2019-11-19T16:55:52 01:00

Death Stranding Boss Guide: All bosses explained

In our boss guide to Death Stranding, we explain to you:

Which big GD bosses you have to face
How to kill Cliff aka Mads Mikkelsen three times at once
When you can finally get back at Higgs

In Hideo Kojima's end-time vision, Death Stranding (!), you're not just delivering packages, you're also in for some badass action. In addition to persistent enemies, which we introduce to you in our guide to Mules and GDs in Death Stranding, thrilling boss fights also await you.

Especially your nasty adversary Higgs repeatedly puts powerful GD bosses in your way, which make for impressive battles on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. We'll show you which bosses you'll encounter on your way through the worlds of Death Stranding and how you can send them all back to the beach. So that you also know which triumphs are properly rewarded, also check out our trophy guide for Death Stranding.

Table of Contents

Octopus GD: The first boss fight in Death Stranding

At the end of Episode 2 (Mission 16: Eliminate GD), Higgs surprises you in Port Knot City and introduces you to his many-armed GD friend. After the cutscene with the charismatic villain, things continue smoothly and you find yourself in a huge sea of black tar.

The Octopus moves around in the black liquid, which also has buildings, shipwrecks and vehicles floating in it. If it submerges, the Odradek scanner will tell you the direction in which it is moving. With its powerful tentacles, it also smashes some objects that stick out of the sea - so always keep moving.

Fight your way out of the black liquid and jump onto the floating objects using the X button (PS4). From there, throw blood grenades at the GD. We 'll show you how to use them in our Death Stranding weapon guide.

If you hit the GD, it will squirm for a moment. Use this moment for another attack and make your way to the next roof or building right after. If you don't have enough blood grenades with you, keep an eye on the surroundings. There are enough grenades and blood bags lying around.

If the Octopus gets too close to you, it will try to grab you. You will notice the impending attack by its brightly flaring mouth. Don't let it catch you and run away immediately, because this attack will finish you off right away.

Combat Veteran: The first fight with Mads Mikkelsen

The Combat Veteran (later Clifford Unger), played by Mads Mikkelsen, is first encountered in Episode 4, where you'll find him on a World War I battlefield - one of the few settings where you can use sharp weapons without hesitation.

The Combat Veteran moves through the trenches under the protection of his soldiers and is a bit more reserved with attacks than his helpers. Once you've killed a few of the soldiers, Unger will summon more enemies. Therefore, concentrate your attacks especially on the leader himself.

If you attack him with grenades, he will dodge to the side. If he is lying on the ground, fire volleys at him or throw more grenades at him. If you weaken him enough, his group will fall apart and he will retreat.

Track him down with the help of the Odradek and continue attacking him with Assault Rifle and anything lethal you have in your repertoire. In total, you'll have to chase the Combat Veteran and his spawn across the map four times.

Boss GDs in Death Stranding: The Golden Lion

In mission number 46, which you have to fulfill in episode 5, you are supposed to transport Mama on your back to Mountain Knot City. Of course, Higgs doesn't miss this opportunity and sends an imposing GD l ion after you.

Like the Octopus GD, the lion moves smoothly through the black liquid and dives into it from time to time. Only this time, the odradek doesn't show you the direction in which the GD moves underwater. This makes it a bit more unpredictable.

The lion GD is also good on land, running towards you and hitting you with its paw. Use the associated run-up phase and throw a blood grenade in its face. During the race, the GD can't dodge and stops when it gets hit.

Always keep moving on the plateau, even if it's not easy to keep your balance with mom on your back. Counter balance problems by holding the L2 and R2 keys (PS4) at the same time.

A hit with a ray shot will cause the lion to shake you quite a bit. Therefore, don't let it hit you and throw a blood grenade at him while he charges the beam. Shots with the anti-GD rifle also have their effect.

Death Strandings Combat Veteran: Round Two

The tenacious Cliff will also encounter you in Episode 7 as the Combat Veteran. This time you'll meet him in a World War II setting and chase after him and his minions once again.

Follow the same pattern as you did in your first encounter. This time Unger will endure a bit more, so search the surroundings for useful items before starting. His soldiers will now also throw stun grenades at you. Take cover from them in the ruins.

During the hunt for Unger, soldiers with rocket launchers will also attack you. Take them out in order not to come under too much fire. Also in round two you have to chase Unger four times and shoot him down.

Higgs and the GD Giant in Death Stranding

During mission number 63 in Episode 9, Higgs wants to take you out for good with the help of a giant GD. However, the size of the monster makes it an easy target. Equip yourself with blood grenades, the anti-GD handgun and the remote-controlled grenade launcher to finish off the giants.

The giant GD's movements and attacks are rather ponderous and easy to avoid. If he does catch you with his long ropes, shake them off with the square button on your DualShock 4 controller (!). If he sticks his huge arm into the tar, sprint away to the side to escape the following projectiles.

The monster also keeps summoning other GDs to attack you. Shoot the flying brains as they stream out of the giant. The boss's weak point is Higgs, which is located in the GD's chest at the beginning.

If you deal enough damage to him there, he will warp to the shoulder. Fire at the neck until the GD bends forward and then hold full on Higgs. He will then warp back to other parts of his body, but the game remains the same. With a few well-placed hits, you'll eventually bring the giant down.

Death Stranding Boss Higgs: How he takes down the terrorist

After you've taken down the giant GD, you can finally get right to Higgs' neck in mission number 64. Once you arrive at the beach, you won't have any weapons or blood bags at your disposal.

Pick up one of the cargo cases lying around and go in search of Higgs. Take cover, let him fire a few shots and wait until he reloads. Use the break and throw the suitcase at his skull.

If the terrorist boss staggers, sprint towards him and beat him up with the help of the square button (PS4). Not only will you hurt him, but you'll also temporarily stop him from teleporting. Higgs uses this ability to attack you out of nowhere. Therefore, always keep moving when he does teleport.

Once you've weakened Higgs enough, you'll find yourself face to face in waist-deep water. Now you can unleash all your aggression on the nasty villain. In classic one-on-one fistfighting, you hit with the square key and block by holding L2 and R2 at the same time.

You'll do the most damage to Higgs if you keep an eye on your blue stamina bar. Always take a short break between blows and dodges so Sam can hit harder again. You can dodge Higgs' punches with the analog stick. If his punch misses, he's an easy target.

Showdown in Vietnam: Last fight with boss Cliff

The last dance with Cliff and his gang takes place in a jungle village during the Vietnam War. Again, look for blood bags and other items before you open the hunt for Unger. Unlike the previous encounters, cryptobiotes also live here, which slowly restore your blood level when consumed.

The last encounter in Episode 11 follows a similar pattern as the two before - with two small exceptions: You can now attack silently, and Cliff has a new attack ready for you.

Sneak through the tall grass by pressing the circle button (PS4) and eliminate roaming units silently and from behind with the square button. As soon as Cliff makes a conspicuous hand movement, he will attack you with his long cables that shoot out of the ground. Immediately dodge to the side as soon as he raises his hand.

Defeat the final boss in Death Stranding

After you've cleared all the other bosses out of the way, whether human or GD, one last big chunk awaits you. In the 12th episode of Death Stranding, you'll deliver cryptobiotes to the isolation ward in Capital Knot City. Outside the city, you'll encounter the giant GD whale. As with the first two GD bosses, avoid moving in the water if possible, because the whale will catch you quite quickly there.

If he dives under, watch your Odradek and the surface of the tar. If he jumps up, aim at his mouth and open fire immediately. Make sure he doesn't flatten you when he lands. If the whale is swimming in the tar, shoot at the golden spot on its back to give it extra damage.

The whale's GD also moves in the air and shoots a beam down at you from there. If the whale's back lights up blue, it is charging its shot. Fire at its mouth immediately to stop the attack.

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