War has changed. It has been 14 years since we heard Solid Snake say these words whilst infiltrating the Middle East, but they’re still profound. Metal Gear has left an indelible mark on the industry that cannot be erased. Hideo Kojima’s flagship franchise will forever be imprinted on the hearts and minds of gamers who came of age in the late ’80s and ’90s. But, if you’re new to the series, how should you play them?
Metal Gear can, at times, be a convoluted mess. I see no reason to make it even messier by playing the games out of order. That, in and of itself, can be a little complicated, as you’ll need a PS3 to play most of them, but if that’s not an issue for you, then proceed. If there’s ever an official way to play the series on modern consoles, we’ll update this piece. In any case, here’s how to play Metal Gear in release order.
How to Play Metal Gear in Release Order
Metal Gear (1987, MSX2/PS3)
Metal Gear, initially released for the MSX2, featured FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake, who was tasked with infiltrating the enemy base Outer Heaven. It’s important to note that the Metal Gear series is set within an alternate history where the Cold War extended into the 1990s, rather than ending in the 1980s. That said, this series debut is set in 1995, and was tied through retroactive continuity to Metal Gear Solid V.
It can be played via Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990, MSX2/PS3)
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake once again — surprise, surprise — follows Solid Snake as he’s tasked with the infiltration of the enemy base Zanzibar Land. In much the same way that Metal Gear has Snake taking down the titular walking, bipedal tank, Metal Gear 2 pits him against the new Metal Gear D. It should be mentioned that new players can start with either this duology, or Metal Gear Solid, and not much in terms of story content will be missed out on. Just recognize the major concepts, and you should be golden.
It can be played via Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Metal Gear Solid (1998, PS1/PS3)
Metal Gear Solid is set six years after the events of Metal Gear 2, in 2005. In this one, Solid Snake is pulled out of retirement to infiltrate the nuclear weapons disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island. A renegade FOXHOUND unit led by Liquid Snake — who turns out to be Solid Snake’s brother — has made hostages of the DARPA chief and ArmsTech president and it’s up to Snake to rescue them.
It can be played via Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty / Substance (2001, PS2/PS3)
Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of the most controversial entries to date. Instead of series regular Solid Snake, the lion’s share of the game puts players in the shoes of a rookie, Raiden, as he’s tasked with infiltrating the Big Shell environmental cleanup facility. Set between 2007 and 2009, this one introduces the ongoing narrative of the series, that being the secret cabal that controls American politics, The Patriots.
It can be played via Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater / Subsistence (2004, PS2/PS3)
Metal Gear Solid 3 takes players on a journey through time. It’s set in 1964, and is therefore the earliest point in the series to date. Instead of Solid Snake — he hasn’t been born yet, you see — players control a character who looks almost identical to him, Naked Snake. If you’re a regular connoisseur of Metal Gear, there’s a chance you’ll recognize that Naked Snake is the man who will someday be known as Big Boss. This means that we control the antagonist of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 in Metal Gear Solid 3.
It can be played via Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, PS3)
In Metal Gear Solid 4, we jump back to the ongoing misadventures of Solid Snake. Set in 2014, the story details Snake’s ongoing quest to defeat Liquid Ocelot. See, while Liquid Snake met his end in Metal Gear Solid, his minion, Revolver Ocelot, grafted Liquid’s arm onto his body. This — seemingly — resulted in Liquid’s mind possessing Ocelot’s body, and he opted to take the name Liquid Ocelot as a consequence. I said things can get complicated, didn’t I? This is the last game we play as Solid Snake.
It can be played via Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010, PSP/PS3)
Jumping back to Big Boss, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is set in 1974. In this one, Snake (Naked, not Solid) trains his new militia organization known as Militaires Sans Frontières (Soldiers Without Borders). Peace Walker introduces numerous concepts that will come into heavy relevance in Metal Gear Solid V.
It can be played via Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013, PS3)
I hope you don’t have temporal whiplash, because we’re going back to the era of Metal Gear Solid 4. In fact, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is set four years later, in 2018. It follows Raiden, the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2, who is now a cybernetic warrior working for a Private Military Company, Maverick.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014, PS3/PS4)
Ouch. I’m going to feel that in the morning. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is effectively a prologue to the actual fifth mainline game in the series, and is set in 1975. In the aftermath of Peace Walker, Snake is sent to rescue Paz Ortega Andrade and Ricardo “Chico” Valenciano Libre from Camp Omega in Cuba.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015, PS3/PS4)
V has come to. In the last, truly canonical game in the series, we play as Punished “Venom” Snake in an open world. It’s set in 1984, nine years after Ground Zeroes and 11 years before the original Metal Gear. Snake, Kazuhira Miller, and Revolver Ocelot seek revenge for the ambush at the end of Ground Zeroes, which involves taking down XOF head Skull Face and ST-84 “Sahelanthropus.”
Non-Canon / Spinoff Games
Metal Gear is no stranger to non-canon or spinoff titles. In 1990, prior to the release of Metal Gear 2, an unofficial sequel entitled Snake’s Revenge was developed by Konami and published by Ultra Games. In 2000, a Game Boy Color title, Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel, was released as an alternate version of Metal Gear Solid, set seven years after the original Metal Gear.
Metal Gear Acid, a turn-based, collectible card game was released in 2005 for the PSP. It received a sequel, Metal Gear Acid 2, in 2006. Portable Ops, and Portable Ops + were also launched for the PSP from 2006 to 2009. And finally, Metal Gear Survive, released in 2018, marks the last time the series has seen the light of day. It could return someday, but until then, these are all of the story-based Metal Gear games.
