If I say the words “Metal Gear Solid,” a few images probably pop into your head. I’m betting that one of them is a cardboard box, the preferred sneaking device of series’ hero Snake.
Of course, using a cardboard box to trick enemies seemed plausible in the 8-bit days, but it’s gotten a bit more ridiculous as the franchise’s graphics have gotten more and more realistic. The series’ next entry, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (coming out for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3), is the most life-like installment yet. Would the cardboard box still come back, or would it just seem too ridiculous?
Well, fear not! The box is back, and it’s actually more useful than ever. Below are some of the new tricks and conveniences Snake’s most faithful tool will give players in The Phantom Pain.
Above: Surprise!
You can air-drop a cardboard box straight to your location
It might seem like a ridiculous waste of resources to have an aircraft drop an empty cardboard box via parachute, but you can do exactly that in The Phantom Pain. Actually, you can call for all sort of supply drops, including vehicles and ammo. But who needs all of that fancy stuff when we have a flimsy box? You can even drop the box directly on an enemy’s head, which is about as insulting a way to take someone out as I can think of.
You can pop out of your cardboard box
You want to really surprise an enemy? Then explode out of the top of your cardboard box and point a gun in their face. From there, you can interrogate them or take them out, all while they try to comprehend how a guy snuck around a high-level security base with the same thing a college kid would use to move his ramen noodles and used boxers to a new dorm.
Above: Snake moments after losing his precious box.
Escape from the side of your box
Uh oh, someone saw you moving around in your box! A stationary piece of cardboard won’t garner much attention, but any guard is sure to investigate when they notice one sprouting legs. So, what do you do with an enemy fast approaching? Dive out of other side, of course! Similar to popping out of the top, you can escape by shooting yourself out of the opposite side of the box that the guard is approaching, giving you a chance for a clean getaway. It also leaves the empty box behind as a decoy. You could even sneak back around and snap the neck of the dude who dared to disturb your precious cardboard box.
Not bad, huh? Seems like players can really do a lot of quality sneaking with the iconic box in The Phantom Pain. Hopefully we’ll see some tricks when we get the final game, which does not currently have a release date.