Few online game franchises have been as revolutionary as Metal Gear over the many years, a collection that has persistently reinvented itself to supply contemporary and thrilling twists on tactical espionage motion. From the unique recreation that prioritized stealth in an period the place motion video games dominated supreme, to the groundbreaking rebirth of the collection that paved the way in which for cinematic video video games, the brainchild of Hideo Kojima has by no means been brief on surprises.
35 years later, the Metal Gear collection is a legendary showcase of inventive design, intense showdowns, and storylines that helped show that video video games could possibly be cinematic powerhouses. Grab your favourite cardboard field, sneak in for a covert op, and seize some intel on the very best Metal Gear Solid video games to make the minimize in GameSpot’s listing. Our listing is organized from worst to finest. We excluded a few cell video games and the non-canon Snake’s Revenge, however virtually your entire franchise is represented right here.
For extra recreation rankings, you possibly can try our options on the very best Final Fantasy, Lord of the Rings, and Pokemon video games.
18. Metal Gear Survive
The Metal Gear franchise’s most up-to-date recreation is… nicely, fairly dangerous. In the shadow of Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami, the writer tried to show that the Metal Gear franchise might survive with out the visionary behind it, however this spin-off proved in any other case. Metal Gear Survive was an attention-grabbing departure from the standard MGS formulation, but it surely was a chore to play, irritating more often than not, and rapidly misplaced to the sands of time.
Read our Metal Gear Survive overview.
17. Metal Gear (NES)
The recreation that began all of it, Metal Gear’s port from MSX to NES was each a crafty enterprise determination to maximise eyeballs on the product and a lesson in how not to remodel a recreation for a brand new platform. The extra intricate elements of the MSX model have been largely forged apart, map layouts modified drastically, and any sense of stability was jettisoned on this clumsy port. That all resulted in a messy espionage journey, and an unintended advert to seize the MSX model to expertise Snake’s first mission at its absolute best.
16. Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions
What would occur if Metal Gear Solid eliminated its narrative completely? You’d get a lean and imply Metal Gear Solid recreation, loaded with a whole bunch of digital actuality missions that pushes you to grasp Solid Snake’s expertise for stealth. While the extra linear construction does make the sport extra inflexible in its design, it is nonetheless an enchanting dive into Metal Gear Solid that exhibits off the stealth elements of the landmark title in its purest type. Plus, you possibly can carve folks up as cyber-ninja Gray Fox.
Read our Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions overview.
15. Metal Gear (MSX)
Metal Gear on NES is a trainwreck of a port, however on MSX, it is a well-aged title that flipped the script on what video video games have been able to on the time. Some archaic components have naturally carried over, however the core concepts of sneaking, staying out of the visible vary of enemies, and radio communication shaped a Rock-Solid Snake basis that the franchise could possibly be constructed on.
14. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
The unique Metal Gear was proof that stealth video games had a spot in a market saturated with guns-blazing action-adventures and platformers. The 1990 MSX sequel was a bolstered assertion of that concept, sharpening up each tough fringe of the primary recreation and including layers of nuanced and complicated design. Series staples resembling silenced pistols, improvisational fight, and cardboard containers helped reinforce its stealth gameplay, and with a extra complicated plot, Metal Gear 2 felt like a real cinematic online game on the time.
13. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Twin Snakes is a wierd beast, as this remake of the primary Metal Gear Solid was co-helmed by none aside from Eternal Darkness developer Silicon Knights. A variety of Metal Gear Solid 2’s gameplay concepts (just like the excellent first-person aiming) have been used to replace the sport, making a well-received remake. Godzilla: Final Wars director Ryuhei Kitamura helmed the brand new cutscenes, and whereas they might have turned Snake right into a nigh-unstoppable motion hero, the top end result made the stealth operative cooler than ever.
Read our Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes overview.
12. Metal Gear Solid GBC (Ghost Babel)
The Nintendo Game Boy was a miracle handheld, a tool that usually managed to seize the essence of big-name video games on its extra restricted {hardware}. Metal Gear Solid for the GBC (AKA Ghost Babel in Japan) cleverly dials again the PlayStation MGS expertise, throws in just a few acquainted narrative concepts, and charts its personal path ahead with a return to Outer Heaven. It seems to be nice, the boss fights towards colorfully named mercenaries are charming, and the level-based construction made this chapter within the franchise an instantaneous traditional.
11. Metal Gear Acid
Sony’s PSP handheld had an incredible lineup of launch video games in 2005, and with a brand new Metal Gear recreation within the listing, followers have been solely too desirous to dive into Solid Snake’s newest journey. Metal Gear Acid was in contrast to something that had come earlier than it on the time, a mix of playing cards, conspiracies, and tactical gameplay that threw out the standard stealth-action gameplay of the collection for a extra cerebral strategy. A turn-based shift may need been seen as an odd transfer for the collection, however virtually 20 years later, Metal Gear Acid and its sequel maintain up surprisingly nicely.
Read our Metal Gear Acid overview.
10. Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops / Plus
For these followers seeking to seize a correct Metal Gear Solid expertise in a handheld type issue, Portable Ops arrived in 2006 to make that dream a actuality. There have been just a few issues–notably a digital camera system from hell–that made the sport considerably clunky, but it surely was nonetheless a enjoyable recreation that caught to the formulation that had made Metal Gear Solid a hit on PlayStation consoles. It’s additionally notable for having components that might be integrated into later video games, resembling base-building, making Portable Ops an necessary and worthy addition to any Metal Gear Solid assortment.
Read our Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops overview.
9. Metal Gear Acid 2
A deeper and extra strategic return to card-based tactical motion, Metal Gear Acid 2’s gameplay polishes up the distinctive strategy of the unique recreation to beautiful impact. Featuring one other oddball story of covert infiltrations informed by means of an attention-grabbing cel-shaded graphical strategy, Metal Gear Acid 2 additionally got here packaged with the Solid Eye peripheral. It was primarily an adjunct that you just’d slap onto your PSP in order that you possibly can get a 3D impact, which was neat for 10 minutes earlier than it was tossed apart in order that you possibly can give attention to the invigorating story unfolding round you.
Read our Metal Gear Acid 2 overview.
8. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
It’s exhausting to categorise Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes as something aside from daring, as a result of this glorified demo managed to sneak into shops and cost gamers a premium retail value for an early slice of Phantom Pain gameplay. It’s nonetheless important for any full Metal Gear Solid library, and as a prologue squeezed between the occasions of Peace Walker and Phantom Pain, it features nicely as a prologue that might assist arrange the grand marketing campaign to come back whereas additionally proving that Metal Gear Solid had saved up with the instances.
Read our Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes overview.
7. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance took the franchise in yet one more new course. Developed by Platinum Games and armed with a soundtrack that completely complemented its over-the-top gameplay, Revengeance has the subtlety of a runaway freight prepare and an perspective that propelled to the highest of the meme charts. Almost a decade later, persons are nonetheless speaking about this gem of a recreation, or tapping splinters into their toes whereas listening to its energetic rating as they slice enemies into bloody chunks of atoms.
Read our Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance overview.
6. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
The grand conclusion to the saga of Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots mixes fascinating concepts with terrific devices and a narrative that celebrates your entire historical past of the collection as much as that time. It’s Hideo Kojima at his cinematic motion finest, mixing over-the-top characters with lethal stealth motion as the sport. It’s sadly solely out there on PS3 consoles, but it surely’s nonetheless top-of-the-line console exclusives of its period.
Read our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots overview.
5. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty / Substance
Sons of Liberty had a excessive benchmark to succeed in after the runaway success of Metal Gear Solid, and with a Big Shell of hype and momentum behind, this sequel proved to be greater than as much as the duty. Controversial for its determination to switch Solid Snake (who’s the spitting picture of that Iruqios Plissken fella) with Raiden, historical past has proven Sons of Liberty to be simply the cleverest entry within the collection. Filled with all method of baffling plot factors and concepts that solely made sense years later, the primary Metal Gear Solid recreation on PS2 was a runaway success that seemed superb, held a ton of secrets and techniques, and pushed the envelope for interactive storytelling additional than ever.
Read our Metal Gear Solid 2 overview.
4. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Though the opposite Metal Gear PSP video games have been fairly good, none of them reached the heights of Peace Walker, which was a full-fledged conventional entry within the franchise that bested quite a few the console video games. A very good-looking stealth-action marketing campaign, slick manufacturing values, and well-honed gameplay made it an important buy for the PSP. It was arguably the very best PSP recreation ever made. With fascinating gameplay techniques, a spectacular soundtrack, and a number of the finest boss fights within the collection so far, Peace Walker stood out at launch and stays a beautiful expertise at present.
Read our Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker overview.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The remaining Metal Gear Solid recreation with Hideo Kojima main growth duties, The Phantom Pain moved the franchise into extra fashionable territory with its sandbox strategy, upgraded stealth gameplay, and an formidable on-line mode that is admittedly unattainable to beat. While it has just a few flaws and a barely unfinished ambiance, it is nonetheless a masterpiece of storytelling, environmental design, and is crammed with an absurd quantity of element. It’s additionally simply the “largest” entry within the Metal Gear franchise. You can simply spend dozens of hours sneaking behind enemy strains and listening to Cold War chart-topping hits.
Read our Metal Gear Solid 5 overview.
2. Metal Gear Solid
A genre-defining leap ahead for video video games, Metal Gear Solid hit with an extinction-level impression in 1998. In a yr that noticed the discharge of Grim Fandango, Half-Life, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid was making waves for its deft mixture of stealth, motion, and cutscenes that seamlessly flowed into one another. It was action-packed and cerebral, a graphical leap ahead that squeezed each inch of energy doable out of the unique PlayStation, and was loaded with technological achievements which can be taken with no consideration today.
Even higher, Metal Gear Solid was an enchanting recreation to revisit, as Hideo Kojima’s consideration to element meant that every playthrough was filled with new aspects of the Shadow Moses Island to uncover and experiment with. From the mind-bending Psycho Mantis boss battle to the ultimate showdown with strolling struggle machine Metal Gear Rex, Metal Gear Solid helped solidify video games as thought-provoking narrative experiences and redefined the stealth style.
Read our Metal Gear Solid overview.
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater / Subsistence
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater takes the highest spot on this listing because the definitive Metal Gear expertise. More precisely, although, we’re speaking about Subsistence, the overhauled tackle the third Solid Snake recreation that immediately turned top-of-the-line video games of its time. Subsistence considerably improved the sport’s digital camera, which actually helped to focus on the sport’s glorious mixture of stealth and survival gameplay.
Though quite a few video games within the collection are identified for his or her nice writing, Metal Gear Solid 3 tells essentially the most emotional and well-paced story with a greater ending than even essentially the most diehard Metal Gear fanatics might think about. Featuring a number of the most ingenious boss fights in games–period–and a world rife with attention-grabbing set items that compelled gamers to place their pondering caps on, Metal Gear Solid 3 took the already revered collection to a brand new stage.
Subsistence additionally launched Metal Gear Online, an superior multiplayer spin on Metal Gear Solid 3’s tactical-stealth expertise. Metal Gear Online is unsurprisingly not on-line, however on the time it made Metal Gear Solid 3 top-of-the-line solo and aggressive video games round.
Metal Gear Solid 3 may lay declare to the very best use of a ladder in a online game. This is extraordinarily spectacular contemplating what number of video games function ladders.
Read our Metal Gear Solid 3 overview.
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