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[Jonneh3003]

This isn't just Solid vs Liquid vs Naked and so on, which game does the best job of making Snake an interesting character.

For me it has to be Solid Snake in MGS2:

I loved the character in the original but MGS2 puts Solid Snake in a mentor-esque roll, you look up to him throughout the entire game and his motives seem far deeper than any other MGS game. The tanker section showcases Snake and Otacon's relationship better than any other game in the series and it really highlights Solid as a cool, likeable and interesting character.

 

[Chase17]

Brawl for the hit boxes.

 

[Tizoc]

Metal Gear Solid for me.
Mainly because you play through it with Solid Snake.

 

[Ratrat]

I agree with MGS2. Design-wise I like Ground Zeroes Big Boss.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

Probably MGS3. Snake went from being a good soldier to learning a life lesson in psychological warfare that would then influence every other part of the MG universe.

By the end of that game he was ready to play THE game.

 

[Smooth Operator]

MGS2, but that's kinda the whole point of the game to show us how interesting/likeable he is

The fanfiction they released on PS3 had the worst Snake.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

2 because he's a cutie that helps u out a lot
3 because he has a surprising softness to him despite his occupation and I like that
4 because he just needs a rest the poor thing

 

[oldsnakeonline]

MGS 4 has the best snake I have ever met ! Very interesting and strange characteristics. I really hate snake in MGS2 !

 

[SolVanderlyn]

They all have their pros.

MGS1 is the cool and aloof super soldier with an underlying heart of gold.

MGS2 is the more human Snake, and also shows us the living legend through the eyes of another. This is the only game where he really feels like a hero. I love his dialogue and speeches in this game.

MGS3 has the goofiest Snake. I love how he believes in Santa Claus and feels more approachable. His life was significantly more normal than Solid's up to this point, so it makes sense.

MGS4's Snake is depressing as hell and the worst one

MGSV's is... let's not go there.

MGS2 wins, though. The Snake and Otacon buddy cop relationship, his more mature attitude, and his status as the "cool other" in the plant chapter are all just too perfect.

 

[deim0s]

Ground Zeroes Snake, streamlined and stealth-looking - just a bad ass all over.

MGS3 - where we get to know a weird - trained (kinda dumb/rookie-ish) Snake.

 

[Thickstone]

V

Sooooo sexy

 

[Mechazawa]

By the end of that game he was ready to play THE game.

Eh, he wasn't ready until the end of Peace Walker.

Prior to the end of that game, he was still a pretty emotional, broken dude living in delusion.

 

[ActWan]

BB in every game, especially during and after his "fall from grace" (MGSV-MG2).

Spoiler

too bad we almost didn't get to see him in MGSV

 

[bluethree]

I agree with the OP 100%. The characterization of Snake in 2 is by far the best in the series.

 

[Chola]

Old snake is the best snake

 

[Roufianos]

MGS1 Snake. He's such a cold badass with so many great one liners.

MGSV Snake is obviously the worst.

 

[THEaaron]

Venom is the best overall. <3

 

[Jonneh3003]

Venom is the best overall. <3

I love the premise of Venom but he isn't an interesting character IMO.

 

[CTLance]

MGS 1 Snake for me. Mostly because I don't approve how "zany story and character craziness" logarithmically correlates to the number attached to the game in the franchise.

Also, I'm one of those KISS guys. Sure, MGS 1 snake is a rather one dimensional character compared to his later reincarnations. However, that left plenty for me to fill in on my own, and didn't expose questionable traits. There's just enough personality and story to make every MGS 1 Snake unique to each player, so to speak.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

MG2:SS

basically

No clone BS, just the greatest soldier in the world defeating Big Boss for a 2nd time.
Has some depths the later games follow and some they don't(Doesn't enjoy doing what he does, wants to be more than just a killer, etc)

 

[CertifiedFP]

Metal Gear 3/Solid 1-Snake.

Really the apex of Classic Snake, IMO. MGS2's depiction of Snake felt too much like it was just going through the motions while Snake in Solid was very much ongoing character-development continuing from Metal Gear 2. There's really nothing new to MGS2 Snake, he's just the same Badass Anti-Hero the new kids who started with Solid knew.

Though honestly that may just be because I vastly prefer Classic Metal Gear (1 through Solid 1 and Ghost Babel) over the Solid subseries where everything started going "ILLUMINATI CONFIRMED" and "NANOMACHINES". I just really liked the nice and grounded feel of the plots of the MSX games and Solid 1 before the series went full on 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Spoiler

Yes, yes I did play the MSX games BEFORE Solid came out.

MGS 1 Snake for me. Mostly because I don't approve how "zany story and character craziness" logarithmically correlates to the number attached to the game in the franchise.

Also, I'm one of those KISS guys. Sure, MGS 1 snake is a rather one dimensional character compared to his later reincarnations. However, that left plenty for me to fill in on my own, and didn't expose questionable traits. There's just enough personality and story to make every MGS 1 Snake unique to each player, so to speak.

basically

Ahah, it's good to see fellows around here who also prefer the Original Trilogy of Metal Gear before the series went batshit insane and changed the numbering system to 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, and so on.

(Solid 2 really should have been called Metal Gear 4 instead. There's plot-summaries in Solid referring to MG1 and 2 by name, so fans would have no excuse to ask "What happened to 2 and 3?!" when it was blatantly obvious Solid was Metal Gear 3.)

 

[aravuus]

MGS2 or 3, can't really decide which one. He was pretty good in MGS1, too, and mostly terrible in 4 and V.

But yeah, 2 or 3. Unsurprisingly, they are also my favorite games in the series

Spoiler

(V was hell of a lot of fun too, but that story... Eugh)

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Metal Gear 3/Solid 1-Snake.

Really the apex of Classic Snake, IMO. MGS2's depiction of Snake felt too much like it was just going through the motions while Snake in Solid was very much ongoing character-development continuing from Metal Gear 2. There's really nothing new to MGS2 Snake, he's just the same Badass Anti-Hero the new kids who started with Solid knew.

Though honestly that may just be because I vastly prefer Classic Metal Gear (1 through Solid 1 and Ghost Babel) over the Solid subseries where everything started going "ILLUMINATI CONFIRMED" and "NANOMACHINES". I just really liked the nice and grounded feel of the plots of the MSX games and Solid 1 before the series went full on 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Spoiler

Yes, yes I did play the MSX games BEFORE Solid came out.

Ahah, it's good to see fellows around here who also prefer the Original Trilogy of Metal Gear before the series went batshit insane and changed the numbering system to 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, and so on.

(Solid 2 really should have been called Metal Gear 4 instead. There's plot-summaries in Solid referring to MG1 and 2 by name, so fans would have no excuse to ask "What happened to 2 and 3?!" when it was blatantly obvious Solid was Metal Gear 3.)

Yeah, MG2 feels like MGS1 so much yet I actually prefer MG2 as my mind can reimagine the inferior stuff(no cutscenes, no voice acting, certain gameplay downgrades like the Hind D battles)
So everything we are left with I kinda prefer.


Not saying I don't absolutely love the Solid series but in my head the original 2 are disconnected from Solid series. While the Solid series is connected to reimagined MG1&2.

 

[Renekton]

MGSV - Kiefer's voice was appropriately reserved and resigned.

 

[Spring Drive]

Metal Gear Solid, the original

 

[FunnyPirate]

Big Boss (MGS 3)

 

[CertifiedFP]

Yeah, MG2 feels like MGS1 so much yet I actually prefer MG2 as my mind can reimagine the inferior stuff(no cutscenes, no voice acting, certain gameplay downgrades like the Hind D battles)
So everything we are left with I kinda prefer.


Not saying I don't absolutely love the Solid series but in my head the original 2 are disconnected from Solid series. While the Solid series is connected to reimagined MG1&2.

Nah, Solid 1 (3) is very much a sequel to Metal Gear 2. Snake's character in Solid is the result of character development from MG2's events, and pretty much the entire plot relies on Metal Gear 2's events to have happened. And as far as gameplay goes it's essentially just Metal Gear 2 with 3D graphics and a few free-aim sections to fit a quota of them being able to say the gameplay is 3D.

The Solid sequels are where shit started to get disconnected and become a bunch of non-sequiturs that could have been their own IP instead.

Anyway, in the words of James Rolfe: "So you've got Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, and Metal Gear Solid 2 - Which one's the real 2?!?"

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Obligatory

 

[Frozenprince]

If Kojima had gotten to finish MGS5...

It's Big Boss though.

 

[gschmidl]

Definitely the Pachinko machine.

 

[Jonneh3003]

Obligatory

Aha how have I not seen this?

 

[GametimeUK]

MGS3 easily if we are including Big Boss. Just the fact he is so relatable and likable in that game. Not to say I hate Solid Snake, but his character is wasted on such a disaster of a story that really taints the experience. MGS3 is where it's at for pretty much everything.

 

[Alienous]

MGS2 Snake. Such a good character. That surviving the tanker. That one step ahead of you. That handshake. So good.

 

[MegamanXZero]

Obligatory

Solid Snake just because of this xD
Metal Gear Solid version is the one that I like the most. Most probably because it was my first MGS, but he was young (not as young as in MG) and experienced.

 

[Venom Fox]

MGS1 snake.

 

[Ludens]

The pachinko, best version of Naked Snake until now.

 

[RK9039]

Solid Snake from MGS2 probably, he's the most badass in that one even though we didn't get to play him much. The game opens with him having a smoke while he's just taking a stroll and it's one of the coolest moments in the game. And also the part where he breaks his handcuffs off and chases RAY down, and also the Otacon secret best friends forever handshake... so cool.

Anyway fuck MGSV.

 

[liquidtmd]

I agree with the OP 100%. The characterization of Snake in 2 is by far the best in the series.

.

The wistful yet hopeful voiceover ending from Snake in MGS2 is where the series kinda ended for me in actually liking Snake as a protagonist

Naked Snake and Big Boss lost me but I still recognise 3 as a great game itself

 

[Molemitts]

MGS3 because he actually has a personality, is way more expressive and struggles in various ways. He's far more than just some kind of super soldier in that game.

 

[Bishop89]

Solid snake mgs 1-2

 

[mdzapeer]

Metal gear solid ps1 snake...dude is slick.

Takes down a tank solo with only grenades.

 

[brawly]

What did people like most about Venom? The way he called in choppers or how he sat in total silence with Skullface in that jeep?

Such a shitty character and I'm glad he was who he turned out put to be. Leaves the great Big Boss in tact. MGS2 Snake felt like an actual badass.

 

[Nestunt]

3

The original

 

[Ryouji Gunblade]

MGS3 followed by MGS2. People always forget how sexist Solid was in MGS.

 

[Odorono]

MGS3 followed by MGS2. People always forget how sexist Solid was in MGS.

Reaaally?

 

[Mivey]

Twin Snakes. Gives him ridiculous Matrix moves.

I love how that jump does absolutely nothing, since he was already behind cover.

 

[Angel_DvA]

Solid Snake is the best one, in MGS2, he shows how wise, strong and pro he really is, not talking about his aesthetic too. SS for life !! a shame what Kojima did to him with MGS4 because he like BB more, even if he's the worst Snake to me.

MGS3 because he actually has a personality, is way more expressive and struggles in various ways. He's far more than just some kind of super soldier in that game.

ah ah ah

 

[Joey Ravn]

Naked Snake in MGS3 is the best in my opinion.

I loved Venom Snake in V as well. And, yes, I really like the ending... at least in a theoretical level. The implementation wasn't as good as it could have been (especially considering that the pre-release promotional material basically gave it away), but what it meant for the series was really cool.

 

[Makoto Yuki]

MGS2 >MGS4 > MGS3

Big Boss was only good in MGS3 in my opinion. He was whored out afterwards.

 

[RK9039]

What did people like most about Venom? The way he called in choppers or how he sat in total silence with Skullface in that jeep?

Such a shitty character and I'm glad he was who he turned out put to be. Leaves the great Big Boss in tact. MGS2 Snake felt like an actual badass.

Venom Snake was like watching paint dry.