to check out main missions and read mail, and use a music player. Oh, and of course you can get him to eat some weird floating bugs. As nutritious as I'm sure they are, the crunch they have to them is a little... off-putting.

(Image credit: Kojima Productions)

The gameplay ends with Sam heading out into the wild to take a mud bath with his fresh new look, and just before we see Mads Mikkelsen's character Cliff toasting with a glass of champers from BB's viewpoint. With peeing, bathing, and now eating bugs and messing around in the mirror, the gameplay in Death Stranding certainly keeps surprising us. Who knows what else we'll get up to when it releases on 8 November, 2019. 

Here's 54 things you missed from the Death Stranding gameplay stream, from blood grenades to Norman Reedus singing in a hot spring

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at 12DOVE. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good. 

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