Summary
Some may think theMetal Gearfranchise began on the NES like many beloved Konami franchises. However, it actually premiered on a Japanese computer known as the MSX2 in 1987 and the NES version would hit the West until 1988. After an NES sequel, the game then became more recognized as a Sony franchise thanks to 1998’sMetal Gear Solid.
It has since touched every PlayStation console and portable known to man, even the PS5. While the creator, Hideo Kojima, has left the company to pursue his own interests,Metal Gearlives on. What will the franchise tackle next? It’s unknown but let’s first take a look back at the past.
Metal Gear Solidwas a complete rebranding for the series which began on computers and then the NES. In many ways, it felt like Hideo Kojima’s true vision for a stealth game in the 80s. It was a groundbreaking title for the PS1 with tons of cutscenes, voiced dialogue, and console-pushing experiments.
It asked players to think outside the box like with the Psycho Mantis fight. How many games tried that post-Metal Gear Solid? Not a lot besides Kojima’s projects. This is the game that solidified Kojima in the minds of fans as a gaming god.
The PS2 had two absolute killer entries in the franchise which began withMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Its prequel-sequel,Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, marginally beats it out. At this point, Kojima was utilizing the PS2’s power even more to test more experimental gameplay.
There was the stealth-based camouflage system which was a bit complicated to use no thanks to the menus, but it still worked. There were also boss battles with multiple ways to tackle them including waiting real-time days to kill them. It alsogave Big Bossmore of a backstory and could arguably be called the better character between him and Solid Snake.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walkerwas basically the fifth main game before Kojima actually put out his magnum opus,Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Big Boss returned as the star in his race to start the ultimate band of mercenaries. The game made use of the system’s portability, making each mission a bite-sized adventure.
It was a blast to tie balloons to objects and people for supplies and recruitment. The game was even better after it got the HD treatment but it’s still killer on the PSP. The PSP had a lot of good entries in the franchise actually, including the two tactical card games in theMetal Gear Acidseries.
It may seem wrong to nominateMetal Gear Rising: RevengeanceoverMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, but there’s a good reason. As good as the main entry was, it also suffered from being a bit too overstuffed with content and that content was half-baked. A re-release on another platform with extras could have made it better whereasMetal Gear Rising: Revengeancewas great from the get-go.
The action was solid as is expected from a PlatinumGames title. Raiden made more sense as a character here than he did in the fourth main game. Plus it’s still plenty wacky from Raiden donning a sombrero to a senator ripping off his shirt to reveal a buck-wild amount of muscles.
Metal Gear Solid HD CollectionincludedMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker all in HD on consoles. Unfortunately, only Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater are included in the PS Vita version since Peace Walker is a PSP game and was thus backwards compatible.
Small gripes aside, these games on the PS Vita were solid. The HD improved a lot along with the small tweaks to the controls. Granted the control scheme on the PS Vita limited some actions but players could explore classicMetal Gear Solidlevels on the go which made it feel like an okay exchange.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, again, was Kojima’s swan song for the series. He didn’t get to finish it the way he wanted as there was clearly cut content right before launch, but at least the game turned out as good as it did. It’s like a more fleshed-out version ofMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
All of the mechanics from that game returned inThe Phantom Painincluding building up a base with mercenaries and collecting supplies with balloons. The big difference was the more open-world environments, inviting players to tackle levels in a myriad of ways. What could the game have been had Konami and Kojima not split up? The world will never know.
There is actually a game in this series on PS5, multiple in fact, viaMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. It includes the first three games which in turn include the MSX versions ofMetal GearandMetal Gear 2: Solid SnakeviaMetal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence’sbonuses. It’s a good collection albeit light in terms of new extras.
It’s a fine way to play through a bunch of classics on a modern console like the PS5.Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eateris coming soon to PS5 too and maybe one day that will usurp this entry. For now, fans and newbies can enjoy some classic Solid Snake and Big Boss missions in this collection.
