Hideo Kojima is a madman. I mean that with the utmost respect, but let's be real—trying to figure out all the metal gear solid games in order is like trying to untangle a ball of yarn that’s been soaked in nanomachines and political philosophy. You have clones. You have psychics. You have a guy who controls bees for some reason. If you’re diving into this franchise for the first time in 2026, or maybe just revisiting it because the Delta remake got you hyped, you need a roadmap that actually makes sense.
Most people argue about whether you should play them in the order they were released or the order the story actually happens. Honestly? Release order is almost always better for your first time because the gameplay evolves alongside the technology. Watching the graphics jump from the PS1 to the PS5 and back again is jarring. But if you want the "history book" experience, the chronological route is a wild ride through the 20th century.
The Cold War Roots: Where it All Begins
If we are talking about the timeline, everything starts in 1964 with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. This isn't just a game; it's a masterpiece of survival. You aren't playing as the Solid Snake you see in Super Smash Bros. Instead, you’re Naked Snake, the man who eventually becomes Big Boss. It’s a jungle stealth game where you have to eat frogs to stay alive and perform surgery on yourself with a survival knife. The ending of this game is widely considered one of the most emotional moments in gaming history. It sets the stage for every single betrayal that follows over the next fifty years of the story.
Then things get a bit messy with the portable titles. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which originally came out on the PSP, is actually a massive piece of the puzzle. Set in 1974, it shows how Big Boss started building his private army, MSF. If you skip this, the jump to the next game won't make any sense. You’ll be wondering why everyone is so obsessed with building a base in the middle of the ocean.
Then we hit the 1980s. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain take place in 1975 and 1984 respectively. This is the peak of the "Fox Engine" era. The gameplay is flawless. You can approach any mission however you want—sniping from a mile away, kidnapping soldiers with balloons, or just riding in on a horse while playing 80s pop music on your Walkman. However, the story is famously unfinished because of the massive falling out between Kojima and Konami. It leaves a bit of a sour taste, but the sheer mechanical brilliance of the game makes it essential.
The Solid Snake Era: The 90s and Beyond
Now we pivot. After the prequel saga ends, we jump to the "modern" era, which actually started back in 1987 on the MSX2 computer. Most modern fans skip the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, but they are the literal foundation of the series. They take place in 1995 and 1999. This is where Solid Snake—the clone of Big Boss—is sent in to destroy the bipedal tanks known as Metal Gears. If you find these too dated to play, you can usually find summaries in the menus of later games.
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Then, the world changed in 1998. Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation.
This game was a revolution. It used cinematic camera angles and voice acting that actually felt like a movie. Set in 2005 on Shadow Moses Island, it’s a tight, claustrophobic thriller. You’re dealing with a genetic terrorist cell led by Liquid Snake. It's iconic. You can't say you've played all the metal gear solid games in order if you haven't sat through the Psycho Mantis boss fight where he "reads" your memory card. It was mind-blowing back then, and honestly, it still feels clever today.
The Post-Modern Chaos of the 2000s
In 2001, we got Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. People were furious when this came out. Why? Because you only play as Snake for the first hour. For the rest of the game, you’re Raiden, a rookie with flowing blonde hair. Kojima did this on purpose to subvert expectations, and while it was controversial at the time, the game’s themes about digital misinformation and AI-controlled society are terrifyingly accurate in 2026. It takes place in 2007 and 2009. It’s a weird, meta-commentary on sequels themselves.
Finally, we reach the chronological end of the main saga: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Released in 2008 for the PS3, this game takes place in 2014. Snake is now "Old Snake," his body rapidly failing due to accelerated aging. It is a game of massive cutscenes—some literally an hour long—meant to tie up every single loose end in the franchise. It’s heavy on the fan service. It’s bloated. It’s beautiful. It brings the story of Big Boss and his clones to a definitive, tear-jerking conclusion.
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Wait, What About the Spin-offs?
You’ll hear people mention Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. It’s set in 2018, four years after MGS4. It’s not a stealth game; it’s a high-octane hack-and-slash game where you play as a cyborg Raiden cutting giant robots into a thousand pieces. While it’s technically the "last" game in the timeline, many purists consider it a side story. Still, the memes alone make it worth your time.
Then there’s Metal Gear Survive. We don't really talk about that one. It’s an alternate-dimension zombie survival game that mostly exists because Konami wanted to use the MGSV assets after Kojima left. It doesn't fit into the main timeline in any meaningful way.
Why Order Actually Matters for New Players
When looking at all the metal gear solid games in order, you have to decide what kind of learner you are. If you go chronologically (starting with MGS3), you get a linear story of a man’s descent from hero to villain. But you lose the mystery. The series was designed to be a puzzle where you learn the "future" first and then go back to see how it all started.
If you play MGS1 first, you’re confused about Big Boss. When you eventually play MGS3, the "Aha!" moments hit like a freight train. That’s the magic of the release order.
The Realistic Play Order for 2026
- Metal Gear Solid (1998) - Start here. It's the DNA of the series.
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - Brace yourself for the weirdness.
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - The emotional peak.
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - Don't skip this, it’s MGS 4.5.
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - The grand finale.
- Metal Gear Solid V (Ground Zeroes & Phantom Pain) - The gameplay masterpiece.
Breaking Down the Misconceptions
One thing people get wrong is thinking you need to understand the science. You don't. Nanomachines are basically magic. Parasites are magic. The "supernatural" elements are often explained away with pseudo-science that doesn't hold up to a biology textbook, and that’s fine. The heart of the series isn't the tech; it's the cycle of violence and how soldiers are used as tools by governments.
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Another myth? That you can skip the MSX games. While you can skip them, playing them (or watching a video) adds so much weight to the relationship between Snake and Big Boss. It turns a generic "bad guy" into a tragic father figure.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you’re ready to tackle this behemoth of a franchise, start by grabbing the Master Collection Vol. 1. It’s the easiest way to get the early games on modern hardware.
Check your patience at the door for MGS1's controls. They are "tank controls," meaning you move relative to where the character is facing, not the camera. It takes about twenty minutes for your brain to click, but once it does, it feels natural.
Don't feel guilty about using a guide for the "Kerotan" frogs or specific hidden items. Kojima loves hiding things in places no sane person would look. For the best experience, play these games late at night, pay attention to the codec calls, and for heaven's sake, don't skip the cutscenes. You’re here for the story. Let it wash over you, even when it stops making sense.
Focus on the Master Collection first to cover the 1987-2004 era of releases. Once finished, move to the Metal Gear Solid Vol. 2 (or individual releases of MGS4 and MGSV) to complete the bridge between the classic stealth era and the modern open-world era. Keeping a notebook for the "who's who" of the Patriots isn't a bad idea either; you're going to need it by the time the credits roll on MGS4.