Though the 35th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid came and went on July 13th, nothing has been said in regard to a new installment of the series. Creator Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami in 2015 has left fans completely in the dark about the likelihood of another series installment, leaving many to go all out in uncovering every conceivable choice in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, milking it for all it’s worth.
Exploitative routes often have undesirable outcomes like becoming bankrupt, while responsible ones allow the Snake to thrive, gaining access to valuable content such as D-dog and the Legendary Gunsmith. Whether good or bad, these numerous decisions will leave a lasting impact on the player’s journey and should be made carefully, unless pure chaos is the desired outcome. That being said, here are the specific choices highly recommended to keep an eye out for.
Avoid Bankruptcy
Paying attention to each thing Snake does on missions is critical to maintaining a sustainable budget. Fultoning resources will eventually drain the player of GMP, causing Mother Base’s funds to drop significantly. There are, however, multiple ways of remedying the issue.
The heaviest costs, like constantly exfiltrating with the chopper, will bring worry and low morale to Ocelot. Fights will occur over lack of currency, leading to a swift decline in staff. On top of this, the Diamond Dogs will be unable to develop new weapons, items, and other assets. Regaining money by taking part in several main missions and side ops is a crucial factor in keeping Mother Base afloat.
Shower
In most games, bathing is nothing but an extra joke of an action to be done, but it's more important and better than it seems in Metal Gear Solid V. Ignoring personal hygiene both in-game and real life will have negative effects on health, so make sure to get behind the ears!
Minding Snake’s personal hygiene by showering over at Mother Base after every couple of missions or so can surprisingly help in pretty significant ways over time. Not only does keeping clean improve damage resistance, but it also increases the duration of reflex mode and boosts Fulton recovery success rates.
D-Dog
Not even Snake could resist having a furry friend to follow him around and protect him from danger. D-Dog is a puppy that can be found when free roaming by the landing site North of Spugmay Keep during the day.
Listen for barking while looking around, and in no time, a wolf pup will run up to the player. Fulton him out and he’ll be waiting patiently for his new best bud back at Mother Base. After spending some time with him between missions, he’ll grow up and join in quests, aiding greatly in finding nearby enemies.
Become Quiet's Buddy
Taking Buddies on missions can be a viable asset, especially when going head-to-head with strong foes. Quiet, an incredibly skilled sniper, is one of if not the best Buddy to recruit out in the field.
She first must be defeated in combat, which takes weaponry preparations, like equipping a missile launcher. Then, by visiting Quiet at the Mother Base and sparring with her in Mission #11, she can become a Buddy that proves to be super useful against enemies that need to be defeated from a distance.
Fight Eli Again
Eli, otherwise known as a young Liquid Snake, is a character fought early on in the game. Those who played the original Metal Gear Solid were excited to see the game's main antagonist show up insightfully in a prequel chapter in Metal Gear Solid V.
Later down the line in a mission taking place during Chapter 1, Snake has the option to battle Eli again. During this mission, other highly informative parts of the story can be learned, specifically about Liquid Snake’s past and why he is one of the most sympathetic Metal Gear villains. What really makes this choice important is the way it leads to hints about who Venom Snake truly is.
Save The Legendary Gunsmith
Known as the acclaimed weapons expert that Diamond Dogs were trying to enlist, the Legendary Gunsmith is someone every player should consider saving in order to cash in on the many benefits entailed.
After failing twice in Side Op #109, Snake finally pinpoints the Legendary Gunsmith's location in the Yakho Oboo Supply Outpost, where he is being imprisoned and under the surveillance of a soldier. Once Snake breaks in and Fultons the gunsmith out of danger, the player will have the ability to customize almost every weapon in the Metal Gear Solid V.
Use The Water Pistol
Thought to be just a silly joke by some, the water pistol does earn its spot in the weapons armory, but in a way players may not think. This toy prospers in predicaments where enemies can be stunned or misled when squirted.
There is a concentrated situation where the weapon especially comes in handy, mainly a side mission involving the remains of the Man on Fire, one of Metal Gear’s most intimidating antagonists. Following the takedown of 12 guards in the sector, the Water Pistol can be used to neutralize the Man on Fire and put him to rest for good.
Save Quiet
After the first 45 main missions of the game and the second parasitic infection of the Mother Base, Quiet will leave the base quietly (pun intended). As soon as she does, a new side quest will become available, leaving the player to search for her.
The objective revealed is to obtain an intel file kept inside a building East of the Aabe Shifap Ruins. Once accepted, the player learns that Quiet left for revenge on The Boss. When found, Quiet will have been captured by the Soviets in Afghanistan and is being tortured for what she did to them. Saving her unlocks all the missing missions as well as her true ending.
Extract The AI Pod
Without paying attention, this mission can be mistaken as any other extraction job. However, not everything is as it seems, except for those who have played every Metal Gear Solid game and know what’s coming.
After the pod’s extraction, a bit of research is done by Miller, and what he finds inside is quite interesting to say the least; Strangelove’s corpse along with recordings of her final moments of life, tying into the plot of previous games. Once this is taken back to the Mother Base, whenever Snake walks past the pod, it speaks to him eerily in Strangelove’s voice.