In Episode 8 of Death Stranding, you’re tasked with crossing the tar belt to make it to Edge Knot City. This is another instance in which the game leaves it up to you to find the answer. Making your way across the tar belt in Death Stranding isn’t too tricky. In fact, the hardest part of your crossing is figuring out how to make it possible at all.
If you put on your thinking cap, there’s only one answer to the puzzle to making it across the tar to Edge Knot City. However, don’t feel bad if you don’t guess it. The solution to your problem is utterly counter-intuitive to what you’ve been doing in the game so far, but it’ll all make sense once you see it in action.
How do you cross the tar belt in Death Stranding Episode 8?
After an arduous journey to the ruined Chiral Relay, you were probably hoping there’d be a boat or something to take you across the tar. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to do things the Sam Bridges way, and that means you’re going to have to improvise. Die-Hardman and the squad are absolutely useless when it comes to helping you with this problem. You’re on your own.
The solution to the problem of crossing the tar belt in Death Stranding requires a bit of a logical leap. In fact, you may not have noticed the critical information that’s needed to solve the issue. If you’ve avoided BTs successfully and only fought the two bosses Higgs has thrown at you, it’s entirely possible that one of the creatures quirks slipped by you.
When BTs interact with the tar, time and space get a bit screwy. When you fought the bigger ones, you might have noticed derelict vehicles and ruined buildings bubbling out of the tar here and there. In fact, you likely used one or two as footholds as you fought the BTs at Port Knot City and outside Mama’s Lab.
To make it across the tar belt and into Edge Knot City, you’re going to use the BTs powers against them. Higgs might have thought the tar belt would separate Edge Knot City from the rest of America, but you’re smarter than him.
From the Chiral Relay, you need to head west, sticking to the shore of the tar belt. You’ll eventually run into an area infested with BTs. Instead of using common sense and staying away, though, we want them to snatch us up. Tackle the nearest one and let it grab you. You’ll notice that ruined buildings and vehicles start popping up out of the tar. This is the ticket to crossing the tar belt in Death Stranding.
From the shore, jump on the nearest vehicle or building and start heading towards Edge Knot City. There will be some vast whale-like BTs flopping about, but you don’t have to worry about fighting them. Just keep moving, and you shouldn’t get hit by them at all. Keep pushing forward, jumping from building to rubble to vehicle, and so on. Eventually, in the distance, you’ll see a red strand in the sky. Run towards it, and you’ll notice it’s Amelie. To finish this segment of the game, you’ll need to jump down into the tar and waddle towards her.
Once you reach Amelie, your struggle against the tar is over. A cutscene will play, and afterward, you’ll awaken on the shore of the Western Region. Nearby stands your last objective before Edge Knot City: The Distribution Center North of Edge Knot City. You can head in, connect the center to the Chiral Network, and chill out in your private room before entering the city.
