Aside from the poorly received and roughly non-canonical Metal Gear Survive, there hasn't been a new entry in the Metal Gear franchise since Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in 2015. That will change this year, as Konami is planning on rolling out its ambitious Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remake, but with so many disparate releases, and a loose relationship with chronology, the Metal Gear games remain intimidating and opaque for newcomers.
Conveniently, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the first chapter in the Metal Gear story, chronologically speaking. This might make it the ideal entry point for the modern player who has skipped the previous Metal Gear games and is just looking for a polished, straightforward action-stealth experience. But while the upcoming remake may cater to contemporary tastes, it's still building off decades of hard-wrought game design and tradition, so a more relaxed, even non-chronological, approach to the broader series might be a better starting point for newcomers, especially those who want the "definitive" Metal Gear experience.
The following lists will omit games like Metal Gear Survive and Metal Gear Mobile, which are generally considered non-canon.
Metal Gear Solid 2 Getting the Delta Treatment Could Be Easier For One Big Reason
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is set for a 2025 release, and if Konami decides to repeat this approach, MGS2 is probably the easiest candidate.
The Best Paths Through Metal Gear
Option 1: Playing the Metal Gear Games in Release Order
- Metal Gear
- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
- Metal Gear Solid
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
- Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Going by the philosophy of the simplest solution being the best one, playing the Metal Gear games in the order they were released is generally viewed as the most appropriate, faithful way to engage with the series. Starting with 1987's Metal Gear and playing through The Phantom Pain, players can experience the evolution of the Metal Gear story and gameplay the way that Kojima Productions intended.
Granted, this may lead to a good bit of confusion, as Snake Eater, the fifth game in the series, is actually the first game chronologically, while the first Metal Gear is actually the sixth chronological entry. But to be frank, anyone cutting their teeth on Metal Gear will probably be confused regardless of play order, and the story does actually increase its complexity independent of the timeline. That is to say, Metal Gear Solid 3 isn't necessarily the most easily digestible chapter in the series, despite being the first in the story.
Option 2: Playing Metal Gear Chronologically
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
- Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- Metal Gear
- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
- Metal Gear Solid
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
This playlist will start players on Snake Eater and end on Revengenace, the Platinum Games character-action bonanza that serves as a quasi-epilogue to the Metal Gear franchise as a whole. Taking this approach, the Metal Gear story can be explored in the most straightforward and logically consistent way, making it easier to keep track of things like who's a clone and who isn't. The biggest drawback to this play order is the whiplash in gameplay it can evoke. For example, going from The Phantom Pain, which arguably has the most fleshed-out and intuitive gameplay of the whole series, to the comparatively rudimentary and dated Metal Gear, may lead one to view the latter less favorably, as it will undoubtedly feel less expressive and exciting to play.
The good news is that, while one can debate which path through Metal Gear is optimal, it's really impossible to go wrong. Metal Gear is one of the most beloved gaming franchises for a reason, after all, so just about any entry point has the potential to be the "right" one. As long as players are prepared for a convoluted, mind-bending story, they should be in for a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
WHERE TO PLAY
The core experience of the original, evolved and more immersive than ever.
A remake of the 2004 game METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER, with the same gripping story and engrossing world, now with all new graphics and 3D audio that enhance the jungle atmosphere. Get ready for the ultimate survival stealth action experience.
The Cold War Crisis that started it all
In the middle of the Cold War, Naked Snake, the man who would later be known as Big Boss, infiltrates the Soviet Union to escort a defecting scientist, Sokolov. However, the mission ends in failure when Snake's mentor—The Boss, a soldier known as the mother of special forces—betrays him, and Sokolov is captured by Colonel Volgin of the GRU.
One week later, Snake returns to Soviet territory to rescue Sokolov and eliminate The Boss—a mission that will mark the start of a new legend, a mission that will mark the start of a new legend, against the backdrop of the ever-changing march of history.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Prequel(s)
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
- Sequel(s)
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- Franchise
- Metal Gear Solid
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- August 28, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- August 28, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- August 28, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Shooter, Adventure, Stealth
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
