PSA: Grab the best upgrades from Death Stranding 2's first area before you leave

Some of the best upgrades I've found in Death Stranding 2—which have made my life as a porter significantly easier—came from its first region of Mexico. The area acts a little like a tutorial where you can learn (or remember) how the game works. The problem is it's easy to rush off to follow the main story and miss a lot of great gear.

I spent some time driving around, delivering cargo, and just generally raising my rep with the different shelters and bunkers across the region, and I was quite surprised by how much useful gear you can get, especially when the game seems to want you to leave Mexico ASAP.

Below I've listed the best ones to grab early, especially if you're playing on a higher difficulty, also taking into account that you might not want to hang about too long raising rep when there's the main story to progress. (If you miss out on any of these, don't worry: you'll eventually be able to return to Mexico, but you'll have to progress several hours into the following region before you can head back for a visit).

This guide is based on the PS5 version of Death Stranding 2, but we'll update it if anything changes as and when the PC version arrives. If the first game is anything to judge by, we could see it coming our way in around six months time.

Trekking Boots and Sticky Gun

• Unlock: Earn two stars with The Bokka

If you're going to do any of the optional shelters in Mexico, I recommend delivering cargo to The Bokka. This Prepper has some really great rewards and even texts you little SSS tips about being a porter and using your tools. As far as I can tell, you won't be able to find and deliver cargo to The Bokka until after you defeat the first big boss near the Former Geophysics Research Lab, but once that's done, pick up any of his cargo and it'll mark him on the map.

For earning one star with The Bokka you'll get some extra durable and grippy Trekking Boots that prevent you slipping on slopes quite as much, and my personal favorite, the Sticky Gun, which lets you pull cargo towards you from a distance. Honestly, this is a life-saver if there's ever a package just out of reach. For me, it came in clutch when all my cargo fell in the river and I quickly had to fish it out.

If you get The Bokka to four stars, you'll also get a special Porter backpack accessory that marks other porter locations on your map.

SL Machine Pistol [MP]

• Unlock: Earn three stars with Ciudad Nudo Del Norte

If there's one weapon I suggest unlocking in Mexico before you leave, it's the Silenced Machine Pistol. In a game that favours stealth, being able to sneakily headshot enemies in bandit camps, or when they spot you, is super handy, and honestly, I'm still using this weapon to clear bases 20 hours later. You can also earn the basic version of the Machine Pistol for hitting two stars with Ciudad Nudo Del Norte.

If you're willing to push them to four stars by taking on more deliveries and recovering their lost cargo, you'll also get the Big-Bore Handgun—an extremely powerful sidearm effective at destroying armour, especially in close quarters.

LW Assault Rifle [MP] Lv2

• Unlock: Earn four stars with Former Geophysics Research Lab

While you can earn the regular Lightweight Assault Rifle by getting the Former Geophysics Research Lab to three stars, I recommend pushing to four, since it gives you the level two version of the weapon. It has more ammo, a faster fire rate, and an underslung MP shell grenade launcher. Best of all? Since it's lightweight, you can store it as an S-size piece of cargo, giving you a powerful weapon with minimal baggage.

The Former Geophysics Research Lab has some other rewards worth earning as well. Two stars will get you Tri-Cruiser vehicle armour that you can fabricate—perfect if you like drive-bying bandit camps and yoinking packages as you go.

EX Grenade

• Unlock: Earn two stars with South Distribution Centre

Though you'll get Blood Grenades from the South Distribution Centre during the main story, if you earn just a little extra rep with them, you'll get the far superior EX Grenade as well at two stars. While the former simply damages BTs, the EX Grenade can repel gazers, hunters, and even slow down catchers, making it far more versatile when facing tough enemies. If you push to three stars, you can also get the Blood Grenade Lv2, a higher damage version of the original.

Custom Electric Rod

• Unlock: Earn two stars with Villa Libre

Tired of pilfering electric rods from unconscious bandits? Though shooty shooty guns are preferable to melee weapons in Death Stranding 2, a sensible porter will want to conserve ammo for tougher foes, using melee on the weaker ones. For some reason, Villa Libre's retirement community specializes in melee weapons. I guess they use stun rods as canes?

At two stars, you'll earn the Custom Electric Rod—effectively a fabricated version of the bandit rods. Push a little further and you'll get:

• Custom High-Voltage Rod (three stars): You can charge for heavier attacks
• Custom Twin-Rod (four stars): Capable of faster quarterstaff combos

It takes a fair bit of work to level up Villa Libre, so I don't recommend pushing this far unless you're a fiend for clobbering bandits.