3 Ways How Death Stranding Makes Its World Feel Bigger Than It Actually Is

Verticality

I have stumbled from a small ledge, spilling all of my goods across a mountainside more than once. The mountains are frustrating, but they are also important in making the game feel as imposing and large as it is. 

Climbing mountains and walking across flat plains take the same amount of time, and while a flat plain shows you how much further you have to walk, the mountains hide the expanses behind them.

Summiting a mountain to see the landscape beneath you is one of my favorite things Death Stranding does.

These mountain ranges keep the player occupied, makes them feel like their moving without making any real forward progress.