Snake in the Virtual Range with an M4 Custom
The Virtual Range was a virtual reality simulator developed by Otacon for Old Snake to test weapons and equipment he had acquired during the events of the Guns of the Patriots Incident in 2014. Similar to VR simulations of old, Snake was able to use "live" ammo on virtual enemies, testing their stopping power and functionality on the field. Snake was also able to use the Virtual Range to hone his CQC techniques during this time. The Virtual Range's console was presumably located on the Nomad, Snake and Otacon's intercontinental gunship.
The field of the Virtual Range was a massive open plain, stretching to 50 meters in sight but with a stretch of walkable distance. Groups of "enemies" littered the course, following basic actions such as standing and crouching, allowing Snake to perform techniques on both standing and crouching opponents. These beings would not only react realistically to gunshots and explosions, but also to other natural occurrences such as sleeping gas, smoke, and physical attacks. In addition to the grounded AI enemies, targets floated above Snake's head, helping him with his sniping and marksman abilities.
Behind the scenes[]
The Virtual Range was available for use in Metal Gear Online, in its own set of training rooms. In this incarnation, instead of the endless white room, the player was dropped into a map of the player's choice. The kills the player made during their training did not count towards their overall total.
In the demo for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Raiden was seen participating in various areas in a manner similar to either VR Training or the Virtual Range.
In addition, Metal Gear Survive will feature an area similar in nature to the Virtual Range.