Metal Gear series

Metal Gear (メタルギア, Metaru Gia^?) is a series of stealth action video games usually developed and published by Konami. The series has been created and mostly written by Hideo Kojima. In Metal Gear, the player controls a Special Forces Operative who is sent on a military mission which eventually leads him to face off against the latest incarnation of the eponymous superweapon "Metal Gear"; a gigantic and usually bipedal walking tank with nuclear capabilities.

Metal Gear pioneered the stealth genre and features a lot of characteristics which set it apart from most other video games. These include lengthy cinematic cutscenes and intricate, storylines which explore the nature of politics, warfare, science (especially genetics) and a lot of social, cultural and philosophical themes such as free will and artificial intelligence, among many others.^[1] The genre of the overall story can be described as "magic realism", meaning that it features unrealistic and supernatural elements (like ghosts or characters who are able to float in the air or walk on water) in a setting which is otherwise true to reality. The series features great amounts of background information on actual science and technology, despite the latter being partially way advanced over what is state of the art. Real political events are frequently referenced and intertwined with the games' storylines. Kojima had come up with the basic premise of Metal Gear as a stealth game from playing Hide and Seek and "Kick the Can" when he was a child.^[2]

As of 2017, the series has sold over 51.3 million copies.^[3]

Overview[]

For a detailed history of games releases, see Games.

Each game involves protagonist Solid Snake (or someone else codenamed Snake) sneaking around maps and avoiding enemy soldiers. Snake is armed with various weapons, most of which exist in the real world. At certain points in the game, Snake has to fight various bosses who usually possess different superhuman or supernatural abilities. In most games, the penultimate boss is the latest incarnation of the weapon Metal Gear, with following bosses being one-on-one confrontations with that game's main antagonist.

Kojima originally planned to release the third Metal Gear game, to be called Metal Gear 3, for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in 1994. However, due to the declining support of the 3DO hardware, development of the game shifted to the PlayStation shortly after the 3DO version of Policenauts was released. Kojima retitled the game Metal Gear Solid, choosing this over the working title Metal Gear 3. This was due to the fact that he believed that the first two MSX2 games in the series were not well known at the time. He used the word "Solid" because thanks to 3D computer graphics, he could now create a "solid" game world, although he also partially attributed the title's inspiration to Solid Snake.^[4] Sequels to this game generally use the Metal Gear Solid title and generally follow a new numeral progression. The MSX2 games have sometimes been omitted from timelines representing the series' internal chronology, instead focusing on the more widely known console releases beginning with Metal Gear Solid.^[5] However, the first two MSX2 games are still part of the Metal Gear canon.

Main entries[]

The main series, considered an integral part of Metal Gear canon, consists of the following games:

Metal Gear[]

In 1995, the gigantic fortress within Outer Heaven that was founded by a legendary mercenary is constructing a gigantic weapon of mass destruction. In the U.S. Government's support, Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND commander Big Boss sends in his most trusted agent Gray Fox. However, Gray Fox disappears with his last message simply reading "Metal Gear...". Rookie FOXHOUND recruit Solid Snake infiltrates Outer Heaven and put a stop to the world's most powerful weapon.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake[]

In 1999, the creator of a new species of algae which could produce petroleum-grade hydrocarbons with little expense and effort has been kidnapped by the renegade nation Zanzibar Land, the only country left with nuclear strike capability thanks to Metal Gear D. In response, FOXHOUND's new Commander Colonel Roy Campbell has no option but to call Solid Snake out of retirement to sneak into the fortified nation and take down the terrorists.

Metal Gear Solid[]

In the year 2005, FOXHOUND and the Next-Generation Special Forces (also known as the "Sons of Big Boss") led by Liquid Snake rebelled against the U.S. Government during a routine training mission on a remote nuclear disposal facility and demanded the legendary mercenary Big Boss's remains. With the Army's support, Roy Campbell calls Solid Snake out of retirement once more to infiltrate the stronghold to find out if the terrorists have the capabilities of firing a nuclear missile thanks to Metal Gear REX and to rescue DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and ArmsTech President Kenneth Baker.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty[]

In the year 2007, Philanthropy found information leaked about the Marines' new Metal Gear RAY to combat the over abundance of Metal Gears. In response, Otacon assigned Solid Snake to take photographic evidence but the tanker is blown up and sunk by Revolver Ocelot.

Two years later in 2009, the "Sons of Liberty" terrorists led by a man calling himself Solid Snake take over the Big Shell as U.S. President James Johnson is taking a tour of the facility. In response, new FOXHOUND agent Raiden is sent in to eliminate the terrorist threat.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater[]

After the Second World War, the world was split into two and began the Cold War. In the year 1964, FOX operative Naked Snake is sent into Tselinoyarsk in a mission to rescue a defecting Russian scientist while working on the Shagohod, a terrifying weapon that's capable of launching a nuke from anywhere, but his mentor The Boss interferes and defects to the Soviet Union.

One week later, Naked Snake is sent back into Tselinoyarsk once again to defeat the members of the Cobra Unit, destroy the Shagohod, and to kill The Boss.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots[]

In the year 2014, the restriction of military intervention on foreign soil has been eased which fuels the need for private military companies (PMCs) to fight proxy wars for business purposes. nanotechnology has become prominent, both to enhance the capabilities and enforce the loyalty of mercenaries. The nanomachine system "Sons of the Patriots" is used commonly by the PMCs. The five largest PMCs are owned by the Outer Heaven mother company with Liquid Ocelot as the CEO. Amassing an army rivaling that of the U.S. Army, Liquid Ocelot prepares to launch an armed insurrection by taking control of the system. With the world once again in crisis, Roy Campbell deploys Old Snake to terminate Liquid Ocelot once and for all.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker[]

In 1974, Latin America becomes a key to maintaining the power balance between the East and the West yet Costa Rica has miraculously managed to maintain peace and neutrality. But in the country's various regions, a mysterious armed force seems to be engaging in specific activities. While stationed in Colombia, South America, the mercenary company Militaires Sans Frontières (French for "Soldiers Without Borders"), led by Big Boss (Naked Snake) and Kazuhira Miller, are approached by visitors (Ramón Gálvez Mena and Paz Ortega Andrade) from Costa Rica. To preserve peace in this "nation without a military", the MSF moves into action and will come to be known as the founders of "Outer Heaven."

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes/The Phantom Pain[]

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes takes place in 1975, shortly after the Peace Walker Incident, and acts as a prelude to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. In the events of the game, Big Boss' previous allies Paz and Chico are both found to be imprisoned in an American prison facility in Cuba known as Camp Omega. Big Boss sets out to rescue his comrades - the events following include the destruction of Mother Base at the hands of the mysterious XOF and Big Boss being rendered comatose.

The Phantom Pain takes place 9 years later, in 1984. Upon awakening from his coma, Big Boss is forced to flee the hospital he resided in as it is attacked by XOF yet again. He is then recovered by Ocelot, who reintroduces him to the world and a new MSF known as the Diamond Dogs. Big Boss, taking up the new moniker of "Venom Snake", rescues his wounded friend Miller from Soviet forces occupying Afghanistan. The two decide together to take revenge on XOF and Cipher by building up the Diamond Dogs to fight back against the growing influence.

Spinoff games[]

The following are spinoff games of the main entries (in release order):

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops[]

Six years after the events of Operation Snake Eater, Naked Snake's former team, FOX, has broken their allegiance with the CIA and gone renegade. Snake himself is also targeted by the FOX unit, which sent renegade FOX unit soldiers to attack and capture him. Snake is tortured and interrogated by one of the members of FOX, Lieutenant Cunningham, who's trying to locate the whereabouts of the missing half of the Philosophers' Legacy, with the United States Government having already acquired the other half of the Legacy from the Soviet Union at the conclusion of Operation Snake Eater. Snake is imprisoned in a cell next to Roy Campbell, the sole survivor of an American Green Beret team sent in to investigate the base. Snake learns through Campbell that they're on the San Hieronymo Peninsula, the site of an abandoned Soviet missile silo in Colombia.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance[]

Four years after the events of the Guns of the Patriots Incident, Raiden has been contracted for VIP protection, military training, and other duties by a PMC: Maverick Security Consulting, Inc., an American PMC based in Colorado, in a developing country piecing itself back together after a bloody civil war. Raiden largely did this to support his family without having to return to direct combat situations. Raiden is protecting a VIP, when they are attacked by a cyborg organization led by the cyborg Samuel Rodrigues, which eventually leaves Raiden completely defeated. Raiden is reconstructed by his PMC, and his search for Sam and the company he's working for drives him into a quest for vengeance.

Canonicity[]

Although Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (MPO) and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (MGR) are considered to be canon by Kojima Productions^{[6][7][8][9][5][10][11][12]} and Kojima,^[13] they were omitted from some official timelines during the 2010s,^[14], with the summary of one for Peace Walker describing Metal Gear ZEKE as the "world's first Metal Gear,"^[15] while still alluding to events from MPO^[16], and reproducing a 2007 document that mentions the game itself as part of the chronology.^[17] The scripts for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots as well as Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (specifically during Big Mama's speech to Solid Snake in Act 3 and the opening, respectively) also make direct references to the events of Portable Ops.^[18][19]

Additionally, Kojima stated in a 2015 interview that the games he "personally designed and produced" were part of a single Metal Gear Saga.^[20] This is because Kojima had less involvement in the creation of either of these games, and the timelines reflect the games where he himself was personally involved in their development, as well as reflecting his personal worldview, philosophies, and messages to the audience.^[21]

Konami, former parent of Kojima Productions, released the latest timeline for the series in the Master Books of the 2023 Master Collection Vol.1, which includes events from both MPO and MGR, under "spin-off titles."^[22]

Non-canonical spinoffs[]

These non-canonical spinoffs either follow an original storyline or present an alternative gameplay style of canonical elements:

• Metal Gear (NES version)
• Snake's Revenge
• Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
• Metal Gear Ac!d
• Metal Gear Ac!d²
• Metal Gear Solid Mobile
• Metal Gear Acid Mobile
• Metal Gear Acid 2 Mobile
• Metal Gear Solid Touch
• Metal Gear Arcade
• Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops
• Metal Gear Survive

Remakes[]

These Metal Gear titles are remakes of previously released games that contain new features which are not present in the originals.

• Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
• Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
• Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (not released yet)

Updates[]

These are Metal Gear games which contain new features their original counterparts never had, yet are still largely unaltered.

• Metal Gear Solid: Integral
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
• Metal Gear (re-released versions)
• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-released versions)
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus

Collections[]

Metal Gear compilations.

• Metal Gear 20th Anniversary: Metal Gear Solid Collection
• Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection
• Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection
• Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience
• Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1

Merchandise[]

See also[]

• Similarities between games
• Character appearances in the Metal Gear series
• Themes in the Metal Gear series

References[]

1. ^ Japanese Article on "Meme, Gene, Scene".
2. ^ The Making of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty DVD
3. ^ http://metalgearinconcert.com
4. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Official Mission Handbook
5. ^ ^{a b} http://www.konami.jp/mg/mgsaga.html (dead link. Archived links here and here)
6. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7BTtiAQuZ0 [dead link]
7. ^ http://www.konami.jp/mgs4/us/top.html
8. ^ THE KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS REPORT Session 122 (Podcast). Hideoblog (2010-07-29). Archived from the original on 2010-18-08. Retrieved on 2024-04-27.
   Sean Eyestone: (24:55) The official Metal Gear Solid storyline starts with Metal Gear 1, Metal Gear 2, [...] then we have Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, 3, 4, and then we also have Peace Walker. And those are the main games that comprise the official canon story. And PO is also in there, but it's not considered a main chapter. It happened, but the main ones will, [_] have the official canon [_] of these games. And then, of course, we have Raiden, coming up with Rising, which will also be considered canon. [...] That's the official stance.
9. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker 2009 flyer, advertizing both MGS3 and MPO under subheading "The origin of MGS PEACE WALKER" [1]
10. ^ 25th Anniversary timeline featuring MPO on E3 2011 billboard 4gamer.net
11. ^ https://eu-support.konami.com/hc/en-gb/articles/9822379926423-Backstory-What-is-the-timeline-of-the-events-that-precede-Metal-Gear-Solid-V-Ground-Zeroes-and-Metal-Gear-Solid-V-The-Phantom-Pain
12. ^ https://uk.games.konami-europe.com/posts/From-Jack-to-Venom-The-Story-of-Metal-Gear-Solid, Timeline of events including Portable Ops and events covered therein. Released 27/08/2015. Archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20150923125434/https://uk.games.konami-europe.com/posts/From-Jack-to-Venom-The-Story-of-Metal-Gear-Solid
13. ^ Hideo Kojima, interview with Geoff Keighley, Twitch, March 13, 2014. [2]
14. ^ https://www.konami.com/mg/mgs5/tpp/jp/history/
15. ^ http://www.konami.jp/mg25th/truth/
16. ^ https://www.konami.com/mg/archive/mg25th/truth/chronicles.html, 1971: ビッグボスが「FOX」に対抗するため「FOXHOUND」部隊を設立. Translation: Big Boss establishes “FOXHOUND” unit to oppose “FOX”.
17. ^ https://www.konami.com/mg/archive/mg25th/truth/issue_ito.html
    “『MG』シリーズは、ビッグボスの物語だ。
    劇中の時系列から言えば最初の二作にあたる『メタルギア ソリッド３』と『メタルギア ソリッド ポータブル・オプス』では堂々主人公、続くMSX2時代の『MG』と『MG2』では敵役”,
    Translation: “The "MG" series is the story of Big Boss.
    In terms of the chronological timeline, he was the protagonist in the first two games, "Metal Gear Solid 3" and "Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops," and the antagonist in the following two MSX2-era games, "MG" and "MG2.”
18. ^ https://x.com/themetalgearfan/status/1811599836233245079?s=46
19. ^ https://x.com/themetalgearfan/status/1811599969163391387?s=46
20. ^ https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/04/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-release-date-revealed
21. ^ http://solidkenny87.tumblr.com/post/97125545680/clearer-translation-of-kojimas-mpo-answer
22. ^ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0lH4xv2B9M&ab_channel=GrayVos) at 7:19.

External links[]

• Metal Gear Official Konami Shop