How to play the Metal Gear Solid series in 2023

Posted in Games on 2018-03-12 — last updated 2023-10-18

“Metal Gear Solid is probably the most consistent video game series, period… Each game is an artistic and technical achievement and a unique experience of their own.”

— videogamedunkey, 2018

The Metal Gear Solid series, vintage 1998-2015, is widely regarded as one of the greatest video game series of all time. This guide gives advice for anyone who’d like to play it, specifically the following:

• Which platforms each game is available on, and which versions are recommended for each game
• Which games are considered the main line series
• In which order the games should be played
• Common issues and how to avoid them

This guide contains no spoilers. It was revised substantially in November 2022.

UPDATE (August 2023): This guide will be made redundant with the upcoming release of the ‘‘Metal Gear Solid Master Collection’’, which will bring the main MGS series to modern platforms:

• On 24 October 2023, the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 will be released for all major platforms: Windows, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It contains MGS1, MGS2, and MGS3, which you should play in order, and the original 2D 8-bit MG1 and MG2, which you may optionally play.
• The upcoming Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 is believed to include the rest of the main-line Metal Gear Solid _series: _MGS4, Peace Walker, MGS5: Ground Zeroes, and MGSV: The Phantom Pain, presumably for the same platforms.
• Additionally, a remake of MGS3, known as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, is in development for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S.
• The game-specific advice below for first-time players and streamers will mostly remain relevant.

The main series

The “main” or “canonical” Metal Gear Solid series consists of seven games:

Metal Gear Solid (1998)

Originally a PlayStation game, and can be emulated reliably. The PC version on GOG is also recommended: it is inexpensive, has been patched to run correctly on modern PCs, and includes the VR Missions expansion.

Metal Gear Solid 2 (2001)

Originally for PlayStation 2, but the best version is the HD Remake included in the HD Collection for PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, which conveniently also includes MGS3 and Peace Walker. All digital versions of MGS2 and the HD Collection have been unavailable since November 2021 due to issues with stock footage licensing, but pre-owned copies are inexpensive.

Metal Gear Solid 3 (2004)

Again, a PS2 game best played in the HD Collection for PS3/360. Infamously difficult to emulate on a PC, so real hardware is recommended. It’s also the only Metal Gear game released on Nintendo 3DS, but the e-shop for that platform is shutting down in March 2023.

Metal Gear Solid 4 (2008)

A PlayStation 3 exclusive. Because of this, the PS3 is the minimum hardware necessary to play the entire MGS main series. The Legacy Collection for PS3 contains MGS4 and the HD Collection, and a download code for MGS1 (though if you buy a pre-owned copy, they probably redeemed the MGS1 code already).

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)

Originally for PSP, but the best version is in the HD Collection for PS3/360. Despite the lack of number, this is a key part of the series.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes (2014)

The PC version has the best graphics, especially if you have a very good PC. A pack called The Definitive Experience on Steam contains both Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain plus some cosmetic DLC, and is currently retailing for $7.49 during a Steam sale. If you don’t own a good PC, the PlayStation 3 version is surprisingly playable.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (2015)

Same as Ground Zeroes. The PC release has the advantage of a modding community.

Playing the main series

It is generally recommended to play the games in release order, beginning with Metal Gear Solid. You have a lot of options, so use whatever platform is convenient.

The MGS PC version on GOG is good, cheap, and convenient, but missing a few famous easter eggs in the Psycho Mantis battle. Pre-owned copies of the PlayStation version cost about as much as the original retail price, but you can play them natively on any PSX, PS2, or PS3, or emulate on a PC. A digital copy is available in the PSP/PS3 e-shop. There’s even the GameCube version, Twin Snakes, but copies are expensive nowadays, and makes some controversial changes (some iconic lines change and characters lose their accents the re-dub, though that would be correct going forward).

For the next four games, it’s strongly recommended to acquire a PlayStation 3, since you’ll need one anyway for MGS4. Pre-owned copies of the HD Collection and MGS4 are inexpensive. If you intend on streaming from a PS3 you will need a compatible HDMI adaptor that doesn’t suffer from HDCP issues.

For the last two, Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, the PS3 will play them surprisingly well if you’re on a budget, but a high-end PC is much better. The middle-ground is PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, if you have either of those.

Advice for players

Metal Gear Solid

• Like most games of its era, MGS1 does not feature autosave. The PC version lets you quicksave, but traditional and recommended save method is to call Mei Ling on the codec, whereupon she may give you useful advice. Be sure that you actually save; it’s not necessarily clear whether the white or green text is highlighting the the correct one. If you save on the PSX version, you will be given a save slot to pick from.
• You should watch the BRIEFING before starting the game. There are multiple sections to the briefing.
• In general, you should engage to as many codec calls as possible, since an enormous amount of the game’s content is optional codec conversations.
• Natasha Romanenko’s frequency is 141.52. She won’t call you first, since she’s entirely optional, so you have to call her manually. She mainly gives background information on the characters.
• At some point in the game you will be referred to the back of the CD case to find Meryl’s codec frequency; since you probably playing a digital version, that frequency is 140.15.
• To perform a choke on an enemy, you need to approach from behind and press the button (square) without holding a direction. If you hold a direction, you’ll throw them instead. To kill the enemy, you need to mash the button, not just hold it. Very importantly, don’t stand too close to the enemy before performing the grab, or you will make contact with the enemy before the grab and set off an alert.

Metal Gear Solid 2

• The intro screen of each game in the HD Collection has spoilers for the events of the beginning of the game. Don’t read it!
• From MGS2 onward, there is usually some reward for beating the game without any lethal kills. However, it’s not necessary.
• From MGS2 onward, bosses have two health bars: a health bar depleted by lethal weapons, and a stamina bar depleted by non-lethal weapons. It’s therefore advantageous to only use one or the other against each boss.
• MGS2 has a surprisingly plot-relevant easter egg that’s easy to miss. When you are using the directional microphone to listen in on a conversation, turn it left instead and listen to the guard in the bathroom. Later, at the oil fence bridge, when the person you’re escorting walks behind a pillar, point the directional microphone at the pillar to listen in on another conversation by the same guy.

Metal Gear Solid 3

• You will be asked at the beginning which MGS game you like the most. Do not fret too much over this decision, as it does not affect much. The traditional response is “I like MGS2!”, assuming you played MGS2. The powergamer’s choice is MGS3, which unlocks some bonus camo sets.
• The separate health bar applies here: bosses have a health bar, depleted by lethal weapons, and a stamina bar, depleted by non-lethal weapons. There’s no point in using both types.
• MGS3 is a good game to play through twice, picking up the missing achievements on the second playthrough.

Metal Gear Solid 4

• MGS4 was released before Peace Walker. This is important if you want to play in release order. However, since Peace Walker is set in the 1970s after MGS3, one does not directly spoil the other, so it is not a major problem to play these two out of order.
• It is mandatory to install the game to hard disk before play, even if you’re playing from a disk. This is time consuming if you intend to play on stream. The process may take fifteen minutes before you can play.
• I recommend forcing the PS3 to 720p to improve framerate. The game was originally developed to only run at 720p.
• You may also want to enable subtitles in-game, since they’re not on by default.
• You should watch the Mission Briefing for Act 1 from the main menu. It’s not shown in normal play to allow you to get into the game more quickly.
• During play, you can mash X when the symbol appears at the top right of the screen.

Peace Walker

• You should complete all the side missions to unlock the true final boss battle mission. It features important plot events that will be relevant in subsequent games. If you can’t manage it, there are audio tapes in Ground Zeroes which recap the situation.

Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain

• Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is a short game which primarily exists to bridge the narrative gap between Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain.
• Some missions in Ground Zeroes unlock item blueprints or staff members in The Phantom Pain. I recommend doing at least the main mission and the helicopter shooter shooter side-mission.
• In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, there’s a character appearance customization at the beginning, but after you select it, you appear as the default appearance, which confuses some players. What you’re actually selecting is your avatar for the online mode.

Advice for streamers

Not all HDMI capture devices will let you stream correctly from a PlayStation 3. Ensure that you purchase one which can.

The Metal Gear Solid series is hugely popular, and many of your viewers will have either played it or seen another streamer play it recently. The risk of spoilers in the chat is extremely high. Remind viewers that you have not played this game before and do not want spoilers. Don’t ask the chat plot questions if you don’t want to receive spoilers. It’s useful to establish an anti-spoiler protocol, such as asking viewers to spam a smile emote in chat if someone posts spoilers or you ask a question to which the answer is a spoiler; this will signal you to avoid chat for a while.

It’s been so long since the game came out that many people will mis-remember details or confuse one game for another. Streamers are at particular risk of being One Guyed. For example, In the helicopter fight in MGS1, there is no ration under the central block; that’s only in Twin Snakes. Rations don’t restore health in MGS3; you need Life Med for that.

Don’t feel bad about playing on easier difficulty in order to make it through the game. Streaming divides your attention, and you can always replay a game on harder difficulty once you’ve mastered the game.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain uses a huge amount of licensed music which may trigger DMCA. There’s no option to disable music, and as far as I know, nobody has yet created a mod to disable or replace the music. Have a button set up to mute the game audio and be ready to use it. It particularly plays in cassette tapes at various bases, which stop when you collect the tape, and at the jail cell on the medical platform.

Notable other Metal Gear games

Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2

The original 8-bit MSX games, which are included with MGS3 in the HD Collection (and the PS2 improved release Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence). They’re difficult, although they’re considered canon. Some purists may attempt to play the MGS series starting with the MSX games, but there’s a risk that you’ll give up before you finish it. The events of these games are summarized in a codec call in MGS1.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

A popular and highly recommended game set after MGS4. It’s an action game rather than a stealth game, where you play a sword-wielding cyborg. Available cheaply on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and for PC in a Steam sale near you.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

A PSP/PS Vita release which fills in the gap between MGS3 and Peace Walker. It’s generally considered non-canon, and was never available on a non-portable platform. It received an updated version called Portable Ops Plus. I haven’t played either of these.

Metal Gear: Ghost Babel

GameBoy Color release.

Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Acid 2

PSP releases.

Metal Gear Survive

The worst rated Metal Gear game ever. Watch Dunkey’s review.

Table: Main series games by platform

The following table lists all platforms on which you can play each game in the main Metal Gear Solid series.

Key:

• X: This game was released on this platform.
• XB : This game can be played on this platform due to backward compatibility (PS3-PSX, PS2-PSX, Wii-Gamecube) or e-store (Wii virtual console, PSN).
• XX: The undisputably best version of this game is available on this platform (e.g. HD remake)
• X! : This game was only released on this platform.

Table: All Metal Gear games by platform (2018)

Key:

• X: This game was released on this platform.
• XB : This game can be played on this platform due to backward compatibility (PS3-PSX, PS2-PSX, Wii-Gamecube) or e-store (Wii virtual console, PSN).
• XX: The undisputably best version of this game is available on this platform (e.g. HD remake)
• X! : This game was only released on this platform.
• XJ : This game on this platform was only released in Japan. Metal Gear 1 & 2 (MSX version) appeared on the Wii virtual console, although the Gamecube version of Twin Snakes included the NES version of Metal Gear 1.

This list is not complete; it omits some arcade versions, obsolete Japanese mobile platforms, and the Master Collection releases from 2023.

References

Most of the information regarding release platform is collected from Wikipedia. Do not cite this page on Wikipedia as an independent source.