The Metal Gear franchise has been a mainstay in gaming history, a showcase of Hideo Kojima’s ability to weave in complex themes and nuanced takes on the problems he chooses to tackle while presenting experiences that push the boundaries of the genre he chooses to take on.
As a franchise that has pioneered the rise of the stealth action genre, and one whose meta-narrative could be quite overwhelming to anyone who hasn’t been paying attention to its many twists and turns, it features great titles that have each brought something brilliant to the table.
While the task of ranking each instalment in the title could be quite daunting, that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do! Without further ado, here’s our take on the Metal Gear titles that have caught our attention – and kept it – over the years.
13. Metal Gear (1987)
The title that started it all features everything the franchise has come to be known for. There’s the stealth-action gameplay loop, a main narrative that features Solid Snake and Big Boss, and Kojima’s penchant for examining the world around him through the eyes of his characters, and a couple of fourth-wall breaks.
But given its age, it does rank lower on this list simply because its successors have overtaken it in terms of both their gameplay and presentation, despite the game being good enough to make it to the PS3’s Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection. If you have one of those lying around, this one is well worth a visit and could have you quite invested in its story!
12. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
This PlayStation Portable title, which features Naked Snake in the lead a few years after his time in Russia, brought several noteworthy additions to the table. The Comrade System, for example, allowed Naked Snake to recruit fallen foes and other soldiers to his cause in various inventive ways that stayed true to the franchise’s stealth-action roots while giving players a unique mechanic that would later make its way to other titles in the franchise.
Its story is nothing to be scoffed at either, bringing Naked Snake in conflict with the FOX Unit while other important characters like Campbell are also in play. Although Kojima was only a producer on this one, it’s still quite a solid addition to the franchise. However, like Metal Gear, its relative inaccessibility, thanks to it being PSP-exclusive, does not let it rank higher on this list.
11. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004)
Although an effort to blend the story and locations of Metal Gear Solid with the gameplay and graphics of Sons of Liberty sounds like a very ambitious and bold move on paper, The Twin Snakes both succeeded and failed to fully recapture the magic of the game it was supposed to emulate.
While the new graphics, improved enemy AI, and of course, the story were well-received by critics and players alike, the GameCubie seemed unable to handle the load that the game’s systems placed on it. Moreover, the gameplay loop from Metal Gear Solid was marred by the addition of new mechanics from Sons of Liberty, making several parts of the original game feel too easy by comparison.
The Twin Snakes’ ambitious effort does earn it a place on this list, albeit a low one owing to its flawed take on a great title.
10. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014)
As a bridge between the events of Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain, Ground Zeroes brings an excellent story to the table, continuing the adventures of Big Boss while setting up the events of its sequel with aplomb.
Despite its relatively short runtime, the gameplay loop was, and perhaps still is, a very good representation of the franchise’s biggest strengths, made even better by its companion app, excellent stealth animations and mechanics, and what Kojima saw as a stepping stone to Metal Gear being a “true open-world experience”.
However, its place in the franchise’s canon as a prologue to The Phantom Pain does not let it rank very high on our list, owing to other titles proving far more expansive in their stories or simply more memorable as a whole.
9. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)
As the sequel to the original Metal Gear Solid, Solid Snake builds on its mechanics while continuing the adventures of its titular character in a story that sees him face off against Big Boss once again.
The expanded enemy AI, along with matching expansions to Solid Snake’s skill set, makes this a title that enthralled many fans of the original game while also being a very attractive option for newcomers to the franchise. Its very positive reception earns it a place among the franchise’s greats, and its influence on the later titles cannot be overlooked, too.
8. Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (2012)
As a 3DS port of one of the franchise’s greatest titles, Snake Eater 3D made good use of the console’s features to recreate the magic of Naked Snake’s battles against The Boss and Colonel Volgin, a narrative that set events of the entire franchise in motion.
As such, bringing that adventure into the hands of players who may not have experienced it was a clever move from Kojima and Konami, who did a great job working around the console’s limitations while making good use of its unique strengths. For instance, the third-person camera view and crouch-walking added new layers of nuance to the gameplay loop, while the innovative use of the 3DS’s gyroscope to make balancing on bridges and tree branches more immersive was a welcome touch alongside a camouflage system that made excellent use of the console’s camera.
Snake Eater 3D deserves its place among the franchise’s best games and does a great job of bringing the title that inspired it to life on a new platform.
7. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)
Bringing Raiden back into the fold after the events of Guns of the Patriots while straying away from the franchise’s usual stealth-action formula? Revengeance is a spin-off that shouldn’t have worked, but did.
The sword-wielding combat was a whole lot of fun, while Raiden’s story was poignant and philosophical, his inner conflict arising from his conditioning forming a meaningful part of both the narrative and gameplay.
Kojima Productions’ story worked very well with PlatinumGames’ gameplay ideas to present a novel approach to Metal Gear in which combat was the only option, and a very entertaining one to boot!
6. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)
We’re now diving into the meat of this list, with Peace Walker being a great vehicle to take us toward the best of the Metal Gear franchise. After making its debut on PSP, it was eventually ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360. Big Boss’s time with the MSF was an excellent look into the character’s past with The Boss while also taking his story forward.
Its examinations of nuclear deterrence are another great addition to the title, giving Hot Coldman a lot of credence as the main antagonist, while Zero’s motivations with Cipher were quite the thrill when we first played the game. It’s perfect as a bridge between Big Boss’ past, present, and future, and handles its complex themes with style and substance.
Peace Walker is a Metal Gear title that we would dive back into with glee.
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Although The Phantom Pain suffered from being bang in the center of Kojima and Konami’s well-documented fallout, it does rank high on our list of the best Metal Gear titles nonetheless.
Its place in the franchise’s meta-narrative makes it an important part of its lore, connecting Big Boss to events in the original games in a way that makes sense, while indirectly setting him as an antagonist to Solid Snake.
Its gameplay and stealth mechanics are another highlight, bringing new twists and turns to the franchise’s formula. While we can’t help but wonder about what it could have been if Kojima had achieved his vision for it, The Phantom Pain is still Metal Gear at its finest.
4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)
As the title that brought an end to Solid Snake’s adventures, Guns of the Patriots was a rollercoaster from start to finish.
Story beats aside, its gameplay was another feather in its cap, with the Octo Camo and Solid Snake’s advanced ageing being integrated quite well into the game’s mechanics. These additions made for an experience that felt authentic in its presentation and very immersive in the way players had to account for Solid Snake’s limitations.
Challenging and riveting, Guns of the Patriots continues to be a story that haunts us from time to time.
3. Metal Gear Solid (1998)
As the adventure that brought Solid Snake to his iconic showdown with Liquid Snake, this one was sure to rank high on our list of the best Metal Gear titles. However, its story is not the only factor that makes it special; its gameplay for its time manages to thrill many players despite the years since its release.
It brings in some insane twists and chills that would define the franchise’s future entries, and is a very interesting peek at the early years of its stealth-action trappings. Its influence on the genre as well as on the cinematics and presentation of other popular franchises makes its high place on this list a no-brainer, honestly.
2. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater/Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2025/2004)
It’s no surprise that Snake Eater, in both of its iterations, ranks very high on this list of the best of Metal Gear. Its story, gameplay, bosses, and unique mechanics have made it the ideal choice for Konami’s attempt to introduce the franchise to a new generation of gamers.
Kojima’s storytelling chops are nearly in overdrive in this title, as is his ability to create characters that have withstood the test of time. The members of the Cobra Unit continue to be among our favorite bosses in the franchise, while Naked Snake’s poignant battle with his former mentor and his learning the truth about her actions is right up there with some of modern gaming’s best moments.
Snake Eater is a Metal Gear title that will rank high on any list of our favorite games, and the remake just makes its strengths all the more obvious while making useful tweaks that elevate the amazing experience it presents.
1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)
There’s a reason that Sons of Liberty earns the throne of the best mainline Metal Gear title. Raiden’s adventure, and his partnership with Solid Snake in his quest to bring down Solidus Snake, is now the stuff of legends.
It’s a narrative that solidified Kojima’s reputation as a man ahead of his time, considering how the themes he attempted to tackle via the game’s narrative are now a part of modern discourse surrounding social media and the adverse effects of misinformation and a shorter attention span.
Its gameplay was nothing to scoff at either, presenting an enemy AI that was able to work in groups to attempt to capture the player, while a dearth of stealth options made it stay very true to the franchise’s roots. It’s a solid game all around and is one that reflects the best of what the franchise has to offer with ease.
What do you think about these rankings? Is there a title that you feel should have ranked higher, or perhaps taken the top spot? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments!
