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Which Metal Gear Games Do You Consider Essential to Play?
- Thread starter kubev
- Start date
1, 2, and 3 are musts, 4 I fucking love it but I understand why people might not, Peace Walker is good but forgettable and V might have by far the best gameplay, but by far the worst story of them all.
OP
OP
It's odd, as I've played through the original MGS many, many times. That said, MGS is much simpler than MGS2, and I don't feel as though the changes made to the controls in MGS2 went far enough, given how much more complexly Snake could tackle different situations.
Agree with many others: For plot, play 1-4 in that order.
If you're still hungry after that, play V for controls and gameplay.
If you're still hungry after that, play V for controls and gameplay.
If you want the full canonical story experience:
1, 2, 3, 4, Peace Walker, V: Ground Zeroes, V: The Phantom Pain
For the FULL experience, add Metal Gear 1 and 2 to the beginning, before MGS1, but I think most people are fine just reading the summary that's included in the MGS menu.
Play them in release order for the best first experience. Do not listen to anyone telling you to play in chronological story order! One of the best things about MGS is how the series is built upon messing with your expectations from playing previous entries. This is lost if played in chronological story order.
1, 2, 3, 4, Peace Walker, V: Ground Zeroes, V: The Phantom Pain
For the FULL experience, add Metal Gear 1 and 2 to the beginning, before MGS1, but I think most people are fine just reading the summary that's included in the MGS menu.
Play them in release order for the best first experience. Do not listen to anyone telling you to play in chronological story order! One of the best things about MGS is how the series is built upon messing with your expectations from playing previous entries. This is lost if played in chronological story order.
Peace Walker and 3 changed the way I view video game narratives. Absolutely incredible. That being said, Revengance is one of the most enjoyable action titles I've ever played. I get an adrenaline rush every time I play through the tutorial and boss levels.
That awesome electro-butt rock ost is still in my workout playlist.
That awesome electro-butt rock ost is still in my workout playlist.
1, 3 and 4
The story only starts to make sense at 3. But, with that, you don't really need to play 2. It's a bit gimmicky.
The story only starts to make sense at 3. But, with that, you don't really need to play 2. It's a bit gimmicky.
OP
OP
I keep forgetting that I own the PC version, as well. Not sure if you're using the same logic, but the PC version of MGS is kind of a bummer. The stealth camouflage effect absolutely destroys the frame rate unless you switch it to an alternative version that makes it way too easy to see the person wearing it, and the FAMAS has a really strange and unforgivable bug that makes it pretty much unusable during the sequence when you're climbing the stairs of that tower in alert status. I don't know whether there were any ties to other Konami PC game releases as far as save files go for the Psycho Mantis fight, but I suspect that suffered in the PC version, as well.
This has layers.
For mainly to get the metal gear experience and the essential "must play" games and influence and what not.
Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 and 4 and for the core essentials, and you have the Solid Snake Saga.
If you care for Big Boss and supplemental lore . Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid 3 and Peace Walker are unique fun side games to play, Peace Walker is a must if you like a good James Bond style setting. But 4 is more enjoyed after having played Snake Eater.
Metal Gear Solid 5 is non essential for the story and it goes weird with characters and retconning a bunch but it is gameplay-wise one of the best in stealth games.
And if you're in tho this weird ride I highly recommend playing them all in order.
For mainly to get the metal gear experience and the essential "must play" games and influence and what not.
Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 and 4 and for the core essentials, and you have the Solid Snake Saga.
If you care for Big Boss and supplemental lore . Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid 3 and Peace Walker are unique fun side games to play, Peace Walker is a must if you like a good James Bond style setting. But 4 is more enjoyed after having played Snake Eater.
Metal Gear Solid 5 is non essential for the story and it goes weird with characters and retconning a bunch but it is gameplay-wise one of the best in stealth games.
And if you're in tho this weird ride I highly recommend playing them all in order.
weird. I've never actually played the PC version, would be nice if it was modernized and fixed.
the main takeaway for anyone looking to play the MGS games: don't play Twin Snakes (or at least play the PS1 original first).
What games in 2020 have better gameplay than mgsv? I want to try them
1, 2, and 3. That's it. 5 is stellar from a gameplay perspective but I wouldn't consider it "essential."
3 definitely isn't a side game. Despite being a prequel, the characters in 3 have an important part in 4 and the story is built on your knowledge that you played 3.
I don't know which I would say is the most essential. I'd recommend you play 1,2,3 and 4 although the camera on some of them make it difficult to go back to for me. However I would avoid MGS5 at all costs irrespective of the gameplay. Everything else was a shit show.
MGS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Peace Walker, and Ground Zeroes.
The world is only barren if you're looking at it from the perspective of traditional open-world structure.
The "world" of MGSV is less about being a vector for side missions, towns, and NPCs and acts more as an open canvas designed to allow the player incredible freedom in approaching its missions.
The world is only barren if you're looking at it from the perspective of traditional open-world structure.
The "world" of MGSV is less about being a vector for side missions, towns, and NPCs and acts more as an open canvas designed to allow the player incredible freedom in approaching its missions.
Metal Gear 2 (MSX2) is really overlooked. It has the gameplay and atmosphere but without too much bullshit story interrupting it. Also check out MGS 1, 3, and 5. And play Snatcher on Sega CD which is amazing and has Metal Gear references.
I recommend the whole Metal Gear Solid series in release order including Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes, and V. They are all very worthwhile games even if V and Peace Walker signal a pretty huge shift from the more focused, narrative-driven nature of the earlier series. If that sounds really unappealing you can stop after 4, which really is the end of the story chronologically. Ground Zeroes, oddly enough, feels more like one of the earlier games because of its more limited scope and status as a prologue to V.
The original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 are hugely important narratively but the Solid games mostly tell you what you need to know about their stories. Going back to MSX games might be difficult for some in 2020.
The original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 are hugely important narratively but the Solid games mostly tell you what you need to know about their stories. Going back to MSX games might be difficult for some in 2020.
If you're after seeing the Metal Gear story, 1-4.
Peace Walker-Ground Zeroes-5 form a pretty separate storyline from those, and I think the 1-4 storyline is the one you want if you want to see why people liked the Metal Gear story.
But if the archaic controls are your problem, it may be best to skip straight to 5. It's a fantastic game mechanically, but the most forgettable story wise. But that does mean it works ok as a stand-alone game.
4 is pretty archaic by today's standards, but light years ahead of what you played in 2, but story wise it would be incomprehensible without 1-3 under your belt.
Peace Walker-Ground Zeroes-5 form a pretty separate storyline from those, and I think the 1-4 storyline is the one you want if you want to see why people liked the Metal Gear story.
But if the archaic controls are your problem, it may be best to skip straight to 5. It's a fantastic game mechanically, but the most forgettable story wise. But that does mean it works ok as a stand-alone game.
4 is pretty archaic by today's standards, but light years ahead of what you played in 2, but story wise it would be incomprehensible without 1-3 under your belt.
Yeah, true but didn't 4 also tell you what happened in 3 at some? I remember The Boss going on for 40 minutes telling what went on during and after the events of 3.
This.
I've played Portable Ops and it was pretty pointless.
I also played Ac!d 1 but it was okay....wouldnt deem it essential to understand the story for the mainline series. MG1 and MG2 have more impact to the story imo but havent played those.
Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance
Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence
Those are the only need to play games in this series. Everything else ranges from awful to only okay.
If you beat those 3 and still for some reason want more Metal Gear then you can play Peace Walker and MGS1 VR Missions.
Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance
Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence
Those are the only need to play games in this series. Everything else ranges from awful to only okay.
If you beat those 3 and still for some reason want more Metal Gear then you can play Peace Walker and MGS1 VR Missions.
1, 2, 3 are GOAT. I don't see how 2 is archaic, I replayed it recently (there's a PC version with great community support), just give it some time to learn the controls?
Then there's 4. It's not essential as the others, nor nearly as good, but it's a huge milestone in gaming, and worth playing just to experience.
Then play Ground Zeroes. Give you a taste of the gameplay. If you like, give V a shot.
Then there's 4. It's not essential as the others, nor nearly as good, but it's a huge milestone in gaming, and worth playing just to experience.
Then play Ground Zeroes. Give you a taste of the gameplay. If you like, give V a shot.
Zero, Big Boss and Eva show up in 4. The GW room looks like the boss' graveyard, and Big Boss spends like half an hour talking about the woman he loved, in the ending
I'm going to offer some suitable solutions:
Naked Snake Saga: MGS3, Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes, MGSV
The above is for those who want to play MGS but aren't a fan of outdated controls and game design. Metal Gear Solid 3 is a brilliant story launch point for new players and as long as you replay the remastered version, while the controls are still ridiculous, the 3D camera mostly makes up for it and simply put Metal Gear Solid 3 MUST be played in my opinion.
Video Game Legacy Saga: MGS1, MGS2, MGS3, MGS4 (optional)
This for players who want to play the very best Metal Gear Solid games as long as they can stomach older game design and old controls. It can be a struggle at times playing these in 2020 - but the characters, music, plot, secrets all make it worth it and is a must play for anyone who doesn't want to miss out on video game history. Metal Gear Solid 4 is the weakest game so expect a quality drop off, but it's not as massive as some say, and at the same time gives the story a sense of finality and closure, but if you dont care about that, only the first three.
Naked Snake Saga: MGS3, Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes, MGSV
The above is for those who want to play MGS but aren't a fan of outdated controls and game design. Metal Gear Solid 3 is a brilliant story launch point for new players and as long as you replay the remastered version, while the controls are still ridiculous, the 3D camera mostly makes up for it and simply put Metal Gear Solid 3 MUST be played in my opinion.
Video Game Legacy Saga: MGS1, MGS2, MGS3, MGS4 (optional)
This for players who want to play the very best Metal Gear Solid games as long as they can stomach older game design and old controls. It can be a struggle at times playing these in 2020 - but the characters, music, plot, secrets all make it worth it and is a must play for anyone who doesn't want to miss out on video game history. Metal Gear Solid 4 is the weakest game so expect a quality drop off, but it's not as massive as some say, and at the same time gives the story a sense of finality and closure, but if you dont care about that, only the first three.
Twin snakes, great entry to the series
Metal gear solid 2, great sequel to the great entry
Ghost Babel, very dark, probably the coziest metal gear to this day
Phantom Pain, gameplay is incredible in this
Maybe Portable Ops if you're interested how MGS experience translates to a handheld
The rest are garbage, 3 has a few moments but they're rare
If you're only gonna play one, play TWIN SNAKES
Metal gear solid 2, great sequel to the great entry
Ghost Babel, very dark, probably the coziest metal gear to this day
Phantom Pain, gameplay is incredible in this
Maybe Portable Ops if you're interested how MGS experience translates to a handheld
The rest are garbage, 3 has a few moments but they're rare
If you're only gonna play one, play TWIN SNAKES
1-3 and that's it.
4 just isn't very good including the fan service.
Ground Zeroes is probably the tightest in terms of gameplay but feels a bit empty has it just doesn't have the awe and story to drive forward.
4 just isn't very good including the fan service.
Ground Zeroes is probably the tightest in terms of gameplay but feels a bit empty has it just doesn't have the awe and story to drive forward.
Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, 3, 4, and Peace Walker. Or perhaps just watch Peace Walker's cutscenes on YouTube, but either way it's an important (and really good) part of the story IMO.
Also, either version of MGS 1 will do. The original is still great but so is The Twin Snakes. You can't go wrong either way and I recommend ignoring the hate TTS gets if it's easier for you to play MGS 1 that way. They both have their points for and against.
Also, either version of MGS 1 will do. The original is still great but so is The Twin Snakes. You can't go wrong either way and I recommend ignoring the hate TTS gets if it's easier for you to play MGS 1 that way. They both have their points for and against.
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If you're only going to play one, play 3.
Otherwise just play them all 1-4, Peacewalker, 5. Story is weakest in 5, but the gameplay is sublime.
Otherwise just play them all 1-4, Peacewalker, 5. Story is weakest in 5, but the gameplay is sublime.
MGS1-3 are absolute classics. MGS4 falls short in many regards but it is a finale/closure for the first three, so I'd actually be surprised if someone didn't want to play it after going through the original trilogy.
My appreciation for Old Snake has only grown over time, as well.
My appreciation for Old Snake has only grown over time, as well.