TheMetal Gear series, while encompassing five main numbered installments, claimsmore than 15 separate titles. The exact count varies, but we will not be counting ones that amount to level packs or multiplayer expansions as separate games. The games havevaried in quality, with some entries among the mostdefiningandcreative experiencesin the medium, while others are comparative disappointments.
The quality of each game’s experience will be assessed according tomodern standards–that is, how well each one holds up overall today. The franchise’s achievements in setting new standards forthematic complexityandclever gameplaymechanics make identifying its greatest titles a worthwhile task.
18. Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (2012)
Ananachronisticmeeting of characters and elements from across time, thistangential titleuses assets from Peace Walker for mostlypassive gameplay. It is the passable but insubstantial nature of the gameplay, as suggested in its title, that places this perfunctory entry at thebottom of the listof Metal Gear games. If anything, this reflects that none of the games in the franchise are wholly discardable, even if some don’t deserve to be placed in the same category as others.
17. Metal Gear Survive (2018)
Although previous entries had featured battles with enemies including a vampire, an astronaut, and a psychic,Metal Gear Survive’sgeneric zombieswere ofquestionable fitfor the fundamental premise of a game in the Metal Gear series, which predominantly belongs to the political thriller genre. Adding to this are the overlydifficult gameplayand the insult of the not-so-micromicrotransactionof 10 dollars for an extra save slot–an absurd monetization of your own hard drive’s storage. There is some enjoyment to be had in the gameplay–more so themultiplayer, which isn’t as excessively unforgiving–but the concept and execution just were not present in this title.
16. Snake’s Revenge (1990)
Sequel to what is widely regarded as the inferior (NES) version of Metal Gear,Snake’s Revengeis an overly difficult 8-bit action game of strictlyaverage quality. Lacking in any kind of depth, and not part of any storyline that the series ran with, it can besafely disregardedby all but the most hardcore of completionists. While it’s an interesting picture of analternate directionthe series could have gone in, it turned out to bequite generic. In comparison with the other titles, it’s a bit vapid.
15. Metal Gear Solid Mobile (2008)
This title existed somewhere in between MGS and MGS2 in a lot of ways–like in graphics, characters, and setting–but in terms of content, itcame up short. Yes, it was made formid-2000s mobile phones, but the original MGS managed more innovation on weaker hardware. Without much originality or longevity, Metal Gear Solid Mobile was seemingly content tolive in the shadowof the console titles. Rearranging your Metal Gear figurines would probably create a more original storyline. It’snot bad, justnot very daring.
14. Metal Gear Solid Touch (2009)
A retelling of MGS4 with simpleshooting gallery gameplay, Touch doesn’t offer anything truly new, making itlargely disposable. It is akin to a companion game that lacks any compatibility with the PS3 counterpart or any supplemental features. While competent as a minigame, this title is basically acash-inas opposed to anything noteworthy. Of course, if your aim is to unwind instead of engage in tense stealth gameplay, this may be a suitable diversion. Justdon’t expect an expansion of the narrative.
13. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
While Portable Ops madelogical gameplay contributionsthat would feature in later games, such asstaff recruitmentand notable story points, it also suffered fromtedium, such aspainstakinglydragging other characters through environments in efforts to complete objectives and your character melodramatically dropping dead from running briefly. The title itself announces the game’s main reason for existence as: “It’s MGS, but on a handheld!” rather than making a case for its gameplay or story, and this more or less reflects the experience.
12. Metal Gear Acid (2004)
Diverging from the established genre of action-based gameplay with a newturn-based card system, Acid added a layer of strategy that was well received. Even the most immersive action games are ultimately based on pure numbers; Acid just puts them front and center. These days, a game of this genre would be more likely to appear on smartphones than a dedicated console like the PSP. It may not sound like it’s really part of the Metal Gear franchise, but it somehowcaptures the essenceof the concept.
11. Metal Gear Acid 2 (2005)
Generally received as improving on the story and controls, and featuring a mode offering the quick action of isolated boss battles, Acid 2 builds on its predecessor in a way that results in amore engaging strategy experience. New mechanics are added to create morefluid gameplay, and new modes add longevity. The appearance of dozens of characters from previous games enhance thefanservicefactor. The use of rudimentary stereoscopic 3D years before the 3DS also provided a fun gimmick.
10. Metal Gear (1987)
The game thatinnovated the stealth genre, the original Metal Gear first released on the MSX. It contains many elements that would persist across the series such as tactical use of weapons and gadgets and the iconic alert sound effect. Thoughquaintnow, it remainshighly playable. The surprisinglysophisticated storychallenged the baseless perception of the games medium as intrinsically banal, and it remains necessary to contextualize the plot of the series' relaunch as Metal Gear Solid.
9. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)
After the success of the original entry, Metal Gear 2 offered greatlyimproved visualsand a morepolished experience. Guards would now move and look more dynamically, and sound could now alert them. On top of that, thebackstory was richerand more fully formed. It was one of only two Metal Gear games in the 1990s, the other being MGS. The gap was long, but the seeds of future titles could clearly be seen in this second installment.
