What's the best Metal Gear game?

The newbs will say MGS3, but the correct answer is MGS1

Sadly: No it wasn't.

It worth noting as well: Metal Gear Solid 2 is a mostly average video game title : with terrible writing.

This "legacy": a simple plot twist other games done and had done better.

easily 3

MGS3 + Peace Walker were the best of the bunch (so far) for me. GZ is awesome and indicates MGS5 will be amazing, but it's not a full game so I don't think it's fair to put it up there.

MGS3>MGS1>MGS4>MGS PW>MGS2

Its not a strict judgement and fluctuates a lot for me.

MGS3 and Peacewalker

MGS2, hands down. It was one of the most groundbreaking games of the 21st century.

The game's physics and artificial intelligence was a huge leap forward for gaming. Its tech demo demonstrated at E3 2000 was the killer app that sold the PS2 and killed the Dreamcast.

Its gameplay was the biggest leap forward for the series since Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (which MGS1 was heavily based on), with multi-level, three-dimensional environments, as well as game mechanics like hanging off ledges and hiding bodies, not to mention cover-and-shoot mechanics, paving the way for cover-based shooters.

Then there's the story. The "Colonel" plot twist remains one of the most shocking plot revelations in gaming history. And it was one of the first examples of postmodern art in gaming, and it still has not been bettered in that regard to this day.

Yes.

MGS3. Made up for that convoluted as all hell storyline in MGS2.

Substance and Subsistence are 1 and 1a for me with Peace Walker following closely behind (probably my favorite handheld game of all-time...good enough that I've even replayed it multiple times on the Legacy Collection). MGS1 is brilliant as well but just hasn't aged quite as well as the others.

GZ has the best gameplay to date though. So many ways to go about your business and Phantom Pain looks to build on that, it's going to be epic for sure.

I loved MGS4 but it's putrid story strictly precludes it from the best of discussion.

I can easily say this... it's not MGS4.

Aside from that, it's a hard conclusion to make.

Peace Walker > MGS1 > MGS3 > the rest and anyone who voted Portable Ops is a bad person and should feel bad.

Metal Gear Solid 2

This scene was mindblowing (major spoilers).

This. Can't decide between the two.

I say MGS3. A friend of mine that only play Metal Gear, like seriously, that's the only video game series he plays and nothing else, to him is Peace Walker. I have tried playing it for a couple of hours and really disliked it. The story might be the best but the gameplay and everything is so limited since it was a PsP game that I simply cannot stand it.

mgs 1 or 2.

3 is my favorite and still one of my go to games I have it for everything. . I'd like a remake of 2 with the new controls.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

The best gameplay in the series (until Ground Zeroes released), with an ambitious plot centred around digital censorship and the flow of information that is actually more relevant today in the year 2015 than it was when the game released.

I like MGS3, but let's be real, it's essentially a James Bond-esque spy flick done MGS style.

Not to mention the game ran like shit compared to MGS2 because the foliage of the Jungle setting.

Sons of Liberty, the only Metal Gear Game to make me teary.

mgs 3 no contest

then mgs2 and 4 are in a tie

I don't like the 1st much, hasn't aged well imo

MGS3 all day everyday

MGS2 followed closely by MGS3.

Gameplay wise MGS2 is a less ambitious game than MGS3, but it's a tighter and more refined experience all around.

I also much prefer the story in MGS2, but both games do have very enjoyable stories for very different reasons.

As others have mentioned, GZ and the upcoming TPP take the gameplay king spot.

MGS1 will always be the classic, but it doesn't stand toe to toe with these games on any level. MGS2 takes the gameplay style of MGS1, but expands and perfects it. MGS3, while less refined than 2, still glides right over the original with its breadth of mechanics and relatively open ended level design. Some argue that the story in MGS1 is the most down to earth, but it's still really damn stupid when you realize that the Foxhound members are sacrificing themselves and Liquids plan is to let you win up until REX is activated.

Peace Walker? Ridiculous story, but a fun game. Neutered MGS3 with a ton of content and some fun rpg elements.

MGS4? Garbage story. Good mechanics that rarely get put to good use due to 1. Abysmal level design and 2. Game breaking Octocamo system. Lots of great ideas with terrible implementation, you could tell Kojima was only able to get a shadow of his original design ideas into the final game. The open ended, ever changing, always aggressive battle field gameplay never quite panned out. Kind of sucks because it seems his game plan for MGS4 would have worked perfectly with the Fox Engine.

Portable Ops = pure shit all around. A significant era of the timeline wasted on a garbage game.

Metal Gear blows, don't care if it's the original.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is actually a good game. Might as well be MGS1 in 2D. It's the Link to the Past to Ocarina. The Super Metroid to Metroid Prime.

@princeofshapeir: "Wow look at all these bozos who don't appreciate MGS2 :)"

I"ll take 2 over 3 and 4. But what 1 was the best.

MGS1 was revolutionary. Name me a game with very long full voiced dialogue cut scenes prior to MGS1?

I bet you can't name one.

MGS3 all day son.

MGS2

Just recently wrapped up a replay of the main series (skipping MGS4) and damn MGS2 still plays so well.

Every time I play the game I discover/realize new things too. Such a great game all around.

as a huge fan,

it hurts to only pick one

i love all of them

(except that Rising shit, how is that pile of dung canon?)

ok fine in order

1. MGS4

2. Peace Walker

3. MGS3

4. MGS2/MGS1/Portable Ops (i still love these games, being low in the list means nothing)

5. MG2

6. MG1

The best MGS game BEFORE part 3 allowed camera control was part 1.

The best MGS game AFTER Subsistence allowed camera control, is MGS3.

I really enjoyed Ac!d. :(

MGS2 was my favorite.

MGS1 > MGS4 > MGS3 >> MGS2

@uninspiredcup:

@EZs:

If I'm not mistaken, Wing Commander 2, back in 1991-92 was first game to use full voice acting, sound effects and lengthy cut scenes, all in one game. Yes, MGS improved greatly upon real time story telling but it wasn't the first cinematic game. The problem with MGS games is poor execution of good ideas, when it comes to story.

It kind of saddens me that it should even be a question :\

Snake Eater by a large margin (although I can see the claim for MGS 1).

MGS2 has never been matched in many regards (pertaining to video games), but it really can't be. No other game can be another 'breakthrough.' It's also the most refined game in the series.

1-2 are where Kojima's influence shine

It's amazing as to how so many people find Sons of Liberty to be a masterpiece. I replayed it again a year or two back and I stand by the notion that the game is rather poor in general. The gameplay itself is still decent, it just so happens to be hampered by a heavily intrusive narrative that is needlessly convoluted. It's unreal as to how much exposition and pathos Kojima shoehorns into the storyline. I'll appreciate his effort because he does sport some interesting ideas, but for the most part it's a point for point lesson on how NOT to tell a story in a video game.

Anywho, my pick is Snake Eater. Still has some of the most engaging stealth gameplay to date. Terrific game.

1 MGS4 2 MGS3 3 MGS 4 MGS2 5 MGS Revengance 6 MGS GZ

Mgs3 so far, haven't played mgs4 cos i'm an xbox man. I will purchase a ps3 at some point and get it along with some other ps3 exclusives.

The original on PS1..

I never saw the story as such. First, lets get it out of the way that ALL the games have needlessly long codec conversations in a few places. Now, imo, it is the overall story that really makes MGS2 so great. I always thought the skating fatman was sort of dumb and out of place, but when all is said and done a lot of the wacky stuff sort of makes sense and actually adds to the arc of the story. You got to go into it with an open mind and not expect the typical surface story. Uncharted 3 does this and people claim plotholes but in reality some nitpicks they have are not the focus of the tale being told.

MGS4 ... because I trust Kevin Vanord say in his review ....and want to kiss him .....

and

Peacewalker .... because gameplay similar to MGS4 plus the RPG element

Metal Gear: Rising easily though I haven't yet played Ground Zeroes yet.

The first games with full voice acting, sound effects and lengthy cut scenes were laserdisc games like Dragon's Lair and Bega's Battle way back in 1983. The idea of interactive movie games had been around for a long time, but often dismissed as gimmicks.

MGS is revolutionary because it had full voice acting, sound effects and lengthy cut scenes all done in real-time using the in-game engine, rather than through FMV or separate bitmap animations. By doing so, MGS set the basic template for how cinematic storytelling is presented in AAA gaming to this day.

MGS3, followed closely by MGS1.

Nostalgia wise; MGS1 on PS1. Gameplay and every other possible way wise; MGS4.

MGS2, even if the story was a big wtf.

MGS3

It has a rather unique and well polished gameplay, takes risks and has an open ended level design though the controls are made to be as unintuitive as possible, you press so many buttons to perform a very simple action, and Kojima's attempt at writing a well written story with humanized characters is laughable in a terrible B movie kind of way which is sorta entertaining but cringe worthy at times.

MGS4 is a turd in every aspect.

Perhaps we have a lot in common than I thought.

Having a hard time choosing between MGS1 and MGS3. Probably give it to MGS3.

The worst is a much easier choice - MGS4 without a doubt.

MGS3 and MGS Rising are pretty equal in my eyes.

MGS4 is the worse.