Post-Game Content & New Game+

Congratulations, Boss! You've successfully navigated the treacherous waters of Cold War Central America and brought peace (or at least a temporary ceasefire) to the region. But the fight for Mother Base's supremacy and the pursuit of true disarmament is far from over. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker offers a wealth of post-game content and a robust New Game+ system to keep you engaged for dozens, if not hundreds, of additional hours.

Unlocking the True Ending and Extra Ops

After completing Main Ops 01-05 and witnessing the initial ending, your primary objective should be to unlock the game's true ending. This involves a series of critical Extra Ops missions and the development of specific Mother Base facilities.

Complete Extra Ops 067: "Date with Paz": This mission is crucial for advancing the story. Ensure you have a high enough R&D level to develop the necessary items for Paz's "date."
Complete Extra Ops 068: "Chrysalis Battle": This intense battle against the Chrysalis AI weapon is a prerequisite for the next story segment.
Complete Extra Ops 069: "Cocoon Battle": Another challenging AI weapon encounter. Prepare for a prolonged engagement.
Complete Extra Ops 070: "Peace Walker Battle": The final confrontation with the Peace Walker itself. This mission will unlock the true ending and subsequent story missions.
Develop the "Chico's Cassette Tape" Item: After completing the above Extra Ops, you'll receive a cassette tape from Chico. Develop this item in the R&D team to trigger the final Main Ops.
Complete Main Ops 06: "Outer Heaven": This final Main Ops mission will lead to the game's true ending and the full credits.

New Game+ and Carry-Over Bonuses

Upon completing the game (either the initial ending or the true ending), you'll have the option to start a New Game+. This allows you to replay the story with significant advantages, making it easier to tackle higher difficulties, collect missed items, and recruit more soldiers.

What Carries Over:
- Mother Base Development: All your developed facilities, R&D levels, Combat Unit levels, Mess Hall levels, Medical Team levels, and Intel Team levels will carry over.
- Soldiers: Your entire roster of recruited soldiers, including their stats and skills, will be retained.
- Weapons and Items: All developed weapons, items, and uniforms will be available from the start. This includes powerful late-game gear like the M47 Dragon and the Fulton Recovery System (upgraded versions).
- Research Progress: Any research in progress will continue.
- Money (GMP): Your accumulated GMP will carry over, allowing for immediate development of new items.
What Does NOT Carry Over:
- Story Progress: You will start from the beginning of Main Ops 01.
- Mission Ranks: All mission ranks will be reset.
- Key Items (Story-Specific): Certain story-specific key items will not carry over, requiring you to re-obtain them as part of the narrative.

Maximizing Your Mother Base

Even after the true ending, there's always room for improvement at Mother Base. Focus on these areas to create the ultimate fighting force:

Recruiting S-Rank Soldiers: Replay Extra Ops missions, particularly those involving AI weapons or high-difficulty encounters, to find and recruit S-rank soldiers. These elite personnel significantly boost your unit levels and research capabilities. Use the Fulton Recovery System (upgraded to its highest level for 100% success rate) to extract them efficiently.
Developing All Weapons and Items: Strive to develop every single weapon and item blueprint available. This includes advanced firearms, support items, and unique gadgets. Some blueprints are hidden in specific Extra Ops or require high R&D levels.
Upgrading All Facilities to Max Level: Continuously invest GMP and high-ranking soldiers into upgrading your R&D, Combat, Mess Hall, Medical, and Intel teams. Maxing these out unlocks the most powerful items and provides significant bonuses.
Building Outer Ops Teams: Send your Combat Unit soldiers on Outer Ops missions regularly. These missions yield valuable GMP, resources, and even new recruits. Prioritize missions with higher success rates and better rewards.

Challenging Extra Ops and Boss Rushes

The game features a vast array of Extra Ops missions, many of which are significantly more challenging than the main story. These are excellent for testing your skills and acquiring rare rewards.

AI Weapon Rematches: Revisit the AI weapon battles (Pupa, Chrysalis, Cocoon, Peace Walker) on higher difficulties. These offer increased rewards, including rare parts for custom AI weapons and high-ranking soldiers.
Monster Hunter Collaboration Missions: Engage in the unique Monster Hunter-themed Extra Ops. These missions pit you against iconic monsters like Rathalos and Tigrex, offering unique weapon and item blueprints upon completion. Be prepared for a different style of combat.
VR Missions: Access the VR Missions from the main menu. These provide focused combat and stealth challenges. You can unlock all VR Missions and characters by entering the password UUDDLRLRBA at the name screen when starting a new Missions file.

Collecting All Music and Cassette Tapes

For the completionist, collecting all music tracks and cassette tapes adds another layer of engagement. Many are found in specific Extra Ops, while others are rewards for achieving certain milestones or completing specific tasks.

Music Tracks: Some music tracks are dropped by enemies, found in supply crates, or awarded for completing missions. Pay attention to mission descriptions and explore thoroughly.
Cassette Tapes: These often provide lore, character insights, or unlock new missions. Many are found after completing specific story segments or Extra Ops.