This guide will help you earn an S Rank for the Code Talker story mission in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, and includes a list of the mandatory and optional objectives available for this mission. An S Rank requires a score of 130,000 points or more, so completing all of the optional objectives is not necessary. It is best to try and secure the time bonus as well as some score multipliers, as these can grant you a significant amount of points toward an S Rank.
Objectives
- Make contact with Code Talker (Mandatory).
- Extract Code Talker (Mandatory).
- Extract Code Talker without him taking damage (Optional).
- Eliminate the Skulls (Optional).
- Extract the Skulls (Optional).
- Extract the armored vehicle sealing off Lufwa Valley (Optional).
Walkthrough
This mission happens to be quite long, so if this is your first playthrough of this mission, you may want to take the time to enjoy it before attempting S Rank. We will be avoiding some parts of the mission in order to ensure a quick completion time. If you are ready to tackle an S Rank for Code Talkers, then continue to follow along.
Begin by mounting D-Horse and riding northeast toward the objective waypoint after the helicopter drops you off. As you make your way toward the waypoint, you will encounter a misty area where a cutscene will trigger. Skip the cutscene and prepare to run for cover, as you will be ambushed by the Skulls.
There will be a series of sniper Skulls positioned up high throughout the area, so run swiftly towards the base of the cliff ahead of you to avoid being targeted by the snipers. Keep heading toward the waypoint, taking cover behind rocks and cliffs as much as possible to avoid getting shot.
Once you reach the jungle area, weave between the trees to use them as cover as you continue toward the waypoint. Hop off your horse and climb up the rocky path until you reach a small waterfall. Run along the cliffside on the left to pass behind the waterfall, following the path until you spot a mansion in the distance. This is where the target is located.
The goal is to infiltrate the mansion through its rear entrance, taking out enemy resistance along the way. Continue along the left side, climbing up several rock outcroppings. Keep your tranquilizer pistol ready, and take down the guard on the nearby balcony. Continue toward the back side of the mansion. You will eventually reach a turret near some sandbags, and behind it will be a covered pathway leading into the back of the mansion.
Several guards are patrolling this path, so neutralize them with your tranquilizer pistol as you approach the back door. Enter the mansion through the door, and turn left through another door leading to several corridors. Continue to descend down the stairs leading to the basement at the bottom level.
A cutscene will occur when you reach a large wooden door at the end of the hallway. If this is your first playthrough, you may want to watch the cutscene. However, you should skip the cutscene in order to earn a higher time bonus for the S Rank.
After skipping the cutscene, you will have located and secured Code Talker. The target cannot be Fulton extracted, so you must carry the target out of the building and to the chopper for extraction. You will be moving extremely slow while carrying the target, mostly so that you can take in some story exposition in the process.
Backtrack out of the mansion the way you came, while carrying the target on your back. As you approach the doorway at the top where you initially entered from, prepare to fight off several puppet soldiers. You will have to put down Code Talker to combat these enemies. When you’ve fought them off, pick up the target and quickly dash out of the rear door leading outside.
Run past the series of puppet soldiers that are waiting for you outside, and quickly use your iDROID to call in an extraction helicopter to the nearest landing zone. Now just sprint straight to the LZ while carrying Code Talker, weaving through the area to avoid enemies along the way. When you reach the LZ, load Code Talker onto the chopper, and then board the aircraft yourself to conclude the mission.
Finishing the mission quickly and with No Retries, No Kills, and No Enemy Combat Alerts should put you over the 130,000 points required to earn an S Rank rating.
Continue to Mission 29: Metallic Archaea, or return to the Metal Gear Solid 5 Walkthrough and Guide.
