How to Get Out of the Cargo Dock and Around the Helipad in Metal Gear Solid

The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 packages many of the early games together for modern consoles. However, it doesn’t make them any less complicated.

As a PS1 game, Metal Gear Solid may be one of the hardest games in the collection, simply due to the game design trends of the time it was released and the deliberately misleading story. Right off the bat, players are dumped into a room, the Cargo Dock, and left to figure their own way out. It gets even worse once they do and find they must do the same to move around the Helipad.

Related: Will There Be a Metal Gear Solid 6?

How to Get Out of the Cargo Dock in Metal Gear Solid

To get out of the Cargo Dock in Metal Gear Solid, players just need to wait. This area is a tutorial section for the game’s stealth mechanics. It’s designed to force players to crawl under objects and use the mini-map to dodge guards by looking at their vision cones and moving away.

The way out of this area is the elevator at the opposite end of the room, but players need to wait for it to descend before they can use it to leave. We use this time in every playthrough to run around this area and collect the rations on the floor. There are three that can be picked up, but Snake will only be able to hold two at this point on a first playthrough.

The forklift truck in the top right-hand corner of the room is a good place to hide from every guard in the area, even the one that comes out of the elevator when it does finally drop. When we don’t want to keep moving and dodging guards or lure them by running through water or with knocks on a wall, we hide here and just chill out until the elevator appears.

When players enter the elevator, it’ll automatically start to ascend to the Helipad. After a few cutscenes, players will regain control and must figure out what to do once more in a new location.

How to Get Around The Helipad in Metal Gear Solid

Players begin The Helipad section at the bottom of the map. While it’s possible to make it directly to the exit and into the building ahead, we recommend players make a few stops first. Every route around requires players to go right and up onto the snowbank. There’s a guard here who will notice the footprints Snake leaves, so be ready to run right and all the way up as soon as he does to avoid getting caught.

After running up, players should run left and then down around to the ramp onto the Helipad. They can get the item that the spotlights move over by running to it and back to the ramp as the spotlights move apart. The item is a set of Chaff Grenades.

With Chaff Grenades in hand, players can enter the room to the left of the Helipad ramp to see a camera. Chaff Grenades temporarily knock out cameras and the mini-map, allowing Snake to move around the cameras but without being able to track guards without using first person view. The room on the left here has Stun Grenades inside.

Now, it’s time to head to the top of the map once more. The truck just above the Helipad has the Socom inside. This is the first weapon players can get in the game, and it’s pretty much essential. Without it, players will struggle in future encounters.

Finally, it’s time to move on from the Helipad. There are two ways out of here. The first is the vent behind the sleeping guard’s feet. However, that one also has a camera, making it very difficult to get to. The easier option is to move right, back to the top of the snowbank, and climb the stairs. There’s a guard patrolling this area, so players need to watch out.

Once at the top of the stairs, players can run along the walkway until they reach the center. At this point, they’ll get a call and be told they can use vents to get inside. There’s a vent at this central point in the walkway for players to use, so get Snake to crouch and crawl into it.

From here, players will enter the main Hangar and can start searching for the Darpa Chief. This is their first real objective, and they’ll have to keep an ear out for what guards are saying if they want to track him down.