Death Stranding 2: How to Reach The Inventor
The power of ingenuity.
Death Stranding 2’s Australia is quite a bit bigger than the North America players explored in the first game, as there’s a whopping 42 facilities to bring onto the Chiral Network this time around. Most of these facilities are linked up as part of the story, but there are a handful you’ll have to seek out on your own. The Inventor, in particular, is the trickiest location to get to, as he sits on a tiny island in the middle of a massive tar lake — forcing Sam to get creative. If you’re like me, having that one little facility not connected, that gap in your map, will endlessly drive you nuts. So here’s exactly how you can make it over to that pesky Inventor in Death Stranding 2.
How to Reach The Inventor in Death Stranding 2
The Inventor can be found just to the north of the “Mine North of F1.”
The Inventor is found on the West side of Australia, just to the north of the F1 Mine. The catch, of course, is that if you want to connect him to the network, you’ll need to find a few pieces of his cargo out in the world, and then deliver it. The easiest way to do this is to check the banks of the tar lake his island sits in — there are three pieces of cargo easily found along the shoreline.
The tricky part now is actually reaching the island, and that might seem impossible initially. Ladders and bridges won’t reach far enough, and Coffin Boards and ziplines can’t be used outside the network. But surprisingly, there are actually three different ways to reach The Inventor, and you can either do it now or later.
Find the Path Through the Tar
It is possible to walk through the tar, but it’s a long road.
If you want to reach The Inventor immediately, it’s actually possible, but you’ll need to take the hardest route — through the tar. Yes, even though you sink into the tar like quicksand, there is actually a “safe” path. If you use your Odradek Scanner (by pressing L1) you can see the terrain of the tar. Red spots are areas you’ll sink into, but you’ll notice a winding yellow path that goes through the lake.
You’ll need to constantly scan with your Odradek to make sure you’re staying on the right path, and it’s going to be a long trudge through the tar. This also means you’ll only be able to take the cargo that’s on your back, and the more cargo you have, the slower you move. But if you really want to do things the hard way, you can.
Use a Cargo Catapult
Cargo Catapults are perfect for reaching tricky areas.
The easiest way to get to The Inventor’s island is to simply keep progressing through the main story until you unlock the Cargo Catapult. This will happen automatically when you start making your way up into the snowy mountains.
The cool thing about Death Stranding 2’s version of the catapult is that Sam can actually enter the device himself, and get fired out of it like a circus performer. This makes reaching the island a snap, as you can build it on the beach (in-network) and simply fire yourself over. You won’t need to worry about damaging any cargo or anything, as the catapult has a parachute that’ll let you land softly.
The catch, of course, is that you’ll need a way to get off the island. It’s a good idea to build a Transponder for easy travel, or you can fabricate a Coffin Board, and now that the island is on the network, just glide right over the tar lake.
Jump Off the Monorail
Most of the materials you need to reconstruct the monorail can be taken from the nearby Distrobution Centers and mines.
The third and final way to reach The Inventor is to rebuild the monorail network that runs over the island, and then jump off in mid-transit. This is likely the most time-consuming option, of course, as you’ll need to use resources to rebuild at least three terminals that run from the F1 Distribution Center to The Inventor.
It’s important to note that once you rebuild those lines, you actually need to ride the Monorail itself, not just use the zipline that’s available. When riding the monorail, you can press X to jump off mid-trip, but you’ll need to time it just right.
The other catch to this method is that you likely won’t have a soft landing, which means you’ll damage or potentially ruin any cargo Sam is carrying. It’s definitely the most thrilling method of getting to the island.
What You Get From Ranking Up The Inventor
The Inventor’s bonuses focus on unique items and weapons.
The best bonus you get from The Inventor is the first item he gives you, the beloved Otter Hood from the first Death Stranding — a hat that’s both cute and functional. This item lets Sam swim like an otter in water, meaning you can cross deep rivers without fear of being swept away. It works for any deep bodies of water, but it won’t save you from sinking into the tar.
Just make sure you hold left on the D-pad to open the equipment menu, navigate to hats, and actually equip the Otter Hood.
His second star awards you with the Stun Bomb, a valuable grenade that can briefly incapacitate any nearby enemies when used. We’re still waiting to see what the 3-5 stars unlock with The Inventor, but we’ll update this guide once we know.
