Thanks to the launch ofDeath Stranding: Director’s Cuton PS5 last week, both new and returning players are setting out to explore the open-world game turned mail-delivery simulator. Just like the re-release of Sucker Punch’sGhost of Tsushima: Director’s Cutin August, a laundry list of extra features and revisions have been thrown into the mix to ensure that this latest incarnation of the game is arguablythe definitive version of Kojima Productions' vision.
One of the quirkier additions to theDeath Strandingexperience, which caught the attention of a lot of people in the run up to the release of theDirector’s Cut, is the newly buildable Buddy Bot. While it’s true that visually identical robots were present within the original game, they would be set out on their own deliveries, while this latest model functions more as Sam’s own personal traveling companion. Not only does the robot add an almost comedic charm to an otherwise oppressive apocalyptic setting, but it also diversifies the gameplay of Hideo Kojima’s creation in meaningful ways, too.
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How to Unlock the Buddy Bot
Before players can experience the benefits of having a loyal robotic sidekick, they first have to unlock its services withinthe PS5’sDeath Stranding: Director’s Cut. Each of the newly introduced structures and items have been incorporated into the narrative at various incremental points, presumably to avoid the difficulty of the game being tipped too heavily towards the easy side of things. This ensures that unless players are transferring and using a completed save file, some story progression is likely going to have to be achieved before most of the latest additions can be tested out.
In terms of the Buddy Bot specifically, the mission that’s tied to unlocking it becomes available at the same time Request No. 41 pops up during Episode 5. Traveling to the Central Region’s distribution centre south of Lake Knot City after this point allows players to undertake Request No. 83. While the mission to retrieve an injured porter is rather simplistic by Kojima Productions' standards, a group of enemy MULES and deep gorges do admittedly stand in the way of progress.Procuring a Reverse Trikeand ensuring a handful of helpful bridges have been strategically placed across the region will greatly speed up the process though, to the point where the mission can easily be completed in under 5 minutes.
After the stranded porter has been brought home safely, the player is given the blueprints to build their own Buddy Bot. In terms of exposition and lore building, little is given away as to how the prototype autonomous delivery robot was designed, other than the fact that the aforementioned porter was seemingly en route to deliver the final plans. While the first Buddy Bot isgiven to Sam for free, it should be noted that if it falls foul of the apocalypse for any reason, 280 resin, 120 metal, and 240 chemicals will allow the player to make a new one.
Using the Buddy Bot
Even though the specific circumstances of the Buddy Bot’s creation are shrouded in mystery, its functionality and gameplay benefits withinDeath Stranding: Director’s Cutare a little more obvious. Ostensibly, the robotic sidekick is a more emotive combination of the Floating Carrier and Delivery Bots that have been in the game since the beginning, with its main purpose in life being to help carry or deliver the player’s cargo. Unlike the aforementioned tools though, the Buddy Bot can physically transport Sam through the landscape as well. Placing a marker down within the map from this position will prompt the robot to set off in that direction of its own volition, much like the autotravel feature that’s popped up in games likeRed Dead Redemption 2.
How reliable the Buddy Bot is beyond this handy fast travel ability has already become a topic of debate amongstDeath Stranding: Director’s Cutowners. While the robotic assistant is capable offollowing or taking Norman Reedus' Samover flat terrain with almost frightening Terminator-esque efficiency, adding obstacles to the equation confuses its pathfinding on most occasions. The robot also has no defense against BTs or MULES, can only function within the confines of the Chiral Network, and will only ever attain the player an A-Rank on deliveries it’s sent out to complete thanks to its slow top speed.
If anything, the Buddy Bot’s struggles withDeath Stranding’s mountains, rocks, complex geometry, and harder scenarios, arguably accentuate its awkward robotic charm. In a game that’s all about isolation and the fall of humanity, having any form of companion within that setting is a benefit that more than makes up for any shortcomings. To get the most out of the newest addition, it’s recommended that players either plan out a route that’s not too challenging for the Buddy Bot, or that they utilize constructs like ziplines, which the robot is capable of using thanks to a slightly disturbing ability to sprout arms from its torso.
