There are almost no franchises that dominate an entire genre of game like the Metal Gear games do with stealth. Sure, other series like Splinter Cell and Syphon Filter came along to try and compete in the space, but even to this day, the first name that most people think of when they hear stealth is Snake and Metal Gear. Brainchild and defining franchise for the now-legendary creator Hideo Kojima, this series has gone from humble beginnings before stealth was even a real concept in games, to a nearly abandoned franchise after his departure. While the future of the series may be uncertain, the legacy is undeniable. Not every game in the franchise is as spectacular as the others, and age has certainly taken its toll on some, but that didn’t make this ranking any easier. Perhaps the only thing more complicated than the story of these games is knowing which ones are the best, so we’ve crawled through all the vents, hid under every cardboard box, and held up every guard to rank all the Metal Gear games from best to worst.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
M
Platforms
PlayStation 2
Genre
Shooter, Tactical, Adventure
Developer
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Publisher
Konami
Release
November 17, 2004
By sheer coincidence, the best game in the series is also the earliest in the entire series’ complex and intertwining timeline. This game is the perfect realization of what the series is at its best. The plot is political and deep, but not overly convoluted or filled with too much jargon. The characters are well-realized and unique without getting too over-the-top. And the sneaking and mechanics feel perfectly balanced, if a little dated in terms of how you actually control Snake. Being set prior to any other game, it is also technically a fine place to start, though going backward after this will be a little tough.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
M
Platforms
PlayStation 2
Genre
Adventure
Developer
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Publisher
Konami
Release
November 13, 2001
If you asked fans of the series immediately after this game launched, there was a good chance you would’ve heard people hating on MGS2. Most of this hate came from the now legendary bait-and-switch of OG protagonist Snake with newcomer Raiden. Now that time has passed, a newfound appreciation for this game has bumped it up to the status it always deserved. Yes, the sneaking, graphics, and attention to detail are leagues above the first, but it is the almost comedically accurate ways this game predicted the future that make it so timeless. Seriously, play this game to the end and remind yourself that it came out in 2001.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
M
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter, Tactical, Adventure
Developer
Kojima Productions
Publisher
Konami
Release
September 01, 2015
We’re lumping these two together since Ground Zeroes really is meant to be the introduction to V. The last Kojima-directed game, MGSV puts you back in the shoes of Big Boss to build up your own PMC. Mechanically, there’s no argument that this is the best the series has ever controlled. Every action, from moving, climbing, and crawling, to shooting and CQC feels smooth and perfect. The open-world design and freedom to outfit Snake with dozens of tools allows you to really plan and infiltrate any location however you want. The big bummer here is twofold: first is that the story is almost completely absent in the game and instead relegated to cassette tapes you need to listen to. The second is that the game just isn’t done. The entire final chapter had to be cut, leaving the payoff very limp for those invested in the characters and world.
Metal Gear Solid
M
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Puzzle, Tactical, Adventure
Developer
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Publisher
Konami
Release
September 03, 1998
Back to the start, the original MGS was a mind-blowing experience when it came out. No other game was as cinematic or creative as this game, with dynamic camera angles, high-quality voice acting and story, and AI that felt genuinely smart. It is quite dated now, both in visuals and controls, but hardly unplayable. The short runtime also makes it easy to recommend, simply to see how the series began.
Read our full Metal Gear Solid review
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
M
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac
Genre
Shooter, Strategy, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Developer
PlatinumGames
Publisher
Konami
Release
February 19, 2013
One of the few non-Kojima-directed games, Revengeance had every reason to fail. It was passed off to Platinum Games after Kojima Productions failed to execute, but was salvaged and turned into one of the most intense, high-octane, and over-the-top action games ever made. Sure, the stealth element is all but abandoned, but that’s forgivable playing as Raiden with his high-frequency blade. The plot is…there, and it does have a message to deliver, but it’s the action you come here for. Trust us, just experience the feeling of the lyrics kicking in while fighting the first boss and you’ll get it.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
T
Platforms
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter, Strategy
Developer
Kojima Productions
Publisher
Konami
Release
April 29, 2010
Peace Walker is a criminally overlooked game just for coming out on for the Vita, although it later did get ports. However, it is that portable nature that made this game so good. This is basically a prototype for what MGSV would become, sending you out on more bite-sized missions to build up your army and build up Mother Base. The story here is also essential for understanding V so don’t pass it off as some side-game, either.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
M
Platforms
PlayStation 3
Genre
Shooter, Tactical, Adventure
Developer
Kojima Productions
Publisher
Konami
Release
June 12, 2008
We had to put MGS4 this low for one major reason: if you haven’t played everything leading up to it, this game probably won’t do anything for you. Everything you’ve heard about this game is true, from the overly long cutscenes to the disjointed gameplay and crazy plot. However, for those who have stuck with the series all the way to this point, the narrative payoffs here are some of the most satisfying in gaming. This really did feel like Kojima attempting to tie up every loose end and answer every important question to leave the series behind. Obviously, that didn’t end up being the case.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
M
Platforms
PlayStation Portable
Genre
Adventure
Developer
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Kojima Productions
Publisher
Konami
Release
December 05, 2006
Portable Ops is the first attempt at bringing the Solid series to handheld, but this time on the weaker and more clunky PSP. The only really important thing this game did was introduce the idea of capturing and recruiting enemy soldiers for your base, but otherwise, this game is largely forgettable. The gameplay is fine, though hampered by the PSP’s single analog stick, and the story isn’t essential to anything before or after.
Metal Gear Solid
E
Platforms
Game Boy Color
Genre
Shooter, Adventure
Developer
Konami
Publisher
Konami, Gradiente
Release
April 24, 2000
We said Portable Ops was the first handheld Solid game, but Ghost Babel is an OG Metal Gear on the ancient Game Boy Color. There’s really no reason to go back this far, especially when this game is non-cannon. It is just a cool relic of the series that lets you basically play the original NES game on the go.
Metal Gear
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PC DOS, Commodore C64/128, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Family Computer, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter, Strategy
Developer
Konami
Publisher
Ultra Games, Konami, Playtronic
Release
December 22, 1987
This is really only for the most hardcore. This game is as clunky and cryptic as the worst games of the era but also tries to be the first real stealth game within the limitations of the MSX2. If you do want to experience the series’ origins, please use a guide to save yourself the headache of trying to figure out what to do or even how basic functions work.
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