The Tactical Timeline: Metal Gear Solid in Chronological Order

Let’s be real for a second: Hideo Kojima didn’t design the Metal Gear Solid timeline; he hand-wove it out of military history, Cold War paranoia, giant bipedal robots, and pure, unfiltered narrative fever dreams. If you try to trace the series purely by release date, you’ll start in 1987 with an 8-bit Snake, jump to 2005 for a PlayStation masterpiece, leap back to 1964 for a jungle survival drama, and end up somewhere in the future fighting a cyborg ninja powered by memes.

It’s brilliant, but it’s absolute chaos. Whether you’re getting ready for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater or just trying to figure out why there are three different guys named Snake, sitting down with the saga in chronological order is the ultimate way to appreciate Kojima’s genius. Grab your cardboard box, pop in a codec, and let’s walk through the entire timeline—from Big Boss’s tragic origin to Raiden’s high-octane finale.

A Quick Tactical Note: Release order is great for watching the gameplay evolve, but chronological order is how you watch the tragedy of Big Boss unfold into the nightmare world Solid Snake has to save.

Act I: The Legend of Big Boss (1964 – 1984)

The first half of the timeline isn’t about Solid Snake at all—it’s the slow, heartbreaking villain origin story of his father, Naked Snake (later known as Big Boss).

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (1964)

Where the nightmare begins.

Set in the dense Soviet jungle during the height of the Cold War, a young operative codenamed Naked Snake is sent on a mission to stop a rogue faction and assassinate his beloved mentor, The Boss. It’s a story of ultimate loyalty, soul-crushing betrayal, and military tragedy. By the time the credits roll and Snake stands tearfully at a lonely grave, the foundation for the entire MGS saga is cemented.

 

2. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (1970)

Rallying the troops.

After going rogue from FOX, Snake finds himself framed for treason in South America. To clear his name, he builds his own mercenary group, planting the seed for his vision of a nation without borders—a sanctuary for soldiers with no home left to fight for.

3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (1974)

Building a nation, courting catastrophe.

Four years later, Snake commands Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF) in Costa Rica. Peace Walker blends base management with heavy political intrigue as AI-driven nuclear deterrents threaten total annihilation. Snake finally lets go of his past and fully embraces the mantle of Big Boss.

4. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (1975)

The night everything burned.

A brief, brutal prologue that packs an emotional punch. Big Boss infiltrates a black-site prison in Cuba to rescue Chico and Paz. The mission ends in utter disaster: Mother Base is destroyed, MSF is annihilated, and Big Boss slips into a nine-year coma.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (1984)

V has come to.

Waking up in 1984, Venom Snake forms “Diamond Dogs” to exact phantom retribution on XOF and Cipher. Set against Afghanistan and the Angola-Zaire border, this chapter explores the psychological fallout of war, language weaponization, and the tragic duplicity behind the Big Boss mythos.

Act II: The Sins of the Father (1995 – 1999)

Enter Solid Snake—the cloned son destined to clean up Big Boss’s mess.

6. Metal Gear (1987)

The Outer Heaven Uprising.

Rookie FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake is deployed to Outer Heaven to rescue Gray Fox and destroy a dangerous weapon called Metal Gear TX-55. The twist? Snake’s own commanding officer—Big Boss—was pulling the strings behind the fortress all along.

7. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1999)

Zanzibar Land disturbance.

Snake is dragged out of retirement to infiltrate Zanzibar Land, face an army of mercenaries, duel his old friend Gray Fox in a minefield, and put a final, burning end to Big Boss’s dream of endless war.

Act III: The Sons of Liberty & The Patriots (2005 – 2014)

The era of modern tactical espionage action where nanomachines, shadow governments, and digital control reign supreme.

8. Metal Gear Solid (2005)

Shadow Moses Incident.

A rogue terrorist group led by Liquid Snake seizes a nuclear disposal facility in Alaska. Solid Snake infiltrates the frozen island, tangles with Psycho Mantis, discovers the terrifying truth about the “Les Enfants Terribles” cloning project, and battles the towering Metal Gear REX.

9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2007–2009)

The Tanker and Big Shell.

Starting with Snake’s investigation of Metal Gear RAY on an oil tanker, the narrative quickly shifts to Raiden—a rookie agent thrust into a simulated nightmare on the Big Shell offshore facility. A mind-bending exploration of information control, AI, and digital memes that was decades ahead of its time.

10. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2014)

Guns of the Patriots.

Accelerated aging has turned Solid Snake into “Old Snake.” In a world dominated by Private Military Companies and nanomachine warfare, Snake embarks on his final globe-trotting mission to stop Liquid Ocelot and dismantle the AI system controlling humanity. A tear-jerking, epic curtain call for a legendary hero.

Act IV: Epilogue (2018)

11. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2018)

High-frequency blades and cyborg philosophy.

Four years after the fall of The Patriots, Raiden works as a private military contractor. When a rogue cyborg faction threatens global peace, Raiden unleashes “Jack the Ripper” in a fast-paced, high-octane hack-and-slash spin-off that proves war… well, war changed, but the memes live forever.

How Should You Experience the Saga?

While playing chronologically gives you an incredible historical view of Kojima’s world, first-timers should keep one thing in mind: going from 2015’s The Phantom Pain straight into a 1987 MSX game can give you severe gameplay whiplash!

If you’re a long-time fan replaying the series, Chronological Order is pure magic. If you’re a brand-new recruit, release order (starting with 1998’s MGS1 or 2004’s MGS3) might feel smoother. Either way, strap in—you’re about to experience one of the greatest stories in video game history.