What's the difference between Death Stranding Director's Cut and Standard Edition?

The Epic Games Store's grand Christmas Day free offering was Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding, but a gaffe occurred when the platform first put the Director's Cut up for grabs and later replaced it with the Standard Edition. This error resulted in enraging the gaming community at large.

Epic Games Store has continued its yearly tradition of giving away free games during the holidays. This December 25 was earmarked for the free availability of the polarizing title, Death Stranding. Dataminers, early on, had hinted that the Director's Cut version would be made available on the distribution platform.

For a while, that did seem to be the case. But soon, Epic Games Store buckled under the strain of a massive number of players trying to claim the title before it eventually crashed. Players soon noticed that the free offering was changed to the Standard Edition of the game with the Director's Cut then made available at a discounted price.

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What's different about Death Stranding Director's cut?

The phrase director's cut refers primarily to a version of films, video games, and TV episodes that wholly represent or reflect the director's vision, editing, and approval. This version differs from the theatrical release of the product.

Death Stranding was released in 2019 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive and made its way to PC the following year. As mentioned above, the reception to the action-adventure title was polarizing, with some gamers calling it a walking simulator and others, a genre-defying game that pushes the very boundaries of its medium.

Irrespective of the reviews, Death Stranding was a typical Kojima title, boasting of his uncanny signature style, esthetics, and prophetic powers. To many, the game seemed to perfectly anticipate the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges, is given the task of making his way across the vast post-apocalyptic expanse of America plagued by strange beings and phenomena. The goal of his arduous journey is to reconnect various parts of the country by making deliveries and bringing isolated settlements back into the fold.

Touted as the 'Definitive Experience', the Director's Cut was out on PlayStation 5 in September 2021 and on PC in March 2022. It introduced new graphics options, a Widescreen Mode, and DualSense support that made exploring the overworld of the game much more immersive. On PC, purchasable upgrades include the option of a high frame rate and ultra-wide monitor support.

The Director's Cut adds multiple new items, abilities, features, and mods to other games like Valve's Half-Life series and CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077. The upgrade introduced the new Maser Gun, Support Skeleton, Cargo Catapult, Buddy Bot, Jump Ramp, and Roadster.

It also added a new Firing Range for players to test their skills, and a Race Track, allowing players to compete in time trials and races. The Director's Cut also includes new story missions to Death Stranding, revolving around The Ruined Factory. Furthermore, it allows for boss battles to be replayed.