Missions

Learn how to achieve S-Rank in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Discover factors like time, stealth, and avoiding restarts to maximize your mission scores.

Alright, so you're diving into Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and wondering about the missions? It's pretty straightforward: you pick a mission from the menu, and off you go. What you'll really want to pay attention to is how you do on each one, because you get a grade at the end, ranging from E (the worst) all the way up to S (the best). Your main goal is to hit 130,000 points to snag that S Rank. Just a heads-up, Missions 2, 22, and 43 are a bit different – you won't get a rank for those. Side Ops, by the way, aren't graded at all, so don't stress about them.

When you finish a mission, you'll see a screen showing your rank and all the details. Now, how do you get that sweet S Rank? Two big things are going to make the difference: speed and how you play.

• Time Bonus: The faster you blast through a mission, the more points you'll rack up. There are hidden thresholds for this, but the general idea is simple: the quicker you finish, the better your score.
• Playstyle: Using stealth definitely helps. While you *can* get an S Rank by going in guns blazing, playing smart – meaning not killing anyone, not getting spotted, and not having to restart from a checkpoint – will earn you a significant point boost. We're talking an extra 40,000 to 50,000 points if you nail it all.

So, keep an eye on the clock and try to be as ghost-like as possible. It's definitely achievable to get that S Rank with a bit of practice!