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Metal Gear Solid is one of the most influential series in video game history. Created by Hideo Kojima, the saga combines elements of action, stealth, espionage, science fiction, and drama with a complex and profound narrative that explores themes like war. After more than 20 years, the franchise has left an indelible mark on popular culture and the gaming community worldwide.
What are the top games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise? Here is a list of the five titles that we consider to be the best.
Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
Ranking the top games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise
5) Metal Gear Solid III: Subsistence
Metal Gear Solid III: Subsistence is one of the franchise entries that was developed for PlayStation 2. It is set in 1964, during the Cold War, and follows the missions of the secret agent, Naked Snake, in the Soviet Union. In this installment, the player must infiltrate enemy bases, evade or eliminate guards, rescue allies, and confront members of the Cobra unit.
This title is among the top five because it has an online mode that allows players to compete or cooperate with other users in different game modes. Another reason is that it includes the Existence disc, which contains a cinematic version of the game with edited and remastered scenes.
In addition, the game has a wide variety of weapons, items, costumes, and camouflage that can be used to adapt to the environment and situations.
4) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The Phantom Pain is one of the Metal Gear Solid games directed by Hideo Kojima. It is the most ambitious and extensive of them all. The title is set in 1984, in the middle of the Cold War, and puts us in the shoes of Venom Snake.
The Phantom Pain is on this list for several reasons. First of all, it offers a huge open world divided into two regions: Afghanistan and Central Africa. Players can explore these areas with total freedom, using different vehicles, weapons, and gadgets.
The game also offers a wide variety of main and secondary missions, which players can face with different strategies, from the purest stealth to the most frenetic action.
3) Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots once again follows the adventures of Solid Snake, a veteran soldier who must infiltrate various conflict zones to stop the plans of his nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, who wants to control the world with an artificial intelligence system called Sons of the Patriots.
Guns of the Patriots is considered one of the most influential games of the seventh generation of consoles due to its graphics, soundtrack, characters, and story. The title was also praised for its innovation, introducing elements like the Psyche Meter, which reflects Snake's psychological state, or the OctoCamo, a suit that adapts to the environment to camouflage itself.
2) Metal Gear Solid II: Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty continues the adventures of soldier Solid Snake. This time, he must infiltrate a naval facility called Big Shell to stop a terrorist group threatening to launch a nuclear weapon. The game also introduces Raiden, a rookie who becomes involved in a complex plot of conspiracy, betrayal, and manipulation.
Sons of Liberty was very innovative for its time, with impressive graphics and sound. It brought narrative elements to complex themes such as identity, freedom, information, social control, and war. The game was critically and commercially acclaimed and a best-seller that laid the groundwork for future developments in the saga.
1) Metal Gear Solid
Without a doubt, Metal Gear Solid (1998) is the best title on this list. It was developed by Konami for the PlayStation console.
The game narrates the adventures of Solid Snake, an elite soldier who must infiltrate a military base in Alaska to stop a terrorist group that threatens to launch a nuclear attack with a weapon called Metal Gear.
It is considered one of the best entries in the franchise and one of the most influential in history. At the time of its release, it was praised for its innovative gameplay, complex plot, and soundtrack, among other things.
The title was a commercial and critical success, laying the groundwork for future installments in the saga that would be characterized by their narrative depth, cinematic style, and pacifist message.
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