Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Complete Guide (142 Sections) | AntMag

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Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops throws you into the boots of Big Boss during a tumultuous period, tasking you with building a private army and reclaiming stolen nuclear launch codes. This PSP exclusive action-adventure game focuses on tactical stealth, squad management, and intense firefights as you navigate through numerous missions and Extra Ops. You'll recruit soldiers, manage their skills, and utilize a wide array of weapons and gadgets to overcome enemy forces and environmental challenges.

This guide is your essential companion for mastering every aspect of Portable Ops. We provide detailed walkthroughs for all main missions and challenging Extra Ops, ensuring you can escape any situation. You'll find comprehensive coverage on developing Big Boss's full potential, including character development and unlocking advanced infiltration techniques. Whether you're aiming to collect every item or conquer the toughest bosses, this guide has the strategies you need.

ANALOG STICK

The analog stick is your primary tool for movement and precise aiming in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Mastering its use is crucial for stealth, combat, and overall gameplay effectiveness.

Action	Button
Move Snake	Left Analog Stick
Aim Weapon	Right Analog Stick
Camera Control (when not aiming)	Right Analog Stick

Use the left analog stick to control Snake's movement, allowing for fluid navigation through environments. The right analog stick is used for aiming your weapons with precision. When not in aiming mode, it can also be used to adjust the camera angle, giving you a better view of your surroundings.

L BUTTON

The L Button in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is primarily used for tactical actions and menu navigation. Understanding its functions is crucial for efficient gameplay and mission success.

Action	Button
CQC (Close Quarters Combat)	L Button
Aim Weapon	L Button (Hold)
Access Tactical Map	L Button (Tap)
Select Item/Weapon (while aiming)	L Button + D-Pad/Face Buttons

Mastering the L Button allows for quick execution of CQC maneuvers, precise aiming, and rapid access to tactical information, enhancing your stealth and combat capabilities.

SELECT

You cannot complete Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops without allies. Every mission features enemy soldiers, and you can only recruit them if they are alive. To recruit an enemy soldier, you must first knock them out, then drag them to the truck (or a cardboard box later in the game) before they regain consciousness. Once a soldier is captured, they will be held in prison on the Squad Management screen. From there, you can view their skills, remove their equipment, rename them, or dispose of them. After a few in-game days, they will join your unit. Having a soldier with the Politician career in your squad will speed up this process.

Special conditions for recruitment:

Rescued captured soldiers will join your unit immediately.
Unique Characters can be recruited, but specific conditions must be met.

The following characters will join your unit immediately after capture or rescue:

Jonathan
Para-Medic
Python
Raikov
Sigint
Sokolov
Eva
Venus
Teliko
Gene (in EU version)
Any soldier rescued during a mission
Any soldier recruited via AP Scan
Any soldier recruited via password (recommended only for the GAKO soldier and Zero if you don't own the Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel)
Any soldier who joins voluntarily through Cyber-Survival

Career Types:

Career	Effect	Best Unit Assignment
Athlete	Faster movement speed	Infiltration Unit
Quarterback	Longer throwing distance	Infiltration Unit
Artist	Magazines have no effect	Online Unit
Scout	Faster stalking speed	Infiltration Unit
Rescuer	Faster dragging speed	Infiltration Unit
Gambler	Increases chance of hitting or being hit in weak spots	Cyber-Survival
Deliveryman	Can send items back to Campbell's truck	Infiltration Unit
Bait	Makes stronger enemies appear more often	Infiltration Unit
Stuntman	Quick recovery from knockouts	Online Unit
Surveyor	Increases detail on the stage map	Intelligence Unit
Spy/Agent	Decreases enemy life by 10% (also affects your recruits, use with caution)	Intelligence Unit
Arms Dealer	Increases chance of finding ammunition	Intelligence Unit
Arms Specialist	Increases the amount of ammunition that can be carried	Technical Unit
Elite Engineer	Very high technical development skills	Technical Unit
Engineer	High technical development skills	Technical Unit
Chemist	Works on medicine development	Medical Unit
Doctor	Increases life recovery speed for your squad	Medical Unit
Nutritionist	Increases stamina recovery speed for your squad	Medical Unit
Politician	Prisoners become allies more easily	ANY UNIT

Cyber-Survival Mode:

After recruiting allies, you can use them in Cyber-Survival mode, which requires a WLAN connection. The rules differ from the main game. After reading the rules, assign equipment to your unit and send them online. Check your unit's condition after 12 hours. If you lose, save the battle report to analyze what went wrong and how to improve your strategy. You may capture enemy soldiers in this mode, and some may even join you voluntarily or offer gifts. However, be cautious, as losing can result in your soldiers being captured by the enemy. Avoid sending your favorite soldiers into Cyber-Survival mode.

R BUTTON

Alright, let's talk about the R BUTTON in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. This button is super important for a few key actions that can really change how you approach combat and movement. Pay attention, and you'll be using it like a pro in no time! First off, holding down R1 (or RT on Xbox controllers) is your gateway to using sub-weapons. Think grenades, rocket launchers, all that good stuff. You can use these normally, but if you double-tap R1 / RT, you can quickly toss a grenade or fire missiles – super handy when you're in a pinch and need to deal some quick damage. Now, this is a big one: holding R1 / RT while also holding L2 / LB lets you aim your sub-weapon. This is crucial for precision. You don't want to waste a rocket on a single Grunt, right? Use this to line up your shots. There's also the Ninja Run. To get this moving, you'll need to hold down R1 / RT and then use the left analog stick to dash. This lets you zip around the battlefield much faster than just walking. It's great for closing the distance or making a quick escape. And for the really intense moments, there's Blade Mode. You activate this by holding L1 / LT. While in Blade Mode, you can use the right analog stick to aim your sword. When you're ready to unleash a flurry of attacks, you can press R1 / RT in a direction to perform a slash. Remember, you can aim your slashes with the right stick. It's all about precision and timing here. There's also a quick use for missiles and grenades by double-tapping R1 / RT. This is a lifesaver when you need to clear out a group of enemies fast. Finally, if you've unlocked Ripper Mode (which happens after chapter R-03), holding both L3 and R3 (pressing both analog sticks down) will activate it. This is a super-powered state, so use it wisely! Mastering the R BUTTON and its combinations with other buttons will seriously up your game. Practice these moves, and you'll be a force to be reckoned with.