• Posted June 2nd, 2008 at 16:53 EDT by
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The Official PlayStation Blog has released yet another edition of Metal Gear Mondays and this one is nothing short of worthwhile reading. With James Price, a member of the Piggyback team completing the official strategy guide on hand to divulge his top 12 tips for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, it's no surprise as to why this is such a great read.

With the game due out in just 10 days, it seems fitting that more and more teasers are being released to further push the hype beyond the ceiling it has reached. We've included below for you the first couple of tips for your enjoyment followed by a link to the full list of tips.

1. Life Gauge

Keeping the Life Gauge topped up is vital, but it’s just as important not to panic and keep filling the gauge unnecessarily with precious items. Though you can replenish it with healing objects such as Rations and Noodles, you should take care not to waste them – especially on higher difficulty levels. Using a Ration when Snake’s Life Gauge is 80% full, for example, is plain foolish. You usually don’t need to even think about refilling the gauge until it drops below 25%. During boss fights or difficult skirmishes, you should instead equip Rations, Noodles or Regain and position them as an “active” item. Once Snake’s health reaches zero, these will be automatically used until your stocks are exhausted.

One other method of restoring Snake’s health is simply to find a safe hiding place and let him stand still. After a few seconds the Life Gauge will slowly start to creep back up. If you crouch or go prone, it will refill more quickly. If you have good cover, you’ll find that this even works during boss battles. This can be a great way of refilling your Life Gauge for free – essential when playing on a high difficulty level. Note that recovery speed depends on the condition of Snake’s other main gauge, the Psyche Gauge; the higher the Psyche Gauge, the quicker the Life Gauge refills. (Incidentally, if you have an extended break from playing MGS4 that lasts for more than 24 hours, you may notice that Snake’s Life and Psyche gauges are refilled by 20% per day. It’s hardly necessary, but a nice touch nonetheless.)

2. Psyche Gauge

The Psyche Gauge is situated directly below the Life Gauge, appearing as four separate blocks. This represents Snake’s psychological wellbeing, which has a direct effect on his performance. Essentially, the more stressed Snake is, the less effective he becomes. Keeping him as calm and focused as possible should be your main goal in terms of managing this meter. The Psyche Gauge can be refilled with certain healing items, such as Noodles; dedicated Psyche-related objects such as the Compress do not directly refill the gauge, but instead temporarily increase the speed at which it is replenished. Cigs can also be equipped to regain Psyche, but to the detriment of the Life Gauge.

As with the Life Gauge, the Psyche Gauge can also be refilled simply by staying still, and more quickly by crouching or going prone. The better Snake feels generally (not too cold, hot, wet, dirty, or overloaded) the faster his Psyche will replenish. You can tell when he’s not feeling great by observing his behavior or murmurs of discontent – if he starts feeling his age, it’s usually a direct sign that something is wrong. Finding solutions to assuage these symptoms is usually just a matter of common sense. If Snake is freezing in cold water for instance, get him out of there; if he’s overheating in direct sunlight, find some shade where he can cool down. One of the major effects of a low Psyche Gauge is that it will severely hamper Snake’s ability to aim accurately. The more stressed and hyped up he is, the more his aim will be impaired; this can have a particularly detrimental effect when he’s using a sniper rifle. Try using a scope when Snake is overanxious and you’ll see how his unsteady hands make it thoroughly difficult to make a clean headshot. The Pentazemin item can be used to temporarily improve his marksmanship when required, but preventative maintenance is always better.
 

You can read the full list here.