Look, the Metal Gear timeline is a mess. It’s a beautiful, convoluted, genius-level disaster that spans over fifty years of fictional history, involving clones, psychic Russian commanders, and a lot of conversations about whether or not love can bloom on a battlefield. If you’re looking into the Metal Gear Solid play order, you’ve likely seen the charts. You’ve seen the dates. You know that Snake Eater happens in 1964 and Guns of the Patriots happens in 2014.
But here’s the thing: playing them in the order they happen on the calendar is a terrible idea for a first-timer.
Seriously. Don't do it. You’ll be jumping from the smooth, modern mechanics of The Phantom Pain back to the fixed-camera angles of the 90s, and your brain will melt. Hideo Kojima didn't write these games in a vacuum; he wrote them for an audience that was growing up alongside the hardware. When you play out of release order, you miss the references, the "aha!" moments, and the mechanical evolution that makes this series the king of stealth-action.
The Release Order Is the Only Way That Actually Makes Sense
If it’s your first time, just stick to the way the world experienced it. Start with Metal Gear Solid (1998) on the PS1 (or the Master Collection).
Most people skip the original MSX games, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Honestly? That's fine. You can read the "Previous Operations" summaries in the MGS1 menu and you'll be totally caught up. Jumping straight into Shadow Moses is where the soul of the franchise lives. You meet Solid Snake, you deal with Liquid, and you get that iconic codec call ringing in your ears.
From there, you move to Sons of Liberty. This is where Kojima started messing with the players’ heads. If you played the "Big Boss" prequels first, the subversion of expectations in MGS2 wouldn't land at all. You need to have that specific "What is even happening?" feeling that only comes from following the release timeline.
Then comes Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. This is the prequel. It’s the 60s. It’s James Bond meets Rambo. Because you’ve already played 1 and 2, seeing the origins of Big Boss feels like a reward. You understand the weight of the names. You know why the characters are crying, and you're probably crying too.
When the Metal Gear Solid Play Order Gets Complicated
After the "Big Three," things get a bit scattered. You have Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which was meant to be the grand finale. It’s basically a five-hour movie with some gameplay sprinkled in, and it closes every single loophole you didn't even know existed.
But then we go back in time again.
- Peace Walker: Originally a PSP title, but absolutely essential. Do not skip this. It’s the bridge between the 60s and the modern era.
- Ground Zeroes: A glorified tech demo, sure, but the atmosphere is unmatched.
- The Phantom Pain (MGSV): The gameplay peak. The story is... unfinished? Maybe. It’s divisive.
Some purists argue for the chronological metal gear solid play order, which starts with Snake Eater, moves to Peace Walker, then Ground Zeroes, The Phantom Pain, the original 8-bit games, and then the Solid trilogy. It sounds cool on paper. It looks organized. In practice, it’s a nightmare. Imagine playing MGSV with its perfect controls and open world, and then trying to go back to the 1987 Metal Gear where you can only move in four directions. It’s jarring. It’s like watching the Star Wars prequels before the original trilogy—you lose the mystery of who these people are.
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The "Big Boss" Paradox and the Trouble with MGSV
A major point of contention in any discussion about the Metal Gear Solid play order is where to put the Venom Snake saga. Metal Gear Solid V is technically a prequel, but it’s the most mechanically advanced. If you play it too early, you're going to be bored by the limitations of the older games.
Also, the narrative of MGSV relies heavily on you knowing what happens to Big Boss later in life. There’s a specific "truth" reveal at the end of The Phantom Pain that carries zero weight if you haven't seen the ending of Metal Gear Solid 4 or played the original MSX games. You’re just looking at a screen wondering why a specific character has a piece of shrapnel in their head.
Nuance matters here. Kojima is a meta-narrative director. He talks to the player through the game. In MGS2, he was talking to players who expected another Solid Snake adventure. In MGS4, he was talking to fans who wanted every question answered. If you play them chronologically, that meta-layer—the conversation between creator and fan—is completely severed.
What About the Spin-offs?
You’ll hear names like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance or Portable Ops.
Revengeance is a masterpiece of hack-and-slash action developed by PlatinumGames. It takes place after MGS4. Is it "canon"? Sorta. Does it matter for the main story? Not really. Play it whenever you want to feel like a cyborg ninja god.
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Portable Ops is the black sheep. Some say it's canon, others (including Kojima, depending on the day) say it's not. Most fans just stick to Peace Walker for the essential Big Boss lore. If you're a completionist, play it after MGS3, but don't feel bad if you just watch the cutscenes on YouTube.
How to Actually Start Right Now
If you are looking at the Master Collection or the legacy discs on your shelf, here is the most effective path to minimize frustration and maximize the emotional payoff:
- Metal Gear Solid (1998): Start here. Get used to the radio calls. Learn the stealth basics.
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty: Prepare for your mind to be blown. Don't look up spoilers for the protagonist switch.
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater: Enjoy the jungle. This is often cited as the best game in the series.
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots: The "End" of the Solid Snake story.
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker: This sets up the stakes for the final era.
- Metal Gear Solid V (Ground Zeroes + The Phantom Pain): The mechanical climax.
The Actual Next Steps for You:
- Check the Hardware: If you have a modern console or PC, get the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. It includes MGS 1, 2, and 3, plus the original MSX games. It's the easiest point of entry in 2026.
- Don't Fear the "Game Over": The older games have a learning curve. Use the "Easy" mode if the 90s controls are driving you crazy; the story is what you're here for anyway.
- Ignore the "Metal Gear Survive" entry: Just don't. It’s an alternate-dimension zombie game that has nothing to do with the tactical espionage excellence of the main series.
Start with the 1998 classic. Let the story unfold the way the world saw it. You only get one chance to experience the "Snake? Snake?! SNAAAAAAAKE!" scream for the first time without knowing exactly how the timeline ends.
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