The Metal Gear series makes for some of the most iconic stealth games in history, but with numerous prequels, sequels, and other timeline shenanigans, even diehard fans can have a hard time keeping track of its timeline.
This list doesn’t cover non-canonical games, re-releases, or spinoffs that don’t follow the same storyline as the original series.
While Metal Gear is still best played in release order to understand the full story without being spoiled by the events or shocking reveals of later entries, understanding the full chronological order makes the storyline much more digestible. Whether you’re looking for a way to spice up your next playthrough or simply want to better understand the overarching narrative of the Metal Gear games, you’re in the right place.
The Heartbreaking Origin Story For The Legendary Big Boss
Set during the peak of the Cold War, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater follows the operative Naked Snake’s mission to rescue a Soviet scientist and eliminate his defected mentor to prevent a global war with the USSR. Metal Gear Solid 3 also establishes the origins of several key organizations like Fox and the Philosophers, as well as critical backstories for several highly influential characters like Ocelot and Eva.
Being the very first chronological entry in the Metal Gear series, MGS3 showcases the journey of how Solid Snake’s predecessor ended up becoming the legendary Big Boss mentioned so frequently across the series.
A Strange But Important Spinoff For The Series’ Timeline
Taking place half a decade after the events of MGS3, Portable Ops sees Big Boss officially leaving Fox to investigate a rogue military uprising involving his previous allies, which leads him to recruit soldiers for his own personal mercenary force.
Despite its contradictions with later events in the series, many key story events in Portable Ops are confirmed to be 100% canon for the Metal Gear timeline
Aside from offering an epilogue to MGS3 and helping tie up some narrative loose ends between entries, Portable Ops also lays the foundations for Big Boss’s future as the leader of Outer Heaven and his departure from the traditional values of his mentor and her philosophy.
Exploring Big Boss’s Shift Away From His Former Ideals
Fully leaning into the recruit mechanics introduced in Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker follows Big Boss once again as he continues to grow his private military force in Costa Rica, while also getting caught up in even more Cold War tensions involving prototype Metal Gear units that could trigger a global war if left unchecked.
Partnering with Kazuhira Miller to help lead his new private army, Peace Walker also introduces players to Mother Base as a home for Big Boss and his growing forces. Concluding the emotional storyline that was established in MGS3, Peace Walker sees Big Boss fully solidifying an independent military force while introducing fans to key concepts and characters like Paz, Chico, and Doctor Strangelove.
A Prologue That Perfectly Sets Up Big Boss’ Eventual Legacy
With the military group established in Peace Walker being fully realized, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes isn’t a full game on its own, but rather acts as a canonical prologue to the next mainline entry in the series. Taking place entirely within the confines of the secret U.S. prison Camp Omega in Cuba, Ground Zeroes follows Big Boss’s mission to rescue his companions, Paz and Chico.
Without going into too much detail about its ending for the sake of spoilers, Ground Zeroes sets up the events of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain with an attack on Mother Base that occurred simultaneously with the events of Big Boss’ mission, ending with him in critical condition.
Filling In The Gaps For One Of The Series’ Biggest Plot Holes
With Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain picking up nine years after the catastrophe that occurred during Ground Zeroes, the story follows Big Boss, now named Venom Snake, as he rebuilds his devastated military force and attempts to get revenge on the man who initiated the attack.
Having to rebuild Mother Base from scratch with Ocelot and Miller by his side, The Phantom Pain also introduces the parasite weapons as a key plot point later in the series, while leading directly into the creation of Outer Heaven.
The Game That Started It All
Despite being the very first release in the series, the original Metal Gear takes place at about the halfway mark of the timeline and introduces the franchise’s poster boy, Solid Snake.
Shifting perspectives to Foxhound’s newly recruited operative long before his heroic legacy, the first Metal Gear game sees Snake tasked with breaking into the military base Outer Heaven to rescue a captured agent and destroy the nuclear-capable Metal Gear unit hidden within.
Putting A Stop To Big Boss’ Reign Of Terror
Years after the events of the previous entry, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake sees the iconic operative brought out of retirement in order to infiltrate another heavily defended military base, this time one known as Zanzibar Land in Central Asia.
Sent to rescue a kidnapped scientist and destroy an even more evolved version of the previous Metal Gear, Snake eventually finds out the deeper political tensions and groups funding Zanzibar Land in the first place, which culminates in a face-off with Big Boss himself for one final time.
The Start Of A New Age Of Global Warfare And Espionage
Following a similar setup as the previous two entries in the series, the first Metal Gear Solid sees Snake brought out of retirement once more to stop a renegade Foxhound unit that has taken control of the nuclear weapons base Shadow Moses. Throughout his espionage mission, Snake also encounters several new allies like Metal Gear designer Otacon and the still loyal Foxhound member, Meryl.
Demanding the remains of Big Boss and a whopping $1 billion dollars or they’ll unleash a nuclear strike, the older Snake has to go up against several genetically enhanced super soldiers headed by his own genetic twin, Liquid Snake, all within 24 hours of the operation’s start to prevent an all-out nuclear war.
A Tonal Shift Showing Just How Powerful The Patriots Truly Are
Starting off with Solid Snake’s failed attempt at infiltrating a ship holding evidence of a new Metal Gear unit, before a Russian hijacking causes it to end in failure and sees Snake blamed as a terrorist. Skipping forward two years, the real story of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty follows a new Foxhound agent by the name of Raiden.
With the terrorist group known as the Sons of Liberty having taken over the Big Shell facility in New York, the rookie is sent to rescue the president from within and stop the group at all costs. Aided by several agents, including our familiar hero, Raiden has to go up against the organization led by a clone of Big Boss known as Solidus Snake, all while unravelling an even deeper governmental conspiracy.
The Final Conclusion To Solid Snake’s Legacy
Skipping forward years after the events of Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots sees a drastically older Snake. Facing off against Revolver Ocelot, whose body is still seemingly being controlled by the remnants of Liquid Snake from the original Metal Gear Solid, Snake uses old allies and new technology against the evolving threat.
Fighting against Snake’s accelerated aging with only a year to live, Guns of the Patriots sees the return of just about every surviving character in the franchise working to stop the Ocelot-led terrorist group, who are attempting to rid the world of the influential shadow organization known as the Patriots, albeit at the cost of decimating all technological civilization in the process.
