~B
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********** _________________________________________________ *********
******** | | *******
******** | METAL GEAR SOLID 2 BIG BOSS RANK AND BOSS GUIDE | *******
******** | | *******
******** | VERSION 1 | *******
******** | | *******
******** | By Samuel Riesterer (c) | *******
******** | | *******
******** | A.K.A. Braveheart | *******
******** | | *******
******** | January 2001 | *******
******** | | *******
******** | braveheart4jesus@hotmail.com | *******
******** |_________________________________________________| *******
********* *********
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I. LEGAL NOTICE
II. INTRODUCTION
III. REQUIREMENTS FOR BIG BOSS RANK
IV. ACHIEVING THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR BIG BOSS RANK
V. HELPFUL STRATEGIES TO KNOW
VI. WALKTHROUGH
VII. MY END SCORES
VIII. CREDITS AND THANKS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I. LEGAL NOTICE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This guide is copyrighted material. No one may alter, add to, subtract
from, edit, change, convert, modify, or abridge this guide in any way.
This guide may not be reproduced in any form (written, visual,
electronic or audio) for any reason without my expressed written
permission. This guide may be used for informational purposes for
private use only. The text of this guide may be quoted in any form
(written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of two
hundred (200) words without my express written permission, providing
the words quoted do not amount to a complete section nor do the words
quoted amount for 25 percent or more of the total text of the work in
which they are quoted. You must also give my name (Samuel Riesterer)
as clearly the source of the quotation. This guide may be made
available on a non-commercial web site only with my expressed written
permission and provided the following conditions are met: (1) It
appears in its original form without additions, subtractions, or
modifications; (2) It is freely accessible; (3) It is available with
no cost of monies, materials, goods, services, etc.; (4) It is not
used for promotional or profitable purposes; (5) My name is given as
the author (Samuel Riesterer). Violators of any of the above
stipulations will be prosecuted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
II. INTRODUCTION
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This guide is specifically designed to help those who wish to achieve
the rank of Big Boss, the highest rank in Metal Gear Solid 2. The
strategies and information will also help you with the bosses and
fight scenes. This guide assumes you understand the basics of
gameplay. If you do not, you will never easily obtain the rank.
Practice on the easier modes until you are familiar with the game
before going on. In fact it will be very beneficial to play through
Extreme mode once or twice to familiarize yourself with the game
before you attempt Big Boss Rank.
The way I received the requirements for the rank was to evaluate the
Record Sorter at Konami's website (www.konamijpn.com). I viewed the
records of those receiving Big Boss Rank and compared them together to
determine the exact requirements.
If you have questions or comments concerning this guide or the game,
please email me at braveheart4jesus@hotmail.com. Please put "METAL
GEAR SOLID 2" in the subject of your email to ensure it will not be
deleted by mistake.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
III. REQUIREMENTS FOR BIG BOSS RANK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To get the Big Boss rank you must have the following stats:
Chapter: Tanker/Plant
Mode: Extreme
Time: Under 3 hours
Damage: No Requirement ?
Shots: Under 700 ?
Alerts: 3
Clear caution modes: 0
Kills: 0
Mech destruction: Under 60 ?
Continue: 0
Rations: 0
Saves: 8 or less
Radar: Off
Special Items: Off
Dog Tags: No Requirement
----------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. ACHIEVING THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR BIG BOSS RANK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
******************************************
Chapter: Tanker/Plant
******************************************
You cannot get a Big Boss Rank if you just play the Tanker chapter or
just the Plant chapter.
******************************************
Mode: Extreme
******************************************
Extreme mode varies considerably from the other modes. It is quite
good to see a game with an in-depth variation for harder difficulty
levels. There are a number of things that will differ in Extreme Mode:
-Enemies take less damage
-Enemies aim better
-You take more damage
-You catch colds easier
-You sneeze more when you have a cold
-More guards in selected areas and clearings
-Guards hear better
-Guards see further
-Guards give out less items
-Guards give out items more reluctantly
-Guards wake up quicker
-Guards take more to kill
-Guards take more to get knocked out
-Less inventory capacity
-Less found items
-Items are harder to be found
-Items do not reappear
-Must access nodes for radar
-Exiting the area does not eliminate caution mode
-Other various things
******************************************
Time: Under 3 Hours
******************************************
This requirement is not very hard to obtain. You should be flying
through from area to area and have plenty of time left over. Be aware
that the end credits, which you cannot advance, do count against your
time. They last approximately 9 minutes 30 seconds.
Things to know and do to trim your time:
-Skip the videos by pressing the X button or the start button
-Skip all codec conversation with the Square button
-Do not press select when it prompts you to do so
-Use the pause button when you need a breather or to plan a course of
action. You should know exactly what to do and where to go before
proceeding.
-When you save, do it as soon as you enter the area or as soon as the
boss fight begins.
-Keep multiple saves. If you later find you do not have enough time,
you can revert back to one and try to trim your time down.
-Do not go out of your way for ammo and weapons you really do not
need.
-When calling for the elevator, press the switch twice to speed its
coming.
-When you have to take Emma somewhere and she is sitting down, run
into her to make her instantly get up. Do not simply hold out your
hand for her.
-Instead of walking over fallen guards, do a roll or a cartwheel--
it's quicker.
-When you are descending a flight of stairs, a cartwheel will get you
down quicker.
-After you have shot someone and you want to begin moving again, it is
a little faster if you temporarily unequip your weapon. And not only
that, it may help with certain bosses that require you to shoot and
move quick.
Checkpoints:
The following are my check points. Compare them for a time reference
to see how you are doing on time.
0:00:00 Start
0:43:16 Before Fortune
0:47:54 Before Fatman
1:08:09 Before Harrier
1:22:54 Before Vamp 1
1:38:02 Before Guarding Emma
1:54:38 Before Guard Invasion 2
2:06:56 Before Rays
2:20:22 Before Solidus
2:37:15 End
******************************************
Damage: No Requirement?
******************************************
This stat is how much damage you have taken over the course of the
game. It can be in whole or part. I am not entirely sure what the
numbers mean for this stat but it may be that each digit represents an
entire portion of your life bar. At any rate, most who have obtained
Big Boss Rank have a number ranging from 4 to 6 for this stat. Nine is
the highest I have seen for this stat while still getting the Big Boss
Rank. Therefore, there may be a requirement of under 10. However, I
doubt it simply because the damage factor for Big Boss Rank is already
considering by requiring that you use no rations. Still, you should be
mindful of the possibility of a requirement. Just don't think to much
of it though, it takes quite a lot to get up to 9 for this stat.
******************************************
Shots: Under 700 ?
******************************************
This stat is the number of shots you have fired, which I assume need
to watch. You don't have to count every single shot but it is easy to
go over 700 if you simply have a hay-day with your weapons. I have
seen this stat as low as 431 but the average is in the 500s or 600s.
You need to have a good aim and not waste ammo. I was quite surprised,
and fortunate, that I was under 700 shots in my first run for Big Boss
Rank.
******************************************
Alerts: 3
******************************************
To achieve this requirement, it will be helpful to put the game on
"End game if discovered" when you begin your new game. This will force
the game to end if someone sees you, thus keeping the requirement. The
only 3 alerts you can have come automatically: once at the end of the
Tanker chapter, and two at the end of the Plant chapter.
This walkthrough contains a comprehensive guide for going through the
areas undetected. Still it is good to know some basics about not being
discovered:
-Alert mode happens when the enemy sees you. If you have played with
the radar on, you will know that each guard has a cone of vision. If
you appear in that cone, you will be found.
-When a guard hears or sees something suspicious, he will investigate.
This does not count toward your alerts stat. A suspicious guard may
say something like, "What was that just now?" or "Huh." Such a guard
will abandon his regular patrol route and investigate the exact spot
where he heard or saw something. After seeing nothing out of the
ordinary, he will go back to his route.
-Some things that will make a guard suspicious are: seeing you just
outside his cone of vision, seeing a moving box, seeing another guard
in an abnormal way (e.g. getting punched or kick or knocked down),
seeing you act in an abnormal way (e.g. when wearing the B.D.U.), or
hearing a certain sound.
-Sounds that make a guard suspicious are: knocks on the wall, firing a
loud weapon, explosions (e.g. C4), punches on a locker, punches on
another guard, or walking on metal grating. A cypher blowing up does
not alert nearby guards. A camera that has been shot does not alert
guards.
-All sounds have a range in which the guards can hear them.
Environmental sounds (e.g. the hum in the Engine Room-- Tanker
Chapter) may decrease this range. A knock, for example, will not be
heard if the room you are doing the knock in is closed (i.e. the doors
are shut). Even if the knock is right next to the guard, if a door is
separating the two rooms, they will not hear it.
-To get past the metal grating that appears throughout the areas
without making a sound, the best way is to simply do a roll/cartwheel
over the grating.
-Any camera or cypher will snap a shot at you if they see you and send
the game into alert mode. The only exception is the gun cameras (there
are only two in the game). They will shoot you if they see you but it
will not count toward your alerts.
-If a guard witnesses another guard get shot, he will call for backup
and the game will go into caution mode.
-If a guard calls for backup and is knocked down at any point after he
has called, the game will go into caution mode and extra guards will
come in.
******************************************
Clear Caution Modes: 0
******************************************
Since you cannot be found you will not have to worry about this stat.
******************************************
Kills: 0
******************************************
All enemies do not have to be killed, they can be knocked out. You can
knock them out with a stun grenade, the M9, or by enough rolls,
cartwheels, or kicks. You cannot throw a guard into the water or break
their neck-- this will kill them. Certain bosses (Olga, Fatman, Vamp 1
and 2, and Solidus) all have two bars: a life bar and a fatigue bar.
If the life bar reaches zero this will register one kill for this
stat. Also note that killing birds does not count toward your kills
stat. In addition, doing a lunge attack with the HF blade will kill an
opponent, even if the sword is blue.
******************************************
Mech Destruction: Under 70 ?
******************************************
This stat is how many mechanical things you have destroyed. This
includes cameras, cyphers, and Rays. It does not include anything
else. I have seen this stat as low as 31 and as high as 63. I am not
even sure if there is a requirement but even 63 is quite high. You
have 20 automatic Rays you will have to destroy. There are also at
least 6 cyphers you will have to destroy while guarding Emma. If you
follow the strategies I give, you will have a stat of about 36.
******************************************
Continue: 0
******************************************
This one is aggravating because of the 8 save limit. If you fail, you
will have to reset rather than continue.
**WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING**
* *
* One thing you should absolutely pay attention to is that you *
* always start from a save. It is very easy to accidentally press *
* continue when you have to do something over and over again *
* because you messed up. The crazy thing about it is that you *
* will sometimes not remember if you started from the continue or *
* the save. If you have ANY doubts, reset. Do not proceed because *
* you do not want to play through the whole freckin game and find *
* you have one or two continues on your score. *
* *
**WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING**
******************************************
Rations: 0
******************************************
This factor is not as tough as it seems. With enough skill and
strategy you won't have to worry about rations. Also, your life is
replenished at a lot of points throughout the game:
-After Olga
-After Fortune
-After Fatman
-After Vamp 1
-After being abducted by Olga
-After Rays
******************************************
Saves: 8 Or Less
******************************************
This requirement will force you to do things perfect for a long time
before you can save. Since you only have 8 saves, the best times to
use them are before the parts that you have the most difficulty with.
Then if you fail, you can reset and start back right at the hard part.
Here are some examples of times when you would save:
Before Olga
Before Guard Invasion 1
Before Fortune
Before Fatman
Before shooting the control units on Shell 1-2 Bridge
Before Harrier
Before Vamp 1
Before Guarding Emma
Before Vamp 2
Before Guard Invasion 2
Before Guard Invasion 3
Before Rays
Before O2 Test
Before Solidus
As you can see, there are 14 likely save points here. The 8 saves I
use are:
Before Fortune
Before Fatman
Before Harrier
Before Vamp 1
Before Guarding Emma
Before Guard Invasion 2
Before Rays
Before Solidus
Olga does not give me that much trouble and she is only 4 minutes away
from a new start. The Guard Invasion 1 is easy for me as well and I
usually pass it the first try. Fortune is not too hard either but I
save here anyway because it is a long road back to here if I do mess
up. The control units are not that hard to warrant a save. Since Vamp
2 follows the Guarding Emma scene, I don't save here. Besides he is
not that difficult. The two last Guard Invasions are both not that
hard so I combine them by saving before the first one. These saves
work for me but feel free to use whatever works for you.
One thing some people do is to wait to save until they think they are
going to lose a boss fight. That way, if they pass it on the first
try, they can cut down their save stat.
******************************************
Radar: Off
******************************************
Because the radar will be off, you will have to know the guards'
patrol routes in each area fairly well, as well as their range of
sight and sound. You will also have to look in FPV every now and then
to see things. This requirement has one advantage to it: you will not
have to access any nodes except the first one.
******************************************
Special Items: Off
******************************************
This means no Bandana, Stealth, or Wigs. If you accidentally equip
one, it will register so be sure not to. You may even consider
starting a fresh new game in order that they do not appear in your
inventory.
******************************************
Dog Tags: No Requirement
******************************************
Most people who try for Big Boss Rank already have 100% dog tags but
you do not need any. Actually, the lowest I have seen is 73% but it
seems reasonable that there is no dog tag requirement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
V. HELPFUL SKILLS TO KNOW
----------------------------------------------------------------------
These skills are very important to learn. Your success will depend
upon many of these things.
******************************************
Aiming
******************************************
Holding R1 = First Person View (FPV)
Holding square button with a weapon equipped = Aim weapon
Holding L1 while aiming = Aim lock
Whether you're up against guard or a boss, learning to quickly aim
will be very critical to your success in MGS2. There is no real trick
to this skill, you just have to play a number of times and learn how
to do it quickly. You will be knocking out a lot of guards who stand
in your way with the M9. The vital areas are the head, neck, heart, or
crotch. Shooting a guard in these areas will put him to sleep
instantly. Learning to aim quick will also save on ammo.
While aiming, if you hold the L1 button down, your laser will lock on
a target and stay on it as long as you hold the button down. This may
prove useful for tracking an enemy who is far away or hard to see.
******************************************
Stretching
******************************************
Holding L1 in FPV = Stretch left
Holding R1 in FPV = Stretch right
Holding L1+R1 in FPV = Stretch up
You can stretch left, right, and up while in FPV. Stretching allows
you to peek around a corner or box or whatever you are hiding behind.
This strategy is absolutely necessary for certain confrontations. Note
that if you have a PS2 controller, the buttons will be analogous,
meaning the more you press the button, the greater the affect. Sadly,
this makes it harder to stretch and aim as your aim will waver
depending on how hard you press the button. You can counter this by
always fully pressing the button(s) (L1 or R1 or both) when aiming.
******************************************
Switching Items And Weapons
******************************************
L2 = Cycle through the item list while holding the L2 button down
R2 = Cycle through the weapon list while holding the R2 button down
Switching items and weapons fast makes for good time. Learn to know
the order your items and weapons appear in. I like the group setting
much better but do whatever you are comfortable with.
******************************************
Fast Equip/Unequip Items And Weapons
******************************************
L2 = Equip/unequip the last used item
R2 = Equip/unequip the last used weapon
A most useful strategy to know is how to use the R1 button to equip or
unequip weapons fast. The success of some boss strategies require this
ability. Keep your right index finger on the button while your thumb
is on the square button ready to shoot. Practice equipping, shooting,
and then unequipping again.
******************************************
Quick Ammo Reload
******************************************
R2 two times fast
Your weapons will pause when it comes down to the end of the
cartridge. This delay will sometimes allow the enemy to hit you.
******************************************
Punch-Punch-Kick
******************************************
X button three times fast
The kick will knock out anybody it hits so it is useful in some
situations to knock down an opponent. When you have a weapon equipped
your strikes will do more damage. Note that having certain weapons
equipped (e.g. nikita) will not allow you to kick.
******************************************
Rolling/Cartwheel
******************************************
X button while moving
This little move will make it harder for your enemies to aim at you.
It will also knock down most enemies it hits. In addition, it will get
you out of a jam in some situations.
******************************************
Knocking
******************************************
Circle button while pressed up against a wall
This little move is simple but it is very valuable when not using
stealth.
******************************************
The Hold Up
******************************************
To hold a guard up, sneak up to him and aim the gun at him. You will
say "Freeze," and the guard will hold up his hands. If you aim your
weapon at his head, neck or crotch, he will shake and release items
sometimes. Some guards play tough men and will not shake unless shot
in a non-vital area or unless you aim a more powerful weapon at them
(e.g. stinger). To get items out of guards while holding them up, you
have to have them continually shake and then stop. If they just shake
non-stop they will not fork out an item.
The hold up also proves useful for those enemies you want to freeze in
their place. After they freeze, you can get an easy shoot at their
head.
******************************************
Shaking Bodies
******************************************
In lieu of holding a guard up for items, you can knock them out with
the M9 and then shake their bodies (square button when not equipped
with a weapon).
Each guard carries something different. Note that the guards will wake
up after about 10 shakes in Extreme mode and also note that they do
not give up items very easily.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
VI. WALKTHROUGH
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a comprehensive walkthrough. In each area you come to you will
find a map, a list of guards, and key notes. The map reveals item
locations. This is not a very detailed or a precise proportional map;
neither does it have every single object or obstacle in the area.
However, what it does display will be sufficient. The list of guards
includes their basic patrol route as well as what item they will shake
out. The notes will basically tell you how to get from point A to
point B the safest and fastest. Please note that there is more than
one way to get where you want to go and certainly more than one way to
get Big Boss Rank. The strategies I am offering are simply one of many
that work very effectively and safely. If you have any way or strategy
that you feel is better in one way or another, feel free to contact me
and tell me.
If you do the strategies perfect, you of course should not have a
problem. But since it is not always going to be perfect, you should
know how to improvise. For example, you aim at a guard to shoot him
but he starts to see you and walks toward you. You can either shoot
him anywhere to make him pause, then go for his head, or you can leave
to a safe place. Or perhaps a guard starts to call for backup-- simply
leave the area before he gets a chance to complete his message. Note
that whenever you reenter an area, everything is reset. That is, the
guards all start back to their original position as well as the
cyphers. If you mess up the timing on a certain strategy, you should
know the guards' routes good enough to improvise.
You should also be aware that some of my strategies require the use of
ammo and chaff grenades. Therefore, you should be mindful of how you
improvise. You may find you do not have enough later down the road. It
will be very beneficial to read through the guide first and do a
practice run through Extreme mode before going for Big Boss Rank. That
way, you will pick up a few things that may be amiss and/or things
that may need to be adjusted to suit your style.
******************************************
Abbreviations
******************************************
The following list the various abbreviations found within the maps for
each area. These abbreviations do not apply for the maps for the boss
fights and strategy scenes.
Basic Instructions:
B = Beginning point
E = Ending point
1-9 = Key spots noted in the notes
Basic Instructions For Strategy Sections:
A-Z = Key spots noted in the notes
1-9 = Key spots noted in the notes
Terrain Items:
M = Land mine (attached to a cone indicating the mine's direction)
C* = C4 needed to be frozen
BL = Water bomb located low
BM = Water bomb located middle
BH = Water bomb located high
AIR = Air pocket in water
FIRE = Fire
/\/\ = Water line in Shell 2 Core
Doors:
LV1 = Level 1 door
LV2 = Level 2 door
LV3 = Level 3 door
LV4 = Level 4 door
LV5 = Level 5 door
Miscellaneous Items:
BA = Bandage
PE = Pentazemin
WB = Wet Box
B1 = Box 1
B2 = Box 2
B3 = Box 3
B4 = Box 4
B5 = Box 5
BK = Book
ME = Medicine
Speciality Items:
SH = Shaver
SS = Socom Suppressor
MD = Mine Detector
SB = Sensor B
DM = Directional Microphone
TG = Thermal Goggles
AS = AKS-74U Suppressor
NV = Night Vision Goggles
BA = Body Armor
Guards:
1-Patrols south side and east side [bandage]
Notes:
Upon entering the area, wait until a half-second after the door
closes. Then run to 1 and hold up the guard at 2. Shoot him in the
head. Grab the M9 ammo before exiting the area.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side [?]
2-Patrols southeast side [?]
3-Patrols dinning room [?]
4-Patrols food storage room (appears while in food storage room) [?]
A-Camera in kitchen patrols south door
Notes:
Upon entering you will see a guard move east. Hurry and run behind him
and hold him up before he gets to spot 1. Then shoot him in the head.
Next press yourself against the wall at 2 and watch the south guard.
He will see the body and start to make his way around. You can
alternatively knock on the wall to get his attention. Afterwards,
quickly crawl under the lasers and go to the exit. Be careful. If you
are standing over a fallen guard, you cannot lay down.
******************************************
Deck-E, Bridge
******************************************
____________________________________
| |
| B SO |
| |
E ___________ ___________ |
|____| |--| |____|
|--|
Notes
-----
Olga is pretty easy. She will go down with relatively few shots. She
will kill you in two hits though, but your life is replenished
afterwards. She pretty much hides during this fight and stretches and
shoots (A-E). She will throw grenades if you remain in the same spot
for too long. You need to remain under cover in one of the spots (1-3)
to avoid getting hit. When transferring between the west and east
sides, do a roll. This will speed up your travel and avoid fire. Pick
up ammo when you can if you need it.
Phase 1
-------
Olga will alternate between hiding places (A-E). Her favorite places
to hide are A and B, and these are the easiest places to hit her. The
strategy is to keep her fooled as to where you are. Once she spots
you, she will grunt and an exclamation point will appear over her
head. Then she will begin shooting the direction that she spotted you.
Try to get Olga to start shooting in one spot, preferably at 1 or 2.
When she begins shooting, run to the alternate side when she isn't
looking and shoot her head in FPV. If you take too long to shoot, she
will spot you. Also, whenever you shoot, she will spot you. After she
is down to half her power, she will move to phase 2.
Phase 2
-------
Olga shoots the tarp at the start and alternates between E and D. The
tarp blocks your view somewhat, but Olga can aim right through it. You
can shoot her through it, however. You can simply wait it out and she
will move on to the next phase, but there is an easy way to hit her.
Once you are at spot 1, aim at her in FPV and be ready to stretch
left. When you anticipate that she is going to throw a grenade,
stretch left, aim, and shoot. Keep yourself hidden when not shooting
and keep alternating between 1 and 2 when she throws a grenade. One
shot and she will go to phase 3.
Phase 3
-------
Olga shoots the tarp free in the beginning and aims the light at you
in this phase. This phase is similar to phase 2 in that she will
alternate between E and D. The trick in this phase is to crouch at
spot 4. Look in FPV and aim for her legs or feet. Keep hitting her
before she has time to throw a grenade. She will go down in about 4
shots.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side [?]
2-Patrols southeast side [?]
3-Patrols dinning room [?]
4-Patrols food storage room (appears while in food storage room) [?]
A-Camera in kitchen patrols south door
Notes:
Quickly run to 1 and hold up the guard at 2. If you are in the right
spot you should be able to see the north guard as well. At any rate,
shoot the guard in the head. The north guard will see the body and
make his way to you. Crawl under the lasers and proceed to the exit.
Just make sure you are not standing over the fallen guard when trying
to lay down.
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim west. Shoot the guard when he gets beyond the camera.
If the camera spots a fallen guard, it will send the game into caution
mode. After shooting him, look at the camera in FPV. When it is
looking directly south, run to the exit, hugging the north wall.
Guards:
1-Patrols east entrance to lounge [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols west entrance to lounge [ration]
3-Patrols west side (sleeps) [ration]
Notes:
Right where you enter, look in FPV and shoot the guard who is walking
east. If you miss his head, don't worry. He will likely stop to wonder
what happened, allowing you to get a better shot. Then go to 1 and
shoot the other guard when he comes out to 2. Grab the M9 ammo and
head for the exit.
Guards:
1-Stands on east landing third level (first visit only) [socom ammo]
2-Patrols east landing second level [M9 ammo]
3-Stands on east side first level [bandage]
4-Patrols west landing second level and south side first level [M9
ammo]
5-Patrols west side first level [bandage]
6-Patrols west landing third level [socom ammo]
Notes:
There are many ways to do this area but the following strategy is what
I do: There will be a guard at 1 upon first entering this area. Stand
behind him and shoot him in the head. Then staying right there, look
west. You will see a guard on the west side third level. He will start
moving south to spot 6. Shoot him there. You should have a clean shoot
in-between the columns. Then hurry down the stairs and go to spot 2.
The guard is directly north of you and he should just be turning
around about the time you get your aim on his head. Shoot him and go
to 3 and wait. Watch the guard around the corner. Press yourself
against the wall if you have to but wait for him to turn his head
facing east. When he is looking away, run to 5 and aim up the stairs.
The next guard should just be coming around to walk down the stairs.
Shoot him. Please note that timing is key here. If you took to long
with the previous stuff, then this guard will be much closer to you.
If you feel you took too long, you can simply wait at spot 4 and aim
south just to be safe. In a little while, he will round the corner and
you can shoot him there. In any event, the only thing left to do now
is head straight for the exit. Go up the stairs at spot 5 to avoid the
other guard.
Notes:
Go to spot 1 and aim south. Shoot the guard after he completes his
status check. If you shoot him during his conversation, extra guards
will be assigned.
From spot 2, on top the metal box, you can stretch up and get a good
view of the control unit at 3. Take out that one first. It will
deactivate the first set of lasers. Take out the control unit at 4,
which will deactivate the middle lasers. Then you can go spot 4 and
get a good view at the last control box at 5.
Guards:
1-Patrols west side on the northern end [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols northwest corner (listens to music) [ration]
3-Standing in the middle of the north side (sleeps) [socom ammo]
Notes:
Run north to around spot 1 until you see a guard. Stop and shoot him.
You might want to shake this guy's body for the M9 ammo. You may need
a lot of M9 ammo for the guard invasion coming up. Especially since it
doesn't give you any then if you run out. At any rate, run to 2 and
wait for the next guard, who will be crossing your view shortly. Shoot
him and then go to 3 and aim east for the last guard.
Notes
-----
This fight is kind of hard until you learn to aim quick in FPV. Also,
you really do not need any health after this battle so you can afford
to take a lot of shots. You will have to take out 11 guards in this
battle using the M9. The guards will continuously come out after one
is dispatched, to a total of three maximum guards at one time. No new
M9 ammo will appear so you will have to use what you have. You also
want to save about 2 or 3 shots for later so make sure you don't use
it all.
Phase 1
-------
To beginning with, you may shoot out the light in front of you and/or
behind you. It seems this makes it harder for the guards to hit you
but I could not really tell a difference. I usually just shoot out the
one in front of me.
The guards will hide and appear randomly at spots A-C to shoot. The
easiest way to get through this phase is to stay hidden at spot 1 and
stretch up to shot. Some like spot 2 as it is easier to aim, but it is
also easier for the guards to hit you. Try not to get too close to the
box or else everytime you stretch, Snake has to re-aim his gun.
Conversely, you do not want to be too far away and get hit. The spot
you start out is the best place so take note of the distance.
What I do at spot 1 is keep the R1, R2, and square buttons pressed at
all times. I pop up by pressing and holding the L2 button and pop back
down by releasing it. I pop up and stay up as much as I can so as to
always know where the guards are and what they are doing. When they
are about to fire, I pop down and then right back up after they are
done shooting. I generally aim for A unless I know there are no guards
there. In that event, I'll aim for B. Aim real fast and shot and then
repeat. The best time to pop up and shot is just after the guards
fire. They will remain still for one second before hiding again,
allowing you to aim. If you keep your aim always at A, instead of
switching back and forth from A and B, you will be able to aim faster.
Also, you will be able to quickly aim for C as well.
Occasionally, a guard will toss a grenade at you. The favorite spot of
the guards to do this is A, but they will on occasion do it at B or C.
Usually when a guard is about to throw a grenade, no one else is
shooting. If you see it coming and are quick enough, you can pop up
and shot the guard tossing the grenade. If you get him in a vital area
before he tosses the grenade, you will have spared yourself from
having to escape the grenade. If he gets the toss off, you can either
go to 2 and crouch or simply run all the way in the back. Sometimes
the guard will throw another grenade right after the first. Simply go
back to the original box and continue with the strategy.
Sometimes a guard gets bold and makes his way toward you. He will fire
when he sees you or else he will kick you when close. When this
happens, try to quickly shoot him in the head. If he gets close the
chances are you are going to get hit by someone. If you can't get him
fast enough, then try hiding behind a box and wait till he is close;
then pop up and do a punch-punch-kick combo. If you knock him down
twice, he will disappear. You could also grab him and use him as a
shield but I found this harder to pull off. The problem with these
bold guards is that sometimes a grenade is tossed at the same time,
making the situation hairy. Quickly knock him down and then run to the
other box. As soon as you can quickly go back and knock him down
again. You will probably get hit though in this scenario.
After a short time, the guards will shoot the lights over them, making
it a little harder to see. After 8 guards go down there will be a
short pause and then the fight will move to phase 2. If it takes you
awhile to get 8 guards and a few guards remain, the fight will
automatically move to phase 2. However, when this happens, the
original guards will still remain, making it harder to finish phase 2.
Phase 2
-------
Three guards will come out from C in rapid succession. They will make
their way toward you until they are close and then they will shoot.
Simply go to 3 and stand up and aim straight ahead at where you think
their head will be. When they start coming for you, you can pick them
off one by one quite easily.
******************************************
Hold No. 1
******************************************
Notes:
Quickly descend the stairs and make your way to the west end to spot
1. Crawl under the projector's light beam. As soon as you get to 1
start heading north in-between the metal boxes to spot 2. Do a roll on
the metal grates to pass quietly. Watch the guard move north. When he
is at either 3 or 4, run north to the exit, rolling over the metal
grates.
******************************************
Hold No. 2
******************************************
Notes:
Run to 1, crawling under the projector's light beam. As you are going
to 1, the beam will change screens and the guards will all turn and
face east. Simply wait at 1 and aim north. When the guard gets to spot
2, shoot him. Then wait a little bit more until the guards turn and
face west. Then simply run to the exit, rolling over the metal grates.
******************************************
Hold No. 3
******************************************
Guards:
1-Standing in southeast corner at the computer
Notes:
Take out the guard at the computer as soon as you enter the area. Then
take the pictures of the Ray at 1, 2, 3, and 4. Then run to the
computer. If the commander makes the guards stretch, simply wait at a
spot they can't see you and proceed to the computer when they are
done.
-------------------------
B. CHAPTER TWO: THE PLANT
-------------------------
Guards:
1-Stands in northwest corner of storage room (first visit only)
[bandage]
2-Patrols west side of storage room (first visit only) [bandage]
3-Patrols east side of storage room (first visit only) [ration]
Notes:
Quickly go to 1 before the guards wake up. Make sure you are on the
right side and not the left, otherwise the guard on the south side
will see you. As soon as the elevator arrives, knock on the wall at 2
and then run to 3. When the guard that is investigating turns his back
to the south wall, circle around behind him and knock him out with a
punch-punch-kick combo. Make sure you are not to close to him when you
start your combo, otherwise you will be spotted by him. After he is
knocked down, quickly run north along the west side to the exit.
Guards:
1-Patrols dinning room and kitchen [?]
2-patrols hallway and bathrooms [bandage]
Notes:
Run to 1 and knock on the wall. Run back to 2 and shoot the guard when
he comes around the corner. Then run into the women's bathroom and
grab the pentazemin and freeze the C4. Run to the exit.
Guards:
1-Patrols north strip [ration]
2-Patrols south strip [M9 ammo]
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim for 2, where there will be a guard standing still.
Make sure you are not in the light, else the guard will see you. Shoot
him and proceed to the exit via the south strip.
Guards:
1-Patrols office space [bandage]
2-Patrols pump room [M9 ammo]
A-Camera patrols northwest corner in pump room
Notes:
Go to 1 and knock. Run around the guard through the office space and
on to the pump room. The guard in the pump room will be at 2. Shoot
him there or simply shoot him as he is walking west. Freeze the C4 and
head for the exit.
Notes:
Immediately run to 1, then 2, then 3 and wait. Look east and wait for
the guard to move north. When he does, run to 4 and freeze the C4.
Then watch the guard. When he begins to move to spot 2, run for the
exit. Grab the chaff grenade before exiting.
Guards:
1-Patrols upper and lower level (does status checks) [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols east side of middle section upper level [socom ammo]
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim east. Shoot the guard when his head appears. Run to 2
and aim north for the other guard. Shoot him before he leaves. Then
run to 3 and shoot the 2 guards on the lower level. You may have to
wait a second for them to come into view. Try crouching or standing up
and also stretching to get a clean shot. If you can't get the second
one, he will see the fallen guard and go to him, giving you a clean
shot. Afterwards, quickly hang on the rail and drop down.
******************************************
Strut F Warehouse
******************************************
LOWER LEVEL
Guards:
1-Patrols south side of middle section lower level [ration]
2-Patrols west side of middle section lower level [ration]
3-Patrols upper and lower level (does status checks) [M9 ammo]
Notes:
Freeze the C4. By now the operator will begin to wonder what happen to
the guards. Don't worry about it though as they come in from the upper
level, where you first entered the area. They only wake up the first
guard you shot and then leave. After freezing the C4, quickly get the
chaff grenade and the socom suppressor and then run to the exit.
Guards:
A-Cypher patrols east side
B-Cypher patrols northwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
C-Cypher patrols southwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim north with the M9. Make sure you are in the shadows so
the cyphers will not see you. There is a guard that will be climbing
the stairs up to the heliport. Shot him when he gets to the top. You
have to have a good aim to get him in the head but if you shoot him
elsewhere don't worry, just wait for him to drop.
Now you can either shoot the cyphers or use a couple of chaff
grenades. Shooting the cyphers is self-explanatory. Shoot them and
then pick up the mines. To use the chaffs, throw one and wait for it
to go off. Then run to 2 and crawl through the middle picking up M1
and M2. Get up and throw another chaff. Then pick up M6 and M4. If you
have time you can go for M5 and M7 but the only ones you really need
to pick up are M1, M2, M4, and M6. Don't even worry about M3. Run to
the exit when you are done.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side (does status checks) [socom ammo]
2-Stands at north side looking south [M9 ammo]
3-Patrols east side and stairs [bandage]
4-Patrols middle section [ration]
A-Camera looks at north side
B-Camera looks at south side
C-Camera looks at east side
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim for 2. Shoot the guard there when the boxes are out of
your way. Make sure you are next to the wall as he will see you if you
are closer. Then go to 3 and shoot the south and east cameras. Then go
to 4 and aim for 5. A guard should just be moving right there. He will
turn and face you. Do not shoot him in the head or else the other
guards will see and call for backup. Instead shoot him in the
shoulder. He will question but won't do anything. He will move east to
the stairs and will knock out about this time. Then go to 6, stretch
up and shoot the last camera on the northern end. Finally go to 7 and
face north.
The C4 in this area is attached to a metal box. For your reference,
there is an order to the boxes that come out of the conveyer. Starting
from 8, when you first enter the area, the order will be:
If you have followed my strategy, then you will reach spot 7 about the
time when box #9 or #10 are just coming out of the conveyer. Equip the
coolant and wait for the right box. You don't have to actually see the
C4 in order to freeze it. Simply start spraying when the right box
comes out. Turn with it if you have to. After you freeze it, proceed
to the exit.
Guards:
1-Patrols south section heliport level [socom ammo]
2-Patrols north section heliport level [M9 ammo]
Notes:
From the start, run right up the middle hall to spot 1. Lay down and
freeze the C4 under the jet. Immediately get up and run to 2, then 3.
Look east, there should be a guard at spot 4 looking north. When he
starts to move north, run to 4 and then to the exit.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side (does status checks) [socom ammo]
2-Stands at north side looking south [M9 ammo]
3-Patrols east side and stairs [bandage]
4-Patrols middle section [ration]
A-Camera looks at north side
B-Camera looks at south side
C-Camera looks at east side
Notes:
The two guards that you took out before will still be asleep. Run to
spot 1 and watch the two guards. When the one at spot 2 turns around,
run for the exit.
Guards:
1-Patrols west section upper and lower levels [socom ammo]
Notes:
Immediately run to 1 and wait, just behind the guard. When the guard
moves down the stairs, run for the exit. There is a guard on the
heliport that will be overlooking the area from behind. But at the
start he is looking north and will not see you if you immediately run
to 1 from the beginning. In addition, spot 1 is just outside of his
range.
******************************************
Strut D Sediment Pool
******************************************
UPPER LEVEL
Notes:
First of all, equip the Sensor A. There are 3 C4s on the lower level
but for one of them, the location is random.
From the starting point, shoot the guards at 1 and 2. Then run to spot
3 and shoot the guard at 4. Next go to 1 and look west at the guard on
the lower level. If you are anywhere in-between 1 and 4, the lower
guard may see you. Just wait at 1 until he rounds the northwest
corner, then head for the exit down the stairs.
Guards:
1-Patrols lower level (does status checks) [M9 ammo]
Notes:
As you are coming down the stairs, the guard will be moving east
allowing you enough time to freeze some C4s. The 2 C4s whose location
is the same every game are located under metal lids on the ground (C*
in diagram). The last one is usually under one of the upper landings
(C*? in diagram). Actually, I have never found it to be anywhere but
the north stairs except once, in which I found it on the southeast
end. But it seems the southwest end could be a reasonable place for it
to appear as well.
If the questionable C4 is not on the southeast end, you can freeze
them all before the guard comes back to spot 1 to do his status check.
Simply freeze them all, ending with the one in the southwest corner.
To get back up you can either shoot the guard or hide in a box until
his back is turned. Just make sure not to shoot him as he is checking
in. Also, pick up the M9 ammo next to the stairs before exiting.
If the questionable C4 is located on the southeast end (you will know
because of the green smoke in the radar screen), then take care of the
first two C4s, shoot the guard after he does his status check at 1,
then freeze the last C4. The run upstairs. If the operator begins to
wonder what is going on, remember you can simply exit the door and
reenter, or you can hide in a box.
******************************************
Strut D Sediment Pool
******************************************
UPPER LEVEL
Notes:
From the starting point, the camera will not be able to see you so
relax. There are two ways to do this: shooting the camera or not. If
you shoot it, then stand at 1 afterwards aiming west with the M9.
Shoot the guard walking to you on the bridge, then run for the exit.
If you do not want to shoot the camera, simply stand right under it
from the start. First equip the M9 then get into FPV. Rotate the view
angle west overlooking the bridge. Stretch to the right in order to
shoot the guard. Then run for the exit when the camera is facing down.
Guards:
1-Patrols north strip [ration]
2-Patrols south strip [M9 ammo]
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim for 2, where there will be a guard standing still.
Make sure you are not in the light, else the guard will see you. Shoot
him and proceed to the exit via the south strip.
Notes
-----
Fortune is very aggressive on Extreme. Two hits will kill you but your
life is replenished afterwards. She fires repeatedly and she will
obliterate the room in seconds. To defeat her you have to survive
about 90 seconds.
Phase 1
-------
In this phase, Fortune will fire double blasts with her gun. Your only
real safe spots to hide are A and B and only until she blasts the
boxes away. To start out, go to B and crouch. When the top part of the
east box is destroyed (about 4-5 double blasts), you will want to get
up and run to A. Do a cartwheel when she fires at you in the middle.
At A, crouch and wait for her to destroy the top part of the west
boxes. As soon as the top boxes are blasted through, get up and run to
the other side. Do cartwheels when she fires and continue running back
and forth. She does 11 double blasts in this phase.
Phase 2
-------
Fortune fires about 5 single blasts in this phase. The first 3 of her
blasts will be directed to the hanging pillars above your head, so
make sure you are away from them when they fall. Her other blasts are
at random targets but not at you. Her favorite spot is the obstacles
directly in front of her. After she is done, she will laugh and move
to phase 3.
Phase 3
-------
As soon as Fortune laughs, she will immediately fire at you. At this
point, most of the room is destroyed and you will have no cover. The
trick is to run back and forth along the south wall. What I do is do a
cartwheel as soon as she shoots. While Raiden is in the air doing the
cartwheel, I press the opposite direction on the R1 analog button. As
soon as he completes his cartwheel, he will circle around. As soon as
his head is facing the new direction, do another cartwheel and repeat
going back and forth. You have no time to spare. You must do the
cartwheel as soon as Raiden is facing the new direction. Be careful
though that Raiden is not off course. You must direct him exactly left
or exactly right, not into the wall and not at an angle. Fortune will
fire about 7-10 blasts and then the elevator beeps.
Phase 4
-------
Fortune will pause just slightly after the elevator opens. Start
running in one direction and be prepared to cartwheel. Continue with
the cartwheel strategy. She will fire 6 blasts and then pause. Then
she will fire another 3-4 more blasts. After this she starts getting
aggravated and fires random targets overhead. Simply wait in the back
for the elevator to open.
Guards:
1-Patrols east hallway [M9 ammo]
2-Stands at west end looking east [bandage]
Notes:
Run halfway down the stairs and shoot the guard at 1. Then run to spot
2. The other guard will see something and start to investigate.
Quickly run up to 3 and wait until you see the guard. The guard will
see the other guard laying down and start to walk to him. When he
does, simply run for the exit.
Guards:
1-Patrols upper and lower level (does status checks) [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols east side of middle section upper level [socom ammo]
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim east. Shoot the guard when his head appears. Run to 2
and aim north for the other guard. Shoot him before he leaves. Then
run for the exit.
Guards:
A-Cypher patrols east side
B-Cypher patrols northwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
C-Cypher patrols southwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
Notes:
Since you picked up the main land mines here on the first trip, you
won't have to worry about them again. Throw a chaff grenade as soon as
you enter the area. When it goes off, run right for the exit. The
guard on the heliport will not see you because he takes awhile to get
up there and when he does, he starts off by looking east.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side (does status checks) [socom ammo]
2-Stands at north side looking south [M9 ammo]
3-Patrols east side and stairs [bandage]
4-Patrols middle section [ration]
A-Camera looks at north side
B-Camera looks at south side
C-Camera looks at east side
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim for 2. Shoot the guard there when the boxes are out of
your way. Make sure you are next to the wall as he will see you if you
are closer. Then run to 3 and look north. When the guard comes out to
spot 4, run behind him to the exit.
Notes
-----
Fatman is pretty tough without the radar. His attacks are not that
powerful but it's the C4s he places that drive you batty.
The strategy is to plug him with the socom until he knocks down, then
shoot him in the head with the M9. He takes only about 12 shots with
the M9 to the head and he is done for. Note you can also knock Fatman
with a kick or, if you time it just right, a stun grenade. The stun
grenades are really unreliable. The kick works well but the problem is
you have to be close and might get knocked around by touching Fatman.
However, if may come in handy. Also note that you can use claymores to
knock him down.
Fatman likes to lay bombs all over the place. If one goes off, the
game ends. The last one he places will start a timer showing how many
bombs are left and the time to diffuse them. The number of bombs he
places at any given session varies. There is an unseen time clock in
which he can place the bombs. Thus if you continually keep knocking
him down, he will only place few bombs. If you let him go, he will
place as much as 5. You do not want to run around trying to defuse
bombs at the last minute. The bombs are not easy to find sometimes.
They are placed totally at random by Fatman but you can find the
general area with the Sensor A. Sometimes they are under the metal
crates, sometimes above it.
Strategy
--------
To start off, there are two bombs located at 1 and 2. If you stay put,
Fatman will start off going to spot 1. Get him there and defuse the
bomb. Fatman will then go to spot 2. Get him there and defuse the
bomb. He will retreat. The next few minutes are sheer mayhem. The
problem is finding Fatman. You can look in FPV occasionally but I
found it better just to run around keeping my aim. When I see the aim
turn I know he is there. Every once in awhile I will shoot to see if
he is there. If he is, then continually shoot the socom to knock him
down. Another way to find him is if he just laid a bomb and it appears
in your radar from the sensor A. Immediately go there and try to get
him before he takes off. One last way to find him is to follow the
skate tracks he leaves.
When you are down on ammo, you have to go to one of the spots to pick
it up. The best time to do this is just after you knocked Fatman down.
If you are fast enough, many times you can grab the ammo and come back
for an M9 shot before he gets up. But place more precedence on getting
ammo than hitting him. You can always nail him another time but if you
are out of ammo you can't do much. If you are having no luck finding
him and he is laying a lot of bombs, then stop and work on defusing
the bombs. If he happens to come into view, shoot him down and keep
working on the bombs. He also likes to stay at the spot of one of his
bombs so you can expect to find him there.
Many times after shooting him with the M9, you can follow him a few
yards and shoot him down again with the socom. Try to do this as it
prevents him from placing bombs and also keeps him close to you at all
times. Sometimes he does a little dance after getting up. When this
happens you can take him down again just as he starts to move.
Basically, you may have to replay this fight as sometimes things just
do not go well.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side (does status checks) [socom ammo]
2-Stands at north side looking south [M9 ammo]
3-Patrols east side and stairs [bandage]
4-Patrols middle section [ration]
A-Camera looks at north side
B-Camera looks at south side
C-Camera looks at east side
Notes:
At spot 1, shoot the guard at 2. Then simply run for the exit. The
guard at 3 may still be asleep. If he is not, don't worry-- he still
won't see you if you hurry.
Guards:
A-Cypher patrols east side
B-Cypher patrols northwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
C-Cypher patrols southwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
Notes:
Throw a chaff grenade as soon as you enter the area. When it goes off,
run right for the exit. The guard on the heliport will not see you
because he takes awhile to get up there and when he does, he starts
off by looking east.
Guards:
1-Patrols upper and lower level (does status checks) [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols east side of middle section upper level [socom ammo]
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim south for 2. Make sure you are right next to the wall
as the guard at 3 will spot you. Shoot the guard at 2. When the guard
at 3 turns and faces south, run to his behind side and hold him up.
Shoot him in the head. Next go to 4 and aim south at the lower level.
If you made good time you should have a clean shot at one guard. If
not simply wait there for a second. Both guards will come together and
face each other. Shoot one and then shoot the other while he is
wondering what happened. After they are both down, go to the rail and
hop down to the lower level. You do not need the C4s or the M4. Feel
free to get them though if you must before hopping down to the lower level.
******************************************
Strut F Warehouse
******************************************
LOWER LEVEL
Guards:
1-Patrols upper and lower level (does status checks) [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols south side of middle section lower level [ration]
3-Patrols west side of middle section lower level [ration]
4-Patrols northeast side of level 2 room in lower level [M9 ammo]
Notes:
Hop off of the boxes and enter the level 2 door on the northwest side.
Run up to the guard, who is at 1 looking east, and hold him up. Shoot
him in the head and grab the AKS-74U in the corner. Run for the exit.
By now the operator will be wondering what happened but you will have
time to exit the area. Besides, the extra guards enter from the
southwest door on the upper level.
For your reference, the guard in the AKS-74U room does not simply
stand still but every once in a while turns around and faces west.
Don't worry too much though. If you took out the first guard in the
beginning (the one that does the status checks), then this guy won't
turn around until shortly after the operator questions what is going
on. Therefore you have plenty of time.
Guards:
A-Cypher patrols east side
B-Cypher patrols northwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
C-Cypher patrols southwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
Notes:
Throw a chaff grenade as soon as you enter the area. When it goes off,
run right for the exit. The guard on the heliport will not see you
because he takes awhile to get up there and when he does, he starts
off by looking east.
Note that the bride will start to collapse its flooring as you run
across it. Don't worry about it though. Just keep running and you will
be fine.
Equip the B.D.U. and the AKS-74U before going to the Shell 1 Core.
Guards:
1-Patrols north section of east hallway [AKS-74U ammo]
2-Patrols south section of east hallway [bandage]
3-Patrols north side around perimeter [AKS-74U ammo]
4-Patrols west hallway [M9 ammo]
A-Camera patrols east exit
B-Camera patrols northeast corner
C-Camera patrols east hallway at middle
D-Camera patrols southeast corner
E-Camera patrols west hallway at middle
Notes:
If you do anything abnormal, the guards will be suspicious and try to
look through your disguise. Abnormal means a crouch, crawling, a
cartwheel, punch, kick, or a knock on the wall. They won't do anything
though, unless you continually do an abnormal thing or try to run
away. If they investigate you, let them come to you first. When they
start to look closer, then you can run. Also, your B.D.U. will come
off if you bump into a guard.
If the guards see you without the AKS-74U equipped they will get
suspicious and come closer to investigate. You can simply equip the
AKS-74U before they do, however. The cameras won't do anything though
if you have another weapon equipped so you don't need to worry about
them. Except you do have to have it equipped before calling for the
elevator.
Grab whatever ammo you need here including the chaff grenade. You will
want to shoot out the 4 cameras on the east side. This will ensure a
fast getaway when you are back here after contacting Ames. Feel free
to shoot the other camera if you like but you really do not need to.
Guards:
1-Patrols the perimeter of area (moves fast, sleeps) [AKS-74U ammo]
2-Patrols west side of computer room [bandage]
3-Patrols north side of computer room [M9 ammo]
4-Patrols south side of computer room (accesses computers) [ration]
Notes:
You may want to pick up the books at 1 before leaving. It may come in
handy for finding Ames. You have to kick the locker and a guard will
probably hear and investigate, but they won't do anything. Pick up the
directional microphone and head for B1.
Guards:
1-Stands by vending machine and also patrols hallway [bandage]
2-Stands by book rack and also patrols hallway [AKS-74U ammo]
3-Stands by poster and also patrols hallway [AKS-74U ammo]
Notes:
One guard will proceed to monitor the hallway. When he gets to 1 and
looks south, get behind him and hold him up with the M9 or socom.
After he freezes, unequip the weapon and grab him by holding down the
square button. Drag him to the retinal scanner. If he starts to skirm,
choke him once.
Guards:
1-Patrols east side
2-Patrols perimeter of middle section
3-Patrols middle section (does status checks)
4-Patrols middle of middle section
5-Patrols east side on platform
Notes:
Ames' location is different each game. However, he is always a white
middle-aged male with brown hair. He is the only man of such
description in the room. You may get lucky and have a room full of
women along with Ames. In any event, run around the room and find the
man of his description. When the guards are not looking or far away,
point the microphone at him and press the triangle button. If any
guard sees you without the AKS-74U you will be caught. If a guard sees
you from far away, he will get suspicious and come closer for
investigation. Simply equip the AKS-74U before he gets close if this
happens. Do not run, let him check you out before leaving.
If things get complicated, remember you can distract the guards by
planting books along their paths. They will take some time to look at
it but note that they will not stay occupied indefinitely. You can
also take guards out with the M9 just as long as another guard does
not see him get shot or you firing of course.
Note that the hostage at spot 1 will trip you if you run over his
legs. The fall will take your disguise off.
Don't worry too much about getting the thermal goggles. They will
reappear at a much more convenient time.
Guards:
1-Patrols north strip of hallway (in caution mode) [AKS-74U ammo]
2-Patrols south side of hallway (in caution mode) [AKS-74U ammo]
3-Stands by vending machine (in caution mode) [bandage]
Notes:
Note that in caution mode, the guards will have different routes.
Equip the M9 and go to 1 looking north. A guard will arrive at 2
looking west. Don't worry about the guard on the south side, he will
not see you. When the guard in front of you turns east, hold him up
and shoot him. Actually, you don't need to hold him up. After a small
pause at 3 he goes into the northwest room for awhile. In fact you can
even call for the elevator as he is standing at 3. After you are done,
proceed to 1F.
Guards:
1-Patrols north section of east hallway [AKS-74U ammo]
2-Patrols south section of east hallway [bandage]
3-Patrols south side around perimeter [AKS-74U ammo]
4-Patrols west hallway [M9 ammo]
5-Patrols north strip (caution mode only)
6-Patrols west hall (caution mode only)
7-Stands on east side looking west (caution mode only)
8-Patrols west side next to dysfunctional door (caution mode only)
A-Camera patrols east exit
B-Camera patrols northeast corner
C-Camera patrols east hallway at middle
D-Camera patrols southeast corner
E-Camera patrols west hallway at middle
Notes:
In caution mode, their will be 4 extra guards. Also note that the
regular guard who used to patrol the north section now patrols the
south section.
Upon entering the area, there will be a guard at 1. Immediately run to
his behind side and hold him up. He will slowly raise his hands. Shoot
him quick. This guard will go for his gun if you wait too long.
Quickly go to 2 and look south. You will see two guards. One will be
walking towards you and the other away from you. Both are on the far
end. Shoot the guard on the left, the one that is walking away from
you. Don't worry about the other guard. He stops after awhile and will
not see you. Note that there is a guard at 3 looking west. If he sees
another guard get shoot the caution mode will reset. After taking out
the one guard, take out the other guard walking toward you just as he
stops. Next go to 4 and take out the armored guard at 3. If you take
too long there will be another guard coming around the corner on the
southeast side. Don't worry, you should have plenty of time. Also, he
immediately goes to the first guard you shoot so you have time to
shoot him as he is investigating. Grab the socom and M9 ammo on your
way out.
Guards:
A-Cypher patrols east side
B-Cypher patrols northwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
C-Cypher patrols southwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
Notes:
Throw a chaff grenade upon entering the area. Stay right where you
are, else the cypher will spot you. Run to the exit when the grenade
goes off.
You should be mindfully about how many crates you knock over on the
bridge. You will have to come back here and you want to be able to
cartwheel across when you do. The best way is to run and continually
cartwheel across. Just make sure your head is turned directly east
before you cartwheel, otherwise you won't go anywhere but down.
I wait at the exit until the caution mode is off before leaving. There
is just too much mayhem in the next room to do it otherwise.
******************************************
Strut F Warehouse
******************************************
UPPER LEVEL
Guards:
1-Patrols upper and lower level (does status checks) [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols east side of middle section upper level [socom ammo]
Notes:
The strategy here is the exact same as when you had to get the AKS-
74U, except that you will be getting the PSG-1 and the PSG1-T instead.
Go to 1 and aim south for 2. Make sure you are right next to the wall
as the guard at 3 will spot you. Shoot the guard at 2. When the guard
at 3 turns and faces south, run to his behind side and hold him up.
Shoot him in the head. After they are both down hurry and grab the
PSG-1 and the PSG-1T and run for the exit. Note that after you get the
PSG-1T, it is faster to turn yourself around in the duct work and then
crawl forward instead of crawling backwards.
Don't worry about the other items. None are really that useful except
the RGB6 and the grenades. But you can get the RGB6 at a later time
when it is much more convenient.
Guards:
A-Cypher patrols east side
B-Cypher patrols northwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
C-Cypher patrols southwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
Notes:
The strategy is the same here as it always is: Stay put and throw a
chaff grenade; then run for the exit when it goes off.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side (does status checks) [socom ammo]
2-Stands at north side looking south [M9 ammo]
3-Patrols east side and stairs [bandage]
4-Patrols middle section [ration]
A-Camera looks at north side
B-Camera looks at south side
C-Camera looks at east side
Notes:
Go to 1 and aim for 2. Shoot the guard there when the boxes are out of
your way. Make sure you are next to the wall as he will see you if you
are closer. Then run to 3 and look north. A guard will come out from
the stairs area and go to spot 4. When he does, quickly run north and
then over to spot 5. Watch the guard at 6. There is also a guard at 7
looking south but this guy never moves. When the guard at 6 turns
around, run for the exit.
Notes:
From the starting point, shoot the guard at 1 and run for the exit.
******************************************
Strategy: Shooting The Control Units
******************************************
1 on cypher
2 on cypher
_____________________________________
| |
behind |______________ ______________|
flag | 3 on wall | 4 on wall
5 6|_____________ _____________|
on side | |
of wall | | 7 behind
| | birds
_________| |_________
| |
| |
| ____ |
|8 on | | |
| floor | | |
| |____| |
| |
| __________ |
| | | |
___| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
|---| | | |
|---| |__________| |
|---| |
|---| ____ |
|---| | | |
|---| | | |
|---| |____| |
|---| 9 on barrel |
| | |
|___|_________ on _________|
|10 floor |11 on lower floor
| |
|12 on | on wall
_____________| floor |_____13______
| A|
|______________ 14 on ______________|
| wall |
|_____________________________________|
Notes
-----
There are 14 control units. Most you can use the socom but others you
will have to use the PSG-1. Feel free to use a pentazemin, you will
get more along the way before you need them again.
First go for the two on the cyphers, as they are the hardest. The rest
can be taken out in any order. Aside from #1 and #2, the only control
unit that probably needs the PSG-1 is #6. The rest I use the socom
because your aim does not waver with it but use whatever works for
you. From spot A you can get #5 the easiest. From the same spot,
stretch up and get #11. For #7 shoot somewhere near the birds to get
them to fly away.
Notes
-----
The Harrier may seem like a big pain but he is actually a cinch. There
is a safe way to dodge or hide from every attack he does. Here are his
attacks:
Missiles from east or west as he sweeps overhead
Hot air from above ("Burn baby burn")
Four pairs of bombs from overhead ("Die!")
Homing missiles ("All let you go out in style")
Frontal missiles while he is close ("Dodge this")
Gunfire ("Go to hell!")
On the easier levels, the Harrier also does a stream jet line and he
will do it once in Extreme. However, this jet line has never hit me so
I think it does not work on Extreme.
Missile Attack
-------------
This attack will either come from the east or west. You can hit him
before he shoots as he is far away. Keep your aim on where you think
he is. There is usually a little smoke trail he leaves letting you
locate him rather easily. The way to dodge this attack is simply a
cartwheel. You will have to listen for the right timing but you should
be keen enough after a few battles with him.
Hot Air Attack
--------------
This attack will come from above. You can easily dodge this by going
to the lower level. In fact as soon as you do, the Harrier will stop.
However, this attack does not hurt that much and all I do is simply
point up and shoot him 4-6 times. It is a good trade-off. Sometimes he
doesn't even hit me because I hit him before he gets close. Solidus
only does this attack once in the fight.
Bomb Attack
-----------
This attack will be pronounced with a cut screen if you are on the
upper level and not in FPV. Solidus will also say "Die!!" Note that
when the screen sifts to a cut screen, press X to skip it. This will
give you more time to set up your evasion. There is no way to dodge
this attack on the upper level. Quickly go down to the lower level and
wait for the explosions to end. You can get there via the stairs or by
hanging and dropping from the middle ledge. Solidus only does this
attack once in the fight.
Homing Missile Attack
---------------------
This attack looks just like the missile attack, except that Solidus
will say "All let you go out in style" before he fires. You can hit
him before he fires. The way to dodge this attack is to find shelter
on the opposite side from where he is attacking. For example, if he is
coming from the west, go to spot 5 and crotch. If from the east, then
crouch at spot 3. Note that you can also move and cartwheel to dodge
this attack if you time it just right.
Frontal Missile Attack
----------------------
This attack will be preceded by the Harrier moving to the east
position directly in front of you. The screen will shift to looking
directly east, then he will rise up and fire a barrage of frontal
missiles. These missiles are no joke. They will kill you in on hit. At
any rate, you can hit him once just as he is beginning to fire the
missiles. The way to dodge this attack is to run from spot 2 to 4. The
Harrier will move up and down to try to match your level, but he will
be too slow. Sometimes he will get you and you will have to reset but
most of the time he will not. Note that your evasion is not simply
robotically moving from 2 to 4. Watch the Harrier and the missiles and
adjust when you need to. Sometimes you will have to pause and
sometimes switch directions fast. At any rate, you want to get a feel
for how long these missiles last because the Harrier is wide open as
soon as he is done. Hurry up to spot 2 and fire away. You can get as
much as 4 shots at him before he retreats.
Gunfire Attack
--------------
This attack is a straight session of machine gunfire. The Harrier will
start out in the northeast. Quickly go to spot 6 and crouch. You may
equip a box here-- it will help you maneuver while staying crouched
but it isn't really necessary. Try to make sure you are in the middle
of the metal box. If you are too far to the edge you may get hit. The
Harrier will continue firing while slowly moving south. He will then
circle around clockwise over to the west side. When he is south he
cannot hit you because of the building structure. Get up and quickly
move to spot 7 and crouch. Stay at spot 7. Sometimes the Harrier will
keep circling clockwise around back to the east side. If he does,
simply move back to spot 6. When he is done, go back up to the upper
level.
Patterns
--------
There is an order to the Harrier's attacks. However, the pattern will
become skewed somewhat depending on how much damage he has. For
example, if you do not hit him at all, his pattern is:
Strategy
--------
You start out at spot 1. Quickly grab the stinger and equip it. The
Harrier will be directly north and you can get 3 free shots at him at
the start. The Harrier will then circle east and do an missle attack.
After this, he goes to the southwest and does almost a complete circle
counter-clockwise. Use this time to nail him. You can get as much as 4
shots while he circles. Go to the northern section to aim because
there your stingers can travel just over the south building structure.
After this the Harrier continues with his pattern. Use the places and
tactics to evade his attack and hit him at every possible time. He
should go down in about 20 hits. Snake will give you more ammo when
you are out.
Guards:
1-Patrols north strip
2-Patrols north strip
Notes:
At spot 1, equip the PSG-1T and pop a pentazemin. Plug the two guards
at 2 and 3. Just be sure one cannot see the other get shot. Equip the
M9 before exiting the area.
******************************************
Strut L Perimeter
******************************************
Guards:
1-Patrols southwest side of perimeter
2-Patrols southeast side of perimeter
3-Pees from atop Strut L
Notes:
Immediately go to 1 and hold the guard up at 2. You do not have to aim
at him to hold him up. Even if you are aiming east, you will
automatically lock on him. Shoot him while he is held up. Run east
along the bridge. The flooring will fall at 3 but just keep running.
When you get to 4, lay on the ground and crawl east. There will be a
guard moving west just above you. Get up and proceed to the exit after
he is gone.
Notes:
Run to 1 and throw a chaff grenade. Grab the chaff grenade just north
of you while you wait for it to go off. Run to the exit when it does.
You can jump both holes in the bridge. The second jump is tougher but
you can always hang over the ledge to get across if you want to do
that instead. You might want to throw another chaff if you decided to
do this though.
Notes:
At the start, fire a nikita at spot 1 to wake up the president.
The best place to take out the electrical control panel is the room
where the two gun-cameras are (duct work 2). You have to disable the
cameras of course before you do it though. At spot 2, shoot the metal
crate just north of you. It will take 6 nikitas to destroy. Then guide
one into the room. Watch the president. You will have wait until he is
away from the panel or else he will die. If the coast isn't clear,
guide the nikita into a wall away from him and continue to shoot more
into the room.
If you do not want to destroy the gun-cameras, then go to spot 2 on
top of the metal box. You can choose the route you want to take (duct
work 2). Any metal crate takes 6 nikitas to destroy.
Notes:
Pressing the triangle button continuously under water will make your
02 level decrease at a much slower rate. You should be able to make it
all the way to the end without coming up for air. Just keep pressing
the triangle and circle buttons together for best results.
You should pick up the stinger ammo in the south room under the air
pocket. You may consider getting the night vision goggles too. Some
people like them for the time when you have to guard Emma, but I think
they are far too bright to be of any use and the thermal goggles are
better.
If you run into a bomb, don't reset. Just proceed to the exit and save
on another file when the Vamp fight starts. If you find you cannot
beat Vamp with the little life you have, you can always start back at
the Harrier fight and do the whole thing over.
Notes
-----
Vamp is one tough cookie. He is much easier if you simply use guns and
kill him, but you must use the M9. Without the Brown Wig, he is not
really harder-- it just takes a little longer. The strategy remains
the same. You will have to do fast button presses in this fight. You
will have to switch between three weapons, look in and out of FPV,
lock and unlock your aim, as well as crouching at the right time. This
is why this fight is one of the toughest. Your life is replenished
afterwards.
Phase 1
-------
To start out, equip the M9 and plug Vamp in the head while he is
bowing. He will retreat to the water. I pretty much stay at spot 1 for
most of this match. There are only two times you need to move from
this spot. You will see that moving around makes things harder and
that this spot is the best.
While Vamp is in the water, shoot 2 stinger missiles into the water.
It will take his 02 level down (not that that does anything) and
damage his fatigue gauge a little. Once his 02 is down, you cannot
damage him with stingers or grenades so you might as well stop. If you
run out of stingers, use the RGB6 instead. They are harder to hit but
better than nothing.
Now equip the M9, get in FPV, and aim at the water and lock the aim
with the L1 button. You cannot shoot Vamp while you have the L1 button
pressed, but this doesn't mean you can't use the tracking lock to keep
your aim on him. After awhile Vamp will jump out of the water and land
on the catwalk above. Usually your lock will follow him. Keep the lock
on him until he reaches a corner. Then let go of the L1 button and
fire. He will throw a knife at you, which you can easily dodge by
crouching as soon as he throws it. After this Vamp will jump to
another side and walk to another corner. Do the same thing-- lock your
aim and release at the end and shoot him. Crouch for the knife. Then
go to spot 2 and aim for spot B. Vamp will go to A and twirl around to
spot B throwing knives. When he is done he is wide open. Shoot him in
the head and he will jump back into the water. In this stage, always
fire 2 stingers or grenades into the water when Vamp is in there.
Vamp will jump out of the water and land on your level. He will run up
to you and pause, then slash you with his knife. Equip the nikita and
stay at spot 1. Wait for him to jump and then press circle button to
swing your weapon. It should knock him back into the water. The good
thing about swinging the nikita is that it hits anybody around you,
even behind.
The next time Vamp jumps up to the catwalk, he will not walk to the
corner as he did at first. He will simply jump up and throw a knife.
Keep your lock on the water and when he jumps out of the water,
hopefully your lock will still be on him. Release the lock and fire.
When you hear him throw the knife, press X to crouch. Sometimes you
will hit him early and sometimes just as he is throwing the knife. You
will have to learn when to crouch. If you do it do soon, he will nail
you. Too late and he will nail you the same. On rare occasions, you
hit him at a certain place or time and he will not even throw a knife.
If your lock got lost as he is jumping out of the water, it means he
is behind you or to your extreme left or right. You can use the
directional button to complement your aim lock so that you will follow
him close. If you lost him good, then get out of FPV and be prepared
to crouch. Listen to the sounds, they will help you out in this fight.
As soon as the knife flies over your head, get up, switch to FPV, aim
and lock onto Vamp. He will jump to another spot and do the same
thing. He will then jump again and do the same thing for a third time.
Then go to spot 2 and aim at B. He will twirl again throwing much more
knives this time. Shoot him in the head when he is done and he will
retreat in the water.
The time that Vamp stays in the water will vary. He will stay longer
when it is just after he catwalks but if not, he will not stay in
long. In this phase, his pattern is pretty much:
Bows
In water: long time
Catwalks to a corner and throws a knife
Catwalks to a corner and throws a knife
Catwalks while twirling and throwing knives
In water: long time
Runs at you and slashes with knife
Runs at you and slashes with knife (if you didn't hit him the first
time with the nikita)
Runs at you and slashes with knife (if you didn't hit him prior)
In water: short time
Jumps on catwalk and throws a knife
Jumps on catwalk and throws a knife
Jumps on catwalk and throws a knife
Catwalks while twirling and throwing knives
In water: long time
Runs at you and slashes with knife
Runs at you and slashes with knife (if you didn't hit him the first
time with the nikita)
Runs at you and slashes with knife (if you didn't hit him prior)
In water: short time
Jumps on catwalk and throws a knife
Jumps on catwalk and throws a knife
Jumps on catwalk and throws a knife
Catwalks while twirling and throwing knives
In water: long time
(Etc.)
There is one little glitch in this pattern. When Vamp is hurt by 1/3
of his fatigue, he will modify his run and slash. This time, he does
not pause making it much more tougher to hit him. There is an easy way
though. If you stay at spot 1 he will instead jump over your head and
hang on the wall. Swing the nikita just as he is jumping and you will
hit him on the wall. He will then retreat to the water as usual.
Vamp follows his pattern pretty closely but it is still benifical to
look north in FPV when you can to see what is going on. Sometimes, as
you are plugging stingers into the water, you will hit him as he is
jumping out. When this happens, he sometimes immediately retreats back
into the water, thereby moving onto the next pattern. For example, if
he was supposed to catwalk, he will move on to the run and slash.
After a fighting him so much you will catch on to his movements and
pattern. Just be on your guard and you should be fine.
When Vamp is at about 1/2 his fatigue, he will proceed to phase 2.
Phase 2
-------
It is important to know when Vamp is in this stage. If you are at
sport 1 and he does a wall hang out of order, then you know he is in
this phase. When in doubt, act like he is in this phase and you should
be fine.
While in this phase, Vamp will modify his catwalks. Instead of
throwing a knife and then jumping and repeating, he will now
immediately throw 2 successive knives, followed by a third. He will
then jump to another spot on the catwalk and do the same. He does it
once more for a third time before retreating into the water. There is
no real safe way to hit him with the M9 when he does this. All I do is
simply run and avoid his knives. The best way to do this is to go to a
corner and wait until you expect his throw, either by sound or by
timing. Then run to another corner as he is throwing the knives. The
best direction to run in is one that is perpendicular to Vamp and
farthest away. For example, if he is on the east catwalk throwing
knives, you want to run along the west strip, from 3 to 4 or 4 to 3.
If he is on the south catwalk, then 4 to 5 or vice versa. You can get
hints as to his location by watching the red trail that he leaves
while moving or looking in FPV. The knives are really not that hard to
dodge and you can simply run around the area. However, sometimes if he
is directly over you, you may get hit. You may also cartwheel on the
third knife if you think you may not get out of the way. Also, while
you are running, now is a good time to get whatever ammo you need.
Sometimes Vamp will jump out of the water and right back in. This
little jump is inserted into his pattern so that it does not alter it.
What he is trying to do is pin your shadow. Most of the time, he will
not be able to if you are positioned just right. If he does pin your
shadow, you can try to get out of it by rapidly pressing a button and
the directional keypad (although I've only gotten this to work a few
times on Extreme Mode before he sliced me).
Be aware that Vamp does not remain in the water that long in this
phase. In fact, he practically dips in and dips out just before he
does his catwalks. You still have time to fire a few stingers into the
water though.
After Vamp is really low on fatigue, he moves to phase 3. Watch his
name on his level bar. He transitions when the fatigue is somewhere in
around the letter "M." Look in FPV to see how he jumps out of the
water. If you jumps out and starts flipping around, he is in phase 3.
Phase 3
-------
In this phase, Vamp will jump from place to place real fast, be it
either on the catwalk or your level. He also fires a barrage of knives
all at once to you. The number of jumps he does in-between throwing
the knives varies. Sometimes it will be one jump, other times many.
Just before this phase, it might be a good to go into the shadows
(e.g. spot 6). This will avoid getting your shadow stuck. Even if it
is stuck it does not matter to much. Vamp still continues with his
jumping and knife throwing. The problem, however, is that he may
continually stick your shadow and you may confuse the animation with
his knife throwing. So it may throw you off.
Just before Vamp throws his knives, he will pause slightly, turn his
body to the side, and reach over to his hip with the opposite hand.
Watch for this as it is the sign to hit him. Right after you hit him,
or just as he is throwing the knives, simply crouch. The only time you
can hit Vamp is just before he throws the knives. Get into FPV and
lock your aim on him. Follow him wherever he jumps until he is about
to throw, then nail him and prepare to crouch. Do this about 5 times
and he is done for.
Notes:
You can quit easily make it to the southeast air pocket in one first
trip. An easy way to get pass the bombs in the east hallway is to look
in FPV from the air pocket. Line your body up with the opening for the
hall. Then press circle to dive under. Immediately press and hold R1
to get into FPV. Your body will start to sink straight down. After you
are relatively still, you can start swimming. Don't worry if you run
into a bomb. Your life is replenished not to far ahead and you don't
need any life before then. Emma's life will be restored when she sits
down.
Guards:
1-Patrols west and north halls around the northwest corner [M9 ammo]
2-Patrols west hall (appears when taking Emma to the west hall)
[bandage]
3-Patrols north, west, and south halls (appears in elevator just
before you go down southwest stairs) [RGB6 ammo]
4-Stands in southeast corner looking north [nikita ammo]
5-Patrols southeast corner just below stairs [M4 ammo]
6-Patrols exit and east hall (appears when taking Emma up southeast
stairs) [pentazemin]
Notes:
If Emma is seen, then it counts as an alert.
First of all, leave Emma in the elevator and go to 1 and aim west.
Shoot the guard when he gets to 2. Next Take Emma to 3 and leave her
there. Hurry to spot 2 and aim south. Shoot the guard that is walking
toward you. Then take Emma to 4 and leave her there. An extra guard
will come out of the elevator but you don't need to worry about him.
Go to 5 and aim east. Shoot the guard that you see. Then run to 6 and
hold up and shoot the other guard before he wakes up his comrade. Take
Emma to 7 and leave her there. Go to 8 and wait for the guard that
appears above you to turn north. Hold him up when he does and shoot
him. Take Emma to the exit but grab the M9 ammo in the electrical room
before exiting.
Guards:
1-Guard patrols north end of middle bridge [M9 ammo]
A-Cypher patrols west bridge
B-Cypher patrols south side of middle bridge
Notes:
Just like any other bridge with cyphers, you can either destroy them
or use chaff grenades. Here it is easiest to simply destroy the
cyphers. If you use chaffs, you will have to use about 5 of them.
Destroy the cyphers and go to 1. A guard will appear at 2. Shoot him
and then put out the fire with the coolant. Only one side needs to be
cooled. Then take Emma to the exit. If you are low on M9 ammo,
consider shaking the guard's body for ammo. You need all you can get
for the guard invasion coming up.
Guards:
1-Patrols north side of half-circle hallway [?]
2-Patrols south side of half-circle hallway [?]
Notes:
Go to spot 1 and take out the guard at 2. You can also get the guard
at 3 from here. Be careful to not let the other guard see his comrade
get shoot. If he does, shoot him quick or exit the area.
******************************************
Strategy: Guarding Emma
******************************************
Notes
-----
This part is not too hard. The only thing tough is getting your aim on
the land mines, particularly one on the east side slightly hidden
behind a pole. New ammo will appear when you get low. If you are
standing in the same spot, you will receive it automatically.
At the start there are 5 mines on the west strip and 6 on the east
strip. There is also one guard at each tower and 2 cyphers (one
patrolling the middle strip and one patrolling the east strip). When
Emma crosses a certain point, new guards and cyphers will appear.
Compare the following chart and correspond the points with the diagram
above:
At the start there are:
5 mines on west strip
6 mines on east strip
1 guard at each tower ("guard")
2 cyphers ("cypher")
When:
Emma crosses A = 3 guards appear at a
Emma crosses B = 1 guard appears at b
Emma crosses C = 2 cyphers appear at c
Emma crosses D = 3 guards appear at d and 1 cypher at cypher d
Emma crosses E = 1 guard appears at e and 1 cypher at cypher e
Emma crosses F = 1 cypher appears at cypher f
Snake calls offering help
Emma crosses G = 1 cypher appears at cypher g
To take out the mines, equip the thermal goggles and the PSG-1. You
can zoom in and out with the circle and X buttons. The guards have to
be taken out with the PSG-1T. The cyphers can be destroyed with either
the stinger or the PSG-1. You have 5 pentazemins and you should
absolutely save one for Vamp after this. This leaves 4. The best times
to take them are: before shooting the 5 mines, before shooting the 6
mines, before shooting the 3 guards on west tower, before shooting the
3 guards on the east tower. You should also consider using the thermal
goggles to see the guards better.
To start off, go to where the PSG-1T ammo will appear. This is the
only spot in which you can see all 6 mines on the east strip. Follow
this pattern for best results:
1) Take out the 5 mines on the west strip
2) Take out guards on each tower
3) Take out the 2 cyphers at each strip
4) Take out the 3 guards that appear on the west tower (a)
5) Take out the 6 mines on the east strip
6) Take out the last remaining guard on the west tower (b)
7) Take out the 2 cyphers (c)
8) Take out the 3 guards that appear on the east tower (d)
9) Take out the 1 cypher (d)
10) Take out the last remaining guard on the east tower (e)
11) Take out the 1 cypher (e)
12) Take out the 1 cypher (f)
13) Take out the 1 cypher (g)
This is a rough pattern of what I do although it can be altered every
now and then. For example, if I can't get my aim on any of the 6 east
mines before my pentazemin wears off, I simply leave them. Later, when
I still have the last remaining effects of a pentazemin, I go for them
again. Note that you may ask Snake for help and he will shoot the last
3 cyphers for you. This will lower your mech destruction stat of
course.
Always look in FPV or if you are not doing anything to see what is
going on. Try not to let Emma get roughed up too much. Her life is not
replenished afterwards, which means the better you do here, the easier
the Vamp fight will be.
You should consider leaving a PSG-1T ammo out in order to mark the
spot for the Vamp fight. If you have more than 5 shots left, just
shoot a few rounds until you are down to just 5 shots left. Then a new
one will appear.
******************************************
Strategy: Vamp 2
******************************************
There is really no strategy for this fight and none is needed. To
start off, you should go to where the new PSG-1T ammo is or will
appear. This way you will receive new ammo when you need it. Equip the
PSG-1T and pop a pentazemin. Zoom in and aim for Vamp's head. As soon
as you get your aim, plug away. He takes 12 shots to the head. Be
careful not to hit Emma's arm. Make sure your aim is as high as you
can. There is a spot where you do not have to wait for Emma to turn.
Emma will die quite easily here if you hit her a few times so be
patient. If you can't get high enough on his head, then simply shot
when he is open. Try to anticipate when he turns Emma and adjust your
aim when it starts to sway left.
Guards:
A-Cypher patrols east side
B-Cypher patrols northwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
C-Cypher patrols southwest section and bridge to Shell 1 Core
Notes:
Throw a chaff upon entering the area. Run to the exit when it goes
off, jumping over the holes in the bridge.
A-Camera patrols east strip at the south end
B-Camera patrols west strip at the north end
Notes:
Go to spot 1. The screen should change its view so you can see the
guard at 2. When he turns north, run and grab the box on the far end.
Equip it. You will not sneeze if you have the box equipped so keep it
equipped at all times. The cameras and guards will do nothing if they
see a still box. If they see you move, however, you will be spotted,
unless they spot something far away. In this event they will
investigate. You should know that the guards on the lower level can
see you if positioned right. They won't see you but will see something
and will come up to investigate. If they see the box as they are
investigating, you will be found. Try to get out of the area before
they come up the stairs if this happens.
Go to spot 3 and make sure you can see the camera if you look in FPV
through the box. When the camera is facing north, go up right
underneath it, next to the wall. Look in FPV north. When the guard in
front of you at 4 turns north, and when the camera is facing south,
run to 5 and wait. When the guard reaches spot 4 and looking south,
run to 6 and look at the camera through the box. When the camera is
facing north, and there is no guard in front of you, run to 7 and
wait. This part is the trickiest because the guard down below can spot
you. You need to work your way around the camera to spot 8 when the
guards are not looking or not around. Move to under the camera when it
faces north. Then to spot 8 when it faces south. At 8, simply wait
until the guards are not looking and the camera is facing south and
then go to 9. Finally, wait there until the guard next to you is
facing south, then run for the exit.
All of this sounds complicated and probably confusing. But it's rather
simple and all you need to worry about is moving when the guards and
cameras are not looking at you. It does help though to know the
guards' patrol routes.
Notes:
Start pressing select when it prompts you. You should take 5 calls and
then the 6th call will the real one. When Snake gives you the sword,
you simply have to wait until the game advances.
Notes
-----
This part isn't too tough but Snake is usually the one to die first.
Don't worry if you get hit. It won't matter too much as the next guard
invasion will most likely take you down to bleeding, even with a full
life bar. Snake will accompany you and follow your advancement. If you
stay behind he will not advance very far. If you advance, he will
also. If Snake is in the lead, which he will be most of the time, he
will be the target of the guards. This is what you want. Snake
replenishes his life afterwards but you don't. However, Snake cannot
take on everybody-- he needs your help. The longer you take to take
out the guards, the more he gets hurt. When you stay put he stays put.
Sometimes this may be good but you may also need to advance just a
little to get him to start shooting. Learn to get him to do what you
want him to do.
You will be using the M9 and the strategy is to stay far away and
pluck the guards off one by one. Obviously you want to go for their
head but if you can't, then just shoot them and go for another guard.
They will pass out after a little while. If you are far away, the
guards will generally not aim at you and even if they do, they do not
hit you often. Equip the body armor, it will definitely help. If you
run out of M9 ammo, you will have to use the HF blade. Just make sure
it is blue (press square button) and do not use lunges-- they kill
guards.
Phase 1
-------
You start out on the south end of the hall with 5 ground shooters and
2 catwalk shooters. Go to spot 1 and aim in FPV and go for the ground
shooters first, they tend to do more of the firing. Once you pass the
A line, the next phase begins.
Phase 2
-------
Quickly go to spot 2 and do the same thing in this phase as the last.
There are 2 ground shooters, which you should take out first. Then go
for the 2 catwalk shooters. There are 3 swordsmen here as well. You
cannot shoot the swordsmen unless it is in the knee or below. Go ahead
and shoot them in the shin if you'd like but it's best to save the
ammo. Snake should take care of these guards much easier than you can
but feel free to equip the blade and take them out yourself. Cross the
B line to continue.
Phase 3
-------
Again, retreat back after triggering the guards. Spot 3 is nice to
start out. There are 4 ground shooters and 2 catwalk shooters. Take
them out just as any other. There are 2 ground shooters that hang out
in the back so you will have to go to spot 4 in order for them to come
out of hiding. Cross the C line for the last phase.
Phase 4
-------
This phase is the hardest and longest. Unlike the other phases, you
cannot retreat back as the screen will not move with you. Spot 5 or 6
are really the only safe places here and you really do not want to be
moving around too much. I have found that shooters really cannot get
you is you stay at 5 because their aim is too low. If you have to
switch between 5 and 6, do a cartwheel in the middle. It will may
knock over any guards there and also project yourself faster.
A series of guards will stream in from the catwalks. The ratio of
shooters to swordsmen here varies. Sometimes it is mostly swordsmen
and sometimes it will be balanced. I usually stay at 5 and take out
the shooters when I can. When any swordsmen get too close, I equip the
blade and take them out. At spot 5, the swordsmen are your main
concern so watch them. If you go to spot 6, there will be a number of
shooters on the upper level in the northwest corner. Make sure you are
out of their sight or shoot them first. If you start to bleed, crouch
when you can to replenish your life. After about 20 guards the north
door will open.
Notes
-----
This is not so hard. You will most likely get hit. In fact my health
always drops down to bleeding when I play this fight.
The guards stream in from the balconies A and B for quite awhile.
There is a general balance between shooters and swordsmen but it seems
there are more of the latter. You will be using the HF blade because
the M9 is simply unreliable unless you are incredible fast at aiming.
Even then, it will not take care of the swordsmen, who will be coming
after both you and Snake. You should also use the body armor in this
fight.
There is no real strategy but to always move and hit and run. Whenever
you run, always hold the L1 button to deflect bullets. Note you will
only deflect them if you are running straight into them. When you get
close to a guard, do 3 or 4 slashes to knock them out. Do not get to
close to any guard, as they will always do damage. Go for the shooters
first, they are the ones that do the most harm. The best places to be
is either on the opposite end of where Snake is or directly behind
him, covering his back. However, you don't want to stay in one spot.
Snake will do most of the dirty work but he has trouble sometimes
taking out the swordsmen. Keep running and slashing guards. They like
to pour in on the west and east ends, just below the balconies. Keep
an eye out for Snake as sometimes he will be surrounded and taking a
lot of damage.
I am reasonably sure that if you slash a guard off of the landing, it
does not count as a kill. I remember doing this twice in my game and
it did not register. The lunges do kill, however, so if you
accidentally do one on a guard, then you must reset.
If you bleed, which you probably will, then crouch down until your
health recovers. Most of the time I do it right away. If I know I
cannot do it safely, I run to spot 1 and crouch. If Snake is doing
well and has a lot of health left, you may consider going to spot 1
and waiting around.
When the screen shifts to the fake "Game Over" screen, you really
cannot do anything to change it. I usually pause it as soon as the
white screen comes in to give me time to see what is going on. The
screen will do this twice in this fight.
Notes
-----
The Rays fight is long and hard. It is hard because it is long and
because only a few mistakes will take you out. You have to defeat 20
rays in Extreme Mode but only 3 will be active at any one time. Once a
Ray is defeated, he leaves the area and a new one takes his place. At
the start there are 3 Rays in front of you, off the platform. After
one Ray is down to about half his power, he will jump up on the
platform. From this point one will always be in the center while 2 are
off. The Rays will come in the following order:
Of course you will be using stingers to beat the Rays. Learning how to
aim fast is very very important for this fight. You can aim for the
head or the left or right leg. Shooting a Ray in the head will do
damage, but shooting the head while it is open will do 3 times as much
damage. To open his head, shoot a leg first. Each Ray will be defeated
with 3 open shots to the head and one regular shot to the head. You
can also throw a chaff grenade whenever things get hairy. The chaffs
mess up the aiming system of the Rays.
Here are some important things to know about the stingers: you can
only have one missiles in the air at any one time. Also, if you have
just hit a Ray with a stinger, the targets will not appear for him
until a couple of seconds. But, you do not have to have the targets
when you fire if you know that they will appear before the stinger can
reach him. In other words, a lot of times I fire too soon on purpose
because I know the targets will appear soon. When they do and I get a
lock, the stinger will automatically go for the lock. This little
technique will be a key factor in this fight. Many times you do not
have time to stand around waiting for the targets to appear. The
targets will appear after the Ray does two stomps with his feet. Shoot
a stinger just before you know the targets are going to appear. As
soon as the missile is in the air and going for a locked target, you
do not have to wait anymore. You can uequip the stinger and move if
you like or shoot the Ray again.
The Ray has 5 types of attack:
Missiles From Afar
------------------
This attack is the one you will have to dodge most. It is a series of
4 missiles. A Ray will only do this attack if he is off the platform
and is some distance away from you. For example, if the Ray is at spot
A, the spots marked 1-6 are an appropriate distance from which the Ray
may fire these missiles. The missiles beeb faster as they get closer
to you. The way to dodge them is to simply be out of the way. You can
get a close idea of where they are going to land by listening to the
beebs. All 4 missiles will land in the same general area. Cartwheels
work well here if done at the right time. A lot of times, you do not
want to simply run as far as you can go, rather you want to run just
enough so that you know it is safe. This will allow you to get some
shots off.
Homing Missiles
---------------
This attack comes when you are far away from the Ray on the center and
when he is directly facing you. It will only come from the Ray on the
platform. It will be prefaced by the Ray simply standing still for
about a second. If you move to the side of the Ray, he will
continually be lining himself up to you in order to try to shoot these
missiles. This missiles can be hard to dodge; timing is everything.
You must run left or right and cartwheel at the right time. When you
are just getting used to the timing, it is easy to cartwheel too soon.
You must wait until the first one is just upon you and then cartwheel.
The Ray is wide open right before he fires these missiles and right
afterwards. More often then not, you can do a combo on him before he
gets a chance to fire the missiles. If you shoot a leg and he fires
the missiles before he gets hit, sometimes your stinger will blow up
the missile.
Gunfire
-------
The gunfire will come from the Rays, mostly from the one on the
platform, if you are at a medium distance from the Ray. This is his
least powerful attack and it is easy to dodge. Simply run
perpendicular to the Ray and cartwheel just before the gunfire sweeps
around to you. Do not do a cartwheel in the same direction as the
gunfire. In other words, run left or right but not to or from the Ray.
The body armor will reduce this attack's damage. This attack is
prefaced by the Ray turning to the side as if he is shielding his face
from an attack. When his head is shielded, you cannot hit it unless
you have clear shot. After the Ray shields his head, he will sweep his
machine gun from one side to the other, but never more than 180
degrees. In other words, if you are standing to the side of the Ray,
he will stop his gunfire at a certain point because you will have
moved out of his range. Note the diagram above.
Water Stream
------------
When you are real close to a Ray, either on the platform or not, he
will open up his head and shoot a high-powered stream of water. It
comes when the Ray is lined up with you. The obvious evasion is to get
out of the way. The Ray will preface this attack by cocking back his
head and thrusting it forward. There is not much time, you have to
simply get a feel of the ranges of the Ray and know when you are in
it. If you avoid this attack, take the opportunity to shoot at his
head because it is wide open and you will be very close.
Stomp Attack
------------
When you are right next to the Ray, he will try to stomp on you. This
attack will kill you outright. He can do it no matter if you are
behind him or in front. The stomp does a shock wave, which means it
doesn't have to land directly on you to do damage. The attack will be
prefaced by the screen turning to a top view. When it does this, move
out of the way fast and do a cartwheel right when the Ray slams his
foot down. After this, you are close enough to get a good leg-head
combo.
Phase 1
-------
To start off, 3 Rays are off the platform directly facing you. Each
will roar his head before it proceeds to attack. The middle one will
roar first, then the east one, followed by the west one. If you are
fast enough, you can cruise past this phase without them firing once.
This is what I do at the start:
Combo on middle Ray
Combo on east Ray
Combo on west Ray
Combo on middle Ray
Combo on east Ray
Head shot on west Ray
Combo on middle Ray
You can do this if you continually fire stingers and get your lock
quick. You can also substitute a combo for a head shot if you are
behind on time. If one Ray does get an attack off, however, simply
unequip the stinger and be prepared to evade. When one Ray is under
1/2 its health, it will jump onto the platform. You know when this is
going to happen because the screen will unlock and freely rotate when
you move.
Phase 2
-------
In this phase, one Ray will always be on the platform (except when
transitioning), and the other 2 Rays on the outside of it. This phase
is somewhat easier than the first one because the Rays on the outside
will hardly attack at all if you keep moving. They move around a lot
because they will always try to be on the other side of where you are.
If you keep moving, they will be forced to move with you. And also, a
lot of times when they stop moving, the roar their head first before
attacking. If you remain in the same general area for too long, they
will get position and fire missiles. They will occasionally do a water
attack or gunfire if you are close but this is rare. Also, if they
roar their head, they not only give you time to shoot them, but they
are vulnerable in the head.
The Ray in the center is your main concern. Note the diagram above,
which shows the range you have to be in for the Ray to attack with the
corresponding attack. If you study it, you will note safe zones to the
side of the Ray. This is where you want to be. The Ray will always be
moving if he is not attacking. He will always try to get into the
range for the homing missiles. Thus if you are in the safe zone, he
will move away from you while trying to line himself up. Sometimes he
will start a gunfire attack and abort it because you will have moved
out of that range. If you continually hit him while circling into him,
you may be able to get behind him. This is usually a bad idea. He can
stomp you or quickly turn for a water attack. If you start to get too
close to him on one safety zone, start circling the other way. Just be
sure to do a combo when you are in front of him, before he does the
homing missiles. Continue to sweep back and forth on the center Ray
until he is destroyed.
The strategy is to never give the center Ray a chance to attack. In
fact, it is to never give any Ray a chance to attack. Obviously they
will, however, but you can minimize it a lot. Always go for a combo
with the center Ray. If you are stressing for time, settle for a head
shot-- it won't damage him much but it will give you time to move to a
more advantageous position. Always try to circle around the perimeter
and try to get comfortable with moving both clockwise and counter
clockwise. If the center Ray is slipping away from you do not panic. A
lot of the times he takes a long time to move away and fire the homing
missiles. If he is slipping away, try to do a combo, then move closer
to him into a safe zone.
If you have mastered the timing of when the targets will appear on the
Ray, and if you shoot early, you can oftentimes simply stand in one
place and continuously do combos on the center Ray. It will move to
try to line itself up to you but it will not get a chance to fire. If
the other Rays start to do missiles, then simply start circling again.
This little strategy is good to use when you know the outside Rays
will not fire any time soon. For example, if you have been moving and
circling for the past little while, then you may be able to afford
staying in one place and using this strategy.
When the center Ray is defeated, be careful not to be too close to
either the Ray moving off the platform or the one that will be moving
onto the platform. If you are, you may be stomped. Also, if you just
destroyed the center Ray, then do not simply wait around for another
to take its place. Do combos on the other Rays and continue to move.
If any Ray starts to attack, note what attack it is and plan your
evasion as well as a counter. For example, if the center Ray shields
his head to do a gunfire sweep, move around to the side and do a
combo. If it is going to be a water attack, quickly move to the side
and do a head shot. If a homing missile, then the same. Always be
ready to uequip the stinger and ready to equip it again. Always move
and always fire.
******************************************
Strategy: O2 Test
******************************************
Solidus will attempt to suffocate you with his arm extensions. I never
have a problem with these kinds of tests but some people do. Of course
you can just get an auto-fire controller. But if you don't have one
here is what I do: I bend my right elbow at a 90 degree angle with my
middle finger on the triangle button. Then I secure the controller
with my left hand to keep it from moving. Then I flex my entire right
arm and cause it to shake violently. It's easier done than trying to
explain it. I usually can keep my O2 level to more than halfway before
Solidus quits. At any rate, use whatever method that works for you but
practice enough so that you can do it relatively easy. Once your O2
meter is gone your life will start to drain and you want all the life
you can get for the next fight.
Notes
-----
This battle is quite difficult at first until you get familiar with
Soldius' attacks. The only items that will really benefit you will be
the Bandages, and even those don't help much. If you bleed in the
first phase, you can crouch at various times and get your health back.
If you bleed in the second phase, don't even bother-- you simply do
not have time.
Phase 1
-------
The basic strategy in this phase is to continually circle around
Solidus counter-clockwise. He has a weakness on his left side because
of his blind eye. If you continually circle him at a certain distance,
not only will it be hard for him to attack you, it will be easier for
you to counter-attack him. Keep circling, even when he attacks. There
are some attacks that will allow you to circle in to the side or rear
of him and get in a hit. Sometimes the screen will shift to a slightly
different perspective but try to be comfortable in both perspectives.
Sometimes doing a cartwheel straight for Solidus, and landing on the
other side, changes the view.
If you try to slash Solidus from the front, his armor will
electronically shield him. You will have to work your way to the side
or rear of him to land a hit. If you hit him from the front as he is
doing an attack, he will stagger back. Whenever he staggers back he is
vulnerable. Immediately go straight for him and slash him. Anytime he
is open do a 3-slash combo. This will knock him down. The best slash
to use is simply a right or left slash. The up and down ones have to
be lined up more correctly to land. The lunges do life damage so you
don't want to use them.
Note that you can deflect a lot of Solidus' attacks by holding the L1
button down. However, this isn't really as effective as circling so
you really won't use it much.
Try to be in the center of the roof whenever you are circling him. You
can get him to move where you want by stepping back a little and
allowing him to move in close.
Solidus has a number of attacks he does in this phase:
Head bunt:
Solidus will do this when you are really close to him. Simply circle
around him and go in for a counter-attack.
Side kick:
This is Solidus' other close attack. He likes to do this when you are
close behind him or close at his side. If you are close behind him or
to his side you should be slashing him so you rarely see this attack.
Two-slash combo:
Solidus does this combo sometimes when you are somewhat close to him
(refer to diagram). It is prefaced by him turning blue. Simply circle
around at a distance to avoid this attack. There is not an effective
counter-attack to this combo so don't try it.
Three-slash combo:
This is Solidus' other combo slash that is prefaced by him turning
blue. It comes occasionally when you are close to him. The combo ends
will Solidus bowing down his head and slashing outwards with both
swords. This leaves him wide open. Circle around as he is doing his
combo and then come close to him from the side or rear and do a 3-
slash combo.
Double slash down:
Solidus does this when you are close and he turns blue before he does
it. He raises his swords in the air and slashes straight down with
them. He is wide open after this so move in and do a combo.
Right/left sweep:
Solidus will turn green before this attack. He will try to sweep your
legs with the right arm extension first and then the same with the
left. He does this when you are just outside his range for a sword
slash. After dodging this attack, circle into him quickly and then
back again. This will more times than not make him do a sword attack,
which are easy to dodge and easy to counter-attack. If he lands with
the sweep attack, he will knock you down. After this he likes to move
in slowly and attempt a head bunt.
Left arm lunge:
Solidus will turn green before he does this attack just like his other
arm attack. You can tell the two apart from the start because this one
starts with his left arm extension. It comes when you are further away
from him. Solidus will thrust his left arm extension straight for you.
It will knock you down if you are in its path. If you are circling
around him regularly, then you can dodge this attack and come in for a
counter-attack easily enough. Solidus may pause for a second after he
misses, giving you enough time to come and slash him.
Arm grab:
Solidus will turn green and grab you with his arm extensions and lift
you up in the air. This attack comes if you run in close in front of
him as he is doing one of his other arm attacks. Your 02 meter will
start to deplete and he will slam you down into the ground afterwards.
There is no way to evade this once you are in the air and there is no
counter.
Wall jump:
When Solidus is close to the wall he may jump high onto it and jump
down on you. He seems to like doing this when you are knocked down
and/or some distance away from him. The attack is real easy to dodge.
Simply get out of the way as soon as he jumps off of the wall and
circle back into him and do a combo.
Flame:
This one is not so much as a direct attack but it can hurt you.
Solidus will speed away from you very fast creating a flame streak. He
only does this when you are close to him and in one of three
situations: when you are knocked down, when he is knocked down, or
after you've hit him a few times. You can cartwheel over the flame if
you have to.
Missiles:
After Solidus is hurt by about 9 slashes, he will start to shoot
missiles after every time he gets knocked down. There are 6 missiles
and they are hard to dodge. You can slash them with the HF blade but
this is unreliable. A better way is to jump off of the ledge and hang
while the missiles are exploding. The only way the missiles can get
you when you are hanging is if you are too close to Solidus or if he
is standing near the ledge himself. After you knock him down with a
combo, you should run directly away from him to the furthest spot on
the ledge. For example, if Solidus is at A then run to 1 or 2 and walk
off the ledge. If Soldius is knocked down near the ledge, you may find
it better to stand next to him and allow him to do flame away from
you, then walk over the ledge. On the third or fourth explosion, get
back up because Solidus will move in close for an attack if you stay
down.
Phase 2
-------
This phase is much harder. Solidus will continually flame around and
come in quickly for an elbow smash or a slash-combo. This phase is
mostly skill and not so much strategy. When he is flaming around,
watch the flames carefully and try not to cross it. Sometimes, the
best way is to simply stay still or don't move around much. If you
have to cross it, then cartwheel over it.
Solidus has only a few attacks in this phase. Either he will do a 3-
slash combo, a lunge, or an elbow smash. What he likes to do is flame
around awhile, then come charging in with any one of his attacks. You
definitely do not want to be at the end of these attacks. He will
almost always precede his charging attack with some kind of voice. For
example, he may say "Die!" or "Take this!" or "Over here," or "Let's
go," or just simply grunt. When he is charging, be prepared to
cartwheel away from him. After any of his attacks you can circle back
into him and catch him off guard. Quickly slash him. If you hit him
follow up with a few more slashes. If staggers back, quickly run close
to him and do the combo. If he shields the attack, then run away a
little bit.
At the start, Solidus will do multiple flames. Simply wait at a safe
spot and be prepared to cartwheel away from him when he comes in for
an attack. After he attacks, try to come in close and get a combo. If
he is down on the ground, go away a little distance. Solidus will most
likely get up and do one flame towards you, ending with an attack.
Simply run in the opposite direction just before he attacks and be
prepared to circle back into him. A good strategy to use in this phase
is to stay relatively far away from Solidus so that you can see most
of the roof. Most of the time, if you do this, Solidus will only do
one flame. However, occasionally he will get happy and start to do
multiple flames. Keep an eye on the screen to plan your retreat and
get to know when he is coming in for an attack.
If Solidus misses an attack, and you did not get a counter-attack in,
then it is quite easy to get him to do a lunge. Just stay relatively
close to him and prod him to do it. The lunges are good because they
are easy to dodge and easy to count-attack him.
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VII. MY END SCORES
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Chapter: Tanker/Plant
Mode: Extreme
Time: 2:37:15
Damage: 4.5
Shots: 691
Alerts: 3
Clear caution modes: 0
Kills: 0
Mech destruction: 36
Continue: 0
Rations: 0
Saves: 8
Radar: Off
Special Items: Off
Dog Tags: 100%
Rank: Big Boss
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VIII. CREDIT AND THANKS
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-To God and his Son Jesus Christ, eternally his
-To Gamefaqs.com and CJayC for the best gaming web site there is
-To those of you who appreciate and use this walkthrough
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(C) 2002 Samuel Riesterer (a.k.a. Braveheart)
