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Metal Gear Series - Game Order

Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Location
Louisiana, USA
So I'm looking to dive full-force into the Metal Gear franchise. The fifth installment, Phantom Pain has been met with near-universal critical acclaim, and with so many people telling me I'm missing out by not playing it, I started to wonder if I should introduce a brand new series into my library.

The only game I've ever played from it was the fourth game, Guns of the Patriots. I remember absolutely loving it from a gameplay perspective, but I didn't understand the story at all. That kind of thing bothers me when I'm completely lost on who the characters are and what the context of my quest is. So I didn't really go beyond that game, since tracking down the rest of the series seems like a hassle.

So my question is this - should I play in release order, or chronological order? Is it even worth trying to play the really old games like the original? Are there any I can just skip altogether without losing much?

I've got both a PS3 and a PS4, so I believe I should be able to play each game if I get my hands on it.
 

mαrkαsscoρ

Mr. SidleInYourDMs
Joined
May 5, 2012
Location
American Wasteland
i would personally have one play them by release order,usually b/c since 3 is arguably the best one [and chronologically first],every other install may pale in comparison
this is also a bit tricky b/c i would honestly recommend the twin snakes over the original,but after seeing the price for twin snakes these days...nyeh
unless you're good w/ emulation then i'd say go for twin snakes first

otherwise,mgs1 is available for download on the ps store for ps3,and of course there's the metal gear solid hd collection,so w/ that you're pretty much covered for the series; revengeance i'd say is optional
and coming from someone who was a huge mgs fanboy during middle school [mgs4 was also my first mgs by the way],yes i would say you're missing out
 

ihateghirahim

The Fierce Deity
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Location
Inside the Moon
THe plot to MGS is absurd and hard to follow. Each installment builds it and fills in plot holes from the last one (while creating new mysteries). The gameplay likewise evolves to be more complex and interesting, and that makes it hard to go backwards in order. I'd go through the MGs titles in order, and save the 8-bit ones for later if you're really curious.
 

Kirino

Tatakae
Joined
Jun 19, 2010
Location
USA
Guns of the Patriots is definitely the worst one to start with story-wise, since it's the last chronologically and ties the entire series together.

All four main series titles are essential to the story, and are all phenomenal games, so I definitely wouldn't want to miss any, including the original. Otherwise, the only one really worth mentioning is Peace Walker, mostly since it chronologically precedes and provides background information to The Phantom Pain. Any other games are pretty irrelevant.

I don't think it really matters much whether it's played in release or chronological order, since the plot should be understandable either way. Ultimately, there isn't that big of a difference anyway; 1, 2, and 4 are all in order already, and 3 is a prequel focusing on Big Boss (as are Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain). I and most people I know have played it by release order, at least.
 

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