Death Stranding PC — Half-Life/Portal Missions Guide

Death Stranding is now out for PC players to enjoy via either Steam or the Epic Games Store. In my review, I said, “Death Stranding on PC is another way to play one of this generations greatest games.”

The major piece of new content added for this new version of the game is some Half-Life/Portal cross-over missions that are spread throughout the game. These missions aren’t given to you by normal means and instead arrive through messages in your inbox. Each one rewards you with a new piece of cross-over gear which can include things like Gordon Freeman’s glasses to the Gravity Gloves from Half-Life: Alyx.

Here’s a guide to when all the missions show up in the game and how to finish them.

(Do note that when you receive the missions could be slightly different, but the timing should be mostly the same.)

Quick tips:

The Gravity Gloves are legitimately helpful, so I’d suggest getting them.
All of the messages appear as yellow text with a Half-Life logo, making them near impossible to miss.
Each mission has you looking for a companion cube. They’re easy to spot from a distance, and your scan will label them as “Lost Cargo: Companion Cube.”
Some deliveries may be gated by story progress.

Half-Life Mission One

After travelling to the Wind Farm for the first time early in the game, you’ll need to return to Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City with [Order 11] Urgent Resins. On your way back down the hill, you’ll receive a message titled “How About Taking a Break in a Private Room?” Head to your private room when you arrive at the Distribution Center and drop off your package.

Inside the private room, you’ll receive another message titled “[Test Order] I Want You to Look for Some Lost Cargo” from Benjamin H. He says rumour has it Sam is a massive Half-Life fan and he has a job for him.

Benjamin asks you to look for a cube located north-east of the river, just north of the Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City.

It’s not located very far—basically head outside and go straight right. It’s near the rocks of the river.

Return the companion cube to the Distribution Center West of Capital Knot City and you’ll receive your first reward: Gordon Freeman’s glasses.

Half-Life Mission Two

The next message arrives when you’re on your way to the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City for [Order 24] Prototype Bots Delivery.

This message is from William L and is titled “[Test Order] Find my Lost Cargo, Please!”

The location of this cube is next to Peter Englert’s house—the guy who keeps asking for pizzas. If you haven’t been doing these side-missions, you can find it just off to the side of Lake Knot City, at the backend of the Ruined Shelter crater. Next to Peter’s house, you’ll find the companion cube in plain sight.

Deliver this back to Lake Knot City and you’ll receive a valve as a reward that Sam can wear on the back of his neck.

Half-Life Mission Three

The third message arrives when you return from your trip to the Weather Station and the Timefall Farm. Back at the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City you’ll pick up [URGENT] Old Compact Delivery: Junk Dealer. Around this time you’ll receive the next Half-Life message from Thomas S titled [Test Order] You’ve Got To Find My Cube!

This companion cube is located northwest of the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City.

You’ll find the cube deep inside a MULE camp, at the back inside one of their tent areas.

Return the cube to the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City and you’ll receive the Gravity Gloves as a reward. You can craft these like any other material in the game, and they let you pull any cargo from within 15 metres—very helpful and very cool to use.

Half-Life Mission Four

The fourth message will arrive when you reach Lake Knot City to pick up [Order 38].

This requested cube is located west-northwest of the Craftsman’s shelter. These coordinates lead to a BT-infested ruined factory with the cube roughly in the middle of the zone.

Deliver this cube to the Distribution Center South of Lake Knot City to unlock the Half-Life truck. It’s more than a skin—this truck has a slightly better battery and health.

Half-Life Mission Five

Around when you pick up [Order 61] Tar Extraction Device & Ammonite Delivery from S41-22, you’ll receive the next mission titled “[Test Order] Could You Please Go Look For My Cube?” It sends you to the ruins located north of the bunker.

You’ve probably seen part of this ruin before as you’ve travelled this section of the map. It’s a BT-infested area.

Sneak in and grab this fifth companion cube.

Make your way out without being attacked by the BTs and head back to bunker S41-22 to return their cube.

As a reward you’ll get a headcrab cap, which actually does something—it drains your blood for stamina.

Half-Life Mission Six (Post-Game)

This is the final mission and cube in the game, but you won’t be able to do it until you finish the game. You also must have completed the other five companion cube deliveries.

When you finish the game (yes, through the many credits), your clock rewinds to two weeks earlier and you’re free to roam. When you load back into your room you’ll receive two messages.

Play

The first is from a mystery person and is simply titled, “Thank You, Sam.”

The second is from Benjamin Hancock and is titled, “Have You Been Receiving Some Weird Emails…?” Benjamin explains that all of the people who asked Sam to collect these cubes—himself included—had been hacked.

Benjamin points out there is one more cube to find—the “Ha” of whoever has been sending these fake messages. If you find it and destroy it, they should be gone forever.

To find this last cube, fast travel to Lake Knot City. Take at least 800 metal, all the chiral crystals you can, and two ladders. Spawn a truck and head towards the Craftsman.

Hug the left side of the crater where the Ruined Shelter is and head towards the river at the back. You’ll reach a bridge that needs completing—this is why you need metal and chiral crystals.

Once the bridge is complete, the cube is in the back-right side of the BT area ahead. Scan to locate it. Midway through you’ll need to cross a small gap of water—use a ladder here (be mindful that placing ladders can alert nearby BTs).

There are about 3–4 BTs around the cube, so be careful or clear them out before grabbing it and returning to your vehicle.

Head for the Incinerator West of Lake Knot City. If you hug the waterline, you’ll hit the path straight to the incinerator.

When you arrive, burn the cube and you’ll have completed the last of the Half-Life/Portal missions in Death Stranding on PC.

You’ll receive two more messages at this point: one from Benjamin congratulating you on a job well done, and another from GLaDOS, who reveals herself as the one behind all the cube gathering.