Although Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is not focused on combat, Kojima Productions still added plenty of new tools and quality-of-life improvements to make fighting both human enemies and BTs more engaging. At first, I appreciated the expanded arsenal and the improved stealth options. But after a few hours in Mexico, I noticed something strange: enemy camps were not fun. Sam's movement still felt limited, enemies spotted me far too easily, and many infiltrations turned into messy head-on fights. I started avoiding camps altogether, which is not a great sign in a game that clearly wants you to engage with them. In 2026, with the game fully updated, that feeling can change instantly once you learn one overlooked mechanic.

Then I discovered a trick that honestly feels like the sequel to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain we never got.

Drop the Backpack, Change the Game

Before infiltrating an enemy camp, find a safe spot some distance away. Hold the Triangle button to drop your entire backpack, then just try moving around. I could not believe the difference. Sam immediately becomes far more agile. You can sprint faster, slide more effectively, and if you have a Battle Skeleton equipped, you can consistently double jump after a sprint. Without cargo encumbering you, enemy detection also becomes more forgiving. In my experience, sneaking into camps and taking down enemies one by one without being spotted finally works the way I wanted it to.

• 🏃 Sprint and slide much faster

• 🦾 Double jump after sprint with a Battle Skeleton

• 👀 Become harder for enemies to spot

• 🎒 Loot weapons and tools directly inside enemy camps

You might ask: won't dropping my backpack leave me without enough items? It is true that only what Sam carries in his suit remains available. But that is hardly a problem—in fact, it is the opposite. If you have ever cleared an enemy camp, you already know how many resources, tools, and weapons are scattered around. You can grab what you need on the spot and use it during the infiltration. This is not a limitation; it is an invitation.

A Nod to Metal Gear Solid

In many ways, this mirrors the premise of the Metal Gear Solid games, where Snake has to procure almost everything he needs on site. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach suddenly becomes that kind of tactical playground. Instead of hauling a huge inventory into every fight, you adapt to what the environment gives you. It adds tension, creativity, and variety to encounters that previously felt flat.

When Not to Drop It

Of course, the backpack trick is not a universal solution. Against BTs, leaving your cargo behind does not help much. Those enemies rely on sound to detect Sam, and fighting them directly rarely rewards you in a significant way. But for boss battles, dropping your backpack can be a lifesaver. The increased mobility makes dodging attacks much easier, and Sam's evasive maneuver while aiming becomes far more useful than when you are weighed down.

Why the Game Doesn't Teach You This

So why does the game not highlight this during the long tutorial sequence in Mexico? I have no idea. Perhaps the developers wanted players to connect the cargo-hauling identity of the series to combat, but the better lesson is that sometimes leaving your burden behind is the smartest tactical decision you can make.

After adopting this habit, my appreciation of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach changed completely. Camps became puzzles to solve. Bosses became movement tests. Most importantly, I stopped seeing the game as a delivery sim with occasional combat and started treating it as a legitimate stealth-action experience.

If you are still slogging through enemy camps and wondering why the combat feels cumbersome, try one thing: drop the backpack. You may be surprised by how much lighter the entire game feels.