Whether or not it’s Snake’s elevator ascent to the wet cliffs of Shadow Moses or the climactic battle between pupil and mentor within the closing moments of Snake Eater, Hideo Kojima and Konami’s epic spy thriller franchise, Metallic Gear, is residence 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, Strong Snake and Massive Boss’ adventures are legendary, a lot in order that many declare they’re among the many most necessary releases the medium has ever produced.
Again in 2015, Metallic Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache seemingly ended the franchise for good, with Kojima leaving Konami and the Metallic Gear Strong IP behind to type his personal studio. Nonetheless, Konami has began resurrecting the collection by means of re-releases and remakes, like Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater popping out later this yr. 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 Metallic Gear Strong collection so newcomers and returning followers can catch up.
Not together with remakes, ports or remasters, there are 17 whole Metallic Gear video games: 11 mainline video games, 5 on handheld gadgets and one on cellular. Though that’s numerous video games, an honest chunk of them are thought-about 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 Metallic Gear Survive takes place in an apocalyptic actuality the place a zombie virus has overtaken the world, so it falls outdoors the primary canon. As for the PSP’s Metallic Gear: Acid and Metallic Gear: Acid 2, they veer from the timeline and inform a brand new story, making them alternate-timeline spin-offs. Then there’s the Recreation Boy Colour’s Metallic Gear: Ghost Babel, which is an alternate-universe Metallic Gear sequel that wipes away the occasions of Metallic Gear 2: Strong Snake, thus eradicating it from the timeline. And at last, Metallic Gear Cell and Snake’s Revenge have since been deemed non-canon by the group and Kojima himself in interviews.
That leaves 11 video games inside the primary storyline. Every recreation is taken into account a part of the true Metallic 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 suggest two potential beginning factors for Metallic Gear. For these within the full saga, we suggest 2023’s Metallic Gear Strong: Grasp Assortment Vol. 1, which incorporates the perfect obtainable variations of Metallic Gear Strong 1–3. Alternatively, for these serious about merely making an attempt out the franchise (and for these with a decrease tolerance for older video games), we suggest beginning with the collection’ most modern iteration, Metallic Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache.
Metallic Gear Strong: Grasp Assortment Vol.1 (PS5)
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Metallic Gear Video games in Chronological Order
These blurbs include gentle spoilers for every recreation, together with characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Metallic Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater
The primary slot within the saga’s timeline and the newest recreation to get a contemporary remake, Snake Eater follows a US Particular Forces operative codenamed Bare Snake through the occasions of the Chilly Conflict. Despatched to find and extract a Russian scientist from the Soviet Union to stop him from constructing a weapon of mass destruction referred to as 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, Bare 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 conflict. By the top of the story, Bare Snake adopts the moniker of Massive Boss, turning into a legend among the many US Particular Forces. Nonetheless, his battle with The Boss and the secrets and techniques he’s uncovered all through his journey depart him disillusioned along with his responsibility and the federal government he serves.
Learn our unique overview of Metallic Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater or our new overview of the MGS3 remake.
2. Metallic Gear Strong: Moveable Ops
Set six years after Massive Boss’ climactic battle along with his former mentor, Metallic Gear Strong: Moveable Ops picks up the legendary soldier’s story as he goes face to face along with his former squad, FOX Unit. The sport begins with Massive 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 title, he decides to seek out his former allies and pursue their ruthless chief, Gene. By the top of the sport, Massive Boss learns of Gene’s want to create a nation of mercenary troopers referred to as Military’s Heaven and acquires the mass of funds and gear saved for the venture. Returning to the US, he later kinds a squadron of particular ops troopers referred to as FOXHOUND.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Strong: Moveable Ops.
3. Metallic Gear Strong: Peace Walker
4 years after the occasions of Moveable Ops, we meet up with Massive Boss, who has left FOXHOUND and the Patriots. Since leaving, he’s fashioned a brand new band of mercenary troopers referred to as Militaires Sans Frontières (or MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Utilizing their newfound military to guard nations that don’t have the forces or means to defend themselves, Massive Boss and Miller wage conflict in opposition to an armed militia referred to as the Peace Sentinels after they invade Costa Rica.
Throughout his investigation, Massive Boss quickly realizes that his former mentor, The Boss, is in some way concerned within the Peace Sentinels’ plans. Worse, they’ve entry to nuclear weapons, wielding a supremely highly effective mech referred to as the Peace Walker. Rallying on an off-shore oil rig referred to as Motherbase, Snake and the Militaires Sans Frontières take the combat to the Peace Sentinels, trying to find their true motive and secrets and techniques. The sport ends with Massive Boss battling his former ally Paz, who seems to be a undercover agent of Zero’s shady authorities group, Cipher.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Strong: Peace Walker.
4. Metallic Gear Strong V: Floor Zeroes
A couple of months following the occasions of Peace Walker, Floor Zeroes acts as a prologue to the fifth entry within the Metallic Gear Strong collection: Metallic Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache. The story sees Massive Boss embark on a brand new mission after studying that Paz survived their climactic battle through the closing moments of Peace Walker and is being interrogated by Cipher at a mysterious navy base referred to as Camp Omega. Understanding that she has essential details about Cipher and will reveal secrets and techniques about MSF to the shadowy group, he rushes to extract her.
Whereas infiltrating the bottom, he discovers a mysterious Cipher cell referred to as XOF, which is led by a sadistic, severely burned commander referred to as Cranium 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 Massive Boss on the cusp of demise.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Strong: Floor Zeroes.
5. Metallic Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache
9 years later, Metallic Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache opens with a severely injured Massive Boss waking up in a hospital in Cyprus. Evading an assassination try the place he’s attacked by a person lined 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 referred to as the Diamond Canine.
Swearing to cease the XOF after they destroyed Militaires Sans Frontières, he adopts the codename Venom Snake and heads to Africa to select up their path, studying that the former-Cipher-affiliated group went rogue. Their chief, Cranium Face, is as a substitute engaged on a devastating parasitic weapon with the facility to eradicate the Western world. The sport ends with Massive Boss setting in movement his plans to create a navy nation referred to as Outer Heaven, the place troopers are free to stay with out getting used to additional shady authorities plans.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Strong 5: The Phantom Ache.
6. Metallic Gear
11 years later, the story catches up with the primary entry within the collection: Metallic Gear. The sport follows Strong Snake: a rookie soldier and member of FOXHOUND. FOXHOUND is as soon as once more run by Massive Boss, who acts as Snake’s mentor and commanding officer. On his first mission, Strong Snake is shipped to trace down a weapon of mass destruction being constructed in a navy nation referred to as Outer Heaven.
Throughout his mission, he finds one other agent codenamed Gray Fox, who was additionally despatched to trace the weapon. Gray Fox reveals the mysterious weapon is a mech codenamed Metallic Gear, which has the facility to launch nuclear bombs. The sport ends with Strong Snake and Massive Boss coming to blows, with the latter revealing he was behind Outer Heaven’s plans.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear.
7. Metallic Gear 2: Strong Snake
4 years later, Strong Snake returns to motion after he learns Massive Boss survived the occasions of the earlier recreation and is at the moment setting up a brand new Metallic Gear for the fictional nation of Zanzibar Land.
Teaming with numerous characters, Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land and makes an attempt to destroy the weapon of mass destruction, battling Massive Boss and his military of troopers alongside the way in which.
See extra about Metallic Gear 2: Strong Snake.
8. Metallic Gear Strong
Six years after Metallic Gear 2, Strong 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 referred to as Shadow Moses. Shadow Moses is allegedly a check website for a secret Metallic Gear, with FOXHOUND threatening to make use of its nuclear weapons in the event that they aren’t provided with Massive Boss’ corpse and a big sum of cash.
Snake heads to the power and fights numerous 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.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Strong or see extra of the greatest PS1 video games.
9. Metallic Gear Strong 2: Sons of Liberty
Metallic Gear Strong 2: Sons of Liberty opens two years later, with a now-rogue Strong Snake infiltrating an oil tanker whereas searching down a brand new Metallic Gear being transported to the US. There he discovers a prototype Metallic Gear referred to as Metallic 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 shipped on a mission to an off-shore decontamination facility referred to as Massive Shell, which was constructed to clear the crude oil spill brought on when the oil tanker was destroyed throughout Strong Snake’s mission. Massive Shell has been hijacked by a militant group referred to as the Sons of Liberty, which has taken the US president hostage.
Infiltrating the power, Raiden quickly discovers issues aren’t fairly what they appear, wanting into Massive 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, Strong 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.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Strong 2: Sons of Liberty or try extra of the greatest PS2 video games.
10. Metallic Gear Strong 4: Weapons of the Patriots
Marking the top of the primary story and Strong Snake’s closing mission, Metallic Gear Strong 4: Weapons of the Patriots catches up with Snake three years after the occasions of Sons of Liberty. Because of the cloning course of used to create Snake and the rampant FOXDIE virus nonetheless coursing by means of his veins, we uncover that his physique is quickly growing older, with the protagonist being informed he solely has a yr left to stay. Donning a brand new nickname, Previous Snake, he returns for one closing mission.
He’s to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, who’s at the moment operating a brand new model of Outer Heaven which is comprised of a few of the greatest personal militaries within the Center East. Equipping his physique with nanomachines, Snake units out to deliver Ocelot down, studying that his nemesis intends to as soon as once more find Massive Boss’ corpse and execute a mysterious plan. As Snake battles his age and the lingering FOXDIE mutating in his physique, he makes his method in the direction of a closing confrontation along with his most ruthless enemy.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Strong 4: Weapons of the Patriots.
11. Metallic Gear Rising: Revengeance
The ultimate story within the present Metallic Gear timeline, Metallic Gear Rising: Revengeance focuses on Raiden who, as we realized throughout Weapons of the Patriots, has reworked right into a cyborg. The story picks up 4 years after Metallic Gear Strong 4, revealing that Raiden now works with a personal navy firm referred to as Maverick Safety Consulting.
Throughout an operation in Africa, Raiden is attacked by a rival personal navy group referred to as 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. Because the revelations in regards to the personal navy develop darker, Raiden swears to deliver them down, setting off on his personal to ship violent justice.
Learn our overview of Metallic Gear Rising: Revengeance.
What’s Subsequent for Metallic Gear?
Now that we have gotten our fingers on the Snake Eater remake, questions stay about what we’d see subsequent within the stealth franchise. Whereas there’s nonetheless no indication that we’ll get new MGS video games with out Kojima, Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater developer Virtuous Studios did tease that remakes of different Metallic Gear video games aren’t off the desk.
Talking with IGN, the crew mentioned, “Relating to remakes of earlier video games within the collection aside from Metallic Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater, we are going to take heed to participant demand and contemplate accordingly.” True to their claims, the studio is rumored to have been spreading a ballot after Tokyo Video games Present that permit followers vote on which Metallic Gear recreation to remake subsequent.
Within the meantime, Konami has introduced a second quantity of the Metallic Gear Strong Grasp Assortment. The brand new assortment contains Metallic Gear Strong 4: Weapons of the Patriots, Metallic Gear Strong: Peace Walker (HD Assortment model), and Metallic Gear: Ghost Babel, with a launch date of August 27. That is up for preorder on PC and consoles, together with Swap 2.
For extra recreation timelines, additionally see Murderer’s Creed Video games in Order and a listing of Far Cry Video games so as.
Callum Williams is a freelance media author with years of expertise as a recreation critic, information reporter, guides author and options author.
