Close Quarters Combat (CQC)[edit | edit source]
CQC Maneuvers[edit | edit source]
Close Quarters Combat is a special style of hand to hand fighting designed by Snake and The Boss.
Controls
(press 3 times or more) - Initiates a combo attack that will knock enemies over.
(hold) - Holding
while next to a guard will grab them. From here, you can do several different things:
+
- Push this in any direction while holding
to throw the guard to the floor, instantly knocking them out.
(after grabbing enemy) - Drags the enemy around. This is slow and your camo index will drop.
- Threatens the enemy with your knife and interrogates them. You can obtain useful information, like locations of supply rooms, radio frequencies to disable alarms or unlock doors, or even tips to defeat bosses.
(press repeatedly) - Chokes the enemy to knock them out. Continue choking the enemy after he is knocked out to snap his neck.
(press firmly) - Slits the enemy's throat with your knife.
- Enters First Person View, allowing you to aim and fire a pistol while using the grabbed enemy as a human shield.
Survival Knife[edit | edit source]
A serrated-edge combat knife designed to aid in survival in the jungle. Can cut all kinds of things. You can still use CQC attacks while equipped with this weapon.
Controls
(press 3 times or more) - Initiates a combo slash attack that will seriously injure or kill guards if all the attacks hit. Only useful if you need to get away during an Alert phase.
(press firmly, or while crawling) - Snake will stab forward, killing whatever he hits. Also useful for killing wildlife for food, or cutting down mushrooms to pick up.
Fork[edit | edit source]
About 3/4 of the way through Operation Snake Eater you will lose all your equipment temporarily; your only weapons will be the SAA and a fork which is mostly identical to the survival knife. The fork is not CQC-capable during this sequence, since you don't have your CQC knife, but when you get your equipment back the fork can be used in CQC. Animals and plants hit with the fork will be eaten straightaway, rather than going to the inventory.
Controls
(press 3 times or more) - Initiates a combo slash attack.
(press firmly, or while crawling) - Snake will stab forward, killing whatever he hits. If it's edible, Snake will eat the target without adding it to his inventory.
Cig Gas Spray Gun[edit | edit source]
Location: Graniny Gorki Lab B1 West, in the small room near the stairs you enter from.
A sleeping gas pistol masquerading as a cigarette. The gas it sprays puts enemies to sleep. Can be used in disguise or with CQC attacks.
Controls
(hold firmly) - Pretend to smoke the cigarette.
(release) - Exhale a puff of sleeping gas.
Handkerchief[edit | edit source]
Just a garden variety hanky...only soaked in chloroform, so waving it in the enemy's face will probably tranquilize them. Usable with disguises and CQC attacks.
Controls
(firmly) - Wave the hanky around a bit.
(hold firmly) - Grab enemy and shove the hanky in his face, putting him to sleep.
Firearms[edit | edit source]
Used to shoot people, and sometimes animals or other objects. Not a lot of machines in this game, though, so you'll mostly be using these on people. Note that the Mk22 will not destroy barrels or the plates on electric fences.
Mk22 Hush-Puppy tranquilizer pistol[edit | edit source]
A pistol that shoots modified 9mm knockout rounds. Holds a maximum of 9 rounds (8 plus 1 chambered). The tranquilizer is most effective if aimed at an enemy's head - it will take longer to put an enemy to sleep if aimed elsewhere. You can use CQC attacks with this weapon.
Controls
(hold) - Aim the Mk22. Most effective in First Person View.
(release quickly) - Fire the Mk22. Because the slide locks, Snake will have to cock it manually after every shot.
(release slowly) - Lowers the Mk22 without firing.
(while in Weapon menu) - Attaches/removes suppressor.
Colt M1911A1 .45 pistol[edit | edit source]
A powerful handgun, and your first reliable method of killing enemies stealthily from a distance. Holds a maximum of 8 rounds (7 plus 1 chambered). It will also accept suppressors. You can use CQC with this weapon.
Controls
(hold) - Aim the .45. Most effective in First Person View.
(release quickly) - Fire the .45. Tap repeatedly for semi-automatic rapid fire.
(release slowly) - Lowers the .45 without firing.
-
(while in Weapon menu) - Attaches/removes suppressor.
M37 Shotgun[edit | edit source]
Virtuous Mission location: Rassvet, south of the only stairs in the area, next to the crates.
Operation Snake Eater location: Peschera Cave, follow the right path, it's in the area after the first tunnel just before The Pain boss fight.
A very (very) powerful shotgun that will blow enemies away when you shoot them with it. Holds 5 shells (4 + 1 chambered), takes a while to pump the next round into the chamber, and takes even longer to reload. You cannot use iron sights on this weapon, so aiming is very tricky. Also, CQC is disabled for this weapon.
Controls
- Aim and fire.
- Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
XM16E1 Assault Rifle[edit | edit source]
Virtuous Mission location: Dolinovadno, cross the bridge, then follow the narrow path to your left which curves around and leads under the bridge.
Operation Snake Eater location: Graniny Gorki Lab Exterior Inside Walls, the small weapons building North of where you enter from.
An experimental 5.56x45mm assault weapon developed by the United States Army. Has three firing modes and can be fitted with a suppressor (though those are rather difficult to find). Holds 21 rounds (20 + 1 chambered).
Controls
(hold lightly) - Raise and aim the XM16.
(hold firmly) - Fire the XM16.
(release slowly) - Lower the XM16 without firing.
- Aim down the sights, zooming the view and increasing accuracy.
(in Weapon menu) - Attach/remove suppressor.
(in Weapon menu) - Toggle firing modes between Semi-Auto, Full-Auto, and 3-Round Burst.
- Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
Automat Kalashnikov 47 Assault Rifle[edit | edit source]
Operation Snake Eater Location: Rassvet, there is only one set of stairs in the area, the AK-47 is on the platform at the top. If missed at the first location, it can be found later at Bolshaya Past Base, inside the small weapons building at the top right of the area.
The AK-47 is the chief weapon of the Russian military, chambered in 7.62x39mm. It's about the same as the XM16E1 - while it lacks the 3-round burst setting and the capability to attach suppressors, it makes up for this by allowing you to hold more ammo. Holds 31 rounds (30 + 1 chambered).
Controls
(hold lightly) - Raise and aim the AK.
(hold firmly) - Fire the AK.
(release slowly) - Lower the AK without firing.
- Aim down the sights, zooming the view and increasing accuracy.
(in Weapon menu) - Toggle firing modes between Semi-Auto and Full-Auto.
- Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
VZ-61 Scorpion[edit | edit source]
Location: Groznyj Grad Weapons Lab East Wing, in the room south of the bathroom. You need to be disguised as Major Raikov, be dragging a knocked out guard, or closely following a guard's patrol route to enter the room. You can also unlock the doors with radio frequencies learned through interrogation. The east door is unlocked with 142.81 and the west with 141.06.
The Laser sight and Low recoil hip fire make it ideal for the Motorcycle Chase Sequence because OVERHEAD VIEW can be maintained for cinematic camera
A .32 ACP caliber light machine pistol. It has a laser sight and weighs a mere pound and a half, rendering the AK obsolete. Unfortunately, you still can't use CQC with this weapon. Holds 31 rounds (30 + 1 chambered).
Controls
(hold lightly) - Raise and aim the VZ-61.
(hold firmly) - Fire the VZ-61.
(release slowly) - Lower the VZ-61 without firing.
(in Weapon menu) - Toggle firing modes between Semi-Auto and Full-Auto.
- Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
M63 Light Machine Gun[edit | edit source]
Operation Snake Eater Location: Svyatogornyj East, inside the top-left room of the cabin. You have to climb over the crates to reach it. If you missed it at the above location, you can find it later in Groznyj Grad North West during your escape, inside the small weapons building north of the ladder to the sewer.
A powerful and difficult to aim machine gun. This is perfect for those Rambo moments - just strip to Naked camo, wield this monster and start running around. Holds a whopping 101 rounds (100 + 1 chambered) and takes quite a while to reload, so use tactical reload to avoid getting caught in the middle of a belt change. This weapon makes Snake let out a primal scream when he's firing it for a while, in a neat little dramatic touch. You can't use CQC or iron sights on this weapon.
Controls
(hold lightly) - Raise and aim.
(hold firmly) - Fire.
(release slowly) - Lower the weapon.
- Smash with the whole weapon, knocking guards down.
Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle[edit | edit source]
Virtuous Mission location: Dremuchij North, when you come across a path to your right, follow it to it's end to find this gun on the ground.
Operation Snake Eater location: Ponizovje West, an easily missed area found by taking a left at the fork in the path on the river leading to the main warehouse, in the small weapons building. It can also be found in an armory at Sokrovenno South during the fight with the End. Procuring it at Ponizovje gives you the chance to kill The End early.
The rifle for the discerning sniper. Features an adjustable scope that can zoom up to 10x, and rounds powerful enough to penetrate through a few enemies at once. Holds 11 rounds (10 + 1 chambered). Unlike the past couple Metal Gear games, scope drift is determined by your current stamina level, so it's usually unnecessary to use anti-depressant drugs to aim more effectively. You cannot move when this weapon is equipped.
Controls
(hold) - Raise and aim the weapon.
(release quickly) - Squeeze off a single round.
(release slowly) - Let the weapon go without firing.
- Looks through the scope.
- Toggles the scope zoom between 3x and 10x.
+
- Hold down to keep your aim steady during a tactical reload.
Mounted Weapons[edit | edit source]
There are a number of mounted weapons that you can use against the bad guys. Simply walk up to them and press . Mainly useful if a whole bunch of bad people are coming your way and you can't escape sneakily.
Heavy Machine Gun[edit | edit source]
This powerful weapon can be found near some smaller outposts, like those in Bolshaya Past and Svatyogornyj East. It has a fairly good rate of fire, excellent power, and infinite ammo. Unfortunately, your aiming is limited while you're using it.
Anti-Aircraft Cannon[edit | edit source]
These can be found on top of the mountain. They're excellent for shooting down helicopters and eliminating patrol routes with impunity. While they can aim nearly everywhere, it takes them a while to turn around, so you'll have to plan your attack carefully and start turning as soon as you can.
Explosives[edit | edit source]
Preferable when destroying supply sheds, weapons of mass destruction, evil bosses, or (preferably) guards and animals. If you're sick and twisted, anyway.
Hand Grenade[edit | edit source]
An explosive fragmentation grenade that is useful for throwing around corners, over low walls, into windows, or onto high platforms.
Controls
(lightly) - Underhand toss.
(firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
WP Grenade[edit | edit source]
The white-phosphorus grenade will explode into flames, burning anything within its blast radius. Extremely satisfying.
Controls
(lightly) - Underhand toss.
(firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
Stun Grenade[edit | edit source]
A non-lethal "flashbang" grenade that will stun and blind nearby enemies. Be careful, though - if you're looking at it when it goes off, you're going to be blinded too.
Controls
(lightly) - Underhand toss.
(firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
Smoke Grenade[edit | edit source]
Creates a cloud of smoke, obscuring you. Most useful when escaping from guards during an alert.
Controls
(lightly) - Underhand toss.
(firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
Chaff Grenade[edit | edit source]
While there are no security cameras, laser grids, or computer-driven devices to be found in MGS3, the chaff grenades still have some use in disrupting electronics – namely, radios. Blow a chaff grenade in the area, and the enemy will be unable to call for backup. The Shagohod's missiles are also radio-guided, so chaff will decrease their accuracy. Also in the battle against Volgin, a chaff grenade can be used to mess with his lightning bolts.
- Controls
(lightly) — Underhand toss.
(firmly) — Overhand throw with more range.
TNT[edit | edit source]
TNT is great for destroying supply sheds or blowing the doors off of lockers.
Controls
- Places a bundle of TNT on the wall or floor.
- Detonates the TNT.
RPG-7[edit | edit source]
Operation Snake Eater Location: Krasnogorje Mountainside, inside the small weapons building near the area's exit leading to the mountaintop.
A state-of-the-art Soviet portable anti-tank rocket launcher. The rocket-propelled grenade warheads are loaded with HEAT, a plastic explosive.
Controls
(hold) - Raise and aim the weapon.
(release quickly) - Fire a Rocket.
(release slowly) - Let the weapon go without firing.
- Looks through the scope.
- Toggles the scope.
C3 Explosives[edit | edit source]
You'll only get these from EVA on your return to Groznyj Grad. You need to use them to destroy the fuel tanks in the weapons lab, so you can't plant them anywhere else.
Controls
- Places a brick of C3 on the fuel tank.
Other Equipment[edit | edit source]
These weapons aren't quite weapons in the traditional sense, but they merely appear here because they are found in the Weapons menu.
Dirty Books[edit | edit source]
Chaucer! Rabelaise! Balzac! ...never mind. Drop these in the middle of a patrol path and watch as the tough-as-nails security guard is reduced to a complete pervert in a matter of seconds.
Controls
- Drop a free trial issue of Playboy on the ground.
Empty Magazine[edit | edit source]
As you use your weapons, you'll slowly amass a collection of these. Note that they won't appear if you always use tactical reloading. The empty clips from your guns can be used to distract guards by heaving them at walls.
Controls
- Toss a clip. The harder you press the button (and the faster you release it), the farther the clip will be thrown.
Food[edit | edit source]
Collecting food doesn't just stick it in the Survival Viewer for eating. You can also equip the food to throw it at things. While most of you are probably thinking of food fights, the real reason to do this is to distract hungry dogs and guards (or poisoning bosses). If you've tranquilized the creature, even better - tossing their cage will free them again and allow them to do what they do best. For example, tossing a poisonous snake at a guard will cause them to run away in terror.
Controls
- Throws food. Like grenades, the throwing distance depends on how hard you press the button.
Directional Microphone[edit | edit source]
When equipped, you'll be able to hear distant noises, such as animal calls, guard footsteps, and (most importantly) Kerotan croaks. You cannot move with the microphone equipped.
Mousetrap[edit | edit source]
A trap equipped with bait to lure small animals such as snakes, birds, and frogs and capture them alive. The mousetrap is the only way to catch the Tsuchinoko to unlock the infinity facepaint.
Controls
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Unlockable Weapons[edit | edit source]
Colt Single-Action Army Revolver[edit | edit source]
The most powerful handgun available. Ocelot takes a liking to this variety, and you get your hands on one of your own during the prison escape sequence. Additionally, if you choose the gun on the right in your final duel, you'll start with it in your next playthrough with that file. Holds a maximum of 6 rounds and takes a while to reload. A unique feature of this gun is how the bullets will ricochet. Even if you miss, the bullet will ricochet in such a way that it will at least wound whoever is near. It's still preferable to be a good shot, because the bullet is much weaker after hitting a few walls.
Controls
(hold) - Wield the weapon at your hip. You cannot move while aiming the SAA.
(release) - Fire while fanning the hammer. Allows rapid fire.
- Aims down the sights. The gun will be more accurate but much slower than firing from the hip.
(while in first person view) - Rotate quickly to spin the gun on your finger. So awesome.
Mosin-Nagant 1891/1930 Tranquilizer Sniper Rifle[edit | edit source]
The End's sniper rifle, obtained if you stamina kill him. It won't kill enemies - merely drug them. It acts about the same as the SVD, but with a very long lag time after each shot (though you can hold L1 and R1 and perform a tactical reload to expedite the process). Make sure you're far away and well hidden when you use this, or else the guards will hear the shot and find you. You cannot move with this gun equipped.
Controls
- Hold to raise and aim the gun. Release quickly to fire a round. Release slowly to lower the gun.
- Looks through the scope.
- Switches between 3x and 10x zoom modes while using the scope.
+
- Hold down to keep your aim steady during a tactical reload.
Patriot Assault Submachine Gun[edit | edit source]
The Boss carries this weapon, and you can too in a clear data file. It's an XM16E1, but the barrel has been sawn off, the stock removed, and the magazine replaced with a 100 round drum shaped like an infinity symbol. It's powerful, it has no recoil, and it has infinite ammo - but it's bound to arouse the suspicion of nearby guards if you're not careful.
Controls
- Hold lightly to bring the gun into view. Press firmly to fire in full-auto.
- Aims down the sight, zooming in slightly and increasing accuracy.
Easygun[edit | edit source]
This is, hands down, the best weapon in the game. It's a tranquilizer gun that you only get in a clear data after getting Markhor rank (pick up every animal and plant in the game) in a previous playthrough. (You also start with it on Very Easy level--but what fun is that?) While equipped with this, your stamina usage is reduced to near zero and your camo index will never drop below 80%. It also has infinite ammo, a lasersight, and is completely silent. Sigint designed this weapon after the Liberator handgun from World War II.
Controls
- Hold to bring the gun into view. Release quickly to shoot. Release slowly to lower the weapon without firing. Note: This gun takes a bit of time to rechamber the next round.
- While aiming, will zoom the view to 2x for easier aiming.