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All posts tagged with ‘MGS 4’

Jun
12
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 Author Tips

Today’s the day Solid Snake gets his tactical espionage action on. Check you these 12 awesome author tips from our author team, Piggyback Interactive Limited, and pick up your Limited Edition Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns the of the Patriots Official Game Guide!

1. Life Gauge

Keeping the Life Gauge topped up is therefore vital, but it’s just as important not to panic and keep filling the gauge unnecessarily with precious items. Though you can replenish it with healing objects such as Rations and Noodles, you should take care not to waste them – especially on higher difficulty levels. Using a Ration when Snake’s Life Gauge is 80% full, for example, is plain foolish. You usually don’t need to even think about refilling the gauge until it drops below 25%. During boss fights or difficult skirmishes, you should instead equip Rations, Noodles or Regain and position them as an “active” item. Once Snake’s health reaches zero, these will be automatically used until your stocks are exhausted.

One other method of restoring Snake’s health is simply to find a safe hiding place and let him stand still. After a few seconds the Life Gauge will slowly start to creep back up. If you crouch or go prone, it will refill more quickly. If you have good cover, you’ll find that this even works during boss battles. This can be a great way of refilling your Life Gauge for free – essential when playing on a high difficulty level. Note that recovery speed depends on the condition of Snake’s other main gauge, the Psyche Gauge; the higher the Psyche Gauge, the quicker the Life Gauge refills. (Incidentally, if you have an extended break from playing MGS4 that lasts for more than 24 hours, you may notice that Snake’s Life and Psyche gauges are refilled by 20% per day. It’s hardly necessary, but a nice touch nonetheless.)

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Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: gaming, hints, Metal G, MGS 4, prima games, tips
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Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 8/12 Author Tips

8. The OctoCamo

Snake’s OctoCamo system goes way beyond the camouflage system found in Metal Gear Solid 3, and has several different modes. In Automatic mode (generally speaking, the most effective), it enables Snake to blend in with the textures and colors of his surroundings. In order to enjoy the functionality of Automatic mode, Snake must either be prone or pressed up against a wall and remain motionless. After a short pause, you will notice his suit change to match his surroundings; a sound effect accompanies this process. If you check the Baseline Map in the top right-hand corner, you will see Snake’s Camo percentage increase as the transformation takes place.

In Manual mode, you choose one specific camo pattern for Snake that doesn’t automatically adapt itself to the environment. This is only really effective if you are prepared to alter it as Snake’s surroundings change, and is also limited to “memorized” surfaces and terrains that have been previously stored.

Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: gaming, hints, Metal Gear Solid 4, MGS 4, prima games, tips
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Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 6/12 Author Tips

6. Choosing your Equipment: Weight

Items and weapons in the game have a weight stat. If the burden of Snake’s load (five weapons and eight items) exceeds 70 kg, his Stress will increase, thus reducing his Psyche and overall effectiveness. Just be sensible when it comes to weight distribution, and make sure you compensate for particularly heavy objects with at least a light one if you notice that you are approaching the 70 kg mark. This is generally only a danger when preparing Snake for a boss fight, as there’s a natural tendency to bring out rocket launchers and the like for such occasions.

Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited

Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 5/12 Author Tips

5. Choosing your Equipment: Items

As with weapons, you have two important choices to make here: which eight items you will have available to you by pressing the L2 button (which you decide in the pause menu), and which one of these eight you actually use (which you decide in the items window). The eight that you choose should also be balanced, although this decision is less critical than with weapons. However, the one “active” item you opt for is very important. At first, you will probably tend to equip the Solid Eye most of the time, because it gives you a better understanding of your surroundings. As you eventually acquire the knack of using the Threat Ring instead of the Solid Eye, though, you’ll soon be able to free up the item slot for something else – such as a Ration during boss fights.

To obtain new items, you can either pick up any that you find (as shown on the maps in this guide) or search bodies. You can’t buy any from Drebin so take great care not to waste anything (especially healing items such as Rations).

Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: gaming, hints, Metal Gear Solid 4, MGS 4, Prima, tips
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Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 3/12 Author Tips

3. Stress Level & Combat High

The Psyche Gauge is affected by, which is depicted by a number that appears underneath it. If Snake is sweltering in a hot, evil-smelling location, or alternatively shivering in a freezing location, his Stress level will rise. He will also become stressed if his equipment is too heavy (over 70 kg), or during an Alert phase. When Snake’s Stress level exceeds 50%, the display will turn red and he will begin to lose Psyche. As his Stress rating continues to increase, his Psyche will diminish at a great rate. However, as long Snake is not experiencing a Combat High, his Stress level can only reach a maximum of 80%.

A Combat High will kick in if Snake shoots with a gun more than 100 times during the Alert phase. Notification that he is currently experiencing a Combat High will appear next to the Life Gauge. During this enhanced state, Psyche does not decrease, and any damage caused by enemies is halved. But it’s not all good news: during a Combat High, Snake’s Stress level can shoot up as far as 100%. It’s a short-term boon, but the repercussions can be painful.

Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited

Categories: MGS4 Landing Page
Tags: gaming, hints, Metal Gear Solid 4, MGS 4, tips
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Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 2/12 Author Tips

2. Psyche Gauge

The Psyche Gauge is situated directly below the Life Gauge, appearing as four separate blocks. This represents Snake’s psychological wellbeing, which has a direct effect on his performance. Essentially, the more stressed Snake is, the less effective he becomes. Keeping him as calm and focused as possible should be your main goal in terms of managing this meter. The Psyche Gauge can be refilled with certain healing items, such as Noodles; dedicated Psyche-related objects such as the Compress do not directly refill the gauge, but instead temporarily increase the speed at which it is replenished. Cigs can also be equipped to regain Psyche, but to the detriment of the Life Gauge.

As with the Life Gauge, the Psyche Gauge can also be refilled simply by staying still, and more quickly by crouching or going prone. The better Snake feels generally (not too cold, hot, wet, dirty, or overloaded) the faster his Psyche will replenish. You can tell when he’s not feeling great by observing his behavior or murmurs of discontent – if he starts feeling his age, it’s usually a direct sign that something is wrong. Finding solutions to assuage these symptoms is usually just a matter of common sense. If Snake is freezing in cold water for instance, get him out of there; if he’s overheating in direct sunlight, find some shade where he can cool down. One of the major effects of a low Psyche Gauge is that it will severely hamper Snake’s ability to aim accurately. The more stressed and hyped up he is, the more his aim will be impaired; this can have a particularly detrimental effect when he’s using a sniper rifle. Try using a scope when Snake is overanxious and you’ll see how his unsteady hands make it thoroughly difficult to make a clean headshot. The Pentazemin item can be used to temporarily improve his marksmanship when required, but preventative maintenance is always better.

Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited

Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 12/12 Author Tips

12. Maximizing Battle Efficiency

“Efficiency” actually depends on what your goals are. Naturally, if you’re trying to achieve a no-kill playthrough, you won’t have the same priorities as when your bloodlust dictates that you shoot everyone and everything in sight. But overall, the following tips are true in most instances.

Aiming for the head works a treat (headshots usually result in instant death/unconsciousness, or increased damage on bosses).

Using upgraded weapons (scopes, red dots, et al) makes you more accurate and effective.

When surrounded, activate Auto Aim mode to quickly eliminate all enemies (change targets by pressing left or right on the right analog stick). This is less effective on higher difficulty settings, though.

Choosing the right location is important. For example, a high vantage point works best if you are sniping, it pays to operate from a defensible position during combat, and picking a secluded spot to silently take down a target is always sensible.

Press the R3 button to turn Snake to face the camera direction. This even works when he’s lying down or manning a turret.

Make sure militia/rebel fighters are friendly to you by helping them out as much as possible during battles, especially when they ask you to. Make a point of not aiming at or (however inadvertently) shooting them.

Never fight if you’re in a weak or dangerous position, especially a location that exposes you to fire from several directions. If in doubt, bolt for cover.

Always try to eliminate your most dangerous opponents first. Snipers and turret operators should obviously be your principle targets.

Be sure to reload frequently to avoid the dreaded “dead man’s click”, and have weapons prepared in reserve for more unrelenting assaults.

Conserve valuable items and ammo, and try to save your most powerful weapons for the strongest targets.

Categories: MGS4 Landing Page
Tags: gaming, hints, Metal Gear Solid 4, MGS 4, prima games, tips
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Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 7/12 Author Tips

7. 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.

Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited

Apr
01
2008

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by sorako18

Metal Gear Solid 4 – 1/12 Author Tips

1. Life Gauge

Article by: Piggyback Interactive Limited