Episode 1 Section 1: The President of Jack Shit

Your first main game contract in Death Stranding Director's Cut! Learn how to navigate the ruins of Capital Knot City and deliver the President's final request.

Alright, so you've woken up in a bit of a bind, handcuffed to a bed. Classic Sam. Deadman, the doc in red, is here to fill you in. He mentions Central Knot City and a few other places, but honestly, don't sweat the geography too much right now. The important thing is that the Death Stranding has messed things up big time, and these cities might be new names for old impact craters – which, yeah, is probably not a great sign for why they got wiped out.

Deadman also shows you the cuff link on Sam's wrist. Think of it as your all-in-one tool: it'll bring up your map, your data, and keep you connected to the other Bridges folks. Now, some might find it handy to have constant contact, but honestly, it can get a little much. Imagine trying to plan a delivery route, and suddenly an NPC pops in to tell you their feelings about your job. Sam's not exactly thrilled about being watched 24/7, and frankly, who can blame him? Sometimes you just need some peace and quiet out in the wilderness.

The main event here is your first real contract: the President of the United States wants to see you. And for some reason, you need to make a delivery to make that happen. Weird, right?

After that chat, you'll head up the elevator and finally get control of Sam. You'll be carrying some morphine. You can carry it in your hand, but trust me, it's way better to put it on your back. Holding something in your hand means you have to hold the button down the whole time, and while there are times you'll need to do that for fragile items, it's usually more trouble than it's worth.

Head up the ramp and across the road. Deadman's gonna pop up again – see? Annoying cuff links. He'll tell you to check your map (press Options) and your compass (press L1). He's pretty insistent, reminding you every time you take a few steps. Sam's got the patience of a saint here, not telling him to back off.

Don't worry about any Lost Cargo or side missions right now; this is a straight shot. You won't be graded on time or distance, so take your time and look around the ruins. It's a bit of a ghost town vibe, with phone booths everywhere. Kind of odd for a mid-21st century American city, but hey, it's Death Stranding.

If you just want to get to your destination, cross the road and bear right. You'll see a big red 'Off Limits' hologram blocking one path. Take the road to the left that slopes down. You'll go into the ruins, under a freeway, passing all those phone booths.

Make a right, then a left, and you'll see your destination up ahead. It's a pretty straightforward run into what looks like an isolation ward, where sick people are kept. You might even spot a few orange Corpse Disposal trucks as you go.

Back to cutscenes now. You'll get a look inside the Knot city, outside of Sam's private room. Deadman and Die-Hardman, the President's right-hand man, are there. Then you meet the President herself, who's unfortunately dying of cancer. Her big task for Sam? Help rebuild America. After she passes, you'll see Mama's chiralgram and Heartman, two characters you'll be seeing a lot more of.

With the President gone, Deadman and Die-Hardman have to figure out how to handle things. Die-Hardman's plan to hide her death feels a bit shady, but they need to get the body out of town, and Sam's now officially roped into another contract.