Top 12 Tips for Metal Gear Solid 4

The release of Metal Gear Solid 4 is so close now that you can almost get a hint of Snake’s old man smell. James Price of Piggyback Interactive has been working on the official guide for the game, and he’s provided his top 12 tips at PlayStation.Blog.

The Solid Eye

When you first obtain this item, you’ll find life in the field infinitely easier if you keep the Solid Eye selected in your items window most of the time. This gadget, which enables the Baseline Map radar function when active, has three modes: Normal, NV and Binos. When selected, the Solid Eye will display basic data for both enemies and allies, such as which faction they belong to. As it can be too easy to accidentally open fire on your allies during a hectic firefight, this information can be decisive. You’ll find that “friendlies” are much less likely to help you if you start spraying lead indiscriminately, and they may even turn on you if suitably provoked. The information shown is color-coded. Gold, the default color, denotes a neutral character, blue indicates an ally, and red signals an enemy. The Solid Eye is also invaluable in helping you locate hard-to-spot collectable items, as it increases their visibility by placing a digital frame around them.

The Solid Eye additionally has an intuitive radar system, which translates the vibes that Snake picks up from enemies, including sound and movement. It shows the relative location of all targets around you, but keep in mind that it also detects animals – which can be rather disconcerting if you’re in location filled with rats, for example. The NV or Night Vision mode is a special goggle that enables you to see more clearly in dark areas, as well as spot hidden items more easily. Scanning a dark room with NV active is sometimes the quickest way to assess its contents. If you wish to zoom in to view a distant point, simply select the Binos option, and then press up or down on the directional pad.

The rest of his tips can be found here, or you can pick up MGS4: The Complete Official Guide alongside the game on June 12.