The Metal Gear Solid series has a reputation for being difficult to follow. Although though the games have dominated the stealth genre, Metal Gear titles often incorporate political or historical details, interlaced with its already-convoluted plot. Add to that a series of games told out of order, and it's easy to see how some players might be intimidated just trying to figure out where to begin. While it's certainly not required to play the games in order, it will make understanding Metal Gear's overarching plot much easier. Here's a guide to playing the Metal Gear games in order, and a few details about where the titles land in the timeline.
For the purpose of setting the Metal Gear Solid chronological order, this article excludes tie-ins or otherwise non-canon entries. That said, Metal Gear Solid: Survive is included, because it directly emanates from the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, and resides as the most current release in the series.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Is First in Series Chronology (Set in 1964)
First in the series chronology, Metal Gear Solid 3 introduced players to the legendary soldier himself, Big Boss. During the Cold War, Snake is asked to infiltrate Russia to investigate his mentor's defection, gather information about the proto-Metal Gear, Shagohad, and uncover intelligence about the Philosopher's Legacy (an unimaginable sum of wealth stockpiled by allied nations during World War II). After the mission, Snake has a falling out with his handler, Major Zero, which begins a long history of tension between the two former friends. A Metal Gear Solid 3 remake is in the works, but isn't expected to change the timeline.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Takes the Series to Colombia (Set in 1970)
Six years after Snake helped to recover half of the Philosopher's Legacy, the remaining portion is at risk when his former CIA-aligned FOX unit goes rogue. After being captured and tortured by FOX, Snake meets Roy Campbell, and the two escape to Colombia, where the insurrection's leader, Gene, plans to create the nation of soldiers, Army's Heaven. Once defeated, Gene passes on Army Heaven's legacy to Snake. Meanwhile, Ocelot continues to investigate the Philosopher's identities, and agrees to collaborate with Zero, if Snake also joins.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Sees Snake Join the Militaires Sans Frontières (Set in 1974)
Set in Costa Rica in 1974, Peace Walker follows Snake after he's established his Militaires Sans Frontières (Army Without Borders) from Gene's Army's Heaven. Snake and Kazuhira Miller learn that an enigmatic military group has invaded Costa Rica, and that it is discreetly constructing nuclear weapons. It's even more peculiar when MSF is presented with a voice recording from Snake's now-deceased mentor, The Boss.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Is Cuban Cold War Chaos (Set in 1975)
A year after the Peace Walker incident, Snake and MSF learn that two allies, Paz and Chico, are being held at an American black site in Cuba. Snake is tasked to infiltrate Camp Omega to rescue their allies, if they're alive, or discover what they leaked, if they're dead. Disaster strikes after Snake rescues, and then evacuates with, his targets. Mother Base is destroyed, and Snake barely escapes before a bomb implanted in Paz explodes, causing his helicopter to collide with another.
Metal Gear Survive Involves Bizarre Inter-Dimensional Travel (Set in 1975)
Just after Mother Base's destruction, a wormhole appears above the wreckage, consuming debris and soldiers alike. The player character is a soldier who nearly avoids being taken by the wormhole, but is ultimately recruited by the United Nations to traverse it anyway. On the other side is the world of Dite, belonging to another dimension and overrun with zombie-like creatures. Although it's set up by Ground Zeroes' events, the game is considered non-canon.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain May Be the Series' Best (Set in 1984)
Following his helicopter accident, Snake awakes from a nine-year coma, hellbent on revenge. He, Ocelot and Kazuhira Miller start to rebuild MSF under a new name, Diamond Dogs. Snake and his allies take up arms against Skull Face and his rogue XOF unit, while also investigating an emerging biological weapon.
He even crosses paths with a young Liquid Snake, leading child soldiers in Africa. Ultimately, it's revealed that players have been playing as Snake's body double, undergoing facial reconstruction and brainwashing to better serve his role as Big Boss.
Metal Gear Introduces Solid Snake and the FOXHOUNDS (Set in 1995)
Solid Snake, a new recruit of the FOXHOUND unit, is tasked by his leader, Big Boss, to infiltrate the mercenary compound, Outer Heaven, and investigate what happened to the agent Gray Fox. The mercenary leader has constructed Metal Gear, a bipedal nuclear-capable tank, and plans to use it to establish Outer Heaven as a world superpower. After locating and destroying Metal Gear, Solid Snake discovers the mercenary leader is Big Boss (Venom Snake), and defeats his former commander.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake Tries to Prevent World Domination (Set in 1999)
Solid Snake is pulled back into action following the kidnapping of a scientist who possesses the solution to the world's growing oil problem. He's been abducted to the newly independent Zanzibar Land, whose leader hopes to extend global dominance through control of the vital resource. Solid Snake battles his way through Zanzibar Land, only to hear the familiar voice of Big Boss. He again fights his former commander and clone-father, believing him dead once and for all.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Has Clones & a Deadly Virus (Set in 2005)
When Solid Snake's former unit, FOXHOUND, goes rogue and seizes control of Shadow Moses Island in Alaska, Snake infiltrates the facility. However, he discovers his twin brother, Liquid Snake, plans to weaponize the newly designed Metal Gear REX.
Snake learns he and Liquid are both born from a clone program designed to recreate Big Boss. It's also revealed Snake was unknowingly injected with the FOXDIE virus, killing any member of FOXHOUND nearby. Snake escapes after Liquid suffers a heart attack when he gets too close. He then drops off the grid, away from the U.S. government's call. The remake introduces minor differences.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Introduces Solidus Snake (Set in 2007/2009)
The U.S. president is taken hostage by the Sons of Liberty, and FOXHOUND sends Raiden to defuse the situation. He locates the president, with help from Solid Snake, but learns the facility, the recent kidnapping, and even the U.S. political structure, are all organized by the Patriots, an elite group of immeasurably wealthy and influential individuals. Another clone of Big Boss, Solidus Snake, attempts to use Metal Gear Arsenal, hidden under the facility, to overthrow the Patriots, but is stopped by Raiden.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Is an AI Adventure (Set in 2014)
Succumbing to rapid aging from his cloned birth, Solid Snake is tasked with eliminating the now-fully possessed Liquid Ocelot. Ocelot plans to take control of the AI network that's become the Patriots and, in turn, command nearly all nanomachine-integrated tech. Snake defeats Liquid Ocelot, and eliminates the Patriots' control over society.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Follows Raiden as He Fights a Rogue Military Group (Set in 2018)
Four years after Guns of the Patriots, Raiden is working security in an African country when a rogue PMC called Desperado attacks his group. Critically wounded and rebuilt, Raiden tracks down Desperado and intervenes in their attempts to facilitate a coup. He learns a U.S. senator is working with Desperado to harvest children's brains to create cyber-soldiers, and resolves to end the sinister plot.