First time to play a Metal Solid Game....which one?

[silverpuma29]

Hi all, I'm a old retired codger that came to gaming late. Not very good at it but I really enjoy the challenge. I love sniper elite 4 playing on Authentic + and Ghost recon Breakpoint on extreme (bought this in late 2023 so with all the updates). I have 1000's of hours in both games as I tend to play a game I like alot. I like the slower stealth aspect of gaming.

Metal Gear is one that I like the look of. Would The Phantom Pain be a good place to start? I don't like the retro feel of the older games so would the game mechanics and graphics of Phantom Pain be close in quality of say sniper elite 4. Thanks in advice for any help and advice offered.....

[spy]

Metal Gear gameplay order (according to world history)
metal gear solid 3 sneak eater
metal gear solid 5 phantom pain
metal gear 1
metal gear 2 solid snake
metal gear solid
metal gear solid 2 sons of liberty
metal gear solid 4 guns of patriots

Metal Gear games are like different parts of a movie. As seen above, game 4 is the finale of all events. but game 5 is at the top. The dates of these games are different. So if you play the first 4th game, it will be like opening the finale of a movie.

If you play like this, you will see the events according to their history. But these games are like movies, if you know the movie, you shouldn't tell anyone about it so you can watch it with people. Knowing an event in advance, knowing surprising places in advance, is not the same as seeing the events at first sight. We start the story as a solid snake and learn some things by researching. It's a bit like walking through the entire facility, exiting through a door, and realizing that the true state of your world is as it never appeared from the inside. That's why my recommendation and the actual gameplay order is according to the release order. If you don't care about the story, you can play the most up-to-date game. Old games are really old.

note: metal gear solid 3 sneak eater remake will be released soon

[Klax]

I started the series with 5 since i never had a playstation. The plot will leave you pretty confused but the gameplay is the best ever. I went back and beat the older games even though im not much of a retro gamer because i love the series so much now though. I have over 400 hours in MGS5 and it will keep going up.

[Noa.]

Originally posted by spy:

Metal Gear gameplay order (according to world history)
metal gear solid 3 sneak eater
metal gear solid 5 phantom pain
metal gear 1
metal gear 2 solid snake
metal gear solid
metal gear solid 2 sons of liberty
metal gear solid 4 guns of patriots

Metal Gear games are like different parts of a movie. As seen above, game 4 is the finale of all events. but game 5 is at the top. The dates of these games are different. So if you play the first 4th game, it will be like opening the finale of a movie.

If you play like this, you will see the events according to their history. But these games are like movies, if you know the movie, you shouldn't tell anyone about it so you can watch it with people. Knowing an event in advance, knowing surprising places in advance, is not the same as seeing the events at first sight. We start the story as a solid snake and learn some things by researching. It's a bit like walking through the entire facility, exiting through a door, and realizing that the true state of your world is as it never appeared from the inside. That's why my recommendation and the actual gameplay order is according to the release order. If you don't care about the story, you can play the most up-to-date game. Old games are really old.

note: metal gear solid 3 sneak eater remake will be released soon

You complety forgot about peacewalker, which is important for GZ/TPP

but just play release order tbh

[Punished Eric]

Originally posted by Noa.:

Originally posted by spy:

Metal Gear gameplay order (according to world history)
metal gear solid 3 sneak eater
metal gear solid 5 phantom pain
metal gear 1
metal gear 2 solid snake
metal gear solid
metal gear solid 2 sons of liberty
metal gear solid 4 guns of patriots

Metal Gear games are like different parts of a movie. As seen above, game 4 is the finale of all events. but game 5 is at the top. The dates of these games are different. So if you play the first 4th game, it will be like opening the finale of a movie.

If you play like this, you will see the events according to their history. But these games are like movies, if you know the movie, you shouldn't tell anyone about it so you can watch it with people. Knowing an event in advance, knowing surprising places in advance, is not the same as seeing the events at first sight. We start the story as a solid snake and learn some things by researching. It's a bit like walking through the entire facility, exiting through a door, and realizing that the true state of your world is as it never appeared from the inside. That's why my recommendation and the actual gameplay order is according to the release order. If you don't care about the story, you can play the most up-to-date game. Old games are really old.

note: metal gear solid 3 sneak eater remake will be released soon

You complety forgot about peacewalker, which is important for GZ/TPP

but just play release order tbh

you completely forgot about portable ops which was never re-released but is almost as good as peace walker.
and actually OP should play in order of the timeline because the best games in the series are the ones that take place in the 20th century.

[Puzzled Sphinx]

wait for the remake of 3 imo. 3 and then peacewalker are the best story wise. then 1 and then 2. 4 is not able to be played due to being locked to the ps3 so unless you own one and the disk you can not play it. you can try to emulate it but gl. 5 is a good game but not exactly the best starting point. the others i believe you could do in any order. just remember the story itself is meant to be told out of order.

[Desiire]

Five is the most playable out of the box for sure. I wouldn't mind the people saying that five is the hardest to get in to or has confusing elements: I would argue that MOST people that have played five (like myself) have never even played the games that five is the sequel to. It's called MGSV, but the timeline for MGS is all over the place. Nobody even knows what MGS Peacewalker or Portable Ops even is, let alone the story, so MGSV just throws you in to the deep end. But none of that really matters. You land on your feet eventually and the game falls in to its own

It is pretty similar to Ghost Recon, so if you like Breakpoint then I think you'll enjoy MGSV. There is also tons of variety in companions, equipment and ways to play. You can play it as grounded as you want or you can go full-on robo-space-warrior

[Exarch_Alpha]

Originally posted by Puzzled Sphinx:

wait for the remake of 3 imo.

Please don´t suck please don´t suck please don´t suck

[Klax]

Originally posted by Desiire:

Five is the most playable out of the box for sure. I wouldn't mind the people saying that five is the hardest to get in to or has confusing elements: I would argue that MOST people that have played five (like myself) have never even played the games that five is the sequel to. It's called MGSV, but the timeline for MGS is all over the place. Nobody even knows what MGS Peacewalker or Portable Ops even is, let alone the story, so MGSV just throws you in to the deep end. But none of that really matters. You land on your feet eventually and the game falls in to its own

It is pretty similar to Ghost Recon, so if you like Breakpoint then I think you'll enjoy MGSV. There is also tons of variety in companions, equipment and ways to play. You can play it as grounded as you want or you can go full-on robo-space-warrior

Breakpoint feels like a watered down version thats missing 99% of the options in mgsV. BUT i do agree that the gameplay is similar!

[Punished Eric]

Originally posted by Exarch_Alpha:

Originally posted by Puzzled Sphinx:

wait for the remake of 3 imo.

Please don´t suck please don´t suck please don´t suck

I have no faith in the Silent Hill 2 remake. I have very little faith in this one. I agree "please don't suck" but I'm not holding my breath, I'm not buying it until a few months after release guaranteed.
The only thing that can really be improved upon is the aiming. If I could aim and move around in mgs3 the bossfights would be 10x better

[Nomus]

Peacewalker is more MGS5 than MGS5

[Punished Eric]

Originally posted by Nomus:

Peacewalker is more MGS5 than MGS5

It's like a smaller scale MGS5 in terms of gameplay
Peace Walker's story is the best in the franchise no contest.

[mancsi1234]

play in release order, in story order it's bad cuz u have to go from mgsv to mgs1, drastically different