Aside from the poorly received and roughly non-canonicalMetal Gear Survive, there hasn’t been a new entry in theMetal Gearfranchise sinceMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Painin 2015. That will change this year, as Konami is planning on rolling out itsambitiousMetal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eaterremake, but with so many disparate releases, and a loose relationship with chronology, theMetal Geargames remain intimidating and opaque for newcomers.
Conveniently,Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eateris the first chapter in theMetal Gearstory, chronologically speaking. This might make it the ideal entry point for the modern player who has skipped the previousMetal Geargames 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 Gearexperience.
The following lists willomit games likeMetal Gear SurviveandMetal Gear Mobile, which are generally considered non-canon.
The Best Paths Through Metal Gear
Option 1: Playing the Metal Gear Games in Release Order
Going by the philosophy of the simplest solution being the best one, playing theMetal Geargames in the order they were released is generally viewed as the most appropriate, faithful way to engage with the series. Starting with 1987’sMetal Gearand playing throughThe Phantom Pain, players can experience theevolution of theMetal Gearstoryand gameplay the way that Kojima Productions intended.
Granted, this may lead to a good bit of confusion, asSnake Eater, the fifth game in the series, is actually the first game chronologically, while the firstMetal Gearis actually the sixth chronological entry. But to be frank, anyone cutting their teeth onMetal Gearwill probably be confusedregardless of play order, and the story does actually increase its complexity independent of the timeline. That is to say,Metal Gear Solid 3isn’t necessarily the most easily digestible chapter in the series, despite being the first in the story.
Option 2: Playing Metal Gear Chronologically
This playlist will start players onSnake Eaterand end onRevengenace, the Platinum Games character-action bonanzathat serves as a quasi-epilogue to theMetal Gearfranchise as a whole. Taking this approach, theMetal Gearstory 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 fromThe Phantom Pain, which arguably has the most fleshed-out and intuitive gameplay of the whole series, to the comparatively rudimentary and datedMetal 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 debatewhich path throughMetal Gearis optimal, it’s really impossible to go wrong.Metal Gearis 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.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
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 allIn 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.
