Uploaded November 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
An easy way of getting the prestigious Fox rank, awarded for completing the game on Hard in under 5 hours with no Alerts/Kills/Continues/e.t.c.. Achieving the rank also awards both the Stealth Camo and Infinity Facepaint.
This video assumes the game has been completed on Hard once before, having acquired the special boss camos; it makes particular use of the Moss camo (The End) for no-meal Stamina recovery, the Spirit camo (The Sorrow) for silent running, and the Cold War camo (Volgin) for the bike chase scenes.
This is done in just under 3 hours, with 16 out of 25 allowable Saves, so there's plenty of wiggle-room. I also go for zero Meals. I include some “suggested Save points” at various locations, to make better use of the 25 allowable Saves. The Save points are only advisory; if you can manage easily enough without a Save point then do so, as there may be a later point in the game where an extra Save point comes in really useful.
Running up behind enemies and slamming them unconscious without raising Alerts is easier than it looks; providing the enemy isn't in Caution or Evasion mode, there'll be a brief grace period between the time they hear Snake and turn, and the point at which Alert phase begins. If in Caution or Evasion, however, Alert phase will start the instant they hear Snake approaching. If still having trouble, wear the Spirit camo, which will stop enemies hearing Snake approaching. The Spirit camo works against bosses, too.
One of the things I focus on in this video are the locations of valuable Mk22 Tranquilizer Suppressors, and also Batteries. Certain enemies will drop a Suppressor or Battery when shook down or held up. The Suppressor they drop will be random; either a Mk22 Tranquilizer Suppressor, an M1911A1 Pistol Suppressor, or an XM16E1 Rifle Suppressor if the XM16E1 has been obtained. It is important, therefore, to not get the XM16E1 Rifle, as it will reduce the chances of getting valuable Mk22 Suppressors from enemy drops.
The Fox rank is awarded for completing the game on Hard difficulty in under 5 hours including the credits, with no Alert phases, no Kills, no Continues used, no Health items used (such as Life Medicine, though Healing Radio is allowed), having Saved no more than 25 times, having sustained no more than 10 Life Bars of damage, without using the Stealth Camo or Infinity Facepaint, and I think having eaten no more than 20 meals. It's also possible to get the Fox rank on Extreme difficulty, where the requirements are relaxed a bit — you're allowed up to 50 Saves, and can take unlimited damage.
For alternative strategies in many of the areas see my much older video here — //youtube.com/watch?v=LyRPOv1HKdM&list=PL3YDiPvsfR7-C6Q96ZtVZokf9Fzf_P4M8, which does the same except under Normal difficulty for the Doberman rank.
Virtuous Mission start — 0:01:40
First enemy area — 0:04:18
Rassvet — 0:06:11
Snake Eater start — 0:10:52
Ocelot Unit — 0:18:16
Bolshaya Past — 0:28:46
Ocelot — 0:33:51
The Pain — 0:39:24
Ponizovje — 0:46:45
Graniny Gorki Lab — 0:54:52
The Fear — 1:08:45
Svyatogornyj — 1:14:05
The End — 1:18:07
Krasnogorje Mountain — 1:26:51
The Fury — 1:41:01
Groznyj Grad — 1:46:10
Groznyj Grad escape — 2:00:25
The Sorrow — 2:07:03
Groznyj Grad again — 2:14:11
Volgin — 2:20:46
Shagohod — 2:32:49
Zaozyorje — 2:45:28
The Boss — 2:54:27
Rank — 3:02:25
An easy way of getting the prestigious Fox rank, awarded for completing the game on Hard in under 5 hours with no Alerts/Kills/Continues/e.t.c.. Achieving the rank also awards both the Stealth Camo and Infinity Facepaint.
This video assumes the game has been completed on Hard once before, having acquired the special boss camos; it makes particular use of the Moss camo (The End) for no-meal Stamina recovery, the Spirit camo (The Sorrow) for silent running, and the Cold War camo (Volgin) for the bike chase scenes.
This is done in just under 3 hours, with 16 out of 25 allowable Saves, so there's plenty of wiggle-room. I also go for zero Meals. I include some “suggested Save points” at various locations, to make better use of the 25 allowable Saves. The Save points are only advisory; if you can manage easily enough without a Save point then do so, as there may be a later point in the game where an extra Save point comes in really useful.
Running up behind enemies and slamming them unconscious without raising Alerts is easier than it looks; providing the enemy isn't in Caution or Evasion mode, there'll be a brief grace period between the time they hear Snake and turn, and the point at which Alert phase begins. If in Caution or Evasion, however, Alert phase will start the instant they hear Snake approaching. If still having trouble, wear the Spirit camo, which will stop enemies hearing Snake approaching. The Spirit camo works against bosses, too.
One of the things I focus on in this video are the locations of valuable Mk22 Tranquilizer Suppressors, and also Batteries. Certain enemies will drop a Suppressor or Battery when shook down or held up. The Suppressor they drop will be random; either a Mk22 Tranquilizer Suppressor, an M1911A1 Pistol Suppressor, or an XM16E1 Rifle Suppressor if the XM16E1 has been obtained. It is important, therefore, to not get the XM16E1 Rifle, as it will reduce the chances of getting valuable Mk22 Suppressors from enemy drops.
The Fox rank is awarded for completing the game on Hard difficulty in under 5 hours including the credits, with no Alert phases, no Kills, no Continues used, no Health items used (such as Life Medicine, though Healing Radio is allowed), having Saved no more than 25 times, having sustained no more than 10 Life Bars of damage, without using the Stealth Camo or Infinity Facepaint, and I think having eaten no more than 20 meals. It's also possible to get the Fox rank on Extreme difficulty, where the requirements are relaxed a bit — you're allowed up to 50 Saves, and can take unlimited damage.
For alternative strategies in many of the areas see my much older video here — //youtube.com/watch?v=LyRPOv1HKdM&list=PL3YDiPvsfR7-C6Q96ZtVZokf9Fzf_P4M8, which does the same except under Normal difficulty for the Doberman rank.
Virtuous Mission start — 0:01:40
First enemy area — 0:04:18
Rassvet — 0:06:11
Snake Eater start — 0:10:52
Ocelot Unit — 0:18:16
Bolshaya Past — 0:28:46
Ocelot — 0:33:51
The Pain — 0:39:24
Ponizovje — 0:46:45
Graniny Gorki Lab — 0:54:52
The Fear — 1:08:45
Svyatogornyj — 1:14:05
The End — 1:18:07
Krasnogorje Mountain — 1:26:51
The Fury — 1:41:01
Groznyj Grad — 1:46:10
Groznyj Grad escape — 2:00:25
The Sorrow — 2:07:03
Groznyj Grad again — 2:14:11
Volgin — 2:20:46
Shagohod — 2:32:49
Zaozyorje — 2:45:28
The Boss — 2:54:27
Rank — 3:02:25
