Whether it’s Snake’s elevator ascent to the wet cliffs of Shadow Moses or the climactic battle between pupil and mentor within the ultimate moments of Snake Eater, Hideo Kojima and Konami’s epic spy thriller franchise, Metal Gear, is dwelling to a few of gaming’s most iconic moments. Telling a narrative that spanned a number of console generations and pushed the artistic capabilities of video video games to their limits, Solid Snake and Big Boss’ adventures are legendary, a lot in order that many declare they’re among the many most essential releases the medium has ever produced.
Back in 2015, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain seemingly ended the franchise for good, with Kojima leaving Konami and the Metal Gear Solid IP behind to kind his personal studio. However, Konami has began resurrecting the sequence by re-releases and remakes, like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater popping out later this 12 months. With so many new gamers experiencing this world of undercover espionage, shady authorities conspiracy and gruff-voiced dudes with cool eyepatches for the primary time, we’ve laid out the chronological order of the Metal Gear Solid sequence so newcomers and returning followers can catch up.
Not together with remakes, ports or remasters, there are 17 total Metal Gear games: 11 mainline video games, 5 on handheld gadgets and one on cellular. Although that’s plenty of video games, a good chunk of them are thought of non-canon, with their tales overriding occasions from the primary saga and spinning off into their very own distinctive takes on the universe.
2018’s Metal Gear Survive takes place in an apocalyptic actuality the place a zombie virus has overtaken the world, so it falls exterior the primary canon. As for the PSP’s Metal Gear: Acid and Metal Gear: Acid 2, they veer from the timeline and inform a brand new story, making them alternate-timeline spin-offs. Then there’s the Game Boy Color’s Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, which is an alternate-universe Metal Gear sequel that wipes away the occasions of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, thus eradicating it from the timeline. And lastly, Metal Gear Mobile and Snake’s Revenge have since been deemed non-canon by the neighborhood and Kojima himself in interviews.
That leaves 11 video games inside the primary storyline. Each sport is taken into account a part of the true Metal Gear Saga, spanning from a fictional alternate-history Nineteen Sixties to the late 2010s. So, let’s run you thru all of the video games in that story.
We advocate two potential beginning factors for Metal Gear. For these within the full saga, we advocate 2023’s Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which incorporates the most effective out there variations of Metal Gear Solid 1–3. Alternatively, for these focused on merely making an attempt out the franchise (and for these with a decrease tolerance for older video games), we advocate beginning with the sequence’ most up to date iteration, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 (PS5)
Metal Gear Games in Chronological Order
These blurbs comprise delicate spoilers for every sport, together with characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
The first slot within the saga’s timeline and the subsequent sport to get a contemporary remake, Snake Eater follows a US Special Forces operative codenamed Naked Snake through the occasions of the Cold War. Sent to find and extract a Russian scientist from the Soviet Union to stop him from constructing a weapon of mass destruction often called the Shagohod, Snake’s shocked to search out his former mentor, The Boss, has betrayed the US authorities and sided with the Soviets.
After a heated battle, Naked Snake is brutally defeated and left for useless within the jungle. Surviving the encounter, he’s tasked by his commanding officer, Zero, to return to Russia, discover his mentor and kill her, all of the whereas monitoring down the Shagohod to stop nuclear struggle. By the top of the story, Naked Snake adopts the moniker of Big Boss, turning into a legend among the many US Special Forces. However, his battle with The Boss and the secrets and techniques he’s uncovered all through his journey go away him disillusioned together with his obligation and the federal government he serves.
Read our Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Review or see updates in regards to the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake.
2. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Set six years after Big Boss’ climactic battle together with his former mentor, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops picks up the legendary soldier’s story as he goes face to face together with his former squad, FOX Unit. The sport begins with Big Boss studying FOX has gone rogue, betraying the CIA and staging a revolt.
Captured and tortured on a Colombian base by FOX Unit, Boss breaks free however learns he’s been accused of treason. In a bid to clear his identify, he decides to seek out his former allies and pursue their ruthless chief, Gene. By the top of the sport, Big Boss learns of Gene’s need to create a nation of mercenary troopers often called Army’s Heaven and acquires the mass of funds and gear saved for the challenge. Returning to the US, he later kinds a squadron of particular ops troopers often called FOXHOUND.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.
3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Four years after the occasions of Portable Ops, we meet up with Big Boss, who has left FOXHOUND and the Patriots. Since leaving, he’s fashioned a brand new band of mercenary troopers often called Militaires Sans Frontières (or MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Using their newfound military to guard international locations that don’t have the forces or means to defend themselves, Big Boss and Miller wage struggle in opposition to an armed militia often called the Peace Sentinels after they invade Costa Rica.
During his investigation, Big Boss quickly realizes that his former mentor, The Boss, is by some means concerned within the Peace Sentinels’ plans. Worse, they’ve entry to nuclear weapons, wielding a supremely highly effective mech known as the Peace Walker. Rallying on an off-shore oil rig often called Motherbase, Snake and the Militaires Sans Frontières take the battle to the Peace Sentinels, trying to find their true motive and secrets and techniques. The sport ends with Big Boss battling his former ally Paz, who seems to be a undercover agent of Zero’s shady authorities group, Cipher.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
4. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
A couple of months following the occasions of Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes acts as a prologue to the fifth entry within the Metal Gear Solid sequence: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The story sees Big Boss embark on a brand new mission after studying that Paz survived their climactic battle through the ultimate moments of Peace Walker and is being interrogated by Cipher at a mysterious navy base often called Camp Omega. Knowing that she has essential details about Cipher and will reveal secrets and techniques about MSF to the shadowy group, he rushes to extract her.
While infiltrating the bottom, he discovers a mysterious Cipher cell often called XOF, which is led by a sadistic, severely burned commander known as Skull Face. The prologue ends with Snake extracting Paz solely to understand his allies are being attacked by the XOF again at Motherbase. The onslaught destroys the oil rig and eradicates Militaires Sans Frontières, leaving Big Boss on the cusp of loss of life.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes.
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Nine years later, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain opens with a severely injured Big Boss waking up in a hospital in Cyprus. Evading an assassination try the place he’s attacked by a person coated in flames, a telekinetic soldier and a grasp sniper, Boss is saved by Revolver Ocelot and returns to motion as he leads a brand new mercenary group often called the Diamond Dogs.
Swearing to cease the XOF after they destroyed Militaires Sans Frontières, he adopts the codename Venom Snake and heads to Africa to choose up their path, studying that the former-Cipher-affiliated group went rogue. Their chief, Skull Face, is as an alternative engaged on a devastating parasitic weapon with the facility to eradicate the Western world. The sport ends with Big Boss setting in movement his plans to create a navy nation often called Outer Heaven, the place troopers are free to stay with out getting used to additional shady authorities plans.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.
6. Metal Gear
11 years later, the story catches up with the primary entry within the sequence: Metal Gear. The sport follows Solid Snake: a rookie soldier and member of FOXHOUND. FOXHOUND is as soon as once more run by Big Boss, who acts as Snake’s mentor and commanding officer. On his first mission, Solid Snake is distributed to trace down a weapon of mass destruction being constructed in a navy nation often called Outer Heaven.
During his mission, he finds one other agent codenamed Grey Fox, who was additionally despatched to trace the weapon. Grey Fox reveals the mysterious weapon is a mech codenamed Metal Gear, which has the facility to launch nuclear bombs. The sport ends with Solid Snake and Big Boss coming to blows, with the latter revealing he was behind Outer Heaven’s plans.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear.
7. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Four years later, Solid Snake returns to motion after he learns Big Boss survived the occasions of the earlier sport and is at the moment establishing a brand new Metal Gear for the fictional nation of Zanzibar Land.
Teaming with varied characters, Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land and makes an attempt to destroy the weapon of mass destruction, battling Big Boss and his military of troopers alongside the way in which.
See extra about Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.
8. Metal Gear Solid
Six years after Metal Gear 2, Solid Snake returns in a brand new mission. This time he’s despatched to battle his former unit, FOXHOUND, which has gone rogue, turned in opposition to the US and brought over a mysterious authorities facility on an island often called Shadow Moses. Shadow Moses is allegedly a take a look at website for a secret Metal Gear, with FOXHOUND threatening to make use of its nuclear weapons in the event that they aren’t equipped with Big Boss’ corpse and a big sum of cash.
Snake heads to the ability and fights varied members of FOXHOUND, together with Revolver Ocelot, Psycho Mantis and a Cyborg model of his former ally, Greyfox. He additionally meets the eccentric chief of FOXHOUND, Liquid Snake. The sport ends with Snake being declared killed-in-action by Colonel Campbell and presumed useless by the federal government after they supposed to double-cross him. He flees Shadow Moses alive.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Solid or see extra of the finest PS1 video games.
9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty opens two years later, with a now-rogue Solid Snake infiltrating an oil tanker whereas looking down a brand new Metal Gear being transported to the US. There he discovers a prototype Metal Gear often called Metal Gear Ray, which is subsequently stolen by Revolver Ocelot. Ocelot sinks the tanker and escapes, whereas Snake is blamed for the tanker’s destruction.
Two years later, we shift to a brand new protagonist: Raiden. An agent of FOXHOUND, Raiden is distributed on a mission to an off-shore decontamination facility often called Big Shell, which was constructed to clear the crude oil spill precipitated when the oil tanker was destroyed throughout Solid Snake’s mission. Big Shell has been hijacked by a militant group often called the Sons of Liberty, which has taken the US president hostage.
Infiltrating the ability, Raiden quickly discovers issues aren’t fairly what they appear, trying into Big Shell’s secrets and techniques and assembly a junior lieutenant named Iroquois Pliskin, who’s clearly hiding an enormous secret. By the top of the sport, Solid Snake joins Raiden’s mission, telling him he’s going after Ocelot (who it’s revealed is possessed by the need of Liquid Snake) and the Patriots.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or take a look at extra of the finest PS2 video games.
10. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Marking the top of the primary story and Solid Snake’s ultimate mission, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots catches up with Snake three years after the occasions of Sons of Liberty. Due to the cloning course of used to create Snake and the rampant FOXDIE virus nonetheless coursing by his veins, we uncover that his physique is quickly getting old, with the protagonist being informed he solely has a 12 months left to stay. Donning a brand new nickname, Old Snake, he returns for one ultimate mission.
He’s to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, who’s at the moment operating a brand new model of Outer Heaven which is comprised of among the greatest non-public militaries within the Middle East. Equipping his physique with nanomachines, Snake units out to carry Ocelot down, studying that his nemesis intends to as soon as once more find Big Boss’ corpse and execute a mysterious plan. As Snake battles his age and the lingering FOXDIE mutating in his physique, he makes his means in direction of a ultimate confrontation together with his most ruthless enemy.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
11. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
The ultimate story within the present Metal Gear timeline, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance focuses on Raiden who, as we realized throughout Guns of the Patriots, has remodeled right into a cyborg. The story picks up 4 years after Metal Gear Solid 4, revealing that Raiden now works with a non-public navy firm known as Maverick Security Consulting.
During an operation in Africa, Raiden is attacked by a rival non-public navy group often called Desperado Enforcement. Wounded and left for useless by its commander, Jet Stream Sam, Raiden continues his investigation into Desperado and learns some sinister secrets and techniques in regards to the group and its allies. As the revelations in regards to the non-public navy develop darker, Raiden swears to carry them down, setting off on his personal to ship violent justice.
Read our assessment of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
How to Play the Metal Gear Games by Release Date
- Metal Gear (1987)
- Snake’s Revenge (1990)
- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)
- Metal Gear Solid (1998)
- Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel (2000)
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
- Metal Gear Solid: Acid (2004)
- Metal Gear Solid: Acid 2 (2005)
- Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
- Metal Gear Solid: Mobile (2008)
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)
- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014)
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
- Metal Gear Survive (2018)
- Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (2025)
What’s Next for Metal Gear?
Although for a few years, it appeared Metal Gear was formally completed as a sequence, Konami has confirmed an upcoming remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Shown with a cinematic trailer throughout PlayStation’s 2023 summer time showcase, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will rebuild the sport from the bottom up, giving followers a contemporary reimagining of Naked Snake’s legendary battle with The Boss. The remake is ready to launch on August 28, 2025, as revealed in Sony’s February 2025 State of Play.
As for potential new entries within the sequence, Konami hasn’t confirmed whether or not they plan to make authentic Metal Gear video games with out Hideo Kojima. That being mentioned, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater developer Virtuous Studios did tease that remakes of different Metal Gear video games aren’t off the desk. Speaking with IGN, the crew mentioned, “Regarding remakes of earlier video games within the sequence aside from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, we’ll take heed to participant demand and take into account accordingly.”
For extra lists like these, additionally see Assassin’s Creed Games in Order and an inventory of Far Cry Games so as.
Callum Williams is a freelance media author with years of expertise as a sport critic, information reporter, guides author and options author.
