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[Zushin]

Hey guys,

Having never played any MGS games, I thought it was about time after all the awesome things I've heard. So I'll grab the MGS Legacy Collection tomorrow. Just wanted to know the ideal play order. Should I play Metal Gear 1+2 before MGS1?, etc, etc. Cheers!

 

[Kazerei]

Release order

 

[Jason Frost]

Play them in the release order.

 

[Synth]

MGS1, MGS3, stop.

 

[jabuseika]

Chronological. Best game first (MGS3), 2nd best game last (MGS4)

 

[cafemomo]

3 > PW > 1 (or TS lol) > 2 > 4 > Rising (because why not)

Then you should play PO or AC!D for giggles.

Then if you want a goat experience, play metal gear on the gbc

 

[CambriaRising]

Release order. You can skip mg1 and 2. Solid explains the important parts of them.

 

[abstract alien]

I feel like you can play MGS 3 at any point after MGS1 and be ok. The rest, play in order. MGS1, 2, and 4 need to be played in order.

 

[MidBoss]

Release order

^

 

[Matt Attack]

Release order, without a doubt. You could start with the first Solid if you want but playing MG1 and MG2 will not hurt. Don't play the series chronologically.

You're in for a great time. Enjoy yourself!

 

[adamsapple]

"Chronological order" will just confuse the fuck out of you.
Best play them in order of release as a long of gents here have specified.

 

[Zushin]

All right guys, thanks, release order it is! Is it worth playing MG 1/2 before MGS1 or?

 

[Jason Frost]

All right guys, thanks, release order it is! Is it worth playing MG 1/2 before MGS1 or?

You can play them after you finished everything else.

 

[Serrenn]

https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/350074398495080448

I often get asked "which title one should play if haven't done MGS series?". Play MGS3 as control is more modern, if you liked it then MGS4.

 

[Omikaru]

Really, there's only two ways to play the series:

1) Start at Metal Gear, play Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, then play the MGS games in release order.

2) Skip the MSX games and play the MGS games in release order.

Don't listen to anyone who says play the games in chronological order. Gameplay is often a continuation/evolution/growth of the previous game, and if you play them in chronological order it'll be a bit weird.

And besides, everyone else played them in release order, so as you can imagine lot of things in the game assumes you played the previous release, despite series chronology.

 

[TheYanger]

If you can stomach doing it, there are text play by plays for MG 1 and 2 in MGS, as well as a bunch of nifty 'briefing' videos. Those should give you a pretty solid background if nothing else.

 

[blamite]

All right guys, thanks, release order it is! Is it worth playing MG 1/2 before MGS1 or?

Eh, not really. I'm not sure about 4 but they're only lightly referenced in MGS 1, and then never again through 2 3 or Peace Walker. They're included with MGS 3 so you could give them a try to see if you'll want to finish them but personally I wouldn't bother.

 

[the_batman]

order of release, of course.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Play every series in release order, ever. Assuming you want to play all the games in a series, and barring any atrociously bad entries that everyone agrees you can skip. MGS doesn't have any of those (except for maybe Portable Ops?).

There, now you're done. For this and everything.

Edit: Or if some entries are just "skippable". I'd consider Metal Gear 1 and 2 skippable.

 

[angular graphics]

Release order.

 

[Kumo]

You'll get the most out of the series by playing it in release order. Chronological would be fine too but if you have the option, always play in release order because that's the order it's usually meant to be played in.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

In release order, I'd guess MGS1 and 2 would be harder to get into after first learning the MGS3/4 controls that are similar but more adjusted

 

[Applecot]

1-2-3-4

 

[Wazzy]

1-2-3

I think there's some AU fan made game that was titled MGS4 but obviously we'll pretend it doesn't exist.

 

[Zushin]

Thanks alot

 

[Makoto Yuki]

Release order if you want to get the references.

Chronological if you get confused easily.

 

[Jb]

1 (

Spoiler

Twin Snakes if you have a GC/Wii

) > 2+3 (HD Collection) > Metal Gear 1&2 (included on the HD collection) > 4 > Peace Walker

 

[robotrock]

Play MGS1, then 2, then 3, then 4, and finally Peace Walker. They are all great games.

 

[EL CUCO]

I was curios about this myself. Thanks for asking, OP.

Think I'm going to take Kojima's advice and just play 3 and 4.

Spoiler

Wiki can handle the rest

 

[PetriP-TNT]

Release order if you want to get the references.

Chronological if you get confused easily.

No, MGS3 has tons of references to MGS1 and 2 you won't get if you start with it

 

[CambriaRising]

1-2-3

I think there's some AU fan made game that was titled MGS4 but obviously we'll pretend it doesn't exist.

Stop trying to color his opinion before he even has a chance to play it.

I was curios about this myself. Thanks for asking, OP.

Think I'm going to take Kojima's advice and just play 3 and 4.

Spoiler

Wiki can handle the rest

This is bad advice.

 

[Makoto Yuki]

No, MGS3 has tons of references to MGS1 and 2 you won't get if you start with it

Let me clarify:

If you want to get the references to past games play in release order

OR

Play chronologically, if you want to see the story unfold in a less confusing manner.

Then again it's Metal Gear, so be ready for confusion anyway you play it, release order or chronological.

 

[Nightengale]

Release order.

 

[StarEye]

Release order, obviously. A sequel wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for the predecessor. Also, sequels answers questions from the predecessors, as well as asking new ones. Playing games in released order is always more natural, since every sequel is made with the previous games as a basis.

 

[KaiserBecks]

Just skip MGS 2 and you'll be fine either way.

 

[kazebyaka]

release order

Just skip MGS 2 and you'll be fine either way.

don't listen to this man, MGS2 is awesome

 

[jabuseika]

Just skip MGS 2 and you'll be fine either way.

But if you don't learn to hate Raiden in MGS2, you cannot learn to love him in MGS4.

 

[Recall]

3-1-2-4

Play them for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

 

[hateradio]

4, 2, 3, 1

Seriously though, normal order.

 

[RaikuHebi]

MGS1, MGS3, stop.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Post-modern story in 2 went over your head?

 

[MegaKungFuRadio]

Release order is the only way to go if you care at all about the story and the way it developed and revealed information over the years. It's incredibly difficult to replicate this when reading a wiki, since most wikis are written with all current information on hand and this makes it hard to discern what is basic starting information or late-in-the-series revelations.

If you don't care about any of that, just play MGS4, since it's the easiest to play.

 

[Eusis]

Release order, go ahead and give MG1 & 2 a shot but if you find them too archaic read the synopsis in MGS1 and just start from there.

 

[Makoto Yuki]

Just skip MGS 2 and you'll be fine either way.

No, MGS2 was awesome, it's all kinds of crazy, the good kind.

 

[Chemo]

Release order only. Do not ever listen to anyone who tells you to play in continuity order.

Fucking hell, though, this question is asked way too often.

 

[ComputerMKII]

MGS1, MGS2 and that's it. Don't play the other games.

 

[Gregorn]

I was curios about this myself. Thanks for asking, OP.

Think I'm going to take Kojima's advice and just play 3 and 4.

Spoiler

Wiki can handle the rest

Kojima is assuming people can't handle the outdated mechanics of 1 & 2. You're not one of those people.

 

[Serrenn]

I was curios about this myself. Thanks for asking, OP.

Think I'm going to take Kojima's advice and just play 3 and 4.

Spoiler

Wiki can handle the rest

Do it. Don't listen to RoseTintedGAF here. Playing 4 games in a row will do nothing good to you.
You can burn out really quick and every next game will be a chore.
MGS4 is great and MGS3 is the most playable game from the oldies, MGS1 and 2 controls are horrible.

 

[Mupod]

MGS3 is meant to be played after 2. You could play it first but you wouldn't really learn anything that would help you understand the story better, although the game's story is fine as a self-contained thing. But why just do that when you can get the nice standalone story AND all the references to the other games?

Also MGS2 is a really weird, insanely detailed game that has somehow gotten better with age. They just don't make them like that anymore. Even if I didn't particularly love it my first time around I think everybody should at least experience it.

 

[Spaghetti]

Release order

first post gets it but you don't have to play mg and mg2 before you hit mgs, a lot of mgs refers back to mg and mg2 but you'll get the gist of it

 

[Mr. RHC]

first post gets it but you don't have to play mg and mg2 before you hit mgs, a lot of mgs refers back to mg and mg2 but you'll get the gist of it

He should definitely play MG and MG2.