Metal Gear Solid 4 – 9/12 Author Tips
9. The Threat Ring
The Threat Ring is a translucent circle that appears around Snake’s body when he crawls or crouches during a few seconds. The best way to explain its function would be to describe it as Snake’s “intuition”: it indicates the presence of any people, creatures or active objects (such as vehicles) within Snake’s immediate vicinity. Any such dangers are represented visually by waves that correspond with the position of each potential threat.
The higher the “wave”, the closer (and, sometimes, larger) it is. For example, a soldier that is standing some way away from Snake will only appear as a faint bump in the ring, while multiple enemies standing close by will cause the Threat Ring to undulate like a digitized Rocky Mountains. It’s a brilliantly instinctive way of instantly assessing Snake’s current situation. Once you get to grips with it, you’ll find that the Threat Ring can be just as reliable as the Solid Eye in terms of enemy detection.
The Threat Ring stays permanently active whenever you crawl, or when you crouch-walk at the slowest speed. If you stand up, move at a faster pace, or ready a weapon, it will immediately disappear. Its efficiency is governed by Snake’s current Psyche level: the lower the gauge gets, the smaller and more difficult to “read” the Threat Ring becomes.
Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited
