The analyzer was an optical device developed by the Militaires Sans Frontières to aid them in recruiting personnel for the organization as well as in scouting ahead.
Development[]
The analyzer's blueprints were presumably either procured by the Militaires Sans Frontières during one of their missions or awarded/supplied to them by one of their employers at some point prior to being hired by Ramón Gálvez Mena and the Costa Rican government to drive out the mercenary force that was invading the country.
Shortly after their leader, Big Boss, managed to report his findings to MSF from investigating the supply port at Puerto del Alba, the MSF's R&D team managed to start developing the analyzer. After the analyzer's completion, it was able to list the enemy soldier's best suited skill area and his overall fitness for battle. Further modifications, however, improved on its search range, search speed, and the accuracy of its assessments. Various improvements to its accuracy included allowing to analyze for any items/equipment he had on his person, such as bullets or rations, as well as specific skills the soldier had.
Analyzer scan of Pupa AI weapon.
Analyzer scan of a BTR-60PA unit.
Eventually, the analyzer was upgraded to not only allow for the complete scanning of an enemy soldier in a short period of time, but also provide intel on the amount of escorts of various tanks, APCs, and helicopters, along with the captain's overall skill, as well as glean in on possible weaknesses on the AI weapons, even without the soldier carrying the analyzer into battle.
By the time of the Ground Zeroes Incident as well as the 1980s, Analyzer technology had been incorporated into their binoculars, and to a certain extent D-Walker.
Behind the scenes[]
The Analyzer is an item in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which can be developed immediately after accessing Mother Base for the first time. Although it first appeared in Peace Walker, similar gameplay elements previously appeared in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots as the Solid Eye, and in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus as the Headhunter career and, to some extent, the FPV in that game allowing players to see the strength of an individual enemy soldier by the amount of stars they possess.
If the player attempts to use the Analyzer on a Monster Hunter via the pause menu, it will not display any data, instead listing the entry as unknown. Scanning any ghosts during the third Paparazzi missions or the Dead Man's Treasure missions yield the same results.
Although the Analyzer itself never reappears in later games, a similar function was depicted via tracking with binoculars, which a scan unveils some stats of various soldiers. This scan can also be fooled via the "Boaster" ability.
In-game descriptions[]
- "Device that analyzes information about enemies.
(Rank 1) When equipped it will display various information on nearby enemies. Invaluable tool for executing missions.
(Ranks 2 and 3) Modified to improve search range, speed, and accuracy of analysis.
(Rank 4) Modified to improve search range and speed.
(Rank 5) Even when unequipped, you can still gather info on enemy machinery and higher-ranking soldiers by pressing (START)." - ―Analyzer description in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Gallery[]
