MGS4 Guns of the Patriots

GAME DEVELOPMENT

"Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots" represents the end of an era as the sixth and final chapter in the Metal Gear SAGA. Not only was this the final Metal Gear title for Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa, but for the series main protagonist Solid Snake as well. MGS3 was suppose to be Kojima's final game, but the release of the new Sony PlayStation 3 prompted talks about making MGS4. In a 400-page book bundled with the MGS3 Japanese Premium Package, the director was revealed to be Shuyo Murata, co-writer of MGS3 and director of "Zone of the Enders The 2nd Runner". He has also contributed humorous easter eggs to "Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty" and "Metal Gear: Ghost Babel". However, it was later announced that Kojima will be co-directing the game with Murata after substantial negative fan reaction, including death threats. Just about every trailer and press conference made it clear that this will be the final installment of the saga and all questions will be answered.

The score to "Metal Gear Solid 4" was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, his 3rd MGS soundtrack, and Nobuko Toda, who provided music for the "Metal Gear Acid" series. Directed by Norihiko Hibino, GEM Impact employees Yoshitaka Suzuki and Takahiro Izutani also made compositions late in the game's production. Other contributors are Konami employees Shuichi Kobori, Kazuma Jinnouchi, Akihiro Honda, and Sota Fujimori. There are two vocal themes for the game. The opening theme, "Love Theme", is sung by Jackie Presti and composed by Nobuko Toda. The ending theme, "Here's To You", is sung by Lisbeth Scott. Before the release of the game, "MGS4 - Theme of Love - Smash Bros. Brawl Version" was provided for "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" in the Shadow Moses Island level.

MGS4 was the first PS3 game that used a full 50GB dual layer Blu-ray Disc and among the very few to include the reinstated DualShock 3 force feedback system. There are several live-action "shows" and "advertisements" for the game's PMCs created by the Team Logan studio, which specialises in cutting edge commercials and visuals. These were used at random as the game opening cinematics and were directed by Alexei Tylevich.

ENVIRONMENTS

Unlike the previous Metal Gear titles, MGS4 visits various locations around the world. Each area provided a very different gameplay environment and yet together they were able to unify the entire series. Act 1 was a war-ravaged town in the Middle East representing the new atmosphere of MGS4. Act 2 featured a near-jungle setting in South America subtly resembling MGS3, as well as providing a uniform similar to one of the camouflages Naked Snake used. At one point Snake even has to implement tracking techniques to achieve his objective. The Act begins at night and there is a delicate sunrise transition in the lighting. The Middle East and South America stages focused heavily on the war zone atmosphere. On one side are the PMC (Private Military Company) soldiers, which represent high-tech warfare. The opposition is the local guerrilla forces, more or less lightly equipped. The game is left open to whatever choice the player makes; aiding the resistance forces or simply evading the battle all together. There are advantages to helping the rebels and the game even allows you to befriend them by trading rations and other supplies. Contrary to the early concepts, Snake can not aid the PMCs and the game will enter Alert mode if he is seen by them.

The dark city in Eastern Europe involved Snake, wearing a "Young Snake" face cammo and an outfit resembling Gillian Seed ("Snatcher"), tailing a resistance member in a similar fashion as "Chasing the Green Beret" in Metal Gear 2. Overall, the first half of Act 3 seemed as a subtle revisit of Kojima's early games; "Metal Gear", "Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake", and "Snatcher". Act 4 was a pure nostalgia ride for any long-term fan of the series as Snake returned to the snow-covered ruins of Shadow Moses from MGS1. Prior to the mission the player is treated to a brief play-through of the Heliport stage from the original 1998 "Metal Gear Solid" as part of Snake's dream sequence. Video (from the original MGS1) and audio (from "Twin Snakes") flashbacks would pop up as Snake moved through key areas of the base. This time the enemy patrols consisted of robotic Gekko and Dwarf Gekko machines. The final Act, and the climax of the game, takes place on a giant submersible arc Outer Haven, which was based on the stolen Arsenal Gear prototype blueprints. The high-tech interior and a ship setting echoed the settings of MGS2.

ABILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

As detailed as MGS3 was when it came to abilities, MGS4 manages to add a tremendous amount to Snake's repertoire. The player can now run while crouching and slowly slide off ledges into a hanging position. He can hide inside of a barrel, similar to the way the cardboard box was used. But the barrel can also provide some shielding from fired shots and can be used as a rolling ram against the enemy. Prolonged rolling, however, will make Snake dizzy and cause him to vomit. There are various ways Snake can move on the floor now; standard crawling, playing dead, crawling and shooting while lying on his back, and rolling side to side. The forward jump roll is the same but can also be performed side to side. There are new CQC take-down techniques introduced to silently immobilize the enemy. Holding the enemy in the grip will eventually knock them out. If the hold is maintained after that, the victim dies. An electric stun-gun feature is introduced in the back of the CQC knife. When throwing an object like a grenade, the planned trajectory is shown allowing you to aim where the item will land. When holding up guards, Snake can now physically search them for items. An instant KO in the form of a crotch grab is added for a quick disposal of a held up guard. As with MGS1 and MGS3, there are two chase segments where Snake is driven in a vehicle as he fights off enemies.

The camouflage system returns, but with some changes. Snake has a new OctoCamo that can take the pattern of whatever he leans against. Doing so can allow him to move practically invisible while lying on the floor or pressed against a wall. Players use the Sixaxis controller's motion-sensing capability to reset the OctoCamo to its default color. In addition there are other outfits that Snake can choose, including chapter-specific disguises. A mask that has the same OctoCamo abilities is also included and boosts the cammo percentile. The OctoCamo can be used in a variety of ways, incluing posing as a statue to evade enemies. The cutscenes will show Snake in the cammo pattern/disguise that he is wearing during the gameplay. A new device called the "Solid Eye" allows Snake to perform a variety of optical tasks and data processing rapidly. It replaces the need to carry a scope and a night vision/infrared goggles separately, while also adding the ability to get readouts on his surroundings. Snake is also partnered with a robotic drone the Metal Gear Mk. II. It serves as a communication devise and can be used for reconnaissance, even engaging enemies with using an electric shock. Snake controls it using a PlayStation 3 controller.

Instead of the Stamina bar from MGS3, the game introduced the Psyche bar that measures Snake's mental health. Being detected by enemies will raise Snake's Stress percentile, which in turn will reduce his psychological wellbeing. A low Psyche has the same effect as low Stamina in MGS3, Snake is out of breath and has trouble aiming weapons. Laying down in a safe area will help lower stress and replenish both the Psyche and the Health bars. Cigarettes will reduce Snake's stress level but at the same time lower his health. This mechanism is so sensitive that so much as moving out of the sunlight into a shaded area will reduce stress. Many items in the game; such as the iPod, Muña plant, and adult magazines, will increase the meter, as will consuming ReGain Energy Drinks, noodles, and military rations. Repeated jumps or rolls will cause Snake's back to stiff up, prompting a need for a Compress. In certain Alert situations Snake will actually enter a Combat High mode with his adrenaline pumping. But it's only temporary. If the player chooses to engage in a long-lasting firefight, mass-killing, a Liquid Snake flashback, "you enjoy all the killing" is triggered forcing Snake to vomit. Since Snake wears a "muscle suit" there is no medical menu like in MGS3.

A new character Drebin provides a unique weapon management system called Drebin's Shop. He is a gun launderer that can eliminate user ID tags on weapons making them usable. Snake accumulates Drebin Points by collecting weaponry on the battlefield as well as destroying enemy machines. Those points can be used to "launder" found weapons or purchase new ones. In doing so, Snake can unlock a massive armory with all types of firearms, secrete items, and explosives. Most weapons can be customised to user specifications. All the unlocked items are carried over into the next playthrough. In addition, there are various hidden weapons and items in the game that force multiple playthroughs on different difficulty settings. For example, the Big Boss mask can only be unlocked by beating the game with a perfect score (Big Boss rank) on The Boss Extreme difficulty setting, which itself has to be unlocked first. There is downloadable Online content that enables the player to obtain new music tunes for the iPod and camouflages. The Codec radio support team is much smaller when compared to previous games. Otacon is the main radio backup and Rosemary joins in as a Psyche analyst in Act 2.

SENSE is the unifying theme of the game and the gameplay reflects it. Snake is not the only one with a Psyche gauge and the heat of battle will make soldiers break down in horror and/or fear. In addition, the tranquilizer gun can now be loaded with Emotion Bullets based on the boss characters of the game (Rage, Laughter, Crying, and Scream). When a solider is shot with a Laughter dart, for example, he will go crazy laughing and fire on his own troops before finally passing out. Certain Smoke Grenades and camouflages have the same type of effects. The new Threat Ring surrounds Snake and acts as a visual representation of Snake's awareness. It shows the direction from which a potential threat can be expected.

While the game is played with in 3rd person with the addition of the 3D camera introduced in MGS3, MGS4 allows for a several options. In order to accommodate various gamer preferences, the view can be changed from the 3rd person standard to a 1st person shooter, or an over-the-shoulder look (right to left shoulder switch is added for better cornering). The game is aimed to cater to all styles and preferences, allowing the player to use stealth or play it as a shooter. There is also a choice of watching the Mission Briefing cut scenes from predetermined camera angles or exploring them with the Metal Gear Mk. II. The new Baseline Map shows Snake's presence in regards to the environment as well as the targeted location and enemy positions. Accessible through the main menu, the Virtual Range is a test facility that allows the player to access the game's library of weapons as well as practice Snake's CQC moves.

BOSS FIGHT CONTROLS

Perhaps the single biggest shock in MGS4 was the ability to actually pilot a Metal Gear tank, namely Metal Gear REX. The final battle of Act 4 pits Snake, piloting the MGS1 REX, against Liquid piloting the MGS2 RAY. Armament involves machine guns, missiles, and the laser. In close range it is possible to use a variety of melee and grapple/tackle maneuvers.

In the climactic hand-to-hand battle against Liquid Ocelot the game shifts into a "fighting mode" with new abilities and controls. Various kicks, blocks, grapples, takedowns, and counters are available. The fight consists of 5 parts. The first is just a cutscene of Snake and Ocelot fighting. Upon exhaustion and injecting each other with the syringes, the MGS1 health bars appear and the player assumes control with the MGS1 music playing in the background. Ocelot moves and behaves rather arrogantly, very similar to the fight in MGS1, and even the name under the health bar says "Liquid". After taking some damage he starts utilizing his prosthetic arm. The health bars and the music change to MGS2 with his name reading "Liquid Ocelot". Moving the fight further will prompt a technical exchange of CQC moves against "Ocelot" with MGS3 health bars and the "Snake Eater" theme in the background. The final part of the fight has no health bars with the MGS4 "Old Snake" theme. At this point it's just a matter of a staggering exchange of punches until the end.

REFERENCES AND MARKETING

MGS4 contains many references to past Hideo Kojima works. The game is filled with brief image "flashbacks" from previous Metal Gear games symbolizing Snake's and the players' memories. Players are able to choose to view these scenes by pressing the appropriate button on their controller when prompted. Ed and Jonathan are named after the two main characters in "Policenauts" and are a part of the Rat Patrol Team 01 unit lead by Meryl Silverburgh; who herself was originally a character in that game. The settings of Acts 2, 3, 4, and 5 are designed to resemble past gameplay styles. Otacon's computers have "Policenauts" and "Zone of the Enders" desktops. Metal Gear Mk. II and III are modeled after the Gillian Seed's robotic partner in "Snatcher". A secret (non-lethal) weapon the Solar Gun is a reference to Kojima-produced game "Boktai" that focused on solar-based gameplay.

The Beauty and the Beast Corps serves as the central boss characters of the game. Four models were chosen for their in-game appearances as their "Beauty" side: Lyndall Jarvis (Laughing Beauty), Scarlett Chorvat (Screaming Beauty), Mieko Rye (Crying Beauty), and Yumi Kikuchi (Raging Beauty). Once the mechanical "Beast" form is defeated, the player then faces the "Beauty". Staying away from them for 3 minutes will prompt a Photo Session screen where the player can take pictures while the beauties pose. Equipping the iPod and playing certain songs will also make them dance. It should be mentioned that this is the first game where the player has the option to kill or spare all the boss characters (this excludes the fights with Vamp and Liquid as they have unique settings)

Apple computers are frequent used and shown. An iPod is an in-game item that Snake can use to change the background music; listen to in-game podcasts and collect hidden songs. ReGain Energy Drinks are used in the game as a Psyche gauge booster, and Sony Ericsson mobile phones can be seen in a couple of cutscenes. An MGS4 ReGain commercial was actually used in Japan to promote the drink. Konami and Ubisoft included an unlockable costume for Snake, Altaïr from the Ubisoft stealth game "Assassin's Creed". Initially it was revealed on April Fool's Day 2008, but Kojima later announced that it would actually be in the game. To obtain the attire, the player must acquire the "Assassin Emblem", a nod to the game's title.

VERSIONS AND RELEASE

There is a difference in the voice work between the Japanese and the English versions that to some degree influence one of the main characters. As stated by Hideo Kojima, the character Liquid Ocelot was intended to have Revolver Ocelot's voice. However, the Japanese voice actor Kji Totani who provided the voice of Revolver Ocelot in MGS1 and MGS2 passed away in February 2006. As the result, the Japanese version of the game had Liquid Snake's voice for the character Liquid Ocelot, provided by Banj Ginga. The English version stays true to the original game design and had Patric Zimmerman, who voiced Revolver Ocelot in MGS1 and MGS2, reprise the role. It should be noted that the reason both voices were used in MGS2 was because it was, indeed, Liquid's actual arm that was attached to Ocelot. However, in MGS4 Ocelot wears a prosthetic and Liquid no longer "possess" his mind. As such, this makes the Japanese version of the game inaccurate.

MGS4 Limited Edition was released simultaneously with the game's standard edition, as an enhanced counterpart. The limited edition contains Guns of the Patriots, a box with artwork by Yoji Shinkawa, a Blu-ray containing a "making of" documentary, and the game soundtrack. The Limited Edition was available exclusively at GameStop in the United States and EB Games in Canada, while a similar bundle with an additional 6-inch 'Olive Drab' Old Snake Figure was made available at Play.com in the United Kingdom. In North America, a bundle containing an 80GB PlayStation 3, a DualShock 3 wireless controller, a downloadable game coupon from PSN, and a copy of MGS4 was released for US $499. Japan saw the release of the "Guns of the Patriots Welcome Box" that contains the game itself, a DualShock 3 controller, and a 40GB PS3 in black, white or silver. Sony also announced a limited edition pre-order bundle containing "Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition" and a matte grey (officially titled Gunmetal Grey) 40GB PlayStation 3. First announced in Japan on March 18, 2008 at a cost of ¥51,800 the bundle sold out within six days. An identical bundle was available in North America for pre-order on May 19, 2008 in "very limited" supply for US$600 at Konami's official website.

RECEPTION

MGS4 received high praise from all critics upon its release with most giving it perfect scores. The new gameplay, environments, and controls were regarded as cutting edge and the graphics were considered to be the best in the industry to date. The level of detail was unmatched with just about everything being interactive. So much so, that tripping over a tin can on the street would create noise and alert enemies. While some did criticize the story for being too complex, it was commonly accepted as traditional for the series. The Loading Time was met with mixed feelings. The game required a 10 minute installation (requiring 4.6 GB of space) to begin with and then 1-3 minute loading time between each act. However, the loading time within each act is kept to a minimum. It should be noted that the loading screen shows Snake, in incredible detail, smoking a cigarette while a series of warnings and tips are shown to the player. Being a PS3 exclusive, the console sales exploded from an average of 10,000 to 77,208 units in MGS4 debut week and the game itself sold over a million copies. By the end of June Konami shipped 3 million copies of the game.

Hideo Kojima comments on MGS4: "The heroes in most animations and movies don't age. They are often immortal. Snake, on the other hand, has aged with the times. I made him this way because of the unique characteristics of the game medium. Snake is a fictional character, but at the same time he represents the players themselves because of the interactive nature of games. Therefore, Snake's memories become the players own journey. One decade has passed since the release of MGS. I believe that fans have shared these past 10 years with Snake. The final story of Snake equals closure for these fans. Therefore, the Snake that has existed over the past 10 years could have only existed during this time. I would like you to think that this good-bye to Snake is a good-bye to this era and represents closure to your old self. If there ever were to be a new Snake (might have a different name), he will be a Snake for a new era."

DATABASE

On 19 June 2008, Konami released the Metal Gear Solid 4: Database onto the PlayStation Store in North America and Japan, and one week later on the European store. The Database is a downloadable application for PlayStation 3 that catalogues every piece of Metal Gear lore from all seven canonical entries in the series, in the form of an encyclopedia (browsable by alphabet and category), a timeline, and character relationship diagrams. Highlighted words in each article links to related articles, and it keeps track of which ones the user has already read. The Database automatically locks any items related to MGS4, in order to prevent the leaking of spoilers to those who have not beaten the game. In order to reveal these articles, the user must have a completed MGS4 game save that was created on the same console. The encyclopedia uses the same interface as the one featured in the supplemental discs for the 3DO and PlayStation versions of Policenauts, as well as in the Saturn version of the full game.

METAL GEAR ONLINE

The Online component of MGS4, which later on was also release separately, features up to 16-player online battles. A feature unique to MGO is the SOP system, a network created by nanomachines embedded in the characters' bodies, allowing team members to share battlefield information. Characters linked through SOP can see each other's position, even behind walls, and are informed of any teammates speaking, stunned, "occupied" with magazines, in battle, or dying. Snake's position is also revealed on the radar whenever an SOP linked team member discovers his location in the "Sneaking Mission" gameplay mode. "Drebin Points" is an optional rule for some of the online modes. Players gain Drebin points for actions such as kills and headshots, and can redeem them for advanced equipment, weapons, or ammunition at their team's base or at respawn. Various MGS4 characters, such as Old Snake (with Metal Gear Mk. II), Meryl, and Johnny are accessible. The gameplay modes featured in Metal Gear Online are Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture Mission, Rescue Mission, Base Mission, Sneaking Mission and Team Sneaking Mission.

Metal Gear Online is region locked, meaning that players must be in the same video game publication territory to play together. It is common practice to title matches according to the country of desired participants. Konami requires the minimum age of a player, as judged by their Playstation Network account, to be at least 18 years. This is above the age requirement for MGS4 of CERO and ESRB (at 17 and up), or OFLC and BBFC (at 15 and up), while matching the PEGI rating of 18 and above. Players who fit the above specified criteria for their region could call Sony Customer Services and ask for this further restriction to be removed.

Characters

Solid (Old) Snake The Legendary Soldier that was created as a part of the Les Enfants Terribles Project in 1972. Snake now shows signs of advanced cellular degeneration caused by the cloning process used to create him. He is recruited for one last mission by Roy Campbell to assassinate Liquid Ocelot. MK II file readout lists him at 180 cm and 64.5 kg. (Voiced by Akio tsuka in Japanese and by David Hayter in English)

Otacon Hal Emmerich continues to support Snake and does his best to raise Sunny. After their organization, Philanthropy, closed their anti-Metal Gear activities in 2009, he and Snake He remote controls the robotic drone Metal Gear Mk. II that assists Snake in his mission. (Voiced by Hideyuki Tanaka in Japanese and by Christopher Randolph in English)

Raiden After the Big Shell incident he engaged in missions to rescue Sunny from the Patriots and retrieve Big Boss' body. Under the care of Dr. Madnar, most of his body parts were replaced with a Tokugawa Heavy Industries exoskeleton with artificial blood. Only his head and spine remain. He comes in to assist Snake in his mission. (Voiced by Keny Horiuchi in Japanese and by Quinton Flynn in English)

Roy Campbell Former Commander of FOX-HOUND he now works closely with the United Nations. He recruits Solid Snake for an assassination hit on Liquid Ocelot. Since the Big Shell incident he married Rosemary. (Voiced by Takeshi Aono in Japanese and by Paul Eiding in English)

Rosemary Since the Big Shell Incident she separated from Raiden in fear of the things he was involved in. She married Roy Campbell, causing a further rift between him and Meryl, and has a son named John. She assists Snake as an expert in battlefield psychology. (Voiced by Kikuko Inoue in Japanese and Lara Cody in English)

Sunny The daughter of Olga Gurlukovich. She was kept away from her mother by the Patriots in order to manipulate Olga. Raiden rescued her after the Big Shell incident and left her in Otacon's care. She spent her whole life searching the web, and while a computer genius she has never been outside with other people. (Voiced by Kikuko Inoue in Japanese and by Christina Puccelli in English)

Meryl Silverburgh Squad Leader of Rat Patrol Team 01 which is with the CID, investigating PMC activity. They all sport FOX-HOUND emblems in respect to the decommissioned unit. Meryl still resents the fact that Campbell is her father, refusing to accept it. (Voiced by Kyoko Terase in Japanese and by Debi Mae West in English)

Ed Part of Meryl's Rat Patrol Team 01 unit. He is the sniper and radio man. (Voiced by Shz Iizuka in Japanese and by Dave Fennoy in English)

Jonathan - Part of Meryl's Rat Patrol Team 01 unit. A giant, he hates when people stand behind his back. (Voiced by Hideyuki Tanaka in Japanese and by James Sie in English)

Johnny (Akiba) Formerly involved with the Shadow Moses and the Big Shell incidents, the diarrhea-stricken soldier is now the electronics expert of Meryl's Rat Patrol Team 01 unit. Unlike the rest of the unit he does not use SOP. (Voiced by Jun Fukuyama in Japanese and by Beng Spies in English)

Naomi Hunter Former FOX-HOUND Chief of Medical Staff, she has unique knowledge of the FoxDie virus and the SOP. She is held hostage by Liquid Ocelot to help him assume full battlefield control over the PMC troops. (Voiced by Hiromi Tsuru in Japanese and by Jennifer Hale in English)

Drebin A gun-launderer that removes the signature IDs from PMC weaponry allowing others to use them freely. He has a pet monkey Little Gray (Voiced by Keiji Fujiwara in Japanese and by Khary Payton in English)

Big Mama (EVA) Now in her late 70's, she is the leader of the Paradise Lost Resistance. Along with Ocelot her goal was to free Big Boss and take down The Patriots, an organization she helped create. (Voiced by Mari Natsuki in Japanese and by Lee Meriwether in English)

Liquid Ocelot Since the Big Shell incident Liquid Snake appears to have fully taken over Revolver Ocelot's mind. Now in command of Outer Heaven, he seeks to gain control of the SOP to achieve battlefield control over the PMCs and launch an armed insurrection against the Patriots. (Voice by Banj Ginga in Japanese and by Patric Zimmerman in English)

Laughing Octopus - Member of the Beauty and the Beast Unit. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by being forced to kill her family as a child while laughing. (Voice by Haruna Aimoto in Japanese and by Paula Tiso in English. Beast voice by Fred Tatasciore) MGS1-3 Reference: Decoy Octopus (Name), Solidus Snake (Tentacles Weapon), The Joy (Laughter Emotion)

Raging Raven - Member of the Beauty and the Beast Unit. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by a childhood trauma of being left as food for the ravens after witnessing people around her die. (Voice by Yumi Kikuchi in Japanese and by Nika Futterman in English. Beast voice by Fred Tatasciore) MGS1-3 Reference: Vulcan Raven (Name), Fatman (Explosive Weapons), The Fury (Rage Emotion)

Crying Wolf - Member of the Beauty and the Beast Unit. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by accidentally smothering her crying baby brother to keep him from alerting the enemy soldiers. (Voice by Eriko Hirata in Japanese and by Debra Wilson Skelton in English. Beast voice by Fred Tatasciore) MGS1-3 Reference: Sniper Wolf (Name), Fortune (Railgun Weapon), The Sorrow (Crying Emotion)

Screaming Mantis - Member of the Beauty and the Beast Unit. Her post-traumatic stress disorder was caused by being locked up with dead bodies as a child. Her mind became weak and allowed for the psychic presents of Psycho Mantis to posses her. (Voice by Mao Yuuki in Japanese and by Andrea Zafrain English. Beast voice by Fred Tatasciore) MGS1-3 Reference: Psycho Mantis (Name), Vamp (Knife Weapons), The Fear (Screaming Emotion)

Psycho Mantis & The Sorrow The psyche of the FOX-HOUND psychic was partially infused into Screaming Mantis who now carries a doll in his likeness which enables her control over people through nanomachines. (Voice by Kazuyuki Sogabe in Japanese and Doug Stone in English) She also carries a doll of The Sorrow, Cobra Unit spirit medium, that enables her to control the dead. (Voiced by Yukitoshi Hori in Japanese and by David A. Thomas, Jr. in English)

Vamp The last remaining member of the Special Forces Unit Dead Cell is now Liquid's right hand man. He seems to be unable to die despite the severity of his wounds. (Voiced by Ryotaro Okiayu in Japanese and Phil LaMarr in English)

FROGS Liquid's private guard, female soldiers in advanced military combat gear similar to the Arsenal Gear Tengu patrols. (Voice by Sarah Sido in English)

Zero The man behind the hidden organization The Patriots and Big Boss' former FOX Unit commander. After Big Boss left the organization Zero no longer trusted anyone else and set up the 5 AIs to run everything. The War Economy was established by those AIs. Now over 100 years old, Zero is confined to a life support system.

The Patriots An organization modeled after The Philosophers that was established by Zero in the 1970's in order to realize The Boss' dream of making the world whole again. Original members included Zero, Ocelot, Big Boss, Eva, Sigint (DARPA Chief Donald Anderson), and ParaMedic (also known as Dr. Clark).

Big Boss The Legendary Mercenary that has been presumed dead since the Zanzibarland Incident in 1999. However, his remains were preserved by the Patriots on a life support system and his mind locked away with nanomachines. His body was stolen by Raiden and is now in the hands of Big Mama and the Paradise Lost resistance group. (Voiced by by Chikao tsuka (Akio tsuka's father) in Japanese and Richard Doyle in English)

METAL GEAR UNITS

Gekko - Mass-produced, bio-mecanical, unmanned, bipedal units manufactured by ArmsTech Corp. The U.S. military designates them by the name "Irving"; their frequent use by PMC's has caused them to be a replacement for tanks as a means of conducting armored warfare. There are also "Dwarf Gekko" scouts. They are usually together in large numbers and are used for patrolling and surveillance.

Metal Gear Mk. II and Mk. III - Snake's robotic companion remotely controlled by Otacon. The design and functions are very similar to the Mk. II that appeared in "Snatcher". Otacon and Sunny built these drones together based on various hacked research data. Mk. II was destroyed by Vamp at the end of Act 3. Mk. III is identical but with a reddish coloring.

Metal Gear REX The original ArmsTech prototype from Shadow Moses. It has been left untouched for 9 years until Liquid Ocelot had the rail gun and the non-ID-tagged stealth nuclear missile removed. Otacon managed to restore the frame for brief combat. The unit has functional machine guns, missiles, and a laser. Piloted by Solid Snake.

Metal Gear RAY The original Marine prototype now exhibits a combination with the mass-production models' characteristics. It has rounded knees and lacks a tail (similar to the mass-production model) but retains RAY's two "eyes" and a cockpit for manual control. It is labeled "OUTER HAVEN" and piloted by Liquid Ocelot. The unit is armed with machines guns, missiles, and a hydro-cutter canon.

Outer Haven - A giant submersible ark manned by Liquid Ocelot, based on the stolen Arsenal Gear prototype blueprints. It features a Mount Rushmore-like sculpture of the four "Snakes" (Big Boss, Solid, Liquid, and Solidus) as well as houses the reconstructed GW AI.

STORY

Prologue

2014. Five years have passed since the Big Shell incident in New York. Restriction of military intervention on foreign soil were eased, fueling the need for private military companies (PMCs) to fight proxy wars for business purposes. Nanotechnology has become prominent, both to enhance the capabilities and enforce the loyalty of mercenaries. The five largest of these PMCs (Praying Mantis, Otselotovaya Khvatka, Werewolf, Pieuvre Armement, and Raven Sword) are owned and operated by a single mother company named Outer Haven. It is under the control of Liquid who now has completely taken over Ocelot's body. Amassing an army whose manpower rivals that of the United States, he prepares to launch an armed insurrection by taking control of SOP ("Sons of the Patriots" system that regulates soldiers and their weaponry).

In the mean time, Solid Snake's body drastically aged and slowly began breaking down. All the medical tests indicate it to be a classic case of Werner Syndrome, but no explanation of the cause could be found. Philanthropy shut down its activities in 2009, after the Big Shell Incident, with Snake and Otacon focusing on the Patriots. Their base of operations is a military plane "Nomad" where they live with Sunny (the daughter of Olga Gurlukovich), who is under Otacon's care. When she was taken by the Patriots (at birth, never meeting her parents) she had very limited interaction with people and spent her life in the Internet. As the result, she has trouble speaking but is a computer genius. Roy Campbell, now working closely with the United Nations, discovered the location of Liquid in the Middle East and deploys the aged Solid Snake on a hired hit to terminate him.

Act 1 - Liquid Sun

Snake infiltrates a war-torn town in the Middle East in a resistance convoy disguised as one of the local militiamen. He makes his way through the war zone as the rebels desperately fight the Praying Mantis PMC and their unmanned Gekko units to rendezvous with Metal Gear Mk. II, a robotic drone created and remotely controlled (from the Nomad) by Otacon. On the way to meet Campbell's informants, Snake encounters Drebin 893 (and his pet monkey Little Gray), a "gun launderer" who can unlock ID-locked weapons found on the battlefield. Though hesitant at first, he allows Drebin to inject him with a nanomachine suppressor (since Snake has a much older version) that will enable him to use laundered weapons. After leaving Drebin, Snake meets up with the informants, Rat Patrol Team 01 (who's assignment is to monitor PMC activity), in the abandoned Advent Palace hotel and is shocked to learn that Meryl Silverburgh is the leader of the team. The other team members are Ed (sniper and radio man), a hulking giant Jonathan, and Johnny Sasaki (the diarrhea-stricken guard from Shadow Moses) who everyone calls Akiba.

Snake and Meryl discuss the past and the mission at hand. She is infuriated to find out that Campbell is behind this mission and refuses to accept that he is her father. She is angry that he married someone her age instead of making up with his own daughter. The hotel is suddenly attacked by Liquid's private guard, the FROGS, as they noticed the glare from Akiba's scope. Snake and Rat Patrol fight off the attackers and escape. Meryl tells him where the camp is and they part ways. Along the route to the camp, the Beauty and the Best Unit wipes out the local rebel assault team that Snake was using for cover. Arriving at the camp, he sights Liquid on a balcony and prepares to take him out. Suddenly, Liquid activates "the system" (using his genetic material) and all the PMC soldiers begin to go crazy, attacking each other. All the members of Rat Patrol are affected as well, except Akiba. Snake collapses on the ground and in a blur sees Dr. Naomi Hunter (unaffected by the system) hand him a syringe she just used. Liquid leaves with Naomi in a helicopter telling Snake, "We're not just copies of our father after all!" Before he passes out completely, Snake is assisted by Akiba.

Act 2 Solid Sun

Snake wakes up back aboard the Nomad. Otacon told him that he was lucky since a lot of the affected soldiers' hearts simply stopped. He then played an encoded message that was sent by Naomi asking them to rescue her. Arriving in South America, Snake used the local rebel uprising to infiltrate the base of Pieuvre Armement (one of Liquid's PMCs) to rescue Naomi. Campbell called Snake to introduce him to his psychological analyst Rosemary. It's revealed that Raiden and Rosemary have split up since the Big Shell incident and she was now married to Campbell. Along the way Snake once again encounters Drebin who reveals that The Patriots are actually a network of five AIs. Four AIs are named after US Presidents: GW, TJ, TR and AL. These are controlled and regulated by the 5th AI named JD (John Doe), the core AI. After Snake finds Naomi, she explains that Liquid is planning to use Big Boss's genetic information to access JD and take control of SOP (Sons of the Patriots), the system of nanomachines and ID-authentifications which allow the Patriots to monitor and control soldiers. She also examines Snake's body and explained that his rapid aging is due to the way he was cloned. For security purposes the clones of Big Boss were given a short lifespan and a lack of ability to reproduce.

However, his shortened lifespan is less of a concern to Naomi than the fact that the old FOXDIE virus in Snake's body has begun to mutate. She estimates that in 3 months the virus will have become mutated enough to attack anyone, not just the people it was programmed to target; he has become "a walking biological weapon". She also discovers a "NEW FOXDIE" in his body and Snake suspects that Drebin injected him with it. After Snake defeats Beauty and the Beast Corps. member Laughing Octopus, Snake and Naomi escape with Drebin. They were defended by Raiden, who mysteriously resurfaces as a Cyborg Ninja after disappearing for several years. Liquid performs another test to control the system, this time using Snake's blood. This time the PMC soldiers go braid-dead and Snake is saved by using one of Naomi's syringes. Raiden holds off numerous Gekkos and a resurrected Vamp while Otacon rescues Snake and Naomi via helicopter. The critically injured Raiden leaps onto the helicopter but soon loses consciousness. Before he blacks out he briefly mentions that Big Mama in Eastern Europe can help him. Naomi also reveals that Vamp's amazing healing abilities are a product of her nanomachine research.

Act 3 Third Sun

On the Nomad, Naomi explains that Big Boss is in fact alive, although his mind is locked away with nanomachines, and his body is in the hands of the resistance group Paradise Lost in Eastern Europe. It also turns out that Snake and Liquid are not identical copies, hence the failure of the two tests, and Big Boss body is needed to control the system. During the flight Naomi forms a friendship with Sunny, helping her cook eggs, and a romantic bond with Otacon. While Snake locates the group, Naomi and Sunny take Raiden to get his required dialysis from Dr. Madnar. By stalking a Paradise Lost member Snake manages to find their leader Big Mama who turns out to be EVA, the surrogate mother of Solid and Liquid, and former lover of Big Boss. She reveals the origins of the Patriots, founded by Major Zero forty years ago to realize the vision of The Boss (to make the world whole again). The founding members were Zero, Ocelot, Big Boss, Sigint, ParaMedic, and EVA. After the Les Enfants Terribles project Big Boss left the Patriots, established his own mercenary company, and declared war against Zero's control. After his near death in Zanzibar, Zero had his body and mind locked away and kept Big Boss as a symbol. Zero no longer trusted anyone after the conflict with Big Boss and established the 5 AIs to run everything. The War Economy was the product of the AI control. In the mean time EVA and Ocelot, both of whom were loyal to Big Boss, formed a plan to break Zero's control. They recruited Noami Hunter and used Gray Fox to kill ParaMedic, known then as Dr. Clark. Naomi never met Dr. Clark and thus assumed it was a man when she explained experiments on Gray Fox to Snake. Ocelot tortured and killed Sigint, known as the DARPA Chief Donald Anderson, during the Shadow Moses mission. Raiden retrieved Big Boss' body for EVA but in order to free his mind JD had to be destroyed. However, Ocelot was lost as his mind was completely taken over by Liquid Snake.

An army led by Raging Raven suddenly attacks the group's hideout, and Snake and Big Mama escape on a motorcycle, along with decoy vans to keep the attackers from finding Big Boss's body. At the end of the chase, the motorcycle crashes, and Big Mama is wounded. Snake engages Raging Raven and defeats her. When Snake returns from the battle with Raven, he and Big Mama escape down a sewer connecting to the Volta River, where Liquid was waiting for them. Naomi was back at his side, along with Vamp. He tells that Snake that the GW AI that they destroyed aboard Arsenal Gear was reconstructed and is now used as backdoor to access the system. Liquid displays his power over SOP by mentally incapacitating an entire army of American troops (under the Meryl's command), through his ability to lock down the system controlling their nanomachines. Ocelot has Vamp incinerates Big Boss' body. The left side of Snake's face is severely burned when he goes to rescue Big Mama from the flames as she attempts to reach Big Boss. Akiba rescues Meryl from drowning and the two share a passionate kiss. Liquid makes his escape in a gunboat down the river and Otacon sends the Mk. II after them. Big Mama dies in Snake's arms.

Act 4 Twin Suns

Back in the Nomad Snake and Otacon watch the video feed from the Mk. II aboard Liquid's boat. It turns out that JD is on an orbiting satellite and Liquid plans to use a nuke to destroy it. Doing so will shift the primary control over the whole system to GW and Liquid. However, GW only gave him control over small firearms and the primary control, including the nuclear arsenal, still reside with JD. Liquid says that he knows were to get a nuke that the Patriots can't control right when Vamp discovers and destroys the Mk. II. Mei Ling, now the captain of the training war ship the USS Missouri, tracked Liquid's location using the last known signal from the Mk. II and traced his route to the Shadow Moses Island. It becomes clear to Snake, Otacon, and Campbell that Liquid is going after Metal Gear REX's stealth nuke that was never registered with the Patriots system and thus would be impossible to intercept.

Snake infiltrates the decaying ruins of the Shadow Moses facility and makes his way down to REX's hangar, along the way defeating Crying Wolf in the same snow field he fought Sniper Wolf 9 years ago. He finds REX already missing the Rail Gun and Vamp with Naomi. Snake engages Vamp in battle as Otacon attempts to reactivate the damaged REX via the Mk. III. Snake successfully manages to inject Vamp with the nanomachine suppressor that stop his healing abilities. Just then the battle is interrupted with Suicide Gekko bursting in to destroy the base as well as Raiden who finished his dialysis. Raiden takes on Vamp and Snake holds off the Gekko while Otacon finishes his work on REX. Vamp is critically injured by Raiden and begs Naomi to "ease his pain". She passes the nanomachine suppressor to Otacon who lets Vamp inject himself, finally letting him die. Naomi says that Liquid is now aboard the Patriots' Arc, the OUTER HAVEN, and plans to destroy JD. She then injects herself with the suppressor revealing that she had cancer that was kept at bay with the nanomachines. She says her farewell to the heartbroken Otacon and dies. Snake jumps inside REX and with Otacon's help pilots it out of the base only to be confronted by Liquid and his Metal Gear RAY. Snake wins the fight using REX but is seriously injured as well. Liquid escapes and gets on board Outer Haven, ramming the ship into the dock to crush Snake. Raiden jumps in and holds it off briefly but is eventually crushed. Snake is saved as the USS Missouri arrives and fires on Outer Haven, driving it off.

Act 5 Old Sun

Aboard the USS Missouri, Mei Ling plans to catch up with Outer Haven, which needs to wait until it is physically as close to JD's satellite as possible in order to get the most precise shot from the Rail Gun. A strike team consisting of Snake, Meryl and Johnny is created in order to infiltrate GW's physical processor and upload a computer virus that will destroy the AI. Infiltrating the vessel using Drebin's catapults, Snake defeats Screaming Mantis, who is revealed to have the implanted personality of Psycho Mantis. Meryl and Johnny stay to hold off swarms of FROG units as Snake approaches the final corridor to GW, where he is ambushed by more FROGs. He is saved once again by Raiden, who is still alive but missing both arms. Snake makes his way through the corridor, which is lined with microwave emitters that nearly burn him alive. Though Snake is severely weakened by the heat exposure and overwhelmed by mobs of countless Dwarf Gekko, Otacon takes control of the Mk. III to upload the virus. The virus unexpectedly uses GW as a conduit to infect the whole AI network, destroying all five Patriot AIs and disabling SOP and all military systems implementing it worldwide. A video recording of Naomi set to play back after the destruction of the Patriots explains to Snake and Otacon that SOP was just the beginning of the Patriots' plans, and that they had intended to implement nanomachine personality control worldwide. She goes on to explain that she and Sunny designed the virus as the antithesis to FOXDIE; as the nanomachines used in SOP were technological derivatives of Naomi's FOXDIE, the new virus would atone for Naomi's mistake by shutting down the nanomachine system. For this reason, the new virus was named 'FOXALIVE'. Sunny's programming also made sure that in destroying the Patriot AIs, SOP and the war economy, FOXALIVE would preserve the systems controlling vital world infrastructures such as water, air, communication, etc.

The U.S. Marines easily take over the now-defenseless Outer Haven, its unmanned units deactivated and its soldiers in a state of withdrawal from the SOP nanomachines. In the confusion, Liquid Ocelot confronts Snake on the sail of Outer Haven and thanks him for accomplishing Liquid's own goals. His plan to use REX's rail gun was just a diversion so that Snake's own attempts to bring down the system would go unnoticed by the Patriots; who had anticipated Snake protecting them by stopping Liquid. Having Liquid's attached arm sent Ocelot's psyche out of balance and thus he had it replaced with a prosthetic. Ocelot allowed Liquid's personality to carry out its plan against the Patriots, knowing that JD would be allocating its resources into stopping Liquid and not into preventing the upload of FOXALIVE. After this revelation, Liquid's personality declares that they have 'a score to settle'. As Snake and Liquid wage their brutal fist fight on top of Outer Haven, Ocelot's personality gradually resurfaces. Snake wins the fight and Ocelot's dying words are, "You're pretty good..." (echoing his taunts against both Solid Snake and Big Boss during the events of "Metal Gear Solid" and "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater").

Epilogue Naked Sin

In the epilogue, Meryl and Johnny get married. Their wedding, held on an airfield, is attended by the members of Rat Patrol, Otacon, Sunny, Drebin, Mei Ling, and Campbell. Meryl reconciles with Campbell and finally accepts him as her father. Raiden's body is reconstructed and made to look human, and he reunites with his ex-fiancée Rosemary and their son, John, whom Rosemary has lied about miscarrying. Rosemary reveals that her marriage to Roy Campbell was a charade to keep her and John protected from the Patriots during the course of Raiden's mission. The scene changes to Snake, where he attempts to commit suicide by gunshot in the graveyard housing the graves of Big Boss and The Boss in order to prevent his mutated FOXDIE strain from spreading further. Meanwhile, Drebin reveals to Otacon that he was a child soldier who was adopted by the Patriots with the intention of raising him to become a gun launderer. He also explains that Rat Patrol 01 (which, in its shortened form ("RAT PT 01"), is an anagram of "PATR1OT") had been manipulated by the Patriots from behind the scenes as well. Sunny gives the Mk. III to a local boy (her first "outside friend"), and asks Otacon where Snake is. Otacon, knowing that Snake has gone to commit suicide, replies tearfully that "Snake had a hard life" and "needs some time to rest".

Debriefing Naked Son

Back at the cemetery, it is revealed that Snake fired the gun into the air instead and a familiar voice is heard, encouraging him not to kill himself. A bewildered Snake turns around to find Big Boss standing before him. He embraces Snake, calling him "son" and "brother" and implores him to set aside his gun and live a normal life. Big Boss tells Snake that the body burned on the Volta was actually that of Solidus Snake (as both he and Big Boss had a perfectly-matching genetic code), and that he was reconstructed with surgery using parts from both Solidus and Liquid's bodies by EVA's group. He was kept alive with extensive nanotechnology similar to that used to restrain the members of the B&B Corps. He brings Zero along with him, who is now 105 years old and confined to a wheelchair in his vegetative state. Big Boss explains that he and Zero founded the Patriots as an interpretation of The Boss' will. As the Patriots became more influential in society Zero became a megalomaniac, obsessed with uniformity and erasing individuality. This lead Big Boss to leave the Patriots and form Outer Heaven. Big Boss was followed out of the Patriots by EVA and Ocelot, who joined him in his struggle to end the Patriots. As Zero became elderly, control of the Patriots was increasingly left in the hands of JD and the proxy AIs, who further misinterpreted Zero's will and completely alienated themselves from the original will of The Boss. JD sought ways to control the masses through manipulation of the economy, (which lead to the War Economy), digital information (which lead to the creation of Arsenal Gear), and eventually personalities (which became the SOP system). He goes on to explain that Ocelot willingly used hypnosis, drugs, and psychotherapy to assimilate the personality of Liquid Snake in order to fool the system. He takes it upon himself to "send Zero back to nothing", and euthanizes Zero by turning off his life support.

Big Boss reveals that the injection given to Snake by Drebin included a new strain of FOXDIE, created by the proxy AIs in order to kill the surviving defectors of the Patriots. That is what caused the deaths of EVA and Ocelot. Big Boss also relays Naomi's message that the new FOXDIE strain has neutralized the older strain and that Snake is no longer in danger of becoming a biological weapon. Big Boss also reveals that the new FOXDIE is already affecting him, and that he, Big Boss, is being attacked one last time by the Patriots through Snake. He admits that he never thought of Snake as a son, but respected him as a soldier and as a man. Big Boss implores Snake to live what life he has left not as a snake, but as a man. Solid Snake finally gained the freedom that Big Boss, Zero, Liquid, and Solidus sought, the freedom to "live outside". Slowly dying on The Boss' gravestone he finally understands what she meant, "It's not about changing the world. It's about doing our best to leave the world the way it is. It's about respecting the will of others and believing in your own." Big Boss attempts to light his cigar but is already unable to do so. In a final gesture from son to father, Snake lights the cigar for him allowing for one last smoke. Big Boss' last words are, "This is good... Isn't it?"

In the post-credits scene, Snake explains to Otacon that he will spend his remaining days attempting to simply live his life (and quit smoking). Otacon wishes to come with him in order to chronicle the last days of Solid Snake. Snake initially refuses but with some persuasion ultimately relents, allowing Otacon and Sunny to accompany him.