Watch Your Weight
Metal Gear Online, the online component of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, is finally available, allowing everyone to find out once and for all who the best Big Boss out there is. With multiple modes and tons of strategies to try out, there is quite a bit to learn before you look more like a pro and less like the game’s sometimes shoddy AI. Luckily you’ve stumbled upon a list of useful tips and tricks that will help you dominate Metal Gear Online in no time.
To kick things off you’re going to have to watch your weight. Items and gear in Metal Gear Online have weights that add up to encumber your character. The more you carry, the slower you move and the less likely you are to look like a graceful bird as you try to dive out of harms way. The good thing is that the inverse is also true. Carry less, and you’ll be as light as a feather, or at least as light as a normal human who isn’t carrying a ton of gear.
Although a lot of what you see will look cool, if it isn’t necessary, leave it behind. That includes cool looking goggles and cardboard boxes.
Keep a Tight Grip on Your Funds
Unlike the single player section of Metal Gear Solid V: TPP, Metal Gear Online doesn’t regularly shower you in beautiful money. At the same time, there are tons of things you can buy. These include weapons, attachments, items, armor, color schemes and more.
In the beginning, you’ll be tempted to deck out your soldier in the latest war-time fashion, but that is not what you should do. Instead, hold onto your hard earned cash and wait until you unlock some useful weapons and gear that you can purchase. You’ll have plenty of time to become the belle of the ball later, right now you should be focused on upgrading your loadout so that you can be the toughest one out there.
Stealth Is Important
While you may be trying to gun down opponents in some multiplayer action, you don’t have to be loud to do so. The radar in Metal Gear Online works by sound, so the more noise you make, the easier you are to locate. Also moving around and firing your weapon makes you stick out like a sore thumb. For the more objective based modes (Cloak and Dagger Rush and Comm Control) this is of the utmost important.
As you play, just keep in mind that this isn’t your typical multiplayer shooter. Use stealth, duck behind cover, hide on top of buildings – whatever you can think of in order to get the drop on your opponents. Even an enemy in a D-Walker is no match for a cunning soldier with nothing but a tranquilizer gun. CQC is also super useful while stealthy, since it’s an easy way to get someone down silently and fulton them out of the match (very funny to watch). Players caught in a choke hold have to mash buttons to escape, which often fails them since they panic. So stay low, move slowly, and steal the lives of your transgressors.
The Camera Is Your Friend
Going hand in hand with the previous tip about stealth is camera usage. Metal Gear Online is a third person game that gives players full camera control. Use this to your advantage while sneaking around every chance you get.
About to head into a building? Press up against the wall and swing the camera around to see if there is some scoundrel lurking in the dark. Trying to steal a disk? keep panning the camera around in order to keep tabs on any approaching targets. No matter what the situation, you’ll be able to keep your wits about you as long as you remember to utilize the camera which happens to be one of Metal Gear Online’s most useful tools.
Just keep in mind that your opponents will have the same ability, so don’t camp in one place for too long while looking around. Chances are someone else nearby is doing the same thing, and that’s a quick way to end up riddled with bullet holes (which usually leads to death).
The Shield Is Life
Pretty much every item and weapon from the single player portion of Metal Gear Solid V: TPP is available in MGO. This includes the almighty PB Shield. This thing is one seriously defensive upper hand that you should definitely abuse if you find yourself getting shot in the back a lot.
Carrying one around protects you from all but ankle and head shots from behind. Most players don’t seem to have the best aim, especially from a distance, so having a shield on your back provides ample warning once you come under fire. You can even utilize the trick from the campaign that renders you almost invincible on a D-Walker. Equipping the shield in one of your hands will give you the leg up in almost any gunfight as well. Unless an opponent is quick witted enough to aim for your feet or to try and get an angle on your side, you’ll be at a major advantage.
Pick a Buddy and Stay Close
Inside of Metal Gear Online is an item called the Wormhole Generator that is described as being “powered by friendship.” It’s a rather odd device that may seem a bit confusing if you don’t know what to do, but it ends up proving pretty darn useful, especially if you’re the type who likes to die a lot.
In order to harness this ‘friendship power’, all you need to do is stay close to a teammate for a short period of time. After a little while (less than a minute) you will get a notification that your Wormhole Generator is charged. If you happen to die after this, you can instantly spawn right next to that same buddy who let you die just a couple of seconds ago. Use this opportunity to support them or to stare at them with an intense dislike for watching you die.
These few tricks along with everything you’ve learned from Metal Gear Solid V: TPP’s campaign will help you become a force to be reckoned with in MGO. Just remember to have fun on your way to greatness, and stealth kill (and/or Fulton) as many enemies as possible, because that never gets old.
For more guides, tips, tricks, and features on Metal Gear Online and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain be sure to check out our constantly expanding wiki.
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