Popverse's top stories

• Avengers: Doomsday is already ignoring one of the biggest lessons of the success of James Gunn’s Superman
• What to Watch This Weekend: All the Alien movies before Alien: Earth next week
• Luigi Mangione is "a story about the American Dream Gone Wrong," says James Patterson, and he's writing a book to prove it

Solid Snake is more than a soldier; he’s a living weapon.

In a world that has been torn apart by escalating military threats, Solid Snake is the hero humanity needs. The special ops soldier can sneak through any enemy facility and eliminate any enemy target. Trust us, because he has the body count to prove it.

From the creative mind of Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear began as a computer game in 1987. While other games encouraged players to come in hot and attack enemies, Metal Gear emphasized stealth and strategy, encouraging players to be more thoughtful during gameplay. The game was a hit, spawning one of the most successful video game franchises of all time.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater arrives this month, giving players the first new Metal Game in seven years. With the franchise being revived, now is the perfect time to catch up on all the other games. Don’t worry, Popverse is here to help. This guide will tell you everything you need to now about the hit video game franchise, and how to play it in release and chronological order.

How to play Metal Gear in release order

Are you ready to play through the Metal Gear franchise? If you’re looking to play all the games in release order, just follow this list. Please note, this list only covers unique releases. For example, Metal Gear Solid Integral is considered a rerelease of Metal Gear Solid. While there are updated gameplay elements, there aren’t enough to classify it as a new game. Expansion packs are not considered unique releases either.

With that in mind, here’s every Metal Gear game in release order…

• Metal Gear (1987)
• Snake’s Revenge (1990)
• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)
• Metal Gear Solid (1998)
• Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (2000)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)
• Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
• Metal Gear Acid (2004)
• Metal Gear Acid 2 (2005)
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
• Metal Gear Mobile (2008)
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)
• Metal Gear Online 2008)
• Metal Gear Solid Touch (2009)
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)
• Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (2012)
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
• Metal Gear Survive (2018)
• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (2025)
  
  

How to play Metal Gear in chronological order

If you prefer playing Metal Gear in chronological order, this list will help you get started. Here’s a timeline for every game in the Metal Gear franchise. Please note, the canon status of some of these games has been debated by the Metal Gear fan community. I wouldn’t recommend thinking too hard about it. Just grab your controller and get ready to destroy your enemies.

• 1964: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
• 1970: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
• 1974: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
• 1975: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Survive
• 1984: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
• 1995: Metal Gear
• 1998: Snake’s Revenge
• 1999: Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
• 2002: Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (2000)
• 2005: Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
• 2006: Metal Gear Mobile
• 2007: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Tanker chapter)
• 2009: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Plant chapter)
• 2014: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid Touch
• 2016: Metal Gear Acid
• 2018: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
• 2019: Metal Gear Acid 2
• Nebulous time period: Metal Gear Online and Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops
  
  

When is the next Metal Gear game?

The next Metal Gear game is Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, which will be available to play on August 28, 2025. The game, which is set during the Cold War, follows a FOX operative named Nathan Snake who is tasked with sabotaging a secret Soviet Union weapon. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be playable on Windows, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5.

Is Metal Gear based on Escape from New York?

When Metal Gear Solid was released in 1998, many players noticed some similarities to the John Carpenter film Escape from New York. Both projects feature a special forces veteran named Snake, among many other things. Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has been open about taking inspiration from the film.

According to John Carpenter, some studio executives toyed with the idea of suing Kojima, but Carpenter convinced them to back off because he knew Kojima and found him to be a “nice guy.”  

Should I play Metal Gear Solid or Metal Gear Solid Integral?

It doesn’t make much of a difference. Metal Gear Solid Integral is a 1999 re-release of Metal Gear Solid with some gameplay and cosmetic changes. Examples include new difficulty settings, a character named Johnny is in his underwear instead of naked, new guard patrol routes, and other minor things. Many of these changes have been included in other ports of Metal Gear Solid over the years.

In short, whichever version you have easiest access to is the one you should play.

What is the best Metal Gear game to start with?

It depends on the type of gamer you are. If you like old school games with retro vibes, then you should start with the 1987 Metal Gear game. If you’re into survival games like DayZ, then you’ll love Metal Gear Survive. If you’re into modern shooter games, then you should try the newest entry in the series, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. If the gameplay and storyline get you hooked, then you can use this play order list to work your way backwards and try the other games.

Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:

• Upcoming movies
• Upcoming TV shows
• Upcoming comics
• Upcoming games
• Upcoming fiction books
• Upcoming comic conventions