Metallic Gear Strong 2: Sons of Liberty, and its follow-up expanded launch, Substance, launched on the PS2 all the best way again within the early 2000s, dramatically increasing the gameplay programs of Metallic Gear Strong and opening the narrative as much as wild and surprising twists and turns.
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Like the primary Metallic Gear Strong, Sons of Liberty has a lot of unexplained sport programs. Some are tucked into the sport’s guide, whereas others could be talked about throughout optionally available Codec calls. When you forgot about a few of these non-obvious mechanics or are enjoying MGS2 for the primary time, these strategies will make it easier to stay sneaky and deadly.
Leaning and peeking
In Metallic Gear Strong 2, you’ll enter first-person mode with R1/RB/R on PlayStation, Xbox, and Change respectively. However through the use of R2/L2, R/L, or ZR/ZL on PlayStation, Xbox, or Change respectively, you’ll be able to lean to the facet. When you press each on the similar time, you’ll stand in your toes and might peer over objects.
That is very useful for a fast peek round a nook or to get higher angles, notably throughout boss fights. Snake’s shootout with Olga is one such instance. Through the use of the set off buttons you’ll be able to simply get some higher angles on her.
Be aware which you can simply be noticed whereas leaning or standing in your toes, so that you’ll wish to be fast once you’re having a look round a nook.
Snag these canine tags!
When you run as much as a guard and maintain your weapon (urgent within the left thumbstick will see Snake or Raiden take intention), you’ll maintain up a guard. When you then stroll round to the entrance of them and level the gun at their head (or, um, crotch), they are going to do some shake and can surrender a canine tag.
You possibly can spot whether or not or not a guard has a canine tag by both equipping thermal goggles or in search of a shimmery impact just under their neck.
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Some guards, nonetheless, gained’t surrender their loot so simply. If a guard says “are you going to shoot me?” be sure to have a deadly weapon geared up (make sure to not go unarmed when holding up a guard as they’ll instantly enter an alert standing and can name for backup), intention away from their head and fireplace off a shot. It will scare them and so they’ll surrender their canine tag if they’ve one.
Additionally, you will get canine tags from choose bosses by selecting them up and placing them down after the battle.
On the finish of the sport, you’ll be able to unlock the next gear relying on what number of canine tags you’ve gathered:
Snake’s chapter:
46 canine tags: Bandana (grants infinite ammo)76 canine tags: Stealth camo (makes you invisible as long as you don’t bump right into a guard).
Raiden’s chapter:
73 canine tags: Infinity wig (grants Raiden infinite ammo)121 canine tags: Stealth camo170 canine tags: Wig B (permits you to grasp with out shedding grip)218 canine tags: Wig A (provides you infinite O2 when underwater)
You possibly can loot knocked-out guards
Seize a knocked-out guard and put them down and also you’ll probably earn an merchandise corresponding to ammo, bandages, or perhaps a ration. You could have to do that a few times for it to work.
Noticed? Shoot their radios
You could have come throughout this one by accident by opening fireplace on a guard who noticed you. When you shoot a walkie talkie with a deadly weapon, you’ll disable it, stopping the guard from simply going into alert standing.
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However you don’t should get noticed for an opportunity to disable their communications gadget. Guards preserve their radios on their again, so fireplace off a shot immediately at their radio and also you’ll break it with out them even realizing.
Discover how interactive the world is
Metallic Gear Strong 2 was notable on the time of its authentic launch in 2001 for its wildly interactive world. You possibly can usually break varied objects to create noise for guards to react to. Some guards will even examine in case you’ve smashed bottles, glass, or different breakable objects.
One other nice (and helpful) instance is that in Olga’s boss battle, you’ll be able to even shoot out the tarp she likes to cover behind by capturing the cords holding it down.
Stash unconscious guards in lockers
If you wish to put a guard to sleep for almost perpetually with out killing them, knock one out or put ‘em to sleep, then drag them to a locker, open it up, and conceal them in there by pulling them into the locker. As soon as sealed away, they gained’t get up to renew their patrol.
You possibly can run and gun
That is one other element that’s tucked within the guide however not expressly spelled out to you through the sport. Whilst you’re aiming your weapon, you’ll be able to maintain L1, LB, or L on PlayStation, Xbox, and Change respectively to run whereas aiming and firing your weapon.
You possibly can entry the Grasp Assortment’s menu choices by coming into the pause display first
The Grasp Assortment has a wildly restricted set of choices however some, like toggling between windowed mode and full-screen on PC, are very helpful. To entry this, pause the sport and press L1+R1/LB+RB/L+R on PlayStation, Xbox, and Change respectively.
Wake guards up with coolant or by selecting them up and placing them down
Typically you wish to wake a guard you simply knocked out (usually to get their canine tags, however generally it’s enjoyable to mess with them). When you’re far sufficient in Raiden’s chapter that you just’ve acquired the coolant spray, simply use that on an unconscious guard’s face to wake ‘em up. When you don’t have it (otherwise you’re enjoying Snake’s chapter), decide guards up and put them down repeatedly and also you’ll wake them up sooner.
Rapidly unequip and re-equip a weapon to tactically reload it
Similar to within the first Metallic Gear Strong, in case you shortly unequip and re-equip a weapon with the shoulder buttons, you’ll refill your journal even in case you haven’t spent your whole bullets.
Protecting rations geared up can prevent from a sport over display
That is notably helpful throughout boss fights: Similar to in MGS1, protecting rations geared up will see them routinely used when your well being drops to zero. There are execs and cons to this system, however it could actually assist once you’re combating a tough boss who calls for your whole consideration.
Grasp Assortment: The left thumbstick toggles aiming
Time for a historical past lesson! The PS2 (and PS3) every had analog face buttons, which means that the console may detect how exhausting you had been urgent a button like sq. or triangle. MGS2 used this {hardware} quirk to assist you to simply elevate your weapon with or with out firing.
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Because the PS4, gaming {hardware} has chosen to develop into tremendous boring, and we now have inflexible, binary digital buttons. Konami has made up for this distinction by permitting you to lift and intention your weapon by urgent within the left thumbstick. When you intention your weapon by holding down a face button and don’t want to fireplace, you too can press the left thumbstick to decrease your intention.
You are able to do pull-ups to extend your grip power
Whereas hanging on a ledge as both Snake or Raiden, you’ll be able to press R1+L1/RB+LB/R+L to do a pull-up. When you do 100 of those, your grip power will go up in stage, permitting you to hold for longer. Grip stage maxes out at Degree 3.
You possibly can fast-forward Codec calls
Whilst you most likely don’t wish to skip Codec calls and cutscenes in your first playthrough of MGS2, you’ll be able to breeze previous them by first hitting X, A, or B on PS5, Xbox, or Change respectively after which urgent the right-most face button (sq., X, or Y for every platform) to fast-forward via a dialog.
Toggle inverted digicam within the choices earlier than enjoying
If you wish to invert your look controls for first-person, navigate to Choices > Personal View earlier than launching the sport. You possibly can toggle this feature throughout Raiden’s chapter, however Snake’s chapter will lock you into no matter this setting is once you begin the sport.
There are completely different radar choices too
In the identical Choices display because the “View” choices, you too can toggle between “Off,” “Sort 1,” and “Sort 2.” Off is self-explanatory, however in Sort 1, you’ll nonetheless have your radar throughout “Intrusion,” which is when guards are protecting an eye fixed out however are now not in Alert or Evasion mode. Sort 2 disables the radar throughout Intrusion mode for a higher problem.
Stinger missile hack: You possibly can lock onto targets after firing a missile
This can be a enjoyable one, and really helpful for Raiden’s battle towards the Harrier jet. After firing a rocket from the stinger missile launcher, you’ll be able to transfer the cursor to focus on an enemy. The missile will then break from its present course to hit no matter it’s locked onto. That is very useful for capturing round corners.
Don’t neglect the VR missions and Snake Tales within the Grasp Assortment!
MGS2 because it seems within the 2023 Grasp Assortment is definitely an HD model of MGS2’s expanded launch, Metallic Gear Strong 2: Substance. As such, you’ll spot two choices in the primary menu: “Missions” and “Snake Tales.” The previous contains a huge quantity of challenges for each Snake and Raiden (together with some unique modes like an FPS tackle MGS2’s gameplay). Snake Tales are brief vignettes set on both the Huge Shell or Tanker that see Snake tackle completely different narrative sneaking challenges.
One mission even permits you to play as Snake dressed as Iriqouis Pliskin.
That wraps our listing of simply missed MGS2 mechanics. Studying a few of these strategies is crucial for mastering this basic stealth sport, particularly on the tougher difficulties.