The Sorrow is not a conventional boss fight: you cannot defeat him by attacking. Snake must either drown in the river or reach The Sorrow at its end, then use the Revival Pill after dying. Drowning is the fastest way to continue; completing the river journey can earn the Spirit camouflage.
How to beat The Sorrow quickly
If you only want to finish the encounter, drown Snake in the river and use the Revival Pill at the game-over screen.
- Enter the river and dive underwater until Snake drowns.
- At the game-over screen, select and use the Revival Pill. Guide-reported default inputs differ: PC Gamer says to hold left on the D-pad, while Push Square lists Left for New Style and L1 for Legacy Style. If those do not match your setup, follow the on-screen prompt or check your current control mapping.
- Snake revives, completing the encounter.
This route skips the river traversal and does not earn the Spirit camouflage.
How to get the Spirit camouflage
To pursue the reward, walk the river instead of drowning immediately. The ghosts represent people and animals killed earlier in the game; touching them drains health. The Sorrow also attacks with damaging shockwaves or energy attacks.
#1 Best Overall
- The story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music that made the original a sensation return, remade for modern consoles
- The story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music that made the original a sensation return, remade for modern consoles
- Incredible new graphics bring the wild growth of the jungles, forests, and swamps to life in exquisite detail
- Characters are rendered in fine detail so that facial wrinkles, pores, & separate eye & iris movements are visible, allowing for rich animations
- Any injuries to his actual body will leave their mark permanently, telling a story of each player's unique journey
- Move forward through the river, avoiding the ghosts and The Sorrow’s attacks.
- Continue to The Sorrow’s body at the end and touch it. Snake will die there.
- Use the Revival Pill at the game-over screen to continue. Gameranx reports that the Spirit camouflage is awarded after Snake gets his gear back from EVA.
The camouflage silences footsteps and restores stamina when Snake chokes enemies with CQC, according to Gameranx.
Which route should you take?
| Route | What to do | Time and difficulty | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick clear | Drown, then use the Revival Pill. | Short route; skips the river traversal. | Completes the encounter, without the Spirit camouflage. |
| Spirit camouflage | Traverse the river, reach The Sorrow’s body, then use the Revival Pill after Snake dies. | Longer and more demanding; length and difficulty vary with earlier kills. | Spirit camouflage, awarded after Snake gets his gear back from EVA. |
Because the ghosts correspond to earlier kills, the reward route is easier when fewer enemies and animals have been killed. If you have killed many, the river can take substantially longer; drowning still completes the encounter.
Rank #2
- ERA: THE 1960'S BITTLE OF IDEOLOGIES: Przeżyj historię jako zimna wojna i zmiany krajobrazu geopolitycznego
- GAME:TRUST INSTINCT BATTLE: Outsmart enemies with camouflage, short circuit battle, stalking, interviewing, climbing, hunting and injury treatment
- SETTING: BATTLE OF REPADS JOUNGLES: Measure yourself with the environment where traps catch enemies and prey, threats law in the shadow, and noises alert predators
Revival Pill controls and camera styles
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has New Style, with an over-the-shoulder third-person view, and Legacy Style, with a top-down view closer to the original. Push Square reports different Revival Pill selection inputs for those styles, but button prompts can also vary by platform or custom mapping. Use the game’s displayed prompt if a guide’s input does not work.
Konami’s online manual covers the Master Collection version of Metal Gear Solid 3, not Delta, so it should not be treated as the authority for Delta’s exact button prompts. The official PlayStation product page describes the game and its control styles.
Rank #3
- ERA: THE 1960'S BATTLE OF IDEOLOGIES: Relive history as the Cold War and geo-political landscape change
- GAMEPLAY: SURVIVAL BATTLE OF INSTINCTS: Outsmart enemies with camouflage, close-quarters combat, stalking, interrogating, climbing, hunting and treating injuries
- SETTING: THE JUNGLE BATTLE OF REPTILES: Pit yourself against an environment where traps catch enemies and prey, threats lurk in the shadows and noises alert predators
Game covered
This guide is for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, the enhanced remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Exclusive Sticker on box
Rank #4
- ERA: THE 1960'S BATTLE OF IDEOLOGIES: Relive history as the Cold War and geo-political landscape change
- GAMEPLAY: SURVIVAL BATTLE OF INSTINCTS: Outsmart enemies with camouflage, close-quarters combat, stalking, interrogating, climbing, hunting and treating injuries
- SETTING: THE JUNGLE BATTLE OF REPTILES: Pit yourself against an environment where traps catch enemies and prey, threats lurk in the shadows and noises alert predators
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