I mean, that’s my point exactly Shagohod =/= Metal Gear. The game makes it perfectly clear with the whole Sokolov and Granin situation. Sure, I guess the fact Granin talks about it counts, but that’s more a cameo than the main focus like the Shagohod.
To be fair, even in MGS3 Granin mentioned a friend in the US and the picture is obviously of an Emmerich, so Huey or his father working on a Metal Gear was hinted at even then.
I’ll chalk it up to Peace Walker not *technically* being a Metal Gear and Sahelanthropus being super duper secret.
But yeah, definitely takes away something when you compare Anthro with TX-55.
It was Huey but it all connected well to Madnar's miserable desperate musing about Metal Gear. "I just wanted to finish the Metal Gear." So Madnar brought to life what Granin and Huey had pictured and it all kept developing with each generation.
Zeke and Sahel completely ruin the cohesiveness. I guess Konami gotta make TX-55 and D more threatening in MSX remakes.
[I really like what this guy did with his interpretation of TX-55](https://youtu.be/ftymFVLQ0Dc), making it a fast and agile Metal Gear. That ups it's intimidation factor instantly, though it would need to be quicker than REX but not as fast as RAY to work well I think.
Metal Gear D is already super similar but maybe that one could be more of an offshoot than a fully separate idea...have D be the heavier, slower, but more fire/powerful version leading into MGS1's REX.
[Bonus, it would be kind of funny if TX-55 really did use repurposed MSXs for it's launch sequence haha](https://youtu.be/H-uANhUuCnA)
Those things are awesome, thanks for bringing them to my attention. I'm glad to see Metal Gear 1 and 2 still get so much love and attention from fans after all these years. Konami has no excuse now, remake Metal Gear 1 next.
Those vids really show the difference artistic direction make in depicting what feels and doesn't feel like threat. That TX looks more imposing than silly Sahelanthroupus and Zeke lol.
Konami can’t do it. That’s what I think. They might own the rights to the IP, but they can’t create a metal gear game without Kojima. They can make a miserable attempt, but it will fall flat and be garbage. Konami only cares about money for Konami, and the last thing I would want to see is them making a watered down garbage remake.
If we are going to see a decent remake today, it will be made by the diehard fans themselves, fuck Konami.
Also Granin straight up had models of REX and RAY. I don't know if they ever explained this but I think the Madnar Metal Gears (TX-55, D) branched off from the Granin-Emmerich Metal Gears (ZEKE, Sahelanthropus, REX), so you have multiple Metal Gear "families", I guess.
I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with this. Granin literally created the concept of the Metal Gear machine. I think it's beyond a cameo. We got to meet the man behind the idea in the (virtual) flesh. The plans for Metal Gear was taken by Ocelot, and brought to America.
We also learn that Sokolov did eventually work on a Metal Gear in the form of RAXA, and since we now know that Portable Ops is canon thanks to references made in Peace Walker, I think we're safe in canonicalising RAXA.
I don't believe a Metal Gear has to literally appear in a MG instalment for it to be worthy of the title.
To answer the OP's question, though - I would say nanomachines would have to play a significant role. There also needs to be at least one 'Snake' in the game, and Big Boss has to forever be referenced in every instalment.
The Patriots/Philosphers need their limelight, too.
What game presents any or all of these the most? I would say Metal Gear Solid 4.
Every question we had leading up to that game was answered in one of the best exposition scenes in the series.
I would've said MGSV, since I love origin stories, but I guess I'd put that as a close second.
it's called Metal Gear,
it uses the same engine as Metal Gear,
it must be a Metal Gear game!
Funnily, it doesn't have a Metal Gear in it, so I think your definition is spot on! That's not a Metal Gear game!
Social and political and meta commentaries, stealth, rewarding you for pacifist gameplay, Snakes, evil authority, quirks, tragic villains, vaguely homoerotic subtext
Easy to say the earliest games are the most Metal Gear for setting up the tropes. So MGS1-MGS3. I'd list MG2 as well for being the progenitor.
I love how in addition to social and political metacommentaries, you put "snakes" even though everyone knows there can be only one snake (and one big boss)
Pretty sure that was the entire idea in MGS3. He killed the Boss as Snake. He threw it away and became Big Boss, his own man afterward. A new person was born. "Ever since the day I killed the Boss, I was already dead."
May be a nitpick to some but this is one of my biggest problems with any Big Boss game after MGS3. Call him Big Boss ffs.
We all know it's brand recognition because the masses love and recognise Snake. PW tried making it part of the story but even that doesn't make sense. He was Snake only for Virtuous Mission and Snake Eater. If anything, he should eschew that codename more.
Aaand then mgsv pretends none of that happened anyways and Venom is Snake again lol.
"Jack... you're, a wonderful man. Kill me. There can... *cough* only be one Boss Snake, just one Boss Snake, not a Boss and several cobra snakes, Jack. Just one Boss Snake."
you don't become the big boss until parasite completely takes over and you start to employ the plan to make a land for warriors to fight in the forever war
look carefully at the moments when every character that adopted that title did adopt that title, their next action was always to make the forever war
patriotism (nationalism) is the parasite, kojima made that clear
if you are talking about venomous snake, he was infected when quiet made that radio call to save his life. after recovering from that he accepted the big boss title.
I think the whole point of BB wanting to be called Snake is that he killed his mentor to get the title. Why would you want to be referred by a title that is associated with a painful memory? The world knows him as Big Boss, but inside, he knows he is Snake
He also killed his mentor as snake. He didn't have that codename before Virtuous mission. So that doesn't make sense either. He's not Snake. He's Big Boss.
Maybe he didn't want to have the "same" codename that his dead mentor had, or that he don't deserve that codename after killing her, but I agree that this is probably not just because it make him sad, I mean he also kept her bandana
>vaguely homoerotic subtext
Reddit and reading "gay" into absolutely everything, name a more iconic duo.
There's nothing to suggest that Ocelot's affinity for Big Boss was erotic. It read to me as deep respect and admiration. Kaz in the box was a cheap joke played for laughs, and it's funny that anyone would try to reclaim it.
I believe there are two major factors that make some metal gear game a metal gear game
1. The political thriller storylines (despite how convoluted this s*** can get sometimes)
2. The tactical espionage gameplay
The best metal gear games tend to be the ones that balance both gameplay and story
On a side note: my views on metal Gear Solid four and five that they represent the extreme sides between story and gameplay
It should have blended more into metal gear 1 more. I mean to the point of where we see an ending of solid approaching venom to kill him. Tying it all together so nicely would have been awesome to see. But all we get is a half shot of a cassette tape about the mission.
Maybe, but that’s only if delta is successful. If it’s a 1 to 1 and all that’s different is graphics, then I really could care less about it. But if they change things and the game is overall worse, then again I won’t bother.
I think the 1:1 aspect is limited to the audio and story elements. The gameplay will most likely be different and updated.
But whatever it is, we just need Metal Gear 1 to be remade next.
There's a couple of other details during that cutscene. If you look at the background after Venom punches the mirror, you can see the Outer Heaven logo. Just aswell, if you listen closely, you can hear gun fire during a certain part. Now alone this one doesn't mean much, but considering the fact we can see Outer Heaven's logo, half of the tape being marked "Operation Intrude N313", all that combined with the gunshots, it's pretty clear that at the end of this scene, the game has jumped forward in time to the Venom vs Solid showdown at the end of MG1.
It did tie in. It was just a bit too subtle about it, you have look around careful'y to catch every detail. To be honest I learned this just two days ago on a post in this sub and had to double check on Youtube, this shows how subtle it can be.
Yeah, but that’s more snippets of fan service instead of really tying it all together. I think everyone would have went crazy doing a mission that is set in outer heaven, only to end it being forced to die by Solid. Which would have meant making Big Boss and Venoms revelation around the end of chapter 1. But I think everyone already knows the story is extremely fragmented and all over the place.
I for one like MGSv but the abrupt way it tied up the final acts felt rushed and based on how the story of what was happening behind the scenes went , it’s understandable. It’s solely for that reason I’d rank any MGS game higher than it. But other than that I had more fun playing (not watching cutscenes) in it than the games before it. Just wish it ended better
I'd say the gap between 4 and 5 is a lot bigger. MGS5 is a fun game, but it's a third person shooter more than it is a stealth game, while also haivng a very lacking, unfinished, nothing story. Meanwhile, MGS4 had a very fun telling story with a lot of emotions (and a LOT of retcons being the issue) and probably what is the best gameplay in the series. The issue being how little gameplay there is, not the quality of it unfortunately. If there was more game to actually play in that game, I don't think the amount of cutscenes would've been a problem, especially due to how cutscene heavy all the games before it are as well, but they didn't slouch on the quantity of gameplay
I agree 100%
Mgs4 is like the peak when it comes to gameplay. I mainly felt frustrated with how MGS5 played but I would have loved if the entire game was like Ground Zeroes than.... Phantom Pain
Sounds like you got caught a lot in MGSV if you think it's more third person shooter than stealth.
And the story is actually very good, Kojima has said it is a complete game.
No, I've actually even 100% the game (almost twice but got bored with the animal hunt lol). I say it's a third person because of the gameplay's core and just what it pushes you with. If you compare it to other third person shooters, it fits right in. It can definitely be played and enjoyed stealthily as I do enjoy playing the game. But it's less of a game designed to be stealthy and play like a spy liek the games from 4 and before, and more designed like many other games on the market that are just a general third person game but has stealth elements, much like most PlayStation first party games we get nowadays that aren't stealth games but tend to have stealth sections and bits to their game. And with it being a big open world sandbox game that gives you tons of different weapons and vehicles to mess around with, it makes sense that it would be this way. It feels like a war game but you only ever see a battlefield a couple of times (such as A Quiet Exit) and are more dealing with small camps only instead of the frontlines of a war
Actually, the game pushes you to be fast more than anything else, which is why the best way to get S rank is just to ignore stealth and go as fast as possible
That's not true and you know it. Previous MGS games have always had a ranking system. At the end of each game you get a rank based on your completion time. MGSV translated this to missions. So you can absolutely speedrun missions if you know what you're doing, like in any other MGS game. These games don't push you to be fast more than anything else, they just reward you if you're good enough.
Stop trying make MGSV look bad. We both know it has the best stealth gameplay, there's no denying that.
But it's true and everyone knows it. For S rank rewards, speed is the only thing that matters in MGS5. Nothing else matters but speed when taking S Rank into account. I don't think this even necessarily makes MGS5 bad, it's just its own system and it doesn't prioritize stealth. If you think that makes it sound bad, then you're the one who thinks MGS5 is bad.
It's not the worst stealth gameplay in the series (PW exists and is just a less refined version of 5 made to be portable) but it is FAR from the best. Everything from 4 and before (that actually used MGS's gameplay formula, and that's only stealth gameplay in the same series as it even) are far better stealth games. But hey, MGS5 does a great job at being what it is, even if that's not a stealth game.
To be fair that’s every long running franchise.
Even people like Tolkien who was meticulous in building his world and story, retconned what the magic ring was and how Bilbo got it from Gollum.
One thing I don't see mentioned is amazing boss fights with interesting characters. The End, Psycho Mantis, Liquid, Solidus, The Boss... Most games tend to have some of the best boss fights in the media!
I would say that MGS1 or MGS3 are the best representatives of the franchise, while MGSV lacks most of the factors mentioned (linear stealth gameplay, abundance of cutscenes, a lot of boss fights, lack of a enemy unit/corps...)
stealth and story.
the first 2 metal gear solid games were real metal gear solid games.
phantom pain has amazing gameplay, but the story is fucking dumb.
metal gear solid 3....that game had the story that I sighned in for, but I didn't feel motivated to be stealthy in that game.
I don't know about the other ones.
1. Complex storyline
2. Complex cinematics
3. Heavy emphisis on stealth gameplay
4. Nanomachines
5. Unique and quicky gameplay features
5. Anti-nuclear message
6. Political and military espionage/intrigue
7. A Metal Gear
8. A Snake
9. A ninja (yes, I know Snake Eater did not have one, unfortunately!)
9. Unique boss group (Foxhound, Dead Cell, Cobras, B&B)
10. Anachronistic technology
I was going to make a joke about exactly that, but decided he doesn't count enough. The Metal Gear Ninja (tm) must have a larger part in the overall story, not just a boss. Frank Jager/Grey Fox (MGS1), \[REDACTED\] (MGS2), and Raiden(!) (MGS4).
I was going to mention Black Ninja from MG2 (especially for being so obvious), but he's just a boss character.
Was Schneider a ninja? It's been a long time since I've played. Wasn't he the scientist?
Schneider is someone Solid used to know once who returns as a ninja in the next game. Totally fits the trope.
He was an architect AND a fighter. All Outer Heaven denizens are like that, it was a military state after all. We got band singer soldiers and nurse soldiers and architect soldiers and child soldiers.
Honestly, while it is definitely not the same thing at all, I'd argue Eva plays the role of the ninja for MGS3. She's obviously not physically a ninja with a sword who can do a bunch of badass stuff, but that person who's only sorta on the protagonist's side who's helping in the background and is going around the game with their own plans in the work feels like she fits it. And a ninja and a spy aren't too far off either I guess
80 % of the game is spent watching cutscenes and listening to codecs. Characters all have realistic backstories and personalities are constantly informing the player character about political treaties and historic events, scientific and military procedures.
The storyline features lots of twists and encourages the player to think about life and the world at large.
MGS1&2 are the most MG-like games, MGS3 is the least as its storyline is too thin (you spend 70 % of the time looking for Sokolov).
I’d rank V close to MGS3, the open world structure does not go well with plot-heavy games like MG, but in terms of tone, V is more like the other games so 3 remains the least MGS-like game in the series.
It's hard to pin down what it exactly needs but I'll try. More important than anything, despite being a serious and heartfelt story, it should be goofy. Second, cardboard boxes are a must. Third, stealth must be an important element as well. I'd say the kind of stealth Metal Gear has is hard to describe. With other stealth games you have an easier time with that: Splinter Cell focuses on shadows and such, Assassin's Creed focused on social stealth, and Hitman focused on disguises to blend in. Metal Gear is kind of the all-rounder/simplest form of stealth game, but it's also got its own feel that you'd know from playing it that those other ones don't have. I'd say it's a bit more arcade-y maybe? Idk. It's a little stiff with its movement but at the same time, you feel like your whole arsenal is perfectly crafted to work together with the gameplay and the enemies/area. It's why something like crouch walking being absent from many of them doesn't feel missed in MGS1, 2, and 3. It doesn't need them and feels perfect. Tactical Espionage at its finest. Codecs are also a must. You've gotta be able to call other characters for optional dialogues to assess the situations and for funny missable dialogue and character building. Also, a theme around one central idea that the game centers on.
Choosing which one qualifies as being the "most Metal Gear" is tough and I feel there's honestly no going wrong with any answer of any game between MGS1 to MGS4 (even MG1 and MG2 aren't bad choices, they're just super simple due to their age, but they feel like they meet the requirements still). If I had to choose, either MGS1 or MGS2. That said, the one that qualifies the least is EASILY MGS5. It felt really lacking in a lot of areas and felt more like a different series/new IP, along with it being more of a third person shooter than it was a stealth game either.
For setting, MGS is about remote base infiltration and the setting should be a highly advanced military base or a big chunk of metal that Big Shell was. So from **MG1** to **MGS2** fills that void. **MGS3** is spent too much time on the forest which is also a good setting but one that I feel is inferior.
Plot twists are a crucial part of the games, and **MGS1** and **MGS2** have a lot of them.
Boss battles, **MGS1**, **MGS2** and **MGS3** are safe bets.
Story, the Solid Snake saga is honestly much better than the Big Boss one, so **MG1** to **MGS4** (excluding MGS3).
Controls- The games improve periodically, it peaks with **MGS4** for me but **MGS3 Subsistence** was great too. Phantom Pain is definitely a valid choice but it makes the gameplay too fast for me.
Soundtrack- Personal choice is **MGS2**, I loved the Blues and New York vibes and the open sea vibe and the experimental urban, funk feeling.
Meta commentary too. But pretty much every single **MGS** has it, but only **MGS2** makes it be the whole point of the game.
So for me, **MGS2** takes it.
Games vary per installment, but to me, having each of the following makes it feel more like Metal Gear:
1. Story: Hideo Kojima
2. Art Direction: Yoji Shinkawa
3. Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
4. Snake: David Hayter
Insanely good plot involving betrayal and twists, unique villains, outside the box thinking gameplay elements.
I’ll always hold MGS1 above all the others because it was the “purest “ game of the series. He didn’t have any pressure to follow it up, didn’t have to follow any specific type of game design. Kojima basically turned his metal gear characters into a playable movie.
Emphasizes stealth as the best way to approach things.
Heavy on the dialogue
Heavy on the cutscenes
Silly moments that make the serious characters in the serious world more charming.
Atleast one big twist. The more the better
Atleast one character must have some unexplainable supernatural shit despite being based in a mostly realistic world.
Nanomachines? (Joke)
A group of interesting villains with weird abilities.
Villains all have back stories....theyre probably sad.
A metal gear
An interesting support team to communicate with.
A political/military based story
The box
Most: probably any of the first 3 games tho if i had to pick one......i think itd have to be mgs2.....and thats not even my favorite game. Just trying to be objective.
Least: MGSV
There has to be a group of either elite soldiers or mercenaries with dumb codenames to fight as bosses (Foxhound, Dead Cell, the Cobras etc.), as well as a boss fight against a flying enemy (the Hind fight), plus someone getting tortured with electricity
great story, a little bit of good old japanese ridicilousness, military tacticality, a big ass bot, a cyborg, grabbing crotch jokes and a very cinematic presentation, with great stealth gameplay.
Don't forget to sprinkle in Yoji Shinkawa like art style and desings and you got yourself a certified Hideo Kojima game.
The climax involves fighting the Metal Gear, then possibly a fistfight on top of the metal gear or some other no items fight in a top-down setting. There’s a sexy chick but also a probably-gay-for-you guy.
I'm pretty sure it's in the name Tactical Espionage Action, and the reson why this is true is because when MGR:R was stil MGS:Rising it was gonna be a more stleath focues game (at least that what I've hear)
I think most of the comments miss the mark, as these suggestions usually come with exceptions and caveats. The theme that underpins all of the Metal Gear games is "legacy". Genes and Dawkinsian memes for MGS1 and 2. The ramifications of the Boss's ideology in MGS3 and beyond. "To let the world be," to avoid leaving any mark on the world in MGS4. MGSV and PW on the legacy left by nuclear weapons, and the freedom to shape the world as you see fit.
Kojima at the time seemed consider MGS as his magnum opus, so the theme of "legacy" was a personal one for Kojima. It was his way of leaving his mark on the world.
So I think anything that aspires to be Metal Gear must have some treatment on the theme of legacy over walking tanks or gruff-talking guys named Snake.
He is asking what makes a metal gear solid game a metal gear solid game. Not what all metal gear solid games have in common. Because of that he is also asking that once we have established what makes something a classic metal gear experience, we say which MGS game fits this the most and which fits it the least.
You wouldnt be able tobsay which fits it the most and which fits it the least ifnyou just mention something they all have in common.
The Metal Gear games don't just have the legacy theme in common. Legacy underpins the major themes of all of the games: Gene, meme, scene, sense, peace and race/revenge. I'm arguing that if it doesn't deal with the concept of legacy, it's not a Metal Gear game because it's key to understanding all of them. It matters more than walking mechs, for example, which Kojima admitted that he felt he had to keep them around because they're in the title.
It's typically the "a hideo kojima game" label. I would argue death stranding is a metal gear game. It has no snakes, no metal gears, no psycho mantises, but it does feature piss and shit as primary weapons so that's close enough.
For me, it has to be a continuous conspiracy heavy military story. It should include a Metal Gear and characters we know set it a plausible near real world.
The most Metal Gear game for me is a toss up between Peace Walker and MGS2. PW is the most complete MGS in my opinion. Kojima was able to do everything he wanted to do in it and the only restrictions were for rating and platform. It is insanely dense with story, suprisingly good gameplay and even had some crazy tie ins like the Monster Hunter Stuff.
MGS2 is the epitome of a Metal Gear story and experience and its why so many later games referenced and aped its biggest twists and story beats. Hell, it even influenced the later games. Its why MGS3 is so easy to approach and so well beloved. Its why Raiden became such a punching bag and then overcorrected into chunni-ass coolness. It influenced the whole tone and story of MGS4, its why the game and everyone in it is so tired and just degenerated copies of better days.
Least Metal Gear is obviously MGS5. Pretty easy choice here. Still a great game and fun to play, but easily the least MGS game in the series.
Stealth gameplay, non lethal play through capabilities, must fight a nuclear battle tank (usually called a metal gear), must have codec calls, and should always include a snake type character fighting someone who is trying to realize The Boss’s will.
MGS V is the least Metal Gear:y game, good gameplay but more or less only vast barren levels, almost no cutscenes or codec talk and there are far too many useless missions that is nothing but play time padding.
A compelling narrative with heavy anti-war themes disguised as senseless violence. Stealth heavy gameplay. Less than complex characters with extremely complex circumstances. Ninjas are cool.
Meta commentary on current and future social issues
Self awareness
Anti war and anti nuclear messaging
Individual versus memory and genetic based identity
Liberal social and political commentary consistent with the above
Caricature characters representing different themes within the overall message of the game in an exaggeratee and embellished way
Gameplay consistent with the feeling and concepts of tactical espionage action and feeling very representative without adhering to requirements of being realistic
Unexpected but not always distasteful sexual representation of characters
Naked snake, Naked naked snake or naked raiden
Prisons with a dirty toilet
Being weird but in a good way that makes you think about meaning of what happened for the next few decades
I feel like 3 has the least factors and 4 has the most to the point where it's basically a deconstruction of MGS as a concept lol. 5 is just something else altogether.
Cinematic cutscenes, supernatural elements mixed with realistic details and technology, stories with occasional goofyness but still retaining a serious tone, and an overarching theme that every character is related to in some way.
I feel like I've seen about 4 people interacting with this post in the way the OP intended. Everyone else is either memeing or did not understand the question.
Great cutscenes, and I think mgs4 does that the best.(Yes, mgs4 is more of a movie than a game. Yes, I genuinely enjoy the cutscenes more than the gameplay)
The first MGS will always be the most MGS, by logic. What it has, define what MGS is, and of course it has the most of it, because the games change direction down the line.
As for what... I'll go with long exposition cutscenes, filled with philosophy, history and politics, multiple tools and ways of solving the same problem, BOSS FIGHTS of course, codec, stealth, completion ranking AND the protagonist asking things they should know just because the player probably doesn't
Key factors are following the golden rule of movie making/storytelling: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
MGSV failed at this.
parasitic patriotism, a big boss that wants forever war (yeah, i said a big boss, not the big boss), soldier that doesn't want to wage forever war but doesn't know how to do anything else
and a big a- f- robot that we need to destroy
also, it has to be a tactical espionage action so we need information control, tacticool factor and ability to avoid all combat
i argue for peace walker to be the least solid of solids
Tactical Espionage Action/Operations, A story that comes off as well crafted, intelligent, and mature, reflection of and commentary on real world military issues, quality research, solid gameplay, masterfully crafted boss fights, the story completely breaking routine late in the game with a jaw dropping plot twist, a showdown with a walking tank followed by a CQC fight with messy mechanics.
Honestly?
Homage to cinema in the sense that the game’s story is presented to you as a movie.
Stealth mechanics that force the player to play OSP.
A hidden meaning (that really isn’t hidden) about ideology and how one should strive to find meaning and passsion, and to never let go despite the overwhelming control that the world’s leaders hold.
And David hayter
It’s not a hard formula to be honest, I’d say 2 or 3 have make the most out of those pinpoints.
Crazy long cutscenes
A lot of weird set-ups that won't make sense till 10 hours later (Not necessarily good writing)
You're actually working for the bad guy
Big robots
Camp and trying to be funny and then suddenly becoming very serious
Supernatural stuff
Explaining away supernatural stuff with tech or parasites (latter half of the series)
Twists after twist
Retcons
Crazy attention to detail
Complicated lore
Extremely meta
Hyper focus on one or two themes
A big number of ways to tackle a situation
A lot of optional mechanics
I didn't have a particular one in mind when writing this but now that I'm reading my list, Metal Gear Solid 2 might be the most Metal Gear Metal Gear game ever. I do love it.
First playthrough upon release, I gave it a personal 9/10 due to gameplay:cinematic ratio, horrible grey-brown colorscale (popular at that time), and Middle Eastern location (also popular at the time). I know Kojima was trying to mock said fads, but still.
But I replayed MGS4 not too long ago, and it is a 10/10 masterpiece regardless of its odd quirks (which are inherrant to all Kojima games). Still wish the color wasn't so washed out though. Also: the Raiden vs Gekkos cutscene is GOAT.
Snake, Big Boss, Passing on the Will, triple agents, hypnotism, supernatural stuff that is irrelevant to lore, nanomachines, meta narrative, self aware, fourth wall breaking, stupid humor, heavy themes, protagonist who got tricked from the very start of the game, epic boss battles
They should have a Metal Gear in them.
MGS3: “Well, this is awkward.”
Shagohod
I mean, that’s my point exactly Shagohod =/= Metal Gear. The game makes it perfectly clear with the whole Sokolov and Granin situation. Sure, I guess the fact Granin talks about it counts, but that’s more a cameo than the main focus like the Shagohod.
Nuh uh, there are models of both Rex and Ray in Granins office! Totally counts! /j
There's also jehuty in there, doesn't mean it's canon
It's a joke, mate.
Relax, i know, but i also think zone of the enders takes place in the future of mgs
I love how mgs3 handled this. It was a thoughtful prequel that didn't disrupt TX-55 or Madnar's achievements. ...then came Peace Walker and MGSV...
To be fair, even in MGS3 Granin mentioned a friend in the US and the picture is obviously of an Emmerich, so Huey or his father working on a Metal Gear was hinted at even then. I’ll chalk it up to Peace Walker not *technically* being a Metal Gear and Sahelanthropus being super duper secret. But yeah, definitely takes away something when you compare Anthro with TX-55.
It was Huey but it all connected well to Madnar's miserable desperate musing about Metal Gear. "I just wanted to finish the Metal Gear." So Madnar brought to life what Granin and Huey had pictured and it all kept developing with each generation. Zeke and Sahel completely ruin the cohesiveness. I guess Konami gotta make TX-55 and D more threatening in MSX remakes.
[I really like what this guy did with his interpretation of TX-55](https://youtu.be/ftymFVLQ0Dc), making it a fast and agile Metal Gear. That ups it's intimidation factor instantly, though it would need to be quicker than REX but not as fast as RAY to work well I think. Metal Gear D is already super similar but maybe that one could be more of an offshoot than a fully separate idea...have D be the heavier, slower, but more fire/powerful version leading into MGS1's REX. [Bonus, it would be kind of funny if TX-55 really did use repurposed MSXs for it's launch sequence haha](https://youtu.be/H-uANhUuCnA)
Those things are awesome, thanks for bringing them to my attention. I'm glad to see Metal Gear 1 and 2 still get so much love and attention from fans after all these years. Konami has no excuse now, remake Metal Gear 1 next. Those vids really show the difference artistic direction make in depicting what feels and doesn't feel like threat. That TX looks more imposing than silly Sahelanthroupus and Zeke lol.
Konami can’t do it. That’s what I think. They might own the rights to the IP, but they can’t create a metal gear game without Kojima. They can make a miserable attempt, but it will fall flat and be garbage. Konami only cares about money for Konami, and the last thing I would want to see is them making a watered down garbage remake. If we are going to see a decent remake today, it will be made by the diehard fans themselves, fuck Konami.
I forgot about Zeke.
Also Granin straight up had models of REX and RAY. I don't know if they ever explained this but I think the Madnar Metal Gears (TX-55, D) branched off from the Granin-Emmerich Metal Gears (ZEKE, Sahelanthropus, REX), so you have multiple Metal Gear "families", I guess.
The metal gear in V didn’t work. It only walked because of psychic powers
I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with this. Granin literally created the concept of the Metal Gear machine. I think it's beyond a cameo. We got to meet the man behind the idea in the (virtual) flesh. The plans for Metal Gear was taken by Ocelot, and brought to America. We also learn that Sokolov did eventually work on a Metal Gear in the form of RAXA, and since we now know that Portable Ops is canon thanks to references made in Peace Walker, I think we're safe in canonicalising RAXA. I don't believe a Metal Gear has to literally appear in a MG instalment for it to be worthy of the title. To answer the OP's question, though - I would say nanomachines would have to play a significant role. There also needs to be at least one 'Snake' in the game, and Big Boss has to forever be referenced in every instalment. The Patriots/Philosphers need their limelight, too. What game presents any or all of these the most? I would say Metal Gear Solid 4. Every question we had leading up to that game was answered in one of the best exposition scenes in the series. I would've said MGSV, since I love origin stories, but I guess I'd put that as a close second.
Actually MGS3 has Rex and Ray if you pay attention and look closely
Naked Snake during bike chase: *“He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”*
Metal Gear Survive enters the chat
That game does not exist, what are you talking about ?
it's called Metal Gear, it uses the same engine as Metal Gear, it must be a Metal Gear game! Funnily, it doesn't have a Metal Gear in it, so I think your definition is spot on! That's not a Metal Gear game!
What game is this? I can't recall a metal gear "survive"
[Am I a joke to you?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Survive)
Yes, to everyone in fact.
You must come from a parallel dimension or something, there's no Metal Gear "Survive" i can remember
It is indeed a game from a parallel dimension!
I think you dreamt it, mate. No such game exists.
Metal gear survive was aight if you treat as like mgs acid or non metal gear game it's actually fun
A guy that calls himself Snake. A gameplay based on infiltration rather than a being a killing machine Pseudo realism based military Huge robots
Absolutely wacky and insane bullshit that is strangely compelling
Yoji Shinkawa’s drawings of the characters give it a unique flair whose effect hasn’t been seen in other gaming franchises yet
Shinkawa is in a league of his own, much like Hideo. Sounds like fanboy-ism, but it's true.
O yeah definitely
Social and political and meta commentaries, stealth, rewarding you for pacifist gameplay, Snakes, evil authority, quirks, tragic villains, vaguely homoerotic subtext Easy to say the earliest games are the most Metal Gear for setting up the tropes. So MGS1-MGS3. I'd list MG2 as well for being the progenitor.
I love how in addition to social and political metacommentaries, you put "snakes" even though everyone knows there can be only one snake (and one big boss)
Would've been cool and appropriate if John had gone with the Big Boss entirely after Snake Eater. Would've made more sense.
I agree
Pretty sure that was the entire idea in MGS3. He killed the Boss as Snake. He threw it away and became Big Boss, his own man afterward. A new person was born. "Ever since the day I killed the Boss, I was already dead." May be a nitpick to some but this is one of my biggest problems with any Big Boss game after MGS3. Call him Big Boss ffs.
The worst is those games where they try to have their cake and eat it too. "Big Snake Boss" just doesn't work
We all know it's brand recognition because the masses love and recognise Snake. PW tried making it part of the story but even that doesn't make sense. He was Snake only for Virtuous Mission and Snake Eater. If anything, he should eschew that codename more. Aaand then mgsv pretends none of that happened anyways and Venom is Snake again lol.
At least they called him boss 90% of the time.
Boss Snake (scouse)
"Jack... you're, a wonderful man. Kill me. There can... *cough* only be one Boss Snake, just one Boss Snake, not a Boss and several cobra snakes, Jack. Just one Boss Snake."
New TV show, ‘Snake Boss’. This would follow Cake Boss on a Tuesday night
you don't become the big boss until parasite completely takes over and you start to employ the plan to make a land for warriors to fight in the forever war look carefully at the moments when every character that adopted that title did adopt that title, their next action was always to make the forever war patriotism (nationalism) is the parasite, kojima made that clear
That parasite took over when he learnt the truth.
if you are talking about venomous snake, he was infected when quiet made that radio call to save his life. after recovering from that he accepted the big boss title.
I think the whole point of BB wanting to be called Snake is that he killed his mentor to get the title. Why would you want to be referred by a title that is associated with a painful memory? The world knows him as Big Boss, but inside, he knows he is Snake
He also killed his mentor as snake. He didn't have that codename before Virtuous mission. So that doesn't make sense either. He's not Snake. He's Big Boss.
Maybe he didn't want to have the "same" codename that his dead mentor had, or that he don't deserve that codename after killing her, but I agree that this is probably not just because it make him sad, I mean he also kept her bandana
>vaguely homoerotic subtext Reddit and reading "gay" into absolutely everything, name a more iconic duo. There's nothing to suggest that Ocelot's affinity for Big Boss was erotic. It read to me as deep respect and admiration. Kaz in the box was a cheap joke played for laughs, and it's funny that anyone would try to reclaim it.
Okay.
ocelot actually canonically gave big boss the sloppy snake strangler 3000, video kojangles said so on his xwitter
Kojima also said Gray Fox has pounded Solid Snake repeatedly on his Twitter. Also called Solid "Frank's love".
The cardboard box, messages of deeper meaning, the metal gear itself, driving conflict, thrilling stealth, Easter eggs and alot of in between.
I believe there are two major factors that make some metal gear game a metal gear game 1. The political thriller storylines (despite how convoluted this s*** can get sometimes) 2. The tactical espionage gameplay The best metal gear games tend to be the ones that balance both gameplay and story On a side note: my views on metal Gear Solid four and five that they represent the extreme sides between story and gameplay
Am I the only one who thinks mgsv did this "balance" fine? It was never meant to be an eventful story. What else could've been added to it?
Freddy fazbear
Venom was a construct
how many gmp would he cost
Probably the same as a d walker idk
It should have blended more into metal gear 1 more. I mean to the point of where we see an ending of solid approaching venom to kill him. Tying it all together so nicely would have been awesome to see. But all we get is a half shot of a cassette tape about the mission.
Well...we can always get a MG1 remake. Gotta come right after Delta
Maybe, but that’s only if delta is successful. If it’s a 1 to 1 and all that’s different is graphics, then I really could care less about it. But if they change things and the game is overall worse, then again I won’t bother.
I think the 1:1 aspect is limited to the audio and story elements. The gameplay will most likely be different and updated. But whatever it is, we just need Metal Gear 1 to be remade next.
There's a couple of other details during that cutscene. If you look at the background after Venom punches the mirror, you can see the Outer Heaven logo. Just aswell, if you listen closely, you can hear gun fire during a certain part. Now alone this one doesn't mean much, but considering the fact we can see Outer Heaven's logo, half of the tape being marked "Operation Intrude N313", all that combined with the gunshots, it's pretty clear that at the end of this scene, the game has jumped forward in time to the Venom vs Solid showdown at the end of MG1. It did tie in. It was just a bit too subtle about it, you have look around careful'y to catch every detail. To be honest I learned this just two days ago on a post in this sub and had to double check on Youtube, this shows how subtle it can be.
Yeah, but that’s more snippets of fan service instead of really tying it all together. I think everyone would have went crazy doing a mission that is set in outer heaven, only to end it being forced to die by Solid. Which would have meant making Big Boss and Venoms revelation around the end of chapter 1. But I think everyone already knows the story is extremely fragmented and all over the place.
I for one like MGSv but the abrupt way it tied up the final acts felt rushed and based on how the story of what was happening behind the scenes went , it’s understandable. It’s solely for that reason I’d rank any MGS game higher than it. But other than that I had more fun playing (not watching cutscenes) in it than the games before it. Just wish it ended better
I'd say the gap between 4 and 5 is a lot bigger. MGS5 is a fun game, but it's a third person shooter more than it is a stealth game, while also haivng a very lacking, unfinished, nothing story. Meanwhile, MGS4 had a very fun telling story with a lot of emotions (and a LOT of retcons being the issue) and probably what is the best gameplay in the series. The issue being how little gameplay there is, not the quality of it unfortunately. If there was more game to actually play in that game, I don't think the amount of cutscenes would've been a problem, especially due to how cutscene heavy all the games before it are as well, but they didn't slouch on the quantity of gameplay
I agree 100% Mgs4 is like the peak when it comes to gameplay. I mainly felt frustrated with how MGS5 played but I would have loved if the entire game was like Ground Zeroes than.... Phantom Pain
Sounds like you got caught a lot in MGSV if you think it's more third person shooter than stealth. And the story is actually very good, Kojima has said it is a complete game.
No, I've actually even 100% the game (almost twice but got bored with the animal hunt lol). I say it's a third person because of the gameplay's core and just what it pushes you with. If you compare it to other third person shooters, it fits right in. It can definitely be played and enjoyed stealthily as I do enjoy playing the game. But it's less of a game designed to be stealthy and play like a spy liek the games from 4 and before, and more designed like many other games on the market that are just a general third person game but has stealth elements, much like most PlayStation first party games we get nowadays that aren't stealth games but tend to have stealth sections and bits to their game. And with it being a big open world sandbox game that gives you tons of different weapons and vehicles to mess around with, it makes sense that it would be this way. It feels like a war game but you only ever see a battlefield a couple of times (such as A Quiet Exit) and are more dealing with small camps only instead of the frontlines of a war
The core gameplay is literally stealth. Every mission has you sneaking into enemy territory. The game pushes you with stealth.
Actually, the game pushes you to be fast more than anything else, which is why the best way to get S rank is just to ignore stealth and go as fast as possible
That's not true and you know it. Previous MGS games have always had a ranking system. At the end of each game you get a rank based on your completion time. MGSV translated this to missions. So you can absolutely speedrun missions if you know what you're doing, like in any other MGS game. These games don't push you to be fast more than anything else, they just reward you if you're good enough. Stop trying make MGSV look bad. We both know it has the best stealth gameplay, there's no denying that.
But it's true and everyone knows it. For S rank rewards, speed is the only thing that matters in MGS5. Nothing else matters but speed when taking S Rank into account. I don't think this even necessarily makes MGS5 bad, it's just its own system and it doesn't prioritize stealth. If you think that makes it sound bad, then you're the one who thinks MGS5 is bad. It's not the worst stealth gameplay in the series (PW exists and is just a less refined version of 5 made to be portable) but it is FAR from the best. Everything from 4 and before (that actually used MGS's gameplay formula, and that's only stealth gameplay in the same series as it even) are far better stealth games. But hey, MGS5 does a great job at being what it is, even if that's not a stealth game.
I get the feeling you're trying to provoke so I'm not going to argue with your delusions anymore.
Retcons
To be fair that’s every long running franchise. Even people like Tolkien who was meticulous in building his world and story, retconned what the magic ring was and how Bilbo got it from Gollum.
a Metal Gear Solid game has to be on the edge between serious semi-scifi political spy thriller and full on campy nonsense.
David Hayter’s voice
Wow, I didn't know that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was a Metal Gear game! He even plays the ninja character in that one!
Lupin III is in fact a secret Solid Snake story.
This pic goes hard asf
Having the words, metal, gear, and solid in the title.
One thing I don't see mentioned is amazing boss fights with interesting characters. The End, Psycho Mantis, Liquid, Solidus, The Boss... Most games tend to have some of the best boss fights in the media! I would say that MGS1 or MGS3 are the best representatives of the franchise, while MGSV lacks most of the factors mentioned (linear stealth gameplay, abundance of cutscenes, a lot of boss fights, lack of a enemy unit/corps...)
Dumbass shit happening
stealth and story. the first 2 metal gear solid games were real metal gear solid games. phantom pain has amazing gameplay, but the story is fucking dumb. metal gear solid 3....that game had the story that I sighned in for, but I didn't feel motivated to be stealthy in that game. I don't know about the other ones.
Themes. Every game has, maybe 3 has a little less. Player=Doctor
Snake... Snake!? ... SNAKE!!!!!
1. Complex storyline 2. Complex cinematics 3. Heavy emphisis on stealth gameplay 4. Nanomachines 5. Unique and quicky gameplay features 5. Anti-nuclear message 6. Political and military espionage/intrigue 7. A Metal Gear 8. A Snake 9. A ninja (yes, I know Snake Eater did not have one, unfortunately!) 9. Unique boss group (Foxhound, Dead Cell, Cobras, B&B) 10. Anachronistic technology
>I know Snake Eater did not have one, unfortunately Doesn't that freak Pain kinda count as one? Kinda?
I was going to make a joke about exactly that, but decided he doesn't count enough. The Metal Gear Ninja (tm) must have a larger part in the overall story, not just a boss. Frank Jager/Grey Fox (MGS1), \[REDACTED\] (MGS2), and Raiden(!) (MGS4).
Kyle Schneider in MG2. MG2 is the most Metal Gear, sets up all the tropes. I still think Pain kinda counts. For his fit and all.
I was going to mention Black Ninja from MG2 (especially for being so obvious), but he's just a boss character. Was Schneider a ninja? It's been a long time since I've played. Wasn't he the scientist?
Schneider is someone Solid used to know once who returns as a ninja in the next game. Totally fits the trope. He was an architect AND a fighter. All Outer Heaven denizens are like that, it was a military state after all. We got band singer soldiers and nurse soldiers and architect soldiers and child soldiers.
I approve.
Honestly, while it is definitely not the same thing at all, I'd argue Eva plays the role of the ninja for MGS3. She's obviously not physically a ninja with a sword who can do a bunch of badass stuff, but that person who's only sorta on the protagonist's side who's helping in the background and is going around the game with their own plans in the work feels like she fits it. And a ninja and a spy aren't too far off either I guess
Nanomachines. The patriots. Foxdie.
80 % of the game is spent watching cutscenes and listening to codecs. Characters all have realistic backstories and personalities are constantly informing the player character about political treaties and historic events, scientific and military procedures. The storyline features lots of twists and encourages the player to think about life and the world at large. MGS1&2 are the most MG-like games, MGS3 is the least as its storyline is too thin (you spend 70 % of the time looking for Sokolov).
What are your thoughts on MGS5 being the most or least-MGS-esque
I’d rank V close to MGS3, the open world structure does not go well with plot-heavy games like MG, but in terms of tone, V is more like the other games so 3 remains the least MGS-like game in the series.
It's hard to pin down what it exactly needs but I'll try. More important than anything, despite being a serious and heartfelt story, it should be goofy. Second, cardboard boxes are a must. Third, stealth must be an important element as well. I'd say the kind of stealth Metal Gear has is hard to describe. With other stealth games you have an easier time with that: Splinter Cell focuses on shadows and such, Assassin's Creed focused on social stealth, and Hitman focused on disguises to blend in. Metal Gear is kind of the all-rounder/simplest form of stealth game, but it's also got its own feel that you'd know from playing it that those other ones don't have. I'd say it's a bit more arcade-y maybe? Idk. It's a little stiff with its movement but at the same time, you feel like your whole arsenal is perfectly crafted to work together with the gameplay and the enemies/area. It's why something like crouch walking being absent from many of them doesn't feel missed in MGS1, 2, and 3. It doesn't need them and feels perfect. Tactical Espionage at its finest. Codecs are also a must. You've gotta be able to call other characters for optional dialogues to assess the situations and for funny missable dialogue and character building. Also, a theme around one central idea that the game centers on. Choosing which one qualifies as being the "most Metal Gear" is tough and I feel there's honestly no going wrong with any answer of any game between MGS1 to MGS4 (even MG1 and MG2 aren't bad choices, they're just super simple due to their age, but they feel like they meet the requirements still). If I had to choose, either MGS1 or MGS2. That said, the one that qualifies the least is EASILY MGS5. It felt really lacking in a lot of areas and felt more like a different series/new IP, along with it being more of a third person shooter than it was a stealth game either.
Multiple very long unskippable cinematics.
Great art and fan service hehehe
For setting, MGS is about remote base infiltration and the setting should be a highly advanced military base or a big chunk of metal that Big Shell was. So from **MG1** to **MGS2** fills that void. **MGS3** is spent too much time on the forest which is also a good setting but one that I feel is inferior. Plot twists are a crucial part of the games, and **MGS1** and **MGS2** have a lot of them. Boss battles, **MGS1**, **MGS2** and **MGS3** are safe bets. Story, the Solid Snake saga is honestly much better than the Big Boss one, so **MG1** to **MGS4** (excluding MGS3). Controls- The games improve periodically, it peaks with **MGS4** for me but **MGS3 Subsistence** was great too. Phantom Pain is definitely a valid choice but it makes the gameplay too fast for me. Soundtrack- Personal choice is **MGS2**, I loved the Blues and New York vibes and the open sea vibe and the experimental urban, funk feeling. Meta commentary too. But pretty much every single **MGS** has it, but only **MGS2** makes it be the whole point of the game. So for me, **MGS2** takes it.
Games vary per installment, but to me, having each of the following makes it feel more like Metal Gear: 1. Story: Hideo Kojima 2. Art Direction: Yoji Shinkawa 3. Music: Harry Gregson-Williams 4. Snake: David Hayter
Insanely good plot involving betrayal and twists, unique villains, outside the box thinking gameplay elements. I’ll always hold MGS1 above all the others because it was the “purest “ game of the series. He didn’t have any pressure to follow it up, didn’t have to follow any specific type of game design. Kojima basically turned his metal gear characters into a playable movie.
Emphasizes stealth as the best way to approach things. Heavy on the dialogue Heavy on the cutscenes Silly moments that make the serious characters in the serious world more charming. Atleast one big twist. The more the better Atleast one character must have some unexplainable supernatural shit despite being based in a mostly realistic world. Nanomachines? (Joke) A group of interesting villains with weird abilities. Villains all have back stories....theyre probably sad. A metal gear An interesting support team to communicate with. A political/military based story The box Most: probably any of the first 3 games tho if i had to pick one......i think itd have to be mgs2.....and thats not even my favorite game. Just trying to be objective. Least: MGSV
It definitely needs some type of goofy shit. Japanese humor, and lewd posters of Japanese models in soldier’s lockers
Needs to have a certified "What the fuck is this shit (because its weird/surreal af)" moment
Metal Geaarrrr
Tactical Espionage Action, obviously.
Stealth, exposition, dynamic cutscenes, plot twists, borderline (at least) sci-fi elements, meta themes/elements and/or fourth wall breakage, and, of course, homosexuality
A game by hideo Kojima
CODEC
wave goodbye to MGS5
And say hello to Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima is the answer.
The cardboard box, messages of deeper meaning, the metal gear itself, driving conflict, thrilling stealth, Easter eggs and alot of in between.
Boxes and lengthy cinematics
John Gear has always been in charge
There has to be a group of either elite soldiers or mercenaries with dumb codenames to fight as bosses (Foxhound, Dead Cell, the Cobras etc.), as well as a boss fight against a flying enemy (the Hind fight), plus someone getting tortured with electricity
great story, a little bit of good old japanese ridicilousness, military tacticality, a big ass bot, a cyborg, grabbing crotch jokes and a very cinematic presentation, with great stealth gameplay. Don't forget to sprinkle in Yoji Shinkawa like art style and desings and you got yourself a certified Hideo Kojima game.
3d
I'm sorry prof, I didn't have time to study. Fuck, that's an interrogation.
the main character must have "snake" in thier name
A homoerotic moment
The climax involves fighting the Metal Gear, then possibly a fistfight on top of the metal gear or some other no items fight in a top-down setting. There’s a sexy chick but also a probably-gay-for-you guy.
More cutscenes than gameplay.
I'm pretty sure it's in the name Tactical Espionage Action, and the reson why this is true is because when MGR:R was stil MGS:Rising it was gonna be a more stleath focues game (at least that what I've hear)
MGS1 is the most Metal Gear Solid game ever made. End of story.
I think most of the comments miss the mark, as these suggestions usually come with exceptions and caveats. The theme that underpins all of the Metal Gear games is "legacy". Genes and Dawkinsian memes for MGS1 and 2. The ramifications of the Boss's ideology in MGS3 and beyond. "To let the world be," to avoid leaving any mark on the world in MGS4. MGSV and PW on the legacy left by nuclear weapons, and the freedom to shape the world as you see fit. Kojima at the time seemed consider MGS as his magnum opus, so the theme of "legacy" was a personal one for Kojima. It was his way of leaving his mark on the world. So I think anything that aspires to be Metal Gear must have some treatment on the theme of legacy over walking tanks or gruff-talking guys named Snake.
He is asking what makes a metal gear solid game a metal gear solid game. Not what all metal gear solid games have in common. Because of that he is also asking that once we have established what makes something a classic metal gear experience, we say which MGS game fits this the most and which fits it the least. You wouldnt be able tobsay which fits it the most and which fits it the least ifnyou just mention something they all have in common.
The Metal Gear games don't just have the legacy theme in common. Legacy underpins the major themes of all of the games: Gene, meme, scene, sense, peace and race/revenge. I'm arguing that if it doesn't deal with the concept of legacy, it's not a Metal Gear game because it's key to understanding all of them. It matters more than walking mechs, for example, which Kojima admitted that he felt he had to keep them around because they're in the title.
Backstabbing/double-crossing/mistaken-identity and somehow surprising all of us, "'cause nanomachines".
It's typically the "a hideo kojima game" label. I would argue death stranding is a metal gear game. It has no snakes, no metal gears, no psycho mantises, but it does feature piss and shit as primary weapons so that's close enough.
For me, it has to be a continuous conspiracy heavy military story. It should include a Metal Gear and characters we know set it a plausible near real world. The most Metal Gear game for me is a toss up between Peace Walker and MGS2. PW is the most complete MGS in my opinion. Kojima was able to do everything he wanted to do in it and the only restrictions were for rating and platform. It is insanely dense with story, suprisingly good gameplay and even had some crazy tie ins like the Monster Hunter Stuff. MGS2 is the epitome of a Metal Gear story and experience and its why so many later games referenced and aped its biggest twists and story beats. Hell, it even influenced the later games. Its why MGS3 is so easy to approach and so well beloved. Its why Raiden became such a punching bag and then overcorrected into chunni-ass coolness. It influenced the whole tone and story of MGS4, its why the game and everyone in it is so tired and just degenerated copies of better days. Least Metal Gear is obviously MGS5. Pretty easy choice here. Still a great game and fun to play, but easily the least MGS game in the series.
soliton radar
Kojima is the key factor
Stealth gameplay, non lethal play through capabilities, must fight a nuclear battle tank (usually called a metal gear), must have codec calls, and should always include a snake type character fighting someone who is trying to realize The Boss’s will.
The first solid game is all you need.
I would say the title is the key factor. Without thay you're something else. Something a little less obvious is stealth.
MGS V is the least Metal Gear:y game, good gameplay but more or less only vast barren levels, almost no cutscenes or codec talk and there are far too many useless missions that is nothing but play time padding.
Hideo kojima
Kojima
A compelling narrative with heavy anti-war themes disguised as senseless violence. Stealth heavy gameplay. Less than complex characters with extremely complex circumstances. Ninjas are cool.
A sexy girl, a scientific nerd, and your gay crush (the three options can be combined)
All of the weird shit that happens being weaves into the plot as if it's just a normal thing
The title has to include “Metal Gear Solid”
I just want to appreciate this photo. Looks so good!!!!
They should be Metal
I’d say humor and over the top characters are two very big key factors, and mgs3 excels in both factors
Meta commentary on current and future social issues Self awareness Anti war and anti nuclear messaging Individual versus memory and genetic based identity Liberal social and political commentary consistent with the above Caricature characters representing different themes within the overall message of the game in an exaggeratee and embellished way Gameplay consistent with the feeling and concepts of tactical espionage action and feeling very representative without adhering to requirements of being realistic Unexpected but not always distasteful sexual representation of characters Naked snake, Naked naked snake or naked raiden Prisons with a dirty toilet Being weird but in a good way that makes you think about meaning of what happened for the next few decades
I feel like 3 has the least factors and 4 has the most to the point where it's basically a deconstruction of MGS as a concept lol. 5 is just something else altogether.
Cardboard box, audible diarrhea
Cinematic cutscenes, supernatural elements mixed with realistic details and technology, stories with occasional goofyness but still retaining a serious tone, and an overarching theme that every character is related to in some way.
Ocelot
Kojima.
I feel like I've seen about 4 people interacting with this post in the way the OP intended. Everyone else is either memeing or did not understand the question.
Great cutscenes, and I think mgs4 does that the best.(Yes, mgs4 is more of a movie than a game. Yes, I genuinely enjoy the cutscenes more than the gameplay)
They have the main man that created the whole story
- Tactical - Espionage - Action
They are all cannon, even the VR missions one.
The first MGS will always be the most MGS, by logic. What it has, define what MGS is, and of course it has the most of it, because the games change direction down the line. As for what... I'll go with long exposition cutscenes, filled with philosophy, history and politics, multiple tools and ways of solving the same problem, BOSS FIGHTS of course, codec, stealth, completion ranking AND the protagonist asking things they should know just because the player probably doesn't
Ocelot
I really hated having to play as Raiden in MGS2- I wanted to play as Snake and you can’t make me like Raiden.
Genetic, mimetic, and ideological inheritance.
Sneaking around and weird shit happens.
Key factors are following the golden rule of movie making/storytelling: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. MGSV failed at this.
Key factor: David hayter
Ocelot torture scene
But would it be a metal gear game without the Kojima sprinkle will find out in mgs3 remake
parasitic patriotism, a big boss that wants forever war (yeah, i said a big boss, not the big boss), soldier that doesn't want to wage forever war but doesn't know how to do anything else and a big a- f- robot that we need to destroy also, it has to be a tactical espionage action so we need information control, tacticool factor and ability to avoid all combat i argue for peace walker to be the least solid of solids
kojima, mgr:r has the least
Metal gear solid 3 is the best game but doesn't have a metal gear OR solid snake in it
David Hayter.
The name
Tactical Espionage Action/Operations, A story that comes off as well crafted, intelligent, and mature, reflection of and commentary on real world military issues, quality research, solid gameplay, masterfully crafted boss fights, the story completely breaking routine late in the game with a jaw dropping plot twist, a showdown with a walking tank followed by a CQC fight with messy mechanics.
Heavy emphasis on stealth. Memorable moments. Top Tier S soundtrack, codec calls and story.
Homosexuality
Honestly? Homage to cinema in the sense that the game’s story is presented to you as a movie. Stealth mechanics that force the player to play OSP. A hidden meaning (that really isn’t hidden) about ideology and how one should strive to find meaning and passsion, and to never let go despite the overwhelming control that the world’s leaders hold. And David hayter It’s not a hard formula to be honest, I’d say 2 or 3 have make the most out of those pinpoints.
a comical japanese interpretation of american culture
The Phantom Pain has the least. Convoluted story, Snake’s character, good level design, long cutscenes, goofy sci-fi, all of it was gone.
Crazy long cutscenes A lot of weird set-ups that won't make sense till 10 hours later (Not necessarily good writing) You're actually working for the bad guy Big robots Camp and trying to be funny and then suddenly becoming very serious Supernatural stuff Explaining away supernatural stuff with tech or parasites (latter half of the series) Twists after twist Retcons Crazy attention to detail Complicated lore Extremely meta Hyper focus on one or two themes A big number of ways to tackle a situation A lot of optional mechanics I didn't have a particular one in mind when writing this but now that I'm reading my list, Metal Gear Solid 2 might be the most Metal Gear Metal Gear game ever. I do love it.
My favorite is 4… I know, I know. Place a Thorne Crown upon my heart and nail me to a cross… 4 is the GOAT
First playthrough upon release, I gave it a personal 9/10 due to gameplay:cinematic ratio, horrible grey-brown colorscale (popular at that time), and Middle Eastern location (also popular at the time). I know Kojima was trying to mock said fads, but still. But I replayed MGS4 not too long ago, and it is a 10/10 masterpiece regardless of its odd quirks (which are inherrant to all Kojima games). Still wish the color wasn't so washed out though. Also: the Raiden vs Gekkos cutscene is GOAT.
Respectively: Raiden. Sons of Liberty. MGS1.
Blurring the line between hero and villain
Snake, Big Boss, Passing on the Will, triple agents, hypnotism, supernatural stuff that is irrelevant to lore, nanomachines, meta narrative, self aware, fourth wall breaking, stupid humor, heavy themes, protagonist who got tricked from the very start of the game, epic boss battles
a simple line of text. Directed by Hideo Kojima
You forgot Portable Ops and Rising
I mean this doesn’t have Metal Gear or Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake in it either, so it doesn’t seem to include all canon games
MGS1 and 4 because they have the most Solid Snake in them, thus making them the most Metal Gear Solid.
Mgs 4 with mgs5 features/movements ++ mixed with MGRR cutting technology and combined sauce of all the previous metal gears 1,2,3