Death Stranding Secrets and Easter Eggs - References to Metal Gear Solid, Movie, Fourth Wall (Topic)

Hideo Kojima is known as one of the main trolls in the gaming industry, who, despite the general seriousness of his games, does not forget to pour a fair amount of Japanese madness into them. Death Stranding also did not remain without typical Kojima humor, which manifests itself in flirting with the fourth wall, references to its own games and even in some gameplay mechanics. And in this article we will tell you in detail about the secrets and Easter Stranding Easter eggs that you might not have noticed.

You can read about Death Stranding Easter eggs with celebrity cameos and where to find them here.

GAME OVER

The first Death Stranding Easter egg, which can be seen at the very beginning of the game, will probably make the oldfag shed a mean male tear. When Deadman comes to Sam, it is very easy to listen to the explanation of the complex structure of the world of pot-apocalyptic America and skip the inscription "Game Over" behind the character's back, the font of which exactly resembles a similar inscription from the Metal Gear Solid series at the time of the death of the protagonist.

Product placement

In terms of the number of advertising integrations, Kojima's projects may well compete with Timur Bekmakbetov's films. Death Stranding is the best example of this. Let's start with a poster for the popular American TV show Ride with Norman Reedus, which can be seen on the shower stall in Sam's private room. In addition, in the game you can get a special skin for a motorcycle with the name of a TV show, and at one point Sam, while driving a bike, will notice that the motorcycle is so cool that it must appear in Ride with Norman Reedus.

Another example of in-game ads in Death Stranding is the Monster Energy energy drink, which can always be found in abundance on the table in the main character's room. I admit, in my case, the advertisement for Monster Energy did work. Kojima Genius, not otherwise.

Separately, I would like to note another Easter egg in Death Stranding - a skull-shaped tattoo on Sam's arm. In a way, this is also an example of product placement, only this time it is completely unobtrusive. The hidden meaning in this tattoo in the context of the game is not worth looking for, because in fact it is the logo of the real-life Norman Reedus Big Bald Gallery.

Happy Birthday!

As with Metal Gear Solid V, Kojima has prepared Easter Stranding Easter eggs for all birthday people. In the game settings, you can choose the date of your birthday, and when the coveted date comes, Death Stranding will arrange a personal holiday for you. First, you will see a congratulatory letter in your mail, then you will notice a small cake in Sam's room, a little later the hero of Mads Mickelson will appear to you and give you a festive bouquet. And even if this is not enough, then when passing near the generators you will hear another congratulation from the loudspeaker.

Necky the Fox

Kojima is clearly partial to the Japanese gaming edition Famitsu. For example, you might already know that in the game you will be able to meet Hirokazu Hakamura - the former editor-in-chief of the magazine, and now the owner of the Enterbrain publishing house, which specializes in publishing game periodicals. But what's more interesting, on one of the rocks you can see the famous fox Neki, which has been the symbol of the magazine for more than twenty years and received a small cameo in Super Mario Maker.

Moby Dick Studio

If you've followed the gaming industry closely over the past decade, remember Kojima's advertising scam with the creation of Moby Dick Studio? If not, then the bottom line is this: in 2012, a secret development studio called Moby Dick Studio was born, which developed the game The Phantom Pain. Most surprisingly, the first teaser hinted at the development of a new part of MGS, but there was no mention of Kojima or Konami.

The very next year, Hideo admitted that this was part of the advertising campaign for his future game and Moby Dick Studio went to the grave forever ... Until now. Attentive players will be able to find a small secret in Death Stranding, referring to the name of a defunct development studio. In one of his memories, Mads Mickelson's character will drink cognac with the very Moby Dick Studio logo.

A Metal Gear Solid 4 Fight

During the passage you will have to fight many bosses in Death Stranding. Not all bossfights were equally successful, but I would like to dwell on one in more detail. Perhaps Kojima acted unintentionally, but here we saw a clear reference to the fourth part of the legendary spy series: a leisurely exchange of blows, camera staging, epic music and even the design of flickering health bars at the top of the screen like a drop of water resembles a similar battle between Solid Snake and Liquid Ocelot from Metal Gear Solid 4.

Unfortunately, in order to avoid spoilers and in light of the recent release of the game, we have decided not to post a screenshot of this boss fight.

Breaking the fourth wall

What Hideo Kojima definitely cannot refuse is his frequent flirting with the fourth wall, when the gamer himself becomes the protagonist of the game. There will be several such moments throughout the game, but the most memorable in Sam's room. Sam will react to all movements of the camera realistically and, for example, stomp his feet, if you look at the floor, he will sit on his knees to show you “class” with his fingers, and if you start moving the camera up and down, he will start repeating the movements a little later, and much, much more.

But still the funniest moment with breaking the fourth wall will happen if you persistently try to look at Sam's groin area. Having shyly covered himself several times, he will finally hit the camera with a juicy hook, making the screen ripple in the interference. The moral of this fable is: respect your privacy.

Movie, movie, movie!

You can find a real klondike of Easter eggs in Death Stranding if you carefully explore the game world and pick up numerous memory chips that serve as collectibles. Often they feature motorcycles, Kojima Productions mascot figures, but special attention is paid to movie posters, among which you can find movies such as Christina, Godzilla, Crossing and others. No wonder Kojima said that his body is 80% cinema.

See also Death Stranding guides: how to calm BBs and 30 gameplay secrets.

The Topic of Article: Death Stranding Secrets and Easter Eggs - References to Metal Gear Solid, Movie, Fourth Wall.
Author: Jake Pinkman