Play like a Boss

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is designed to be played how you want to, which means that both covert operations and all-out combat are viable strategies. However, if you want to get the best ranks in the game – which grant you crucial GMP currency bonuses – then you'll need to be aware of the optimal way to play. Unsurprisingly, given the series' history, a lot of this depends on stealth, but staying undercover isn't the only thing that you'll need to achieve in order to secure an all-important S-rank.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain PS4 Guides

Mission Tasks

Much like the Assassin's Creed games, objectives in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain are now multifaceted. While you'll always have a handful of main jobs to complete, the game sprinkles in Mission Tasks to keep you on your toes. These vary depending on the quest, but they range from extracting supporting targets all the way through to interrogating troops and recovering key items. The main thing about these side-objectives is that they're entirely optional, but they will give you enormous score bonuses which will help you to achieve your S-rank.

Speed

If you're taking on Mission Tasks as well, it can be difficult to get through objectives fast, but speed is a major source of points. In most cases you'll probably need to replay missions in order to get that all-important S-rank, so use your experience from previous playthroughs to scout out guard placements and learn the optimal route through the mission area. Practice and you'll be completing entire objectives in record time, which will help you to get that all-important S-rank.

Stay Undercover

If you complete a mission without guards ever even knowing that you've been in the area, then there's an enormous 100,000 points up for grabs – and even more if you keep their blood off your hands, too. Needless to say, then, that staying undercover is absolutely essential if you want to earn maximum points. It is possible to draw attention and still score highly, but to get the very best points tallies you'll want to get by unnoticed.

Check Your Equipment and Don't Take Damage

Taking damage and alerting enemies actually takes points off your total, so to continue from the previous point, you're going to want to stay as clandestine as possible. Don't think that cheating and wearing the Chicken Hat will get you through, though, as donning this clucker will limit your rank to an A at best. The same is true of some other marked items, such as the Infinity Bandana. And using the helicopter's attack protocol is also unwise. Of course, there's no harm experimenting with these if you're still learning the mission – just remember to ditch them for your perfect attempt.

Have you got any other tips to help others on the way to achieving their all-important S-ranks in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain? Sneak your secrets into the comments section below.