The original Metal Gear sneaked onto home consoles in 1987. But Konami’s follow-up in 1998, Metal Gear Solid, solidified the series as a mainstay in console gaming. Metal Gear Solid delivered cinematic storytelling and launched a series of sequels still regarded as some of the best in gaming. In honor of that heritage, we’re presenting our list of every Metal Gear game ranked from best to worst.
Every subsequent Metal Gear Solid series entry upped the anty in scope and gameplay. These games have stood the test of time and remain favorites among gamers of all ages. The series has had a few stumbles along the way, but there is no denying the stamp the series has left on gaming.
1. Metal Gear Solid: Tactical Espionage Action
The first game in the Metal Gear Solid series is also the best. While later entries expanded gameplay and story, it’s impossible to understate the first game’s influence on the gaming industry as a whole.
The PlayStation and its CD-based games allowed creator Hideo Kojima to fill Metal Gear Solid with cinematic moments and fully voiced dialogue. The voice acting, confounding story, and stealth gameplay delivered an unparalleled experience on Sony’s first console. A remake was released for the Gamecube in 2004, but the original on PlayStation is still the best way to play this game.
2. Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater: The Origin Of Big Boss
After the bait and switch Kojima pulled with Metal Gear Solid 2, Kojima pulled another fast one by turning the next game in the series into a prequel for the entire story. Metal Gear Solid 3 focuses on Bog Boss and his time-fighting in the Cold War.
Metal Gear Solid 3 is often regarded as one of the greatest games of all time, and it’s easy to see why. The PS2 classic didn’t break boundaries like the original game, but it still delivered one of the best experiences for Sony’s second console. It also expanded on the story by giving us Big Boss’s origin. We loved the original and cannot wait for the remake to hit modern consoles.
3. Metal Gear Solid 5 Phantom Pain: Open-World Tactical Espionage
Metal Gear Solid 5 was a complete change of form for the series. No longer was the game filled with long cutscenes and narrow corridors. Phantom Pain dropped the player into an open world, allowing them to complete missions as they saw fit.
The Phantom Pain was a satisfying departure for the long-running series, but sadly would be the last mainline entry. Konami and creator Hideo Kojima would part ways shortly after, leaving the future of the series in question.
4. Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons Of Liberty: A Classic Kojima Bait & Switch
After the success of Metal Gear Solid, fans were eager to step back into the sneaking suit of Solid Snake. Metal Gear Solid 2 is a notorious game for many reasons, not the least of which is removing Solid Snake for most of the game and having you instead play as Raiden.
MGS2 is not a worse game for this decision, but it did leave some fans feeling shafted. Fortunately, a fantastic re-release was made, Subsistance, that allowed Snake to be a playable character through most of the Raiden levels.
5. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker: Solider Building On The Go
Next on our list of every Metal Gear game ranked is the first handheld entry. Peace Walker is the fourth Metal Gear game released for Sony’s portable system and also the best. The game is a direct sequel to fan favorite MGS 3 and puts the player back in the role of Big Boss.
Peace Walker takes place in Costa Rica in the 1970s and follows Big Boss as he amasses his army known as “Soldiers Without Borders.” The gameplay was a departure in some ways from classic MGS titles but introduced many of the same mechanics used in The Phantom Pain.
6. Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns Of The Patriots: The End Of Solid Snake
Metal Gear Solid 4 is the last “Solid” title in the Metal Gear timeline. It follows Snake, now an old man, as he attempts to dismantle The Patriots.
Guns of the Patriots served as a fitting end to our hero but also relied heavily on long animated cut scenes. An entire playthrough will take around 18 hours, eight of which are cutscenes. MGS 4 also holds the Guinness World Record for the longest cutscene at a staggering 71 minutes.
7. Metal Gear 2: The Definitive 8-Bit Metal Gear Game
Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake was released a few years after the original Metal Gear and improved on the original in almost every way. The story continued from the first title with an even more rich and convoluted plot. The stealth mechanics were improved, and the ability to crawl was a welcome addition to traversal.
Despite initially only being released in Japan, the game has received numerous ports for American gamers. It’s easily playable today with its inclusion in the re-release of MGS 3 Subsistence.
8. Metal Gear Solid 5 Ground Zeros: The Short Prequel To The Phantom Pain
This entry on our list of every Metal Gear game ranked is the shortest in the franchise, but still one of our favorites. It was released only a few months before The Phantom Pain and introduced the world to Keifer Sutherland as the new Snake.
Ground Zeros feels more like a playable trailer than a full fledge game. The entire campaign can be completed in around two hours, and there is little incentive for multiple playthroughs. Fortunately, the game is still a blast and a perfect learning tool before entering the massive Phantom Pain.
9. Metal Gear: The Original Stealth Game
The first game in the Metal Gear series is also one of our favorites. The original Metal Gear pioneered stealth gameplay and storytelling.
The gameplay hasn’t aged perfectly, but there was nothing to compare it to at the time. The story of Solid Snake infiltrating Outer Heaven was compelling, and the stealth mechanics worked well on a 2D surface. We would love to see Konami remake the original Metal Gear games to make it easier for fans to experience the entire story.
10. Metal Gear Acid: Turn-Based Espionage Action
Metal Gear Acid is the first game Metal Gear game released for the PSP and the largest departure for the series. Rather than the traditional stealth mechanics, Acid utilizes a turn-based card system.
We prefer the traditional MGS gameplay, but Acid and its sequel are still fantastic titles for Sony’s portable. The story is inconsequential to the series but still retains the classic campy feel of Metal Gear Solid.
11. Metal Gear Rising Revegance: Sword Slashing Espionage Action
Metal Gear Rising puts the player in the shoes of Raiden four years after the events of MGS 4. The Platinum-developed game abandons stealth mechanics in favor of sword-slashing combat. The combat is fluid and fast, just as you would expect from a Platinum title.
Metal Gear Rising feels more like a coda to the series rather than an advancement of the story, but that’s fine. We came to play as a cyborg Ninja, not re-hash soliloquies about love blooming on the battlefield.
12. Metal Gear Ghost Babel: A GameBoy Color Metal Gear
Metal Gear Ghost Babel is a GameBoy Color Metal Gear game, released simply as Metal Gear Solid in North America. The titles can get confusing, as this game is not a port of the PS1 classic but rather an alternate timeline story.
The game returns to the overhead 2D style of the original NES Metal Gear games but adds a few quality-of-life upgrades like a scrolling screen. Ghost Babel also features a full 13-part radio drama played on the Codec. In a series of bizarre choices, Metal Gear for GameBoy Color stands out for its oddities.
13. Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops: Classic Solid Game Play Comes To The PSP
After two turn-based card games, PSP owners were clamoring for a stealth action Metal Gear game on their portable console. In 2006, Konami finally answered our prayers with Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops.
In our list of every Metal Gear game ranked, this is the most forgotten title, with even creator Hideo Kojima rarely mentioning the title. It’s a shame, as the stealth action and squad-based teams were a welcome addition to the already solid mechanics. We would love to play this one again, but as of now, the only way to play Portable Ops is on the original hardware.
14. Metal Gear Acid 2: Cell-Shaded Card-Based Combat
Metal Gear Acid 2 is the follow-up to the original Acid game released for the PSP. The game retains the card-based tactical gameplay but changes the graphics to a cell-shaded style.
Acid 2 is a fun card game, but the idea didn’t feel as novel as it did in the first entry. The game did improve over its predecessor in some ways. Mainly the addition of an arena mode that allows you to take on classic MGS villains in card-based combat.
15. Metal Gear Solid VR Missions: A Worthwhile Expansion To The PlayStation Classic
Metal Gear Solid VR Missions is more of an expansion to the original Metal Gear Solid than a full sequel. The game features over 300 VR missions and allows the player to unlock various other modes like photography and mystery mode.
VR Missions felt like the beginning of Kojima doing whatever he wanted to with a game. Allowing the player to control Cyborg Ninja or fight a 100-foot-tall soldier are just some of the lubricious moments you can expect in this PS1 gem.
16. Metal Gear Solid Touch: The Worst Way To Play Guns Of The Patriots
Metal Gear Solid Touch turns MGS 4 into a portable point-and-click shooter. The gameplay involved shooting several enemies on a static background in various MGS 4 locations. If that doesn’t sound super fun, it’s because it isn’t.
The game was removed from the App Store in 2015, which is honestly fine. The gameplay was bland, and the lack of real storytelling took all of the soul out of MGS4. Metal Gear Solid Touch is better off as a forgotten App Store title.
17. Metal Gear Survive: A Black Eye For The Series
We end our list of every Metal Gear game ranked with an easy decision. Metal Gear Survive is the worst title in the Metal Gear series, and it’s not even close. After Kojima and Konami parted ways, Konami sought a way to keep the Metal Gear series alive without the creator’s involvement. The result is a poorly made zombie survival game that occurs partially in the world of Metal Gear.
The game is not without its good moments. The Fox Engine still looks and runs fantastic and cooperative gameplay did offer some fun. Unfortunately, Konami had already suffered too much negative press for their treatment of Hideo Kojima, and the game was a massive flop. With so many other great games in the Metal Gear series, it’s easy to recommend skipping Metal Gear Survive.
