Ranking the Metal Gear Games

Here we are. At mission’s end. Every mainline Metal Gear game, played and reviewed. Now only one task remains.

To be clear: I don’t think any of these are bad games. I’m of the opinion that Kojima never put out a truly bad Metal Gear game. Each one has their own strengths and shortcomings, and some are definitely better than others. They’re all worth playing for one thing or another.

With that said: turn off your meme inhibitors. It’s time to wrap this up, once and for all.

Anyone who knows me shouldn’t be surprised to see Snake Eater at the top of the list. It’s not only the best Metal Gear game, but one of the greatest video games of all time. While time has made rough a few edges, it still holds up even today. There’s a good reason they went to remake it before even MGS1. If you play any game on this list, it should be Snake Eater.

Not to say the games in the tier below it aren’t worth playing. Metal Gear Solid is far and away the most impressive game on the PS1. It’s got some pacing issues, particularly in the final act, but it’s still every bit worth playing even today.

And Metal Gear Rising is just hilarious. Plus, I love me a good action game.

Metal Gear Solid 2 would be a tier higher if it were more fun to actually play. It has a lot to say and says it in really interesting and creative ways. The messages of this game are even more relevant now than they were when it came out! If the levels and bosses were more fun to actually play through, it would definitely be higher up than it is.

Phantom Pain and Peace Walker are both games that came so close to being awesome. Phantom Pain had some incredible gameplay innovations and Peace Walker had a really good story. But both had a fatal flaw that really detracted from the experience. MGSV suffered from a lackluster and half-baked story and Peace Walker’s missions were dull and repetitive. They’re still worth playing, but perhaps not finishing.

Next, we have Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2, and MGSV: Ground Zeroes. These games are short and rough around the edges. Ground Zeroes is basically just a demo that you have to buy. But they’re still decent enough fun, and the first two games are at least worth revisiting to see how it all started.

Finally, we have the bottom tier. Metal Gear Solid 4. This game has a lot of cool stuff going for it. But the overall package is an absolute mess of half-baked ideas and disappointment. This one is only worth playing if you’re a diehard fan of Metal Gear and you want to see how it ends.

And I’ll be fucked if I’m playing VR Missions, Portable Ops, or Survive. So don’t even ask.

There we are. That’s the Metal Gear saga. It took us some time, but we got it done.

Honestly, I was expecting this marathon to go a lot smoother than it did. These games aren’t quite as good as I recall. Even still, I love these games! Each one delivered a video game experience wholly unique and unforgettable! Despite their flaws, they are each wholly worthy of being called a masterpiece!

Here’s to you, Hideo Kojima. Thanks for everything.

See y’all when the Master Collection and the Remake come out!