Metal Gear Solid: The Ultimate Play Order Guide
Want to dive into the Metal Gear Solid saga but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered! Here are two different ways to experience the Metal Gear Solid universe: by release date and chronologically within the game’s timeline.
# Metal Gear Solid Play Order: By Release Date
This is the recommended way to experience the series, as it allows you to see the evolution of the gameplay, graphics, and storytelling as the developers intended.
Here’s the Metal Gear Solid series in order of release:
* Metal Gear (1987)
* Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)
* Metal Gear Solid (1998)
* Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)
* Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
* Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
* Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)
* Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)
* Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014)
* Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Following this order ensures you experience the story as it unfolded to players over the years.
# Metal Gear Solid Play Order: Chronological Order
This approach follows the in-game timeline, jumping through different eras and characters. Be warned, this order contains minor spoilers for the series. Playing in chronological order may diminish the impact of certain plot twists and character reveals.
Here’s the Metal Gear Solid series in chronological order:
* Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
* Set in 1964 during the Cold War, you play as Naked Snake (later Big Boss) on a mission to prevent a nuclear superweapon from falling into the wrong hands.
* Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
* A side story taking place six years after Snake Eater, focusing on Naked Snake’s early military career. This title is optional; skipping it won’t significantly impact your understanding of the main plot.
* Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
* Naked Snake establishes Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF), a private military organization. MSF investigates a nuclear weapon threat in Costa Rica.
* Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
* A short prologue to The Phantom Pain, set shortly after Peace Walker. Venom Snake attempts to rescue a former MSF member held captive, risking the exposure of sensitive information.
* Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
* Venom Snake leads the Diamond Dogs, seeking revenge against those who destroyed MSF. This game explores themes of revenge, identity, and the nature of war.
* Metal Gear
* You play as Solid Snake, a new recruit in the Foxhound unit led by Big Boss. Snake is sent to Outer Heaven to investigate a weapon of mass destruction.
* Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
* Four years after the first Metal Gear, Solid Snake must rescue Dr. Kio, the creator of an energy-solving oil called OILIX, from the Zanzibar Land military organization.
* Metal Gear Solid
* The Foxhound unit, now rogue, seizes control of Metal Gear REX, a nuclear-equipped weapon. Solid Snake is called back into action to stop them.
* Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
* Solid Snake investigates a terrorist threat at the Big Shell facility in 2007. He encounters Raiden, a soldier whose involvement complicates the situation.
* Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
* Set in 2014, an aging Solid Snake confronts a world controlled by Private Military Companies (PMCs) and the Patriots organization. He must stop a former enemy from taking control of the Patriots.
# Bonus: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
This spin-off title, while set in the Metal Gear universe, offers a different gameplay experience with a focus on action. It follows Raiden’s fight against military organizations after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4.
# What’s Next for Metal Gear Solid?
The remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, titled Metal Gear Solid Delta, is set to release on August 28. This project will bring the classic story to life with improved graphics and gameplay. Whether or not more Metal Gear Solid games will be made remains to be seen, but the series’ enduring popularity suggests it’s a strong possibility!
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