S Rank Tips

Unlock S Ranks in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes! Learn how to disable reflex mode, avoid combat alerts and kills, and rescue all prisoners for maximum score.

Alright, so you want to snag that sweet 'S' Rank in Ground Zeroes? It's totally doable, but you gotta play smart. The biggest thing to remember is that the game hands out bonus points for playing clean. Think of it like this: the less mess you make, the higher your score. So, let's break down what gives you those sweet, sweet points.

First off, dive into the gameplay menu and disable Reflex Mode. Seriously, just turning that off gives you a nice chunk of points right away. It's a freebie, so take it!

Now, the biggies for scoring:

• 0 Combat Alerts = +5,250 points: This means don't get spotted. At all.
• 0 Kills = +3,500 points: Non-lethal takedowns or just avoiding enemies altogether is key.
• 0 Retries = +5,250 points: Try to get it right the first time, or at least without failing the mission.
• No Reflex = +5,250 points: We already covered this, but it's worth repeating – turn it off!
• Prisoners Rescued = +21,000 points: You get a hefty 3,500 points for each of the 6 prisoners you save.
• Escaped Prisoner Recovered = +3,500 points: There's an extra bonus for this one too.

So, how do you actually pull this off during the mission? Here’s the general game plan:

• Forget about grabbing the XOF Patch and Cassette Tapes on your S-Rank run. Time is super tight, and those collectibles will eat up precious minutes. Save them for another playthrough.
• Your absolute first priority is to locate and rescue all the prisoners in the prison compound, including Chico. Get them extracted ASAP.
• There's an optional objective to save a prisoner who's about to be executed – ignore it for your S-Rank attempt. It's not worth the time.
• After you've got Chico and the other prisoners out, hop into a truck and drive towards the admin building area.
• Once you're there, your next job is to shut off the power. Then, clear out the enemies in the courtyard and the boiler rooms. Work your way down into the basement to find and rescue Paz.
• Head back through the admin area. Be ready, because a couple of new guards will have shown up. Neutralize them quietly.
• Get Paz into the truck. Now, pull out your iDroid and call for a helicopter to meet you back at the mission's starting location.
• Jump into the truck yourself and drive it all the way back to the starting point.
• Once you're there, unlock the gate, sprint up the hill to the chopper, and get on board to finish the mission. Nail all these steps, and that S Rank is yours!