What is Ride with Norman Reedus in Death Stranding?
Zack Palm 
When players have Sam, the main character in Death Stranding, sit down on the toilet to use the restroom in his private room, a holographic advertisement for a show called Ride with Norman Reedus shows up. It’s a little weird to see, considering the show features Norman Reedus, the actor who plays Sam.
Ride with Norman Reedus is a documentary and travel show where Reedus rides motorcycles to different destinations with a new guest every week. It’s an unscripted show where the two talk about various topics relevant to them during their journey.
The show airs on AMC, which Reedus has gained a deep relationship with due to his history in playing Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead. Ride with Norman Reedus has been running since 2016, with six episodes per season. The third season for already wrapped this year in March, but it’s been renewed for a season 4, but there’s no premiere date as of this writing.
So, why would the advertisement appear in the game? Hideo Kojima, the game’s director, has a bit of humor about him when it comes to finding ways to break the fourth wall and let the players in on it. This advertisement is one of the ways he’s having a bit of fun to connect the real world to his video game. It’s similar to why he features Monster Energy in his title.
The advertisement only ever shows up when players need to sit down to use the toilet in their private room. Players use the bathroom to clear out Sam’s bowels, and the contents get transferred to become grenades they can use to fight enemies in the game. While odd, the game’s toilet mechanics are essential for players who want to make sure they have something useful against the invisible enemies, the BTs.
You can play Death Stranding right now on the PlayStation 4, and sometime in 2020, players are going to get the chance to play it on PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. You can pre-order your PC copy today.
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