Snake and Raiden need weapons in order to be successful in their missions. There are a wide range of them in MGS2 but here they are listed for you to see. Some you may recognise from previous games, but others are brand new, and some are rather odd! Your acquired weapons can be viewed by pressing and holding down R2. They are now arranged in groups so it's easier to find the weapon you want quickly. Scroll through with the directional buttons then let go of R2 to select a weapon. Press R2 slowly to hold open the weapons menu or quickly to disarm/arm yourself with your most recently used weapon. Press Square to fire or set your selected weapon.
A pistol which has been modified to fire tranquilliser darts. Equipped with a suppressor so no one is alerted to you firing the gun, and has a laser to help you aim. Disadvantage is its loading time since only one shot can be fired at a time. Where the dart hits the victim determines how long it will take for them to fall unconscious. This gun can also be used to destroy lights or radios. Snake has this weapon to start with; Raiden can find it in the Deep Sea Dock in (Very) Easy mode or else in Strut F.
USP stands for "Universal Self-loading Pistol" and is used throughout the world. It fires 15 rounds per magazine and has an automatic flashlight for night operations (which may attract unwanted attention). This gun does not come with a suppressor but one is available. It can destroy things like surveillance cameras or infrared sensor control units. Snake will acquire this gun after fighting Olga and Raiden will find the equivalent gun in the form of the SOCOM pistol (see below).
The SOCOM is a pistol similar to the USP in purpose. It stands for "Special Operations Command". It can fire twelve bullets per magazine. It has a laser to aid aiming and can be fitted with a suppressor. It can disable electronic devices much like the USP. Snake does not have this gun in his mission but Raiden can find it in Strut F along with the suppressor on the lower level (except in Very Easy where the suppressor is in Strut B).
Press Square to pull the pin on a frag grenade and release to throw. The distance thrown depends on how hard you press Square. Timing the throw, facing the direction you want it to go and ensuring you throw it the correct distance can help you to take out a nearby target with the grenade. First found in the Engine Room on the Tanker or in Strut F of the Warehouse on the Big Shell.
These grenades work in the same way as Frag Grenades but instead of causing permanent physical damage, they are used to temporarily disable electronic equipment, including surveillance cameras, radios, Cyphers, and other electronic devises. This means that while your chaff grenade is active, your Radar will not work. First found on Aft Deck B on the Tanker or on Strut A Roof on the Big Shell.
Like chaff grenades these grenades are not lethal and only work on a temporary basis but instead of disabling electronic equipment, they stun living enemies with a loud bang and bright flash. Use like a normal grenade. First found on Deck A on the Tanker (unless you're playing on Extreme), and in Strut F of the Warehouse on the Big Shell.
Not weapons exactly, empty magazine cartridges make excellent distractions for nearby guards. You will find one in your weapons menu once you've emptied a round of bullets from a handgun. Throw a magazine in First Person View mode so you can aim it and anybody in the vicinity who hears it land will go explore the noise so that you can sneak by unnoticed.
This rifle is very handy for single shots or rapid fire. Aim in First Person View mode for a better success of hitting your target and take aim by pressing Square gently. Press and hold Square when equipped to fire a stream of bullets from a magazine of 30 rounds. The weapon can be fitted with a suppressor to muffle your shots so that enemies are not alerted to its use. You will need this rifle to complete your disguise as an enemy soldier when entering the Shell 1 Core. Found in the Strut F Warehouse.
Like the AKS-74u this rifle has 30 rounds per magazine. Hold down Square firmly and the weapon will continue firing until the magazine is empty. It is a powerful weapon which can penetrate even bullet-proof shields. Found in the Strut F Warehouse.
A sniper rifle you may remember from MGS1 (which you can now use crouching or standing up as well as lying down). A very precise long-range weapon which has a built in scope enabling you to zoom in with O and out with X. It fires five rounds per magazine and has a range of around 270 metres. Can only be used in First Person View mode. Found in the Strut F Warehouse.
Much like the PSG1 this is a long-range weapon with the only difference being that it fires tranquilliser darts as opposed to bullets. A suppressor is attached to muffle your shots. It is not able to destroy Cyphers, surveillance cameras or Claymore mines but otherwise isused in the same way as the PSG1. You will need this weapon if you are playing to complete the game without killing anybody. Found in the Strut F Warehouse.
This weapon launches grenades and can hold up to six at a time in the same style as a revolver pistol. It fires with more accuracy than with manual throwing and can knock out opponents who are wearing bullet-proof vests. Also useful if you need to hit someone hiding behind an object as it can launch a grenade so that it lands behind the object. Use Square to aim and concentrate on a point above your target then release the button to fire. The grenade will explode upon impact. Find this weapon in the Strut F Warehouse.
As used before in MGS1, this is a remote controlled rocket launcher. The missile's range is restricted by its fuel supply so it must hit its target before the fuel runs out or it'll explode. Face the direction you want the rocket to start going in and press Square to launch. After firing you cannot move since the controls will be needed to move your rocket. Guide the missile in First Person View and notice how it will automatically compensate for minor hight differences. The missile will fly faster if you make fewer alterations to its flight-path. The rocket will explode as soon as it makes contact with something, when it runs out of fuel, or if you deselect the NIKITA. You will need this weapon to destroy the electified floor's generator in Shell 2 Core. Find the NIKITA in the waterlogged B1 Filtration Chamber No. 1.
This missile launcher automatically locks onto targets so that once fired the missile will take a path which enables it to hits its target. Press R1 to use an alternate view and increase your field of vision or use normally to aim more easily. You will find this weapon is affected if you've recently thrown a chaff grenade, nor can you move whilst using this weapon. Nevertheless, an invaluable weapon for boss battles such as the Harrier and against the Metal Gear RAYs. Pliskin will provide you with a Stinger Missile Launcher prior to the boss battle with the Harrier.
Used for defensive purposes, these mines can be found in the ground at some places in the game (they show up on the radar as yellow cones when the Mine Detector is equipped or you can see them with the Thermal Goggles). To pick them up, crawl over them. You can set them again by equipping them and by pressing Square whilst standing in the direction you want the mine to face. It can be used against enemy personel or against light vehicles. Shooting a mine will destroy it. You'll first find some on the E-F Connecting Bridge of the Big Shell.
A plastic explosive with a remote detonator. Use Square to set one and when at a safe distance you can detonate with O. Placing several side by side will cause a chain reaction and firing a missile at one will also detonate it. These can be stuck to floors, walls, and even the backs of enemy soldiers!
What a strange but useful item this is! Its primary fuction is to defuse bombs by freezing them. You will need this when tracking down Fatman's C4 bombs all round the Big Shell. You will also find this spray can extinguish fires, repell insects, and can be used as a weapon if sprayed in an enemy's face. Spraying an unconscious enemy will wake them up more quickly. Almost unsurprisingly, Emma Emmerich is allergic to the Coolant Spray.
This item is not a book, it's a magazine, but is so called to distinguish it from your guns' magazines. It is an adult publication filled with a lot of high quality photographs of scantily-clad women. These items can be used to distract enemy soldiers for a few minutes if they happen to find one in their path. To use, equip and place with Square in the path of a soldier. When he comes near he will be attracted to its contents and you can run past him without him ever noticing. Books can only be used once and cannot be picked up again. Books can be found in the Strut F Warehouse.
This is a very useful tool for eavesdropping on private conversations throughout the game. It is also needed for hearing other sounds such as Ames' pacemaker. You can only use this item in First Person View mode and you will need to aim it to pick up sounds clearly. Don't think you can just rely on the subtitles as these shrink and grow accordingly with your precision. Primarily you will need it to find Ames amongst the hostages and listen in to Ocelot and Solidus' conversation in the Shell 1 Core B1 Hall. You can also listen to Olga's conversation in the Shell 2 Core. But why not try listening in other places? Johnny Sasaki likes to talk...
This unique weapon is a gift from Snake to Raiden late in the game and you will need it for the final battle with Solidus. The blade has a wide range of attacking and defensive moves and Snake will teach you how to use it when he gives it to you. Note that you can lunge with it, block bullets, swing it round and even switch to the dull side so that it will knock out your opponent rather than kill them - no excuses for not completing the game with a no-kill score!
Snake and Raiden can pick up items which have useful properties. They are accessible by pressing and holding down L2. Scroll through the list with the directional buttons and then let go of L2 to select it. Press L2 quickly to deselect the item instantly. Press it quickly again to get it back.
You will find that you can attach suppressors to your USP, SOCOM or AKS-74u guns to muffle your shots so that enemies are not alerted to nearby gunfire. To use, equip the suppressor and equip the required weapon. The suppressor will now be permanently attached to the gun, but don't worry, it doesn't alter your gun's performance!
This is a very useful item which you can use to increase your LIFE gauge. To consume a ration, hold open the item menu and press O. Have them selected to automatically eat one when your LIFE reaches zero.
Designed to stop bleeding. Bleeding from a wound not only reduces your LIFE bar, it also leaves drops of blood on the floor which will arouse suspicion amongst enemy soldiers. To stem the flow of blood, it's best normally to crouch or lie down and remain stationary for a while but during a battle when you don't have time to wait around, apply a bandage by holding open the item menu and pressing O.
A drug normally used to treat depression, compulsive behaviour and panic attacks. It is also a muscle relaxant and can steady your hands with a PSG1 or PSG1-T. It is also believed to treat seasickness.
Take this to relieve yourself of the symptoms of a cold. Select the medicine in the same way you would eat a ration. However, this will not prevent you from catching a cold again. You can be susceptible to colds if you stay out in the cold and wet too long, are too near to an exploding fire extinguisher, or if you are naked for a prolonged period.
These binoculars enable you to see things in the distance more clearly. On equipping them, you will automatically switch to First Person View mode. Zoom in with O and out with X. You are not able to move whilst using the binoculars.
This digital camera was given to Snake prior to the Tanker mission to capture photographs of Metal Gear RAY on. Only six photographs can be taken by this camera before it has to start overwriting existing pictures. Scroll through your photos with L1 and R1 when the camera is equipped. Select the photo you want to overwrite and then when you next snap away with the Square button, the photo will be replaced.
This digital camera is for your own purposes. Photograph whatever you feel like and save it onto your memory card to view later. Zoom in with O, out with X and capture an image with Square. Press Triange when looking at a soldier to see their name (if you have their dog tag) - it will also let you know if it's their birthday!
These goggles show varying degrees of heat distribution and therefore enable you to see more clearly in dark or gloomy places, or to spot living beings, Claymore mines, or infra-red beams. Can be used in either third or First Person View mode.
These goggles enable you to see more clearly in dark conditions but in a more natural way than the Thermal Goggles (however, everything has a green tint to it). Like the Thermal Goggles you can move whilst wearing these.
An Anti-Personel Sensor. Equip this to find out if enemies are in the vicinity because as they come nearer it will pick up their heartbeat. The more the controller vibrates, the closer the enemy. All other vibrations will be disabled while this is equipped. You do not need the AP Sensor equipped if hiding in a locker - you'll be able to hear heartbeats anyway.
Peter Stillman developed this sensor as a means of detecting the C4 explosives used by Dead Cell member, Fatman. When this little gadget is equipped, your Radar will show up Fatman's bombs as a green cloud.
Sensor B is also used to find Fatman's bombs, but the "odourless" sort. This emits sound signals when you are in the vicinity of a bomb. The closer you are to the bomb, the faster the beeping.
This, as its name suggests, detects the locations of Claymore mines. When you have this item equipped, mines will show up on your Radar as a yellow cone shape. This item is pretty useless if your Radar is disabled.
Mr X will provide you with this as a way of sneaking into the depths of the Shell 1 Core without being spotted; it is identical to the uniform worn by the Gurlukovich soldiers there. However, without the AKS-74u you will be suspect. Once you have equipped both of them, no one on the Core should behave any differently around you. If you raise the alarm, you can just run around in a panic with them! Do not walk into anyone though, or you will be discovered. Once you lose the balaclava, you can no longer use this item as a disguise... but it can still be useful if you catch fire as equipping the BDU will extinguish it!
This bullet-proof vest, when equipped, reduces injury by 50%. It has a limited life span, however, and after continued use, must be replaced.
...are dangerous to your health! Smoke them to spot infrared beams or steady your hand with a sniper rifle, but do not keeped them equipped for too long because it will drain your LIFE bar until you are within an inch of death! Other items and techniques may be better applied for these two uses.
Most of the soldiers you come across on either mission are wearing dog tags and serve to identify a corpse on the battlefield. Collect these by holding up guards and waiting for them to shake them out. This isn't just collecting for the sake of it though; get enough and you can unlock some nice bonus items! You can view the dog tags you've acquired in the Dog Tag Viewer on the Special Menu. Note that each difficulty has its own set of dog tags.
It's not a proper Metal Gear game if it doesn't feature cardboard boxes! Snake knows their importance, and Raiden can too. Very useful for basic disguise purposes (so long as no one sees it moving or it gets in the way). Snake can find two on the Tanker, one wet and one dry, and Raiden can find five. These can also take Raiden to hidden places around the Big Shell if he travels by conveyor belt! Cardboard boxes are not suitable for defensive purposes!
These open security doors around the Big Shell. The level on the card enables you to open doors of any security number equal to or less than that on the card. There are five card levels in total and you will be given them all over the course of the game.
This electric razor is very effective for removing stubble and if playing on Hard or Extreme, you can find this item in the Deep Sea Dock. Raiden will give it to Pliskin and later in the game you'll see that he's used it.
A rather pointless item, if you ask me. Mr X gives you this as a way of communicating with you. What's wrong with the Codec? When you're receiving a message, the phone will ring and your controller will vibrate. Select the Phone to read the message.
You don't actually do anything with this disc, much like you didn't with the Optic Disc in MGS1. It just serves to change hands throughout the game. This disc contains a virus which will ruin Arsenal Gear's security.
Bonus items include the Bandana and Stealth Camouflage for Snake (which give infinite ammo and invisibilty respectively), and three wigs and the Stealth Camouflage for Raiden. The Infinity Wig works in the same way as the Bandana, Wig B gives you a limitless grip gauge and Wig B provides you with an infinite supply of oxygen - perfect for underwater jobs! These items are given as rewards at the end of a game when a certain number of dog tags have been collected.
Click the name of the game below to see a list of weapons and items you can acquire in it. Some will be on this list also, but some weapons and items are unique.
MG / MG2 / MGS / Ghost Babel / MGS3
