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Metal Gear Solid has a number of fourth wall breaks that were revolutionary back on the PlayStation, such as finding out how to contact Meryl. In 2023, however, you do things a bit differently to find out what Meryl’s codec number is in Metal Gear Solid.
During Metal Gear Solid, you are forced to contact Meryl to proceed with the game. Kenneth Baker, the ArmsTech President, tells Snake he gave her the PAL key he needs. However, he’s not feeling great and can’t remember Meryl’s codec number.
Then it hits him, the code was on “the back of the CD case”. No, don’t bother checking your inventory as he’s not talking about an in-game item. Baker is instead talking about the case the actual Metal Gear Solid game came in.
On the back of the PlayStation case is a screenshot of a codec conversation with Meryl showing her frequency, 140.15, in plain view. This is the only way to find out Meryl’s codec number. At no point in the game will anyone tell you, or is there any other way to find it.
But in a collection like Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1, there isn’t an individual box for Metal Gear Solid. If you got the game digitally, there’s no box at all. So, how do you get Meryl’s codec number, then?
How to Find Meryl’s Codec Number in Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1
While originally you break the fourth wall to find Meryl’s codec number in Metal Gear Solid, modern hardware removes this option. However, The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1 solves this issue in a pretty unique way.
In the menu, you can find an option to view a virtual manual (pictured above). Select this option to view a full 3D model of the original game’s CD case. Flipping it over in the viewer will reveal the original back panel. On this panel, just as it did in 1998, it will have Meryl’s codec frequency.
This is a fun compromise in porting the game to modern hardware. Otherwise, if players didn’t simply remember the frequency, they’d struggle to find out how to proceed. Additionally, progress would halt for new players wondering what Baker meant by “the back of the CD case.”
The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
