Boss
Vamp
Equip – MK. 2 Tranquilizer pistol (for CQC), M4 Custom, P90, Mp5-SD2, Rail Gun, Syringe
Special item prize – N/A

Having shot Vamp in the forehead twice (once in MGS2 and once in MGS4’s South American level) before this final showdown in the shadow of MGS’s shattered Metal Gear REX in Alaska, it’s hard to imagine how you’re going to be able to kill the seemingly immortal boss. And sure enough, shooting him silly with conventional weapons will take him down, but only temporarily. This fight requires lateral thinking.

As revealed by Dr Naomi Hunter Vamp’s incredible healing ability is down to the nanomachines in his blood. And since Snake is carrying syringes full of a cocktail that will suppress nanomachine activity all you have to do is temporarily incapacitate Vamp using regular weapons. Since Vamp pings and bounds all over the shop before charging at you, it’s not a bad idea to toggle auto-aim on for this first bit. That way you can unload clip after clip into him wherever he leaps. When he finally goes down, get behind him. After that, the moment he gets up you can get him in a CQC chokehold and use the nanomachine syringe to make Vamp mortal again. Piece of cake, right? Yeah, well, you’re not done yet.

You may have softened Vamp up but he’s not dead yet. With a seemingly endless squad of special Gekko Metal Gear mechs programmed to self-destruct entering the chamber, Raiden shows up to tackle Vamp while you deal with the mechs, and Otacon tries to hot-wire the Metal Gear REX for your use. In this part of the battle you have to use the Rail Gun to thin out the Gekkos just long enough for Otacon to start up the REX.

There are two tactics that will save your bacon here. Firstly, retreat to a position underneath the REX. You’ll be protected from most shots and you can get a clear shot at the Gekkos no matter which direction they come from. Secondly, aim for the very top part of the Gekkos’ ‘heads’. It’s a sure fire method to take ‘em out. Perfect your aim and you can become a one-shot master.

Boss
Metal Gear Ray
Equip – N/A
Special item prize – N/A

It’s taken 21 years but finally you get to pilot your very own Metal Gear REX in this brilliant mech-based boss battle against Snake’s nemesis, Liquid. Set in the dockside area on Shadow Moses island (after a cool tutorial level that sees you fighting off scores of Gekkos on the route out of the hangar), you have to use all of REX’s weaponry – cluster guided missiles, Gatling gun, chemical laser and mean, mech sweeping kick – to defeat Liquid’s technologically superior Metal Gear RAY.

In a brilliant departure from the usual floaty, style-over-substance mechs that appear in games, Snake’s REX feels massively solid and weighty. Use that heft to your advantage, and after softening Liquid’s RAY up dash in close (by double tapping [X]) and use the REX’s chunky leg sweep to do your opponent some serious damage. Score enough damage and you’ll get a [Triangle] button prompt. Hit it and you’ll perform a devastating special move that will knock a good chunk off RAY’s health bar. It’s then important to retreat – use the buildings as cover to get some safe distance – before repeating the tactic.

At distance try charging the chemical laser to full power and using that. A direct hit will score massive damage. Missiles are good if you can aim long enough to get multiple lock-ons, while the Gatling gun is best for taking advantage of sudden clear shots when they arise. Whatever you do, don’t let RAY get too close, or you’ll risk a crippling stomping. If it charges, doubletap [X}plus direction to side-step or retreat. This fight has been a long time coming, but it is definitely worth the wait.