Here's The Craziest Way To Play Death Stranding

While pretty odd to begin with, YouTuber Allen Pan decided Death Stranding needed to be even weirder. Pan has a degree in electrical engineering and combined his mechanical know-how with an old treadmill and an off-brand PlayStation 4 controller. The result? The strangest, and maybe healthiest, way to play Death Stranding. 

Pan's setup requires the player to walk to make Death Stranding protagonist Sam Bridges move. Walking might sound easy, but he also thought to simulate the difficulty of carrying an enormous pack filled with deliveries, and sometimes corpses, as Sam does in the game. To use his experimental controller, you must strap into a backpack that literally holds you back. Et voila. A "walking similar walking simulator."

Technically, this jury-rigged fitness adventure was a success, though it made the game intensely difficult. Running requires players to actually run and playing Death Stranding this way is a hell of a workout. When Pan had his buddies try out his new invention, many found themselves unable to catch their breath after a few minutes. This isn't a mod for the faint of heart.

Pan's YouTube video documenting the experience has garnered attention, with some knowledgeable commentators theorizing on how to create a more accurate (and expensive) VR setup. 

"There are "Trueform" curved treadmills designed to work just like that, powered by your own running, so I bet with a little more work you could make it like that," offered one commenter. "Then just adapt the PS4 controls to be handheld like VR controllers (or vice versa) so it's easier to use the controllers while running. And viola! You have a true immersive gaming experience."

While the suggestions sound promising, Pan didn't really invest any money into this build. Hilariously, he found a broken down treadmill and used an off-brand controller so he wouldn't feel bad about ruining a real DualShock controller. Maybe he'll perfect the experience down the road, but the current iteration makes for an intense and effective "strand type exercise."