Non-lethal weapons can be identified by the color of their icon in the inventory menu. If the icon is blue, then it is non-lethal.
Otacon modified this military handgun to take knockout rounds, which will put an enemy to sleep. Aiming at the head, heart or crotch will knock them out instantly - anywhere else results in a delayed effect. This weapon is suppressed, but enemies will be suspicious of ricochet sounds made by its bullets hitting walls. It also has a lasersight, so aiming is somewhat easier.
An empty magazine. Throwing it at the wall will produce a small, non-threatening noise that will distract guards without alerting them.
Essentially a softcore porn mag. If a guard sees it, they will shift their attention to it. "I read it for the articles!"
A non-lethal sniper rifle. Handles about the same as the normal PSG1, with the exception that it shoots tranquilizer darts at high velocities. These are stronger than the M9's, but aiming for the head is still a very wise idea. It's also advisable to pop some Pentazemin before you try shooting, otherwise your caffeine-induced jitters might throw off your aim.
A "flashbang" grenade. It emits a burst of light, heat, and sound specifically designed to disable human targets without killing them.
A grenade that uses a small amount of explosives to propel tiny fragments of metal and plastic into the air. This has no effect on enemies, unless they hear the fairly quiet blast, but the targeting systems on cameras, CYPHERs, and the like will be temporarily FUBARed, allowing you to slip past.
While a katana probably isn't the first choice to knock a man out without killing him, it works - so long as you're using the flat end of the blade. It's silent, so as long as the enemy doesn't see you administering this beatdown, you're okay. Pressing
will toggle the blade between lethal and non-lethal modes.
These weapons are identified by their red icons. With lethality also comes a degree of loudness, so be careful!
A powerful handgun that can be fitted with a suppressor. While it has a lasersight, it is not used in first-person mode. Instead, you must aim using the weapon's iron sights. This weapon also has an attached flashlight which is used automatically in dark areas. Enemies will take notice if the light is shined on them.
This weapon is mostly the same as the USP handgun, except it lacks the attached flashlight. It can still be fitted with a suppressor.
These fragmentation grenades are designed to eliminate small groups of enemy soldiers. They aren't good for stealth at all, but you might want them for boss fights or alarm situations.
This rifle is the official weapon of SEAL Team 10. It has a large magazine capacity and a good amount of power.
The guards on Big Shell's two cores are equipped with these rifles. A derivative of the original Kalashnikov rifle, these are dependable weapons with good power, accuracy, and fire rate. This variation can also be fitted with a suppressor.
Incredible accuracy, good damage, and enemies will almost never hear the shot unless you fire right next to them.
A revolving 40mm grenade launcher that launches explosive rounds a fair distance. Great for single targets (i.e. bosses) but the blast radius makes it very difficult to use against groups of enemies, and the volume of the blast makes this not too useful against guards.
You'll need these. Like the last three Metal Gear games, these are essential for destroying power boxes through air vents. Launch a missile and control it with the left analog stick. Be careful about the fuel remaining though - it's not unlimited.
A lock-on missile launcher. This is very useful against bosses, particularly the Harrier on the Shell 1-2 Connecting Bridge. Can be aimed manually, or (preferably) with a lockon. You can still lock on to targets after the round has been fired, which is useful for guiding the missile around obstacles.
Swing this thing around. Cut some poor fools. Trust me, you'll like the feel of it. You can also try and block bullets with it with
- it'll actually work for a little while.