Summary
Hideo Kojima became known to the world through hisMetal Gearfranchise, which started in 1987. The auteur game designer stayed with his creation until 2015 when he parted ways with Konami, the company he worked with for almost thirty years. He went on to form his own studio and release the highly acclaimedDeath Stranding, and the franchise he created was left in the dust with an uncertain future.
Fortunately, there is a lot of content to sift through from the stealth-action series, and not every title wasworked on by Kojima. TheMetal Geargames also vary greatly in terms of length, with some lasting for a few hours while others are designed to keep players engaged for weeks. Which is thelongest Metal Gear game? Which is the shortest?
HowLongToBeatwas used as a source.
Updated on July 26, 2025, by Mark Sammut:In October 2023, Konami will release Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbos Series X/S. The compilation contains seven games from the franchise, alongside a plethora of other goodies. Overall, this package should be able to keep someone engaged for more than 50+ hours, and that primarily only takes into account the titles' main campaigns.
Every Metal Gear Game
Metal Gearhas produced roughly 18 games over the years, and that does not even include all the expanded versions and compilations. The following table chronicles all the entries in the franchise.
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Related:Best Metal Gear Games, Ranked
18Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes
Ground Zeroesserved as a playable prologue toMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Despite its short length, it was still packaged and sold as a separate product. Some were less than thrilled by the game’s format, but no one can argue against the gameplay, which finally perfected the stealth action formula.
Going through the main game takes less than two hours, but completing everything it has to offer will extend the game time to literally ten times that.Once players know what to do, the story portion can be completed in literally 15 minutes. The bonus missions and collectibles force fans to remember every inch of the map and become closely acquainted with enemy patrols.
17Metal Gear
The franchise’s debut entry wasn’t a massive hit at first, but it has garnered respect in hindsight for establishing a new genre.Metal Gearmay take four hours to run through from start to finish, but it will take far longer if one is going in without a strategy guide. Figuring out what to do on one’s own is a monumental task due to the obtuse hints given to the player.
Given the game’s age, there is not a lot to do after beating the campaign.Metal Gearcan be considered completed after reaching the credits for the first time.It came out in 1987 on weak hardware(MSX2), so don’t expect the level of environmental interaction present in later entries.
The NES version has quite a few differences from the originalMetal Gear, but it is roughly the same length.
16Snake’s Revenge
The second game crafted under theMetal Gearbanner is an unofficial sequel made without Kojima’s involvement. Reportedly, the series' creator wasn’t even aware of its existence until after it came out. The game still has its fans, but it is irrelevant to the timeline and can be skipped without missing anything.
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If there is one plus to come from its release, Kojima’s discovery of it led to him starting work on a true sequel,Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Similar to the debut entry, there are no bonuses keeping players coming back for more.
15Metal Gear Solid On Game Boy Color
This title was released in Japan asMetal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel. Portable adventures are few and far between for the series, and this was the first one. Five hours is not extremely short for the hardware either.
It is not canon, but the gameplay very closely resemblesMetal Gear 2: Solid Snake, but with aesthetic similarities to 1998’sMetal Gear Solid. The developers did a great job of translating the console gameplay to the portable device.
Adding on to the replay value are the 90 VR missionspacked into the cartridge. It is fairly impressive to find a narrative-driven campaign and an extensive bonus round all in a Game Boy Color game.
14Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
The first official sequel significantly expanded upon the stealth concept of its predecessor. Solid Snake had more tools in his possession and the story upped the complexity.Unfortunately, North American gamers were left out of the funfor about fifteen years, sinceMetal Gear 2: Solid Snakedidn’t see a release in the States until 2006 whenMetal Gear Solid 3: Subsistencecame to the West.
By then, many of its innovations had become quaint, butMetal Gear 2is still worth playing as a curiosity. Ultimately, however, 1998’sMetal Gear Solidreused many of the same ideas to far better effect. With the talk of remakes always looming in the modern gaming landscape, it would be most interesting to see a re-imagining ofMetal Gear 2and the debut entry. It could take into account the plot elements from future games.
13Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
In terms of canon,Metal Gear Rising: Revengeanceis the furthest into the future players get to see of the franchise. PlatinumGames took the reins for this stylish action gamespin-off, and it stands side by side with the best games the developer has to offer,such asBayonetta.
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The plot continues and expands upon themes familiar to fans, looking at them from a different perspective. While seven hours is short, the new game plus feature increases replay value by quite a bit, and it is a standard element for the genre. Even thoughMetal Gear Risingis a short experience, there is so much to do after rolling credits for the first time.LikeBayonettaand other Platinum titles, there are numerous unlocks to earn and use in future playthroughs.
12Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
The Twin Snakesis a GameCube exclusive remake of 1998’sMetal Gear Solid. It takes the same level design and lets players sneak through Shadow Moses with all the gameplay enhancements fromMetal Gear Solid 2. While the narrative remains identical, some fans took issue with the ridiculous action sequences portrayed in the cinematics.
Additionally, the levels from the PlayStation game do not always lend themselves to mechanics like hanging over railings or holding up guards at gunpoint.The unlocks here are mostly the same as in the originalMetal Gear Solid. If players know what they are doing, they can unlock all the bonus goodies after just two playthroughs.
11Metal Gear Solid
The 1998 title was the franchise’s first foray into 3D.Metal Gear Solidblew up upon release, making both the series and its creator household names. Playing it today, it is easy to see whyMetal Gear Solidwas such a phenomenon. Even without the advancements brought to the table by the sequels, sneaking around Shadow Moses as Snake feels just as good as it did over twenty years ago.
RELATED:Metal Gear Games Fans Forgot Existed
Metal Gear Solidhas two endings and players are encouraged to go through both of them before putting the game down. It all comes down to surpassing one button-mashing minigame halfway through the story. Only one ending is obviously canon since a character either lives or dies depending on the player’s actions.
10Portable Ops
Portable Opswas the appetizer fans had to hold themselves over betweenMetal Gear Solid 3andMetal Gear Solid 4.The PSP’s lack of dual analog supportmade for some cutbacks in gameplay, but the developers managed to make it work.
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Anything lacking in the core gameplay was made up for by the mechanic of recruiting soldiers and developing new equipment, something which would be heavily expanded upon inPeace WalkerandThe Phantom Pain. The multiplayer was also a fun diversion and particularly impressive for the forward-thinking PSP.
9Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty
While not a launch title,Metal Gear Solid 2was one of the first titles to truly show off the PS2’s capabilities. Not only were the gameplay and graphics outstanding, but its narrative told a story unlike anything else the medium had seen before. Those around at the time of release will remember one of the industry’s greatest shockers when it came to light that Snake was not the primary playable protagonist. Eventually, players came to love Raiden just as much as the legendary grizzled soldier they controlled for the three prior games.
Fully completingSons of Libertyrequires getting all the dog tags from enemy soldiers. Enemies have different dog tags on different difficulties, so a player has to go through the game five times if they want to get them all.
