Author: Trafficblast

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Death Stranding is a game about forming bonds with many characters across the ruins of North America. As Sam Porter Bridges, you’ll deliver various cargo to survivors to expand a communication network that will restore the United Cities of America, and reconnect its isolated citizens. It can be a daunting task, and you’ll no doubt meet countless survivors–known as preppers–throughout your journey. However, there are a few hidden off the beaten path that can be easy to overlook. So if you’re looking to connect every strand in the game, you’ll need to know where to look to these well-hidden preppers.

In this quick guide, we’ll point out a set of interesting preppers that can be easy to miss on your expedition. As you’re delivering cargo to specific people, there’s still plenty of opportunities to explore and take in the sights. If you don’t take the time to explore, it’s possible to complete the game without ever meeting characters like The Collector or the First Prepper in your playthrough. One clue to observe in certain areas is lost cargo directing to places you’re unfamiliar with. This is a solid indication that new preppers are nearby, and you’ll often need to bring them some lost cargo in order to initiate a conversation with them. So with that in mind, here’s where to find the hidden preppers in Death Stranding. If you’re in need of more info on some more tips, check out our guides focusing on combating the MULEs, BT encounters, and how to effectively walk around in the world.

Ludens Fan

One of the more well-known preppers is the Ludens Fan, who’s played by former games journalist Geoff Keighley. Though he’s something of an oddball, he’s a prepper you’ll want to get to know early on. To find the Ludens Fan, you’ll need to travel northeast from Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City in the Eastern Region. His shelter is located past BT territory and up a steep hill, so you’ll need to tread carefully. In the area, you’ll see lost cargo for the Ludens Fan, so be sure to pick them up to begin your dialog with him. Building a relationship with the Ludens Fan earns you a unique holographic sign in the form of a Luden–the Kojima Productions mascot–albeit a more cartoonish take on it.

The Musician

Aside from the Ludens Fan, here is another prepper hidden in the Eastern Region that’s worth paying a visit. Just southwest of the Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City, and beyond the MULE camp, you’ll find a shelter for the Musician by following the river down to the waterfall. Once you get inside, examine the terminal and take on the order, which will take you back outside to pick up some stray items floating in the river. Forming a bond with this prepper earns Sam a harmonica, which he can play while resting to earn some likes from BB. Sam’s companion will even start to dance when Sam plays long enough.

The Collector

Once you’re in the Central Region during Episode 3, you’ll encounter a staggering amount of preppers across the expansive map. To find one of the first hidden preppers in the central region, known as the Collector, you’ll need to head west to the MULEs camp south of the Engineer. Near the MULE camp on the western side of their territory, you’ll see a pathway leading down into the ravine below. The Collector is one of the trickier preppers to reach, as you’ll need to keep an eye out for the signs of where the shelter is located. By observing the cliff-face, you’ll see a sign of a cartoon mascot–which is a reference to the Famitsu magazine. Once you see it, take out a ladder–or use one that’s there–to climb up. After strengthening your bond with the Collector, he’ll give Sam a backpack cover, which protects cargo stored inside his backpack from the effects of Timefall.

Veteran Porter

Another challenging prepper to find in Chapter 3 is the Veteran Porter. Just north of the Timefall Farm in the central region map is the Veteran Porter’s shelter located in the mountains. Though you can make it on foot, you can also reach him with a truck or reverse trike. What makes the Veteran Porter different from other preppers is that he can be particularly challenging to form a bond with. You can find various cargo tagged with his name in the area to start things off, but the best way to improve your social bond with him come from orders you get from preppers later on. Regardless, once you strengthen the relationship up to rank four, you’re given a trinket for your backpack that allows Sam to spot MULEs and fellow porters out in the wild easier.

The Novelist’s Son

In Episode 5, you’ll travel west and head into the marshland on the furthest edge of the Central Region. After making it to the Distribution Center North of Mountain Knot City, make a detour southwest towards the cliffs. Eventually, you’ll find the shelter of the Novelist’s Son. Rank up your standing enough with the Novelist’s Son, and you’ll eventually acquire a new strain of Cryptobiotes, which are far more potent than the average ones and will restore more of Sam’s blood count.

The First Prepper

Without a doubt, The First Prepper in the Central Region is the most difficult person to find in the game. What makes this prepper such a challenge to get to is that they’re located at one of the world’s highest points in the game. In addition to having to climb sheer cliffs, you’ll also have to contend with heavy Timefall snow, which is far more corrosive than normal Timefall.

Before you proceed to this prepper, make sure you come prepared with container repair sprays, an exoskeleton, and a fresh pair of boots. There will be lots of climbing to reach the First Prepper. From the Spiritualist’s shelter, head south up into the mountains. No matter where you approach, you’ll, unfortunately, have a steep climb ahead of you. Use your compass to help guide (by holding L1), as it will pick up the location of the shelter as you get closer to it. When you’ve made it to the top fo the mountain, you’ll eventually come to the First Prepper’s shelter. Deliver any spare cargo you may have picked up from before and send it their way.

We’re just hours away from The Mandalorian arriving on Disney+–which launches on November 12. Before you get a chance to watch the newest entry into the Star Wars universe, you can check out a brand-new sneak peek, which debuted during Monday Night Football on ESPN.

In the latest video, which you can see below, we get to see The Mandalorian spills someone’s drink in a bar. Because of this, the owner of said drink is not happy, but what he doesn’t realize is that this stranger can easily beat him up. What follows is a brief fight scene where these bar patrons get beaten up quickly, and The Mandalorian puts one of them in frozen carbonite. Obviously, that gentleman was his bounty.

The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal as the titular character, Gina Carano as Cara Dune, Carl Weathers as Greef Carga, and Werner Herzog in an unnamed role–although he’s seemingly working for what’s leftover of the Galactic Empire. Nick Nolte is also on the show, and we think he’s playing The Mandalorian’s partner-in-crime, an unnamed Ugnaught.

That’s not the only Star Wars original series headed to Disney+, there is also an Obi-Wan Kenobi series starring Ewan McGregor in the works as well. And that’s not all that’s headed to the streaming service from Star Wars. There are 18 movies and TV shows from the franchise headed to Disney+ on Day One.

Disney+ costs $7 a month or $70 annually, and it can be bundled with ESPN+ and an ad-supported version of Hulu for $13 a month.

The first episode of The Mandalorian arrives on Disney+ on November 12. Episode 2 will land on November 15, and then, every Friday, a new episode of the series will arrive.

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EA’s long-running racing franchise is back with Need For Speed Heat, which puts you in the depths of tuner culture in a fictionalized version of Miami, Florida called Palm City. By the day, you’ll be participating in sanctioned, legal races, but by night, you’ll be watching out for the cops and taking things to the streets. In the gameplay video above, you can see the game in action through the Yoshikazu circuit race for a win in our old-school Mustang.

Car customization is at the heart of tuner culture and Need For Speed Heat alike, and an extensive, yet simplified, upgrade system lets you tinker with your ride in various ways. Gone are car classes as well, and as a result, there are fewer restrictions on what car you can use for races–now you can get more use out of that sweet Nissan Skyline that you tricked out with NOS, side skirts, turbo-chargers, and a ridiculous spoiler. It’s all part of the fun when you’re outrunning cops and going through Heat’s campaign.

Need For Speed Heat is out now on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, and you can try it out for 10 hours if you have EA Access or Origin Access. You can read our initial preview of Need For Speed Heat, but be sure to check back for our full review of the game.