Metal Gear Solid as a series has become influential and iconic over the years for many reasons, and a lot of that is because it knows how to deliver spectacle with style. The series has always matched cinematic gameplay and real-world philosophizing with an ultra-slick action movie aesthetic. One example of this is through its creation of the series' unique "sneaking suits." Designed in the game's lore as a valuable tool for infiltration and espionage, each main game featured a new design for its sneaking suits, with many characters donning a version unique to their requirements and physique.
These five designs are best-looking sneaking suits from Metal Gear Solid's storied history, thanks in no small part to the soldier and spies who wore them well. Whether players were taking on the role of legendary soldier Big Boss, his cloned progeny Solid Snake or even the rookie Raiden, every Metal Gear Solid protagonist managed to look good while completing their various stealthy missions. After all, if the mission is to save the world, as it often is in the series, players will need the top of the line clothing technology to provide an edge against an overwhelming force of evil.
Metal Gear Solid 3 Prototype Suit
There wouldn't be a list of the best sneaking suits if it weren't for the granddaddy of them all, the prototype suit originally developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s Cold War alternate history of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. This incredibly stylish suit can be acquired by players in the second mission, "Operation Snake Eater."
The suit's combination of retro-future-looking material and realistic tactical gear, along with the stylish orange accents, make it one of the most striking suits of the series. It doesn't just look good, though; this suit provides added protection against small arms. Plus, from a storyline perspective, it's a blast when Naked Snake turns the Soviet Union's leading technology against its own soldiers.
The Boss Prototype Sneaking Suit
Metal Gear Solid 3's protagonist Naked Snake wasn't the only character who enjoyed the benefits of prototype Soviet technology. Former mentor turned enemy The Boss also received a prototype sneaking suit from her Soviet handlers. Her version of the suit, white in color and resembling a '60s era astronaut suit, is one of the most iconic in the entire series.
The Boss wears this suit in her final showdown with Naked Snake at the end of the game. The stark white design provides a gorgeous juxtaposition against the blood-red field of flowers where she takes on Naked Snake in a duel to the death. This sneaking suit was so beloved that it even made an appearance in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as a DLC outfit, a rarity for the series.
Metal Gear Solid 4 OctoCamo Suit
When Solid Snake finally returned for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, it was revealed that his exposure to the FoxDie virus had rapidly aged. To help the aging Snake as he returned to the field, he would don one of the most technologically advanced and strikingly designed sneaking suits of the series, the OctoCamo Suit.
This skin-tight black garb not only enhanced Snake's physical strength but also possessed a state-of-the-art camouflage system that automatically matched the suit to Snake's surroundings, providing an excellent stealth advantage. All players needed to do was press Snake's body against a wall or floor, and the suit would match the patterns. In the storyline, it was useful, but in gameplay, the mechanic is still impressive today. This advanced suit matched the near-future setting of MGS4, a world full of autonomous drones, ID-tagged weaponry, and genetically engineered soldiers.
Metal Gear Solid 2 Skull Suit
Fans were understandably shocked when Metal Gear Solid 2 revealed its main protagonist, a rookie soldier on his first mission codenamed Raiden. Despite fans being disappointed that they wouldn't be playing as Solid Snake again, most agree that Raiden's futuristic sneaking suit was a thing of beauty. Known as the Skull Suit due to its rib cage-like appearance, this suit was the most advanced infiltration suit his unit FoxHound had.
The Skull Suit was equipped with fish-like water-repellent scales for easier swimming, built-in sensors for relaying damage and vitals of the wearer, and even nanomachines that could help regulate adrenaline and fight fatigue. Although he would gain a powerful ally in Solid Snake, who helps guide him through the dangerous mission to rescue the President, Raiden needed all the help he could get, and his sneaking suit provided him a considerable advantage.
Metal Gear Solid Original Sneaking Suit
Although subsequent prequel games would reveal that the sneaking suit had existed long before the events of Metal Gear Solid, this iconic sneaking suit was the first one that most players encountered as Solid Snake began his mission on Shadow Moses island in the classic 1998 PlayStation title. Solid Snake begins the game pulled out of retirement by his old commander Colonel Roy Campbell in a mission to take down the old unit he used to be a part of.
To do so he'll need the best technology that the modern military has to offer, and given the frozen climate the mission is taking place in, a little bit of warmth wouldn't hurt either. Luckily for Snake, he gets just what he needs with an outfit simply dubbed the Sneaking Suit. The suit serves as a wetsuit with the latest in poly-thermal technology to combat hypothermia in the frigid Alaskan temperatures, as well as providing ballistic protection. Metal Gear Solid was the game that made most fans fall in love with the series, so it only makes sense that its sneaking suit is regarded as one of the designs ever.