The original Metal Gear Solid has some of the best boss battles in video game history. When the game was first released, many of these battles were considered to be ground-breaking, as they played with the medium in new and inventive ways. There is a reason why the fight against Psycho Mantis is still fondly ed to this day, as it was the first fourth wall breaking moment for many gamers.
Metal Gear Solid is now available on modern PCs through GOG, and many players will be attempting to defeat the of FOXHOUND for the first time. The FOXHOUND unit has both powerful opponents and tricky foes, which is why we have created this guide to help players take them all down.
Revolver Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid
The battle arena for this boss battle has bombs wired up in the center of the room, so the player needs to keep to the outer track in order to take on Ocelot. The secret to defeating Ocelot is mastering the run and gun at the same time command (which is standard in most games, but Metal Gear Solid was released in '98). Once Snake can move and shoot at the same time, the trick is to stay on Ocelot and keep firing. Don't give him an opportunity to perform any trick shots, as he can bounce bullets off the wall into Snake. Ocelot is especially vulnerable when he reloads.
Vulcan Raven (1st Battle) in Metal Gear Solid
The battlefield is filled with mines, so use the Thermal Goggles to find them (and collect them by crawling, if the player has the time). Jam the tank's signal using chaff grenades in order to be able to approach it. The top-right of the screen has several useful items that will help the player. In order to damage the driver of the tank, throw regular grenades on top of it to damage it. Try not to get too close, as the tank can run over Snake.
Cyborg Ninja in Metal Gear Solid
The Cyborg Ninja cannot be harmed by gunfire, as he will block it with his sword. Unequip your weapon and he will ditch his sword. The trick is to go in for a few punches and kicks, and then back off, as he's about to perform an acrobatic attack for a ton of damage. Once the player has done enough damage, the Cyborg Ninja will activate his invisibility tech. Unfortunately for him, the new version of the game has a much higher visual fidelity than the TV sets of the '90s. The player should go to the open space near the top left of the screen and wait. It should be easy to see the Cyborg Ninja approach and get the drop on him with some punches and kicks.
During the last stage of the fight, the Cyborg Ninja will start freaking out and he will become a lot stronger. Use chaff grenades to temporarily stun him and go in for some punches and kicks, and he should go down easily enough.
Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid
The mechanics of the Psycho Mantis fight are a little different on PC and we have created a separate guide explaining it here.
Whenever Psycho Mantis possesses Meryl, quickly knock her out with punches and kicks, or hit her with a stun grenade. Make sure to do this quickly, otherwise, she will harm Snake or herself. Once the player has byed Psycho Mantis' powers (see the guide above), the battle becomes easy. Simply hit him with gunfire and dodge his projectiles. The FA-MAS will quickly shave his hit points off.
HIND-D in Metal Gear Solid
This battle is more frustrating than difficult, as there are large portions of the fight where the helicopter will disappear, and Snake will have to just wait until it returns.
Always stay behind cover whenever possible and only come out to fire a stinger missile at the helicopter. The key to winning this fight is the radar, as the helicopter will appear as a purple dot that can be used to track its position. Use hit and run tactics to smash the helicopter with a stinger and then run behind a wall to avoid its gunfire. Once the player has dealt enough damage, the helicopter will start hiding below the building. Just keep tracking the purple dot and be ready to fire a stinger as soon as it emerges, before running for cover again.
Sniper Wolf in Metal Gear Solid
The Sniper Wolf battle is intended to be a beautiful and somber affair, where Snake has a long-range battle in the cold. Two warriors locked in combat in the middle of nature, staring out of the scopes of their sniper rifles, waiting for the other one to make that fatal mistake...
That is how the developers intended for this battle to work, but there is an easier way to win. Run to the snowbank on the right-hand side of the screen at the start of the battle and use Nikita missiles. There is a ledge near the snowbank that will allow the missiles to rise from the ground and get on the same level as Sniper Wolf. Use the first-person mode to guide the missiles and just keep hitting Sniper Wolf with them, as she cannot shoot them out of the air.
Vulcan Raven (2nd Battle) in Metal Gear Solid
Snake battles Vulcan Raven in a massive warehouse that is broken into grids by huge stacks of boxes. Vulcan Raven has a Gatling gun with an incredibly long and wide range, so use the boxes as cover as much as possible.
The player has a few options for this battle. One of the most effective is Claymore mines. Simply plant these around the outside track and they will shave off most of Vulcan Raven's health. Just make sure not to step on them. C4 can also be planted and used whenever Vulcan Raven is near, but the timing on this is trickier. The player can sneak behind Vulcan Raven and hit him with a stinger, but Nikita missiles are far more effective. The only problem is that, unlike Sniper Wolf, Vulcan Raven can shoot the Nikitas out of the air, so try and hit him from behind.
Metal Gear REX in Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear REX's deadliest weapon is its homing missiles, which are almost impossible to avoid. To by these missiles, the player needs to keep using chaff grenades to jam its signal. At the start of the battle, use the over-dramatic cutscene of Metal Gear REX acting like Godzilla to run around and grab all of the ammo/rations that are spread around the edge of the arena, and use chaff grenades to block the missiles. The only way to damage Metal Gear REX during its first form is by firing stinger missiles into the radar dish on its right shoulder. Just keep running and switch between chaff grenades and stinger missiles to shave down its health.
During the second phase of the battle, the target shifts to the cockpit, which has now been opened. The tactic is the same as the first phase, just with a different target. If the player has rations left, now is the time to use them, as this is the last battle in the game where they will have access to items.
Liquid Snake in Metal Gear Solid
The final battle of the game is a hand-to-hand fight on top of Metal Gear Rex. The player has a strict time limit, so they will need to act fast. Go in for a couple of punches at a time to deal damage. If Liquid Snake ducks the first punch, then immediately back off, as he's about to perform a deadly series of attacks. Liquid's attacks become stronger over the course of the battle, so stick to hit and run tactics in order to wear him down. Once Liquid Snake is extremely low on health, wait for him to go near the edge of Metal Gear Rex and go in for a strike. This should boot him off the edge and into the void.
There is one more fight against Liquid Snake, but it's during a racing segment. Snake has infinite ammo in his gun, so just keep firing on Liquid Snake and the battle should quickly end.
Metal Gear Solid will be released for GOG on September 25, 2020.