But I found a bunch of great MGS4 walkthrough tips, tricks and cheats from Romeuy.com and Wikicheats . So, the credit goes to them. Now, time for me (or my roommate) to spend hours and hours trying all this out!

Prologue

Ground Zero

After the game’s initial cut scene ends and you have full control over Old Snake, crawl forward beneath the truck next to you for a Ration , then crawl beneath the next one to trigger more of the introductory cinematic. When it ends, grab the AK102 next to the fallen trooper, then go right (going left gives you a less ideal post-cut scene position) for more of the cinematic. When it ends, run back along the street, away from the Gekko next to Snake, then head through the gap in the wall as the road goes right, toward the militia soldier. When the Gekko outside passes and its back is toward the door, sneak across the street and into the next house. Head through the structure to the next highly-destroyed house, vaulting through the window with the Triangle button. When the Gekko to the the left walks away, make a U-turn to the right from the doorway the Gekko was outside of, sprinting for the exit in the northeast corner.

Act 1: Liquid Sun (Middle East)

Red Zone: NW Sector

Go around the corner to the main street and enter the doorway on the right. Watch the cut scene as you enter the adjacent room, then crawl through the gap in the wall to the alley. When the PMC troops leave, crawl toward the pavement and let your OctoCamo adapt to your surroundings before heading around the corner. Enter the next building on the right and grab the Ration , Compress , and all the 5.56 X 45mm ammo . Crawl beneath the debris in the southern corner of the house, stopping to watch a poor rebel get shot up, then make sure there’s no one around before you go right. Stay in the shadows on the west side of the map as you head south, letting your OctoCamo keep you hidden. Check the room off to the sides for items as you go. When you get close to the southern exit, wait for the two soldiers nearby to approach the Stryker tank, then crawl into the street and cross to the exit on the other side.

Red Zone

Check under the stairs here for a Compress and the Cardboard Box , then go south, avoiding the two soldiers nearby. You can head to your destination (which is northwest of the southeast corner of the map) via the north wall if you’d rather, but it’s much harder to do so, though you can grab an RPG-7 in the northeast corner early if you take this route. For the purposes of this walkthrough, though, we’ll be describing the southern route.

Make your way to the southwest corner and crawl up the stairs. Stop about halfway up the second flight and wait for the soldier to appear in the doorway at the top. When his back is turned, sneak up behind him and use Close-Quarters Combat (CQC) to take him out. Place his body in one of the lockers here, then go east and jump over the broken section of wall. Go prone on the other side and crawl east to the other side of the building, watching out for soldiers along the way. If one spots you, quickly hide behind something as he climbs the ladder to investigate.

Grab the Ration at the end, then drop down to the ground. Grab the Compress here and head around the corner to the right when no one is near. Hide in the shadows by the dumpster, then wait for the two soldiers coming from the east to pass you by. When the coast is clear, head around the corner and head through the doorway on the north side of the building to meet up with Otacon and Metal Gear Mk. II, a familiar face to anyone who played Snatcher on the Sega CD.

You now have the Operator and Mk. 2 Pistol , as well as the extremely helpful Solid Eye. Crawl around the corner and wait for the soldiers to leave their position behind the sandbags, then head forward toward the skirmish. Head through the opening on the right and crouch-walk to the end of the corridor. Crawl through the trench behind the rebel troops, then grab the RPG-7 in the northeast corner. Before you take the nearby exit, you’re going to want to get the militia forces here on your side. Use the rocket in the RPG-7 to destroy the Stryker tank that appears, then help the militia gun down all the PMC soldiers. To fully clear the area, though, you’ll need to head to the middle of this map and grab the RPG-7 rocket there to take out the second Stryker tank in the southwest corner. To reach the rocket, climb the stairs to the west of center and go east over the boxes and beam. There are also two Noodles here you should grab. When the militia troops cry out "We did it!", then it’s safe to take the exit in the northeast corner.

Milita Safe House

By helping the militia troops in the Red Zone, you’ll have complete and total access to the safe house, with no enemy encounters to worry about. There are plenty of items here to grab, including a boatload of ammo, so be sure to check every corridor on the map for the loot. You can use the Solid Eye’s Night Vision function to make all the items more visible.

If, on the other hand, you didn’t help the militia troops in the Red Zone, you’ll have to sneak your way through the whole base, and that’s just not fun (unless you’re up for a worthy challenge). If you ran pell-mell into the safe house without helping the militia, return to the Red Zone now and take out the PMC soldiers with them to gain their trust.

Either way, when you’re through cleaning this place out, take the exit in the northwest corner.

Urban Ruins

Before you take control in this area you’ll meet up with a man named Drebin, who functions as the game’s merchant, available to Snake at any time. He’ll explain Drebin Points (DP) to you, and how collecting weapons from the field you already possess transforms them into DP for use in his shop (while the ammunition goes into Snake’s reserves). You can also obtain DP by destroying enemies that aren’t human or operated by humans, and by achieving various bonuses that we’ll point out as they become available in the walkthrough. You should also note that by playing Metal Gear Solid 4 on Wednesdays or Sundays (as determined by your PS3′s internal clock), you’ll receive a 20% all day at Drebin’s Shop. He also gives you the M4 for free.

Now, on to the Urban Ruins: This is another simple area with very little in the way of enemies to slow your progress. Go east first to find an RPG-7 to sell, then return to where you started. As you go west from the entrance, climb the two flights of stairs on the right to the top, then drop to the west of them to find an RPG-7 , Sleep Gas Mine , and a Dot Sight , which is worth 20,000 DP if you plan on selling it. Continue forward through the debris to the left of the stairs, following the path north. You’ll eventually come across two militia troops that are shot by PMC soldiers below. Don’t bother shooting at them; just sneak past them through the gap in the wall. Follow the path around until a bomb blocks one direction, then crawl through the gap to the right. Head up the ramp to a thin ledge, and press against the wall as you go past it. Drop down to the north on the far right side, then walk toward the staircase to the left. Go right of the stairs and drop down there to grab the nearby items before leaving.

Downtown

Go west on the main street, keeping low, then go right (north) when you can. The soldiers on this side street and the marketplace beyond it won’t care that you’re here, so don’t worry about keeping a low profile in either area. Go prone at the end of the market and crawl forward. Go left down the alley, stand back up when the PMC soldiers on the ground and the snipers in the windows can’t see you, and squeeze between the two buildings on the right. Grab the Laser Sight on the other side, then proceed to the next alley. Go right, crouch down, then slowly move right until you see the Stryker tank on the left. Crawl across the street behind the tank and get in the next alley to the north and on the left.

On the main road, you’ll see a lot of action: militia troops to the left, PMC soldiers to the right, and snipers in the tall building in the distance. Crawl forward to the opposite pavement (the south side of the street), then make your way beneath the building ahead and out the other side, grabbing the Stun Grenade on the way. Go right in the alley to get back on the pavement, where there’s a rebel encampment. If you want, use a silenced weapon to take out the closer of the two snipers in the building to the left. Proceed forward to the boxes, then go left and stop. Watch out for the car here, as it often explodes after it’s hit with sufficient bullets. If it does, wait for the flames to subside, then take the road forward to an area of even higher combat. The militia troops and PMC soldiers are shooting at each other here, and bombs are being dropped from above, so you shouldn’t loiter here. Crawl through the crater to the other side, then crouch-run to the blue door when no one is looking to make your escape.

Advent Palace

There are four floors plus a basement in this building, but none of the floors is particularly large, so don’t worry about getting lost here. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about keeping up a stealthy profile here, so feel free to run around making as much noise as you like; you’ll only have traps to deal with here, until you get to the roof, that is…

To make the aforementioned explosive traps visible, use the Solid Eye’s Night Vision feature, then crawl over them to collect them (you can also use Metal Gear Mk. II to defuse them). Try to find them all as you make your way to the third floor via the stairs in the northeast corner, then the stairs in the southeast corner to reach the fourth floor. Grab the items in the bar on the fourth floor, and be sure to send Metal Gear Mk. II down the outer air shaft to find some items, including the PSS . Walk into the next corridor to trigger a very lengthy cut scene that introduces your new allies, the Rat Patrol.

Liquid Ocelot’s Haven Troopers drop in after the cut scene. These chicks are packing some serious heat, so you’ll want to take them down with headshots as fast as you can (NOTE: If you use only non-lethal means to take out the lot of them, you’ll receive a special prize in the form of the first of five secret figurines, once you reach the garage). If they chuck a grenade in your direction–and they almost undoubtedly will–roll away quickly! Hide behind the bar counter as you blast them, then follow the Rat Patrol down to the the third floor.

More Haven Troopers will attack from the opposite balcony. Don’t get left behind as the Rat Patrol moves on to the dining area, then get ready for a pincer attack there, with enemies coming at you from ahead and behind. Take out the Troopers behind you first, then follow your team through the restaurant, staying low. Descend to the second floor, where Haven Troopers attack from both balconies. Continue to stay low and fire at the ones on the upper level, the follow the Rat Patrol through the restrooms, then the hole in the wall for a cut scene where Johnny disables the infrared beams. Roll over the hole in the floor to find some items, the best of which is a GP30 grenade launcher add-on for the AK102. Grab the items, then drop through the hole to the first floor.

You’ll be behind a counter down here, with the Haven Troopers on the other side, but it’s easier to pick off the Troopers by firing through the doorway of one of the two rooms. Kill all the Troopers, then drop through the elevator shaft to the basement. After the Rat Patrol departs, grab the three P90′ s down here, and if you used only non-lethal means to take out the Haven Troopers, grab the Frog Soldier Doll from the garage as well. Climb the pile of debris and the boxes to reach the Crescent Meridian.

Crescent Meridian

After you get back outside, approach the militia troopers for a cut scene, then go forward a bit and right through the opening in the wall. Go right at the corner. Sneak past the left opening and crawl beneath the building ahead to the other side. Go left when you emerge and crawl to the pavement. When your OctoCamo changes, look around at the situation: PMC soldiers on opne side and militia troops on the other. You’ll need to crawl your way north along the wall of buildings to the right, staying out of the militia’s way as best you can. Try to stay behind their tank as it progresses down the street.

Sneak north up to the burned-out car by the road block. There’s a ladder across the street from the car, so wait until the tank gets up here and explodes before you crawl to it. Make sure not to make any noise to prevent the PMC soldiers to the left from noticing you, then stop when you get to the base of the ladder. When the two soldiers to the left are looking away, get to a crouching position and hit the Triangle button to get on the ladder. Climb up slowly to the top, then go prone there and follow the balcony around, dropping down at the end.

Millennium Park

Start off by crawling along the pavement on the left (southern) side of the street, making sure to wait while the two PMC soldiers pass. Crawl to the wooden box within view of the roadblock ahead, wait for the soldier to face away from you, then crawl to the wire fence. The patrolling soldier will stop for a moment, so be sure not to move until he resumes walking. Crawl between the two buildings to the south, and enter the building through the broken wall. There’s a soldier on the second floor of this building, so don’t make any noise. Crawl up the stairs, then stop when you’re about halfway up the second flight. Wait for the soldier to approach the window, then disable him silently with CQC. Go through the first door, lower Snake down through the hole to the first floor, go through the door, then crawl toward the broken wall.

There are two soldiers patrolling outside, so wait for the closer one to walk right, then crawl into the grass ahead. Wait for the soldier to make another round, then crawl behind the woodpile on the left as he walks away from your position. Next, crawl to the grass to the left of the big crate, then watch the patrolling soldiers from here until you get a feel for their patterns. Wait for the soldier to the right to face away, then crawl forward to the edge of the wall on the left. Watch for a soldier to arrive beside the big truck, then stay perfectly still as he walks toward you. He’ll eventually stop without seeing you and go left. Look right to make sure the coast is clear, then crawl through the opening toward the gray container on the right. Make sure you’re lying behind it without Snake’s head poking out, and wait for a soldier to appear. When the soldier heads south, quickly crawl around the corner to the right, then make a left behind the tent.

Continue to the corner of the enclosure and go left. Wait for the soldier here to get close, then nail him in the head with a shot from your Mk. 2. With him down, crawl the rest of the way to the red door on the north wall and go through it to end the chapter. If you’re spotted en route to the door, just get up and run the rest of the way!

Update 07/06/08 – Act 2

Act 2: Solid Sun

During this Act’s mission briefing, take control of Metal Gear Mk. II by pressing the Square button. Steer him to the lower deck to find a Battery next to the helicopter, and a Camera behind Sunny’s desk. Next, drive him upstairs to find an iPod Tune , some Noodles , and some ammunition.

Cove Valley Village

You have two options as to how to tackle this zone. You can either sneak through this relatively simple area with ease, or help save the captured rebels from their inevitable executions.

If you just want to get through the area, crawl down the hill toward the back of the buildings, then stop at the end of the first house. Wait for the soldier to pass, then keep going straight to the end of the metal wall. Look around the corner with camera to see the soldier there, wait until he walks away from you, then crawl into the grass. Get behind the metal huts and follow this route to the end of them. Wait for the soldier to look the other way, then crawl over to the shadows past the corner of the building ahead of you. Continue through the shadows to the next grassy patch, then head up the hill to the exit.

If, on the other hand, you want to save the captive rebels, you’re going to have a little more work to do. To begin, purchase the Mosin-Nagant sniper rifle from Drebin’s Shop. It’ll cost you 60,000 DP, or 48,000 DP on Sunday or Wednesday. You’ll be firing seven tranquilizer darts in relatively quick succession, so don’t fire a shot unless you know it’ll hit.

With your new sniper rifle in hand, crawl to the edge of the grass here and locate the soldier closest to you. Hit him in the head, then shoot the soldier that runs up behind him to see what’s going on. Quickly find the two PMC soldiers guarding the prisoners and nail them both in succession. A soldier will then come out of the house below you. Take him out, then look north for the last soldier, who will most likely be investigating one of his fallen comrades. Shoot him to clear the area of enemies, then get up and hurriedly look in all the buildings for items before the guards wake up (unless, of course, you go around shooting them in the brain. In any case, when you’re done, leave the village area to the east toward the hill.

Cove Valley Village (Hill)

Stay in the shade and follow the path along the rock ledge to the first PMC soldier, then wait at the edge of the grass until he turns and walks away. Follow him while crouched, then get on the first step to your left. Get near the next ledge, in front of the wooden fence with a tree ahead of it, and wait for the soldier to pass by while prone. As he passes, rise to a crouch and hit the Triangle button to climb up. As you crawl into the grass you’ll start hearing the soldiers cry out "We’ve got company!" Don’t worry, they’re not talking about you: some rebels have attacked the location above, which is going to make things harder for you. Watch for the soldier as he comes back around, shoot him in the head with a silenced weapon if he spots you, then climb up the next couple steps to the level above.

Crawl into the grass on the left. When the soldier here starts walking away from you, climb the two ledges on your left, by the rock wall. Stay prone in the grass behind the boulder, wait for the nearby soldier to appear and walk away, then climb up the ledge on the left. Crawl into the grass ahead and watch the soldier on the right. When he’s turned away from you, crawl forward through the grass until you’re about parallel with the crates on the left. The next ledge is watched by a soldier below, so fire your Mk. 2 at his head, then bolt for the top.

The rebels are here, and they don’t take too kindly to your presence if you didn’t help them out back in the village, even sometimes shooting at you until you earn their trust. How do you do that? Easy: crawl along the rocks on the right to the corner, then go prone and wait for a PMC soldier to appear between the rocks ahead. When he gets close, nail him in the head with the Mk. 2. The rebels will see this and consider Snake an ally from then on. Move forward, staying low as you move through the grass, then crawl past the rebel soldier on the right ledge to the exit.

Power Station

When the rebels start their attack, crawl left along the rock wall and take cover in the shade below the overhanging rock. There are snipers watching the area, so be careful not to be spotted. Take this narrow path to a grassy mound, then scope out the battle from here.

Crawl right to the path and follow it to a log that you can take cover behind. When the coast is clear, crawl to the grass on the right, then look ahead for the strips of grass between the two trees. Take out any nearby soldiers with Mk. 2, then crawl forward to the right of the sandbag wall to the truck. Crawl beneath it, wait for a clear path, then crawl through the opening in the wall. Go left and climb the steps to the station.

Look through the door to the right to make sure no one’s there to see you, then go left into the control room. Now, you can wait for the rebels to enter here and blow up the control panel, which can take quite a while, or you can do it yourself with some C4 (thankfully you can find some here in the northeast part of the building). When the panel is blown and the power in the facility has been knocked out, approach the Stryker tank behind the station for a cut scene and a checkpoint.

When the cinematic ends, you can go back and loot the area of any items you missed without worry of enemy encounters, since the rebels now control the zone. With the power out, you can access the electrical tower in the northwest corner of the station. To reach it, climb the ladder to the walkway of the tower south of it, vault over the railing when you’re near the power cable running over the barrier below, then climb that across to the other walkway. Drop down to find a Rifle Sight and some ammo, then climb down the ladder to find more items, the most prominent of which is a FIM-92A missile launcher. Cove Valley Village is also enemy-free, if you want to trek back there.

In any case, to proceed, you should know that there are three exits from the Power Station zone. Two of them, the ones on paths going northeast, are much harder than the third, which exits northwest. This walkthrough will assume you have taken this exit. To reach it, take the southern of the two paths leading away from the northwest corner of the station, grabbing the many items along the way as it heads northwest, including the Javelin , XM8 , PSS , Sleep Gas Mine , Playboy , healing items, and ammunition. When you get to a fork in the path, take the northwest route (left) and follow it to the exit.

Confinement Facility

Southern Section

If you followed our guide, you’ll appear around the middle of the southern end of this enormous zone (as opposed to the southeastern section, which is the location of a heated battle). Crouch-walk on the path and drop down the three ledges as it goes left. After you drop down the third ledge, look ahead for a PMC soldier to appear. As he walks away, crawl forward, and wait for him to walk on the road so you can sneak past on the left path going west. Get behind the rock face and crouch-walk to a wooden fence on top of the hill, then go prone and crawl to the grass by the big tree.

Northwest Section

Ahead you should see a soldier walking by the truck and a sniper in the watchtower. There’s also a soldier on the road behind you and more behind the buildings around to the left. When the soldier patrolling by the truck is facing away from you, crawl down the slope and go right at the bottom. Crawl to the far end of the stack of wooden posts, wait for the soldier to get close to you, and when he turns around, make sure the sniper in the tower isn’t looking in your direction as you crawl beneath the truck on the right. Crawl to the front of the vehicle and watch the sniper in the watchtower. When he turns right, crawl out from under the truck and go right to hide behind the woodpile.

You have the option of completely passing through this area on the way to the exit, but you should know that there are two imprisoned rebels being held in the building here. If you want to take the time to free them, you’ll need to take out the guard at the door, as well as a pair of soldiers patrolling the areas near the building and a sniper in the watchtower. Use the Mosin-Nagant sniper rifle if you purchased it earlier to fire tranquilizer darts, then check the rooms in the building for a VSS , Stun Grenade , Regain , a Compress , and lots of ammo. There’s also a Playboy in the southeast structure. Whether or not you free the rebels, make your way to the exit in the northeast corner to reach the Vista Mansion (and no, Bill Gates does not live there).

Vista Mansion

Shortly after you arrive, the rebels will begin an attack on the mansion, drawing the attention of the soldiers away from you and your crawling escapades. Crawl all the way to the road to trigger a cut scene that depicts the arrival of a bulldozer. When the cut scene ends, stay put and let the rebel driving the bulldozer plow through the main gates. This signifies that the battle in the northeast and southeast section of the Confinement Facility has been won by the rebels, so head down there via the southern exit and check out the areas for the items you passed by earlier. Of note are the FIM-92A , M870 Custom , and Chaff Grenades . Gather all the items, then return to the mansion.

Head to the gates and crawl through, turning right and crawling behind the first tent. When you reach the corner, crouch-run to the northern wall, then run west to the steps when no one’s looking. Go prone when you reach them, avoiding the soldiers to your left, and crawl along the wall to a window. Use your Solid Eye radar to make sure there’s no one in the area, then run toward the window and press the X button to break through.

Head right, down the hall and around the corner, and go right at the reception area. Crouch-walk toward the staircase and press your body against the wall between the two potted plants as two PMC soldiers run downstairs and outside to fight the rebels. When they’re gone, run upstairs and enter the bedroom. Look through the small window to make sure there are no soldiers on the roof, then go through the door. Head left around the corner and drop through the skylight to reach the basement. Collect the items scattered down here, then climb the ladder to the north to reach the Research Lab.

Research Lab

You’ll find yourself in Caution Phase after the cut scene that opens this zone comes to a close. Quickly run to the bottom-right corner of the room and lie down beside the bed with Snake’s legs concealed beneath it. Get your Mk. 2 pistol out and wait for two Haven Troopers to arrive. When they appear in the hallway ahead of you, hit them with headshots. More Troopers will arrive in the top-left room, so have Snake continue to blast them until the Caution Phase ends. Stand up now and gather the items in the rooms, getting a good feel for them, then open your inventory. Have a shotgun or machine gun equipped, and make sure your Psyche level is up, as there’s a boss battle just ahead. When you’re ready, head to the outer corridor to trigger a cut scene that precedes the battle.

BOSS: Laughing Octopus

You’ll want to avoid the outer corridor and remain within the inner rooms for this battle. Laughing Octopus can move very quickly and can camouflage herself to hide in any location using a variety of disguises, including posing as Metal Gear Mk. II, an unconscious Haven Trooper, or even Naomi!

After you shoot her, watch your radar as she calls out her taunts to see her current location, and rush there to blast her. She’ll be cloaked, so keep your eyes peeled for her outline. She typically fires on Snake with P90, so you should always try to remain in a doorway for cover when she starts shooting. Keep your distance to avoid Laughing Octopus’s melee attacks, and fire your shotgun or machine gun at her to knock her down. When she gets knocked down she’ll let off a smoke bomb and fire homing missiles at you; dodge these until they explode on their own, and continue the battle.

Eventually, as you knock off more and more of her health, she’ll roll into a ball and spin directly toward Snake’s current location, taking a huge chunk of health off in the process. You can avoid these rolling attacks by quickly vaulting through a window or getting on top of something; there are several boxes you can climb on in the various corners of the rooms.

Laughing Beauty

Once she ditches her suit, Laughing Octopus becomes Laughing Beauty and will try to grab Snake in an embrace to give him a deadly squeeze. The shotgun works best to prevent this. If you only used non-lethal rounds in the first part of the fight, you’ll find the Laughing Octopus Doll on one of the beds (NOTE: The doll can only be obtained during the Beauty fight!). If you still haven’t beaten her after three minutes, her Psyche and health guages will replenish, and you’ll enter the "white world" to continue the battle. If another three minutes pass in the white world and you still haven’t beaten her, she’ll automatically die and the battle will end then and there. If you’re going for a no-kill playthrough, hit the Beauty in the torso with your darts or V-Ring ammo to finish her off.

Afterward you’ll receive the FaceCamo , as well as the Laughing Beauty FaceCamo if you managed to defeat her using non-lethal weapons.

Mountain Trail

You’ve got to track Naomi now, so listen to Otacon and Raiden’s suggestions on reading footprints, and start navigating your way through this labyrinthine area. Start off by heading southwest, then north as the path curves. The path splits to the northeast and northwest here; go northeast to find a soldier relieving himself, facing away from you. Quickly grab the Fore Grip B beside him while he’s busy, then sneak back to the fork and go northwest. Crouch-walk over the bridge to the boxes, and go prone there. Wait for the soldier to pass by, then go northwest to find a dead end with some Noodles and a Claymore trap in the grass behind it; crawl over it to collect it. Go back to the fork and take the northeast route this time to the next open area.

Crawl to the east and listen to the amusing comment from the sniper on the rock above. Take the southern route from here to find a ruined building with three soldiers near it. Take them out and collect the RPG-7 , Playboy , and ammunition in the building before heading back to the last open area and taking the eastern route past the sniper. Stop when you get to the first tree in the open area and look right to find a PMC soldier crouching low to the ground. Shoot a dart at his head to knock him out, then cross the river and approach the tree stump for a call. Save your game here, then take the northern of the two eastern paths to the next open area.

If you want, go south of here, take out the Haven Trooper with a head shot, then crawl forward as you hear a woman crying for help. Hit the Haven Trooper on the ledge above the building to safely collect the items there. Otherwise, take the northeast path from here and crawl past the two Haven Troopers until you reach a tree stump. There’s a soldier planting a Claymore trap here, so wait for him to plant it and walk away from it before hitting him with a tranquilizer dart. Take the northeast path first to find an Easter Egg in the form of a metal plate with the signatures of the game’s creators on it, as well as some Noodles and a Ration , then return to the area where you took out the soldier and take the southern path to the next open area. Take the western route, following the PMC soldier there until you can make a left; do so quickly before he turns around! Follow this little stretch and make a right turn when you can to reach the tunnel leading out of this zone.

Tank Escape

You’ll be riding aboard Drebin’s Stryker tank for the first part of this run’n'gun action piece. While you’re aboard you’ll have infinite ammo for any weapon you’ve got, but it’s best to stick with the tank’s turret (unless a soldier manages to get aboard the tank, in which case a shotgun blast works best). If you’re going for a no-kill run, be sure to use the non-lethal Vortex Ring Shot ammunition.

In any case, get ready to be attacked by soldiers wearing power suits (no, not of the Armani variety) as you head through the gates of the mansion. If you’re playing on the higher difficulty modes, chuck a Chaff Grenade at them to prevent them from firing at you, then blast them. You’ll want to keep chucking Chaff Grenades as the effect of the previous grenade wears off to keep the enemies from shooting at you. If you don’t have any Chaff Grenades, just duck behind the tank’s turret and shoot off anyone who climbs aboard as Drebin drives through the gates.

When you reach the Confinement Facility, use the turret to shoot the Gekko’s head, and do likewise any other Gekko you see before taking out any soldiers in the area. A defeated Gekko emits a cloud of smoke that can hide other enemies, so use the Solid Eye’s Night Vision to see through it. At the Power Station, all you have to do is shoot the locked green gates with your turret as soon as you see them to blast them open, allowing passage to the High Woodlands Highway. Use the turret to shoot the many Gekko in their little domed heads here as you proceed to the Marketplace.

Marketplace

After the cut scene ends and you have control of Snake again, go prone in the shade on the left and wait until your health and Psyche replenish. When they’re full, get ready to run. There are Gekko up ahead on the path to the exit, but there are also innocent bystanders, so you shouldn’t stop to try and take them on. From where you begin, run forward and go left behind the first bunch of market stalls. Chuck one of your Chaff Grenades to confuse them, then run east toward the metal fence and vault over it. Run straight to the stall ahead and to the left and duck behind it to find the M72A3 missile launcher. Wait for the Gekko past the stall to break through the marketplace toward the eastern exit, and continue to wait until it comes back in this direction and passes you by. Throw another Chaff Grenade into the air and sprint east to the exit. A Gekko will land between you and the exit, but just bolt straight toward it and roll through to the right of it before it can kick at you to escape unscathed.

Act 3: Third Sun (Eastern Europe)

Your task here is to tail a member of the resistance group to their secret headquarters, and the route you take there will be different depending on your chosen difficulty level. On the Big Boss Hard difficulty level, you’ll take a longer route through more areas, but any easier difficulty level takes a shorter, easier route. We’ll discuss both routes in this walkthrough. Regardless of which difficulty level you’ve chosen, some basic tips on this section should be noted:

• Use Snake’s OctoCamo and FaceCamo and crawl the majority of the time, avoiding searchlights and trash that can make noise, to prevent spooking the resistance member or alerting any PMC soldiers to your presence.
• The resistance member will stop when he comes across a PMC soldier he can’t pass. The music will change, and eventually he’ll take a different route.
• DO NOT try to neutralize the PMC forces in Midtown unless this walkthrough says it’s okay, otherwise you’ll change the resistance member’s route.
• Forget about the Signal Interceptor and just use the Solid Eye’s radar to track the resistance member.
• Save after every checkpoint.
• If you spook the resistance member, he’ll run for a hiding place and wait. Just be patient until he comes back out and continues forward. Sometimes, though, he’ll be captured when he runs to his hiding place, causing PMC troops to arrest him.
• If the resistance member is arrested or killed, just wait awhile until another resistance member appears. They aren’t infinite, however, and you will get a Game Over if too many are arrested or die.
• You can also disable the PMC soldiers if they try to capture the resistance member, if need be, though this is often a risky venture.

Midtown S Sector

Big Boss Hard

From where you begin, get on the road and go left when you can for a cut scene. After it ends, take cover behind the van until the resistance member goes past, then follow him at a good distance. When two PMC soldiers appear, the resistance member will stop. Hide behind the metal enclosure nearby until he turns around (about 30 seconds or so), then follow him up to the balcony above the soldiers. Crawl after him to the ladder, and wait there until the resistance member below decides to alter his route to avoid some guards, going right instead of left. When he gets moving again, drop down and follow him to the park, and hide behind the hedge as he "does his business." Crawl after him when he starts walking again, then hide in the tall grass behind the tree in the northeast corner of the park as he waits for a couple PMC guards. The resistance member will eventually chuck a grenade, so wait where you are, making sure you are at the very northeastern edge of the grass, until the Caution Phase is over, then head down the nearby steps on the northeast corner of the park. Go north, and then down the road on the right to find the resistance member looking at a poster on a wall. When he gets moving again, go prone and stay on the right side of the pavement as a patrol vehicle passes, then follow the resistance member to the exit to the Midtown Central Sector.

Solid Normal, Naked Normal, Liquid Easy

Follow the instructions listed above for the Big Boss Hard difficulty level until you catch up to the resistance member looking at the poster on the wall, then follow him north to the exit to the Midtown NE Sector (skip the Midtown Central Sector and Midtown NW Sector sections to resume the guide for this difficulty level).

Midtown Central Sector

Big Boss Hard

Head around the corner to find the resistance member looking at another poster. Go into the prone position and wait as he starts to walk away, and stay where you are, because he’s going to run back to the poster for a second look in a second. Once he walks away again, follow him to the square. You may lose the resistance member here, but don’t worry, he’s heading toward the waterway. You should be extra cautious here, as there’s a helicopter with a searchlight scanning the area. Stay out of the light by crawling beside the two vans here, staying in the road, and head forward to the larger van. Get behind it onto the pavement, being as silent as you can as to not alert the nearby guards. Crawl up the steps to the west to the top and look across the waterway to find the soldier there. When he’s looking away, crawl slowly down to the shadow beneath the bridge, then stop there to see the searchlight’s pattern. When it passes over you, crawl along the side of the waterway to the shadow beneath the second bridge. Wait for the resistance member to get far enough away from you, then get in the water and cross to the other side. Go through the opening the resistance member went through, then hide behind the wall as he looks back to make sure no one’s following him. Wait for him to leave the zone, then follow him out.

Midtown NW Sector

Big Boss Hard

Immediately go prone at the start of this section, then slowly move forward and watch him wade out into the water. He’s eventually going to come back to this side of the water, so for now, wait for the searchlight to pass over you and start for the shadow beneath the next bridge, using the little nook on the left if you need to hide a moment. Wait in the back area of the shadow for the chopper to pass by again, then crawl up the steps and go left. Cross the bridge, then make a right to go parallel to the water.

Slowly make your way toward the hole in the wall on the left past the second set of closed gates and send Metal Gear Mk. II through. Go left and ram the can behind the two soliders to knock it away toward the right side of the road. Now have him go north and around the corner to the left to find another can, and ram that one as well before deactivating him and returning control to Snake. Why did you do all that? Because otherwise the resistance member would most likely run into them, getting arrested in the process, Sir-Asks-A-Lot.

Wait for the soldiers to return to their original positions and head back to the road. Go right, crawling along the pavement until you catch up to the resistance member. Continue crawling behind the two sets of PMC soldiers until you reach the exit to the Midtown NE Sector.

Midtown NE Sector

Big Boss Hard

The route in this section is actually shorter and easier than the route for the other three difficulty levels. Crawl down the street and follow the resistance member around the corner. Wait there as he pauses in a doorway, then continue following him left toward the pillars. Use the pillars to hide you from the guards as you round one more corner and follow the resistance member to the exit.

Solid Normal, Naked Normal, Liquid Easy

Go left to the end of the street to find the resistance member, crawling toward him, then stop as he crosses the crosswalk. Continue following him once he reaches the other side and crawl through the arch, making a right turn past it. Stay low on the pavement, behind the parked vehicles, to avoid detection by the guards and the helicopter’s searchlight here.

Continue north and then northeast, stopping when the resistance member approaches the two PMC soldiers from behind. He’ll accidentally hit a metal box on the way, alerting the soldiers to his presence and leading to his arrest. You need to quickly whip out your Mk. 2 pistol and hit them both with a tranquilizer dart to the head. Once the two soldiers are down, the idiotic resistance member will do one of two things: either run up the nearby steps and hide for a moment before continuing forward, or run back to the square and get arrested again. If he does get arrested again, just stay put for awhile until another resistance member comes strolling through. After that, just follow him the rest of the way to the next zone.

Midtown N Sector

Big Boss Hard

When the resistance member appears from the opening on the left disguised as a PMC soldier, follow him to the end of the alley. Go right (you can’t follow him on the main road) and cross the next street. Turn left (north) and follow the street to the side of the white van. Wait there for the patrol vehicle to pass by, then go right around the corner, crawling silently to avoid alerting the nearby soldiers. Get on the road going northwest and stop behind the parked car to allow the patrol vehicle to pass again. Crawl up the slope to the pavement’s end, and when no one’s looking, cross to the other side, stopping to allow the patrol vehicle to pass yet again. Head left around the corner and you’ll see your resistance member standing by a trio of PMC soldiers. One will go right while the other two will follow the resistance member a while before going left as the resistance member goes right.

Follow the resistance member when the patrol vehicle isn’t near, crossing the road to the south. Crawl through the alley to the end, wait for the patrol vehicle to pass (you’ll be able to hear it), then cross the road again in pursuit of your prey…er, lead. As you get to the top of the hill, stop at the barrel next to the road sign to get a bearing on the situation. The patrol vehicle will pass by this location, and there’s a soldier making his rounds on the right. When the vehicle is nowhere near you and the soldier is facing away, crawl past the entrance and take cover behind the next building before he looks back. Head north to the end of the pavement now, wait for the vehicle to pass one more time, then crawl across the road to the driveway. Wait for the resistance member to take off his disguise, then follow him to the exit.

Solid Normal, Naked Normal, Liquid Easy

You’ll be following the exact same route laid out in the "Big Boss Hard" difficult section above, but there won’t be a patrol vehicle to worry about, and there are less guards to worry about, especially if you’re playing on Liquid Easy mode.

Church Courtyard to Riverside East

No map is needed for this section, as it’s just one long motorcycle chase. You can tackle this section in one of two ways: the non-lethal way, and the trigger-happy gun-crazy way. If you don’t mind killing the PMC soldiers, by all means just fire away at the enemies with whatever weapon you choose: you’ll have infinite ammo regardless. There are three parts to the chase, with plenty of soldiers to shoot in each section. Raging Raven arrives in the third section with Sliders backing her up, so make sure to pump her full of as much lead as you can before the boss battle that follows this chase, because the damage carries over!

If, on the other hand, you are going for no kills, you’ll have your work cut out for you. Make sure you’ve got your Mk. 2, Stun Grenades, and shotgun with V-Ring ammo equipped, and a machine gun for the non-human Sliders at the end. In the first part of the chase, just fire a single tranquilzer dart at each PMC soldier ahead of you, then take out the ones to the left. In the next section, chuck a Stun Grenade at the corner, then use your Mk. 2 to disable the soldiers there. Ignore the PMC vehicle that joins the chase and shoot the Haven Trooper that lands on the van instead. Chuck another Stun Grenade toward teh vehicle on the right when you reach the riverside road, then throw another as you round the corner to the left before filling the soldiers with darts. Past that, you’ll encounter a pair of PMC vehicles with turrets. Quickly disable the gunners with headshots, then take out the remaining troops in the vicinity. Take out the Haven Troopers in the streets as you ride to the third part of the chase, where Raging Raven and her Sliders show up. Use the shotgun with V-Ring ammo to hit her, and use the machine gun to destroy the Sliders. Haven Troopers will require busting out the Mk. 2 again, as they appear for the remainder of the chase. Take out the ones you see as you descend the steps, the ride the rest of the way out of this mess and into the boss battle.

Echo’s Beacon

BOSS: Raging Raven

If you’re suffering from severe damage after the motorcycle chase, lie down beneath the stairs on this floor of the tower to recover your health and Psyche. Raging Raven can be found on the top (fifth) floor of the tower, and she’s got plenty of Sliders with here that will search for you. You’ll want a sniper rifle (use the Mosin-Nagant if you’re going for a no-kill playthrough) to attack Raging Raven and an automatic rifle to take out the Sliders. In this battle, aggression is key, so rush to the top of the tower to get this party started. Stay toward the middle of the floor, away from the outer edge of the walkways to avoid getting hit with the grenades Raven chucks at you (these also take out sections of the building in the process). If you hear a beeping noise, get to the staircase and run back and forth there until the explosion goes off. If Raging Raven sets Snake on fire, roll around to extinguish the flames. She can also fire grenades at you with a gun; if you see one coming, quickly go prone to let it pass overhead. Take out a large group of Sliders with your automatic rifle to clear the area, then break out your sniper rifle and pump shots into Raging Raven. Stay moving as much as you can, and roll out of the way of her grenades whenever she tosses them at you to stay out of the blast zone. Killing Raven’s Sliders makes her royally anger, which is a good thing, since it prevents her from unleasher her most deadly attacks! It will take quite a lot of shots to wear her down, so aim for her head whenever possible.

Raging Beauty

If you’re only using non-lethal weapons, you can find the Raging Raven Doll upstairs at the start of this section, on the top floor. Switch to a shotgun for this part of the fight (V. Ring rounds for a non-lethal kill). Once you’ve got her health down to the one-quarter mark, she’ll start trying to grab you; shake the Left Analog Stick to break away from the embrace. Keep shooting at her until you’ve cut her health to zero, or stay alive until the "white world" phase ends.

For defeating Raging Raven you will obtain the mighty MGL-140 grenade launcher. Sweet! If you manage to defeat Raging Raven using non-lethal means, you’ll win the Raging Beauty FaceCamo for your troubles.

To be continued… and that is the entire MGS4 walkthrough for Act 1, 2 and 3 . Please check back or subscribe to my RSS Feeds so you don’t miss the updates.