Why you NEED to listen to Metal Gear Solid 4's amazing developer podcasts

In the power station area you'll find a small building next to the signal towers. Inside you'll find a generator. Shoot this and you'll help turn the tide of the battle between the rebels and PMC troops in the former's favour. The rebels will then clear out most of the PMC soldiers from the surrounding areas, making it a whole lot easier to get through this section.

The next little egg comes in the form of a bloody brilliant weapon. Listen to Eyestone on the podcast and he'll guide you to the confinement facility. Near a watch tower, you'll find a buidling which has a silent sniper rifle. It's ideal if you want to take baddies out from adistance stealthily.

Fancy a pervy break from all this South American sneaking? You're in luck. One of this stage's podcasts will lead you through the mansion, where the guys reveal there's a picture of Japanese model Akina Minami on the ceiling in one of the building's bedrooms. Yeah, we'll get back to saving the world in a bit. Just give us a few minutes, alright?

After you beat Laughing Octopus and start trailing Naomi, the relevant podcast takes you on a little detour, which, among other things, lets you sneak a peak at a guard taking an off duty piss. 120 super stealth points for whoever hits the crotch on their first shot.

Further along on the trail and the boys reveal a fourth wall-breaking suprise. In one of the many dead-ends on your tracking mission you'll find a little alcove that contains Hollywood-esque pavement slabs with the developers' handprints and signatures. Now which one belongs to Koj?

Oh, and one of the episodes reveals these to be potato plants. Mystery shitting solved.

There aren't as many interesting Easter Eggs in Patriots' Third Man-aping level, but the mission's podcast does point out a bridge where you can strike a stupid pose as a statue. Just keep your mind on your business and try not to stare towards your right.

The one secret in the game I'd be amazed if you find without the help of the podcast. After you get to the helipad, pan the camera above your head to recreate the over-the-head view from the first game. Snake will then reminisce about how he preferred this view and you’ll earn 1000 Drebin points in the bargain.

Now this secret really had me going. Listen to the boys talk about recreating the legendary setting of the first Metal Gear and you'll eventually be instructed to crawl under the truck near the helipad. Here, you'll find the MK. 23 (the handgun from MGS1). Equip it for 1000 Drebin points and bathe in some poignant nostalgia.

One of the more interesting insights in Shadow Moses comes in the snowfield where you fought Vulcan Raven in Snake's first 3D title. If you take a sharp right when you enter the field you'll come to a path that branches upwards. There's an RPG in this area, but more interestingly, there was apparently going to be a frozen lake here that was going to contain some elaborate setpiece with Dwarf Geckos.

And... eh, that's as far as I've got with the old 'casts. My PS3 died a sad and premature death thanks to a certain pesky yellow light a few days back, but I've no doubt the episodes that cover the second half of Moses and Outer Haven are an audio treat for the eardrums.

Oh, and before any of you weisenheimers ask whether this is a slow news day, we're just getting in reports that the White House has been blown up by Godzilla.

Aug 27, 2010

David Meikleham
Google AMP Stories Editor

David has worked for Future under many guises, including for GamesRadar+ and the Official Xbox Magazine. He is currently the Google Stories Editor for GamesRadar and PC Gamer, which sees him making daily video Stories content for both websites. David also regularly writes features, guides, and reviews for both brands too.