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Toward the end of Metal Gear Solid, Snake loses the PAL Key he’s had with him most of the game. If you’re struggling to find the key item after it goes missing, here is a quick breakdown of where you can find the PAL Key in Metal Gear Solid.
How to find the PAL Key in Metal Gear Solid if a rat eats it
After Snake drops the PAL Key, it will appear in one of two situations. The easiest is finding the key simply sitting in the drainage ditch at the bottom of REX’s hangar. This scenario occurs if Snake triggers 11 or more alerts during the course of this game.
That scenario is as easy as running into the ditch, picking up the key, and continuing your game. However, if you’ve seen less than 11 alerts, things go differently. This scenario involves a rat eating the PAL Key before you can get to it.
If you’re trying to find the PAL key in Metal Gear Solid but a rat ate it, you have a little more work to do, unfortunately. You’ll know if this is the case because Miller will call you and suggest the possibility. The rat can follow any one of several routes, but you have to kill him to get the item back. You can use the Mine Detector here, just like before, to find the rat and track his movement.
You can kill the vermin with a well-placed grenade, which is fast but more precise. However, The best way to handle the thief is to plant C4 near a vent and wait for him. Another valid option is to whip out the Stinger and launch a rocket at the poor guy. Regardless of how you get it, once you have the PAL Key, you can progress the story to prevent the nuclear launch.
The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
