The haunting art behind Death Stranding’s gear and ghouls

It has been months since I played Death Stranding, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about some of the details: the satisfying way Sam Bridges packs up metallic cases and then carries them on his back; the nightmarish, tar-like monsters that emerge when you’re spotted by the ghostly BTs that dot the landscape; and the almost adorable robotic arm that does everything from sense ghosts to calm down babies. It’s a weird mix of supernatural and mechanical that’s pretty unforgettable.

That shouldn’t be too surprising, though. Hideo Kojima and his teams are known for their robust world-building and almost fanatical attention to detail, both of which are on full display in the post-apocalyptic realm of Death Stranding. If, like me, you find yourself still thinking about Sam, Fragile, and BB, you’ll probably want to dig into the new book The Art of Death Stranding from Titan Books, which is available today.

Unlike the game, the art book isn’t particularly verbose. There are a few captions but no big explanations or essays about what went into designing the game’s world. Instead, it lets the images speak for themselves. It’s divided into two main sections — characters and locations — and within those, you’ll find a lot of more specific chapters, ranging from early sketches of Sam to the art the inspired Death Stranding’s desolate cities to the wonderfully functional-looking mech, vehicle, and gear designs. Particularly interesting are some of the unused designs, like a sleek grenade that could trigger holograms.

You can get a sense of what’s inside with this collection of exclusive art taken from The Art of Death Stranding, which covers some of the creature and character designs in the game. There are floating jellyfish, undead whales, and gold skull masks — just the thing to make you want to jump back into Kojima’s haunting world.

© 2019 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Death Stranding is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Created and developed by Kojima Productions. Manufactured under license from Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.