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In the Middle East, the militia is battling a PMC group called the Praying Mantis, and Snake's initial objective is to make his way through the battlefield and meet up with a contact that knows where Liquid Snake is located. There is no in-game tutorial for the move set, and the second you take control of Snake -- or "Old Snake," as the game refers to him -- you are seconds away from battle. If you need a refresher on special moves, the new rolling techniques or CQC, there is a briefing section that will display both the simple and advanced moves. There are also a few new elements in the HUD of which to be aware. The stress meter (shown as a percentage) is displayed next to the life bar, and things like Old Snake's sore back, firefights and adverse weather conditions can affect Snake's stress levels. You'll want to keep Snake's stress at a minimum; otherwise, it drains the Psyche Gauge. The Psyche Gauge replaces the Stamina Gauge from MGS3; if your Psyche Gauge is low, you'll be less accurate in shooting and have a harder time aiming. The threat ring around Snake is still intact, and when Snake is hiding you can tell where enemies are lurking with a disruption wave on the threat ring.

Snake's new "sneaking suit" is comprised of Octocamo -- a new type of camouflage that copies the colors and textures immediate to Snake. There are no button presses to activate this camouflage; if you lie still on the ground or press Snake up against a wall for a few seconds, the Octocamo will automatically copy the surroundings. As in MGS3, there's a camo index that displays via percentage how well you are blending into the environment, and even though areas around the Middle East are generally quite bright and open, it's still pretty simple to find solid hiding spots.

The first section is nearly identical to the demo that was playable at TGS/E For All. As Snake moves into the battlefield, militia are getting pinned down by the PMCs, and anyone who spots you -- whether they're militia or PMC -- will target you as an enemy. As you weave your way in and out of cover, you have the option of helping out the Militia, and by doing so, you'll earn their trust, and they'll help you out later on. Since everything is so frantic and sometimes difficult to distinguish who is Militia or PMC, one flick of L2 brings up your Solid Eye to reveal information such as the side on which the target is and other details such as their health level. While you're basically trying to get from point A to point B, there are generally multiple ways throughout the Middle East. In fact, I found a route that I had never seen before that netted me a few extra rations and other goods.

Unlike previous Metal Gear games, you can't initially use weaponry you get off enemies you kill. Weapons are coded to soldiers via Nanomachines that are imbedded in them, and to be able to use a weapon you find on the battlefield, you have to have the correct ID or it's basically worthless. So, it's nice that Otacon delivers you a few gifts early via your new robotic friend -- Metal Gear Mk. II. The Mk. II can be used to scout out in front of Snake, and although it can turn invisible, if it's spotted it will also sound the alert system. Just make sure you shock and knock out opponents before the PMC soldiers know what's going on, for safety's