Without a doubt, theMetal Gearfranchise is one of the most iconic series in video games. Ever since its establishment in 1987,Metal Gearpioneered and paved the way for stealth games in mainstream attention, with the franchise coining the genre “Tactical Espionage Action.”
AlthoughMetal Gearhas been among the greats in gaming, the franchise took a turn when Konami severed ties with Hideo Kojima, who is the creator of the iconic stealth franchise. Unfortunately, the franchise’s future remains bleak as Konami still hasn’t revealed its plans for the series, and the only thing fans have to go on right now isa rumor of aMetal GearSolid Remake.Despite this,Metal Gearstill has a solid fanbase that would eventually want to see its return to its former glory. And while players wait for Konami to reveal its plans for the series, here is a tier list of all mainlineMetal Geargames.
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S-Tier
MostMetal Gearfans agree thatMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eateris one of the best entries in the entire franchise. What madeMetal Gear Solid 3capture its fanbase’s hearts is the culmination of everything players loved about the series: challenging gameplay and deep storytelling. Without a doubt,Metal Gear Solid 3will forever be regarded as one of the best thanks to its clever use of the franchise’s iconic stealth gameplay set in the 1960’s Cold War. Players who have no idea whatMetal Gearis about can also start their journey withMetal Gear Solid 3, given that it is a prequel to the franchise.
The S-Tier also includes the firstMetal Geargame under the “Solid” brand. While it is technically the thirdMetal Geartitle,Metal Gear Solidis likely the first game many players encountered. Its story is filled with a heavy mix of nuclear terrorism, illegal and experimental cloning, double agents, and even a hint of the paranormal.Metal Gear Solidis often regarded as a game that is ahead of its time.
A-Tier
Next up isMetal Gear Solid 2, which retains all its predecessor’s features but is taken on a different level. LikeMetal Gear Solid,Metal Gear Solid 2was regarded as ahead of its time, making players question their role in video games. AlthoughMetal Gear Solid 2did get some flak early on for letting players believe that they would play as the iconic Solid Snake for most of the game. Only to find out that the majority of the story was from the perspective ofthe new character named Raiden.
Another popular entry in this list isMetal Gear 2: Solid Snake.Although its graphics are dated, many still remember their first experience with this sequel like it was just released yesterday. One of the best aspects ofMetal Gear 2: Solid Snakeis that it took all the elements that worked in the first game and infused them into a complex experience.Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painalso makes it to A-Tier, given that its gameplay is widely regarded as the best in the series. Unfortunately, the overall story of the game pales compared to its predecessors, given that it has left tons of storylines unresolved.
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B-Tier
Metal Gear Solid 4is not a bad game, especially since it brought players back to Shadow Moses,Metal Gear Solid’s setting. However, players noticed howMetal Gear Solid 4’slevels and gameplay appear to have been all crammed together, resulting in a not-so-coherent narrative and gameplay experience. Not to mention,Metal Gear Solid 4is also infamous for having one of the longest cutscenes in any video game, resulting in criticisms of players watching the game instead of actually playing it. Still,Metal Gear Solid 4is not a bad game, but it just doesn’t live up to other entries in the franchise, especially afterMetal Gear Solid 3.
Of course, having a game as great asMetal Gear Solid 3, it is unsurprising that succeeding games in the franchise struggled to compete, which was the case withMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Despite that, it was inPeace Walkerthat Konami took criticisms about too many cutscenes to heart, which resulted in one of the most expansiveMetal Gearentries ever.
C-Tier
The firstMetal Geargamebegan its life on the MSX home computer, a platform that never had a huge presence in the US. However, to entice the western market, Konami ported the game to the NES, which did expose it to more players worldwide. Unfortunately, the port is not the best one out there, given that the studio completely reshuffled the game’s layout, which stripped the balance Kojima and his team poured into the game. Still,Metal Gearis the reason why the franchise exists in the first place. While its western port is not the most intuitive out there, its amazing story and innovative gameplay definitely make up for all its shortcomings.
Next up isMetal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes,one of the shortestMetal Geargames. During the game’s release, many were outraged that it can be finished in under 40 minutes, with the world-record clocking in at four minutes. Despite this,Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroesstill served its purpose: to serve as a bridge betweenPeace Walkerand the at-the-time forthcomingThe Phantom Pain.
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