Metal Gear Solid starts and ends with the lineage of Big Boss, the first Snake. There have been many games in the Metal Gear Solid series, and the mainline continuity has filled fans with intrigue, concerning predictions on the future, and a lot of love and fun for this tactical espionage action game series.

Metal Gear Solid may be heavy on the cutscenes, but that’s only because it has a detailed story to tell, one, that when the controller is in the hands of the players, seems to get harder to play. Every Metal Gear Solid game features a difficulty that might deter or challenge players unfamiliar with the stealth mechanics, but some titles are much easier than others.

Updated on February 17, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Metal Gear Solid has had a rather big year already, thanks to the release of Solid Snake in Fortnite, the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, the Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake well on the way, and of course, Metal Gear's father, Hideo Kojima, announcing a new tactical action espionage game in the works. It's a good time to be a Metal Gear fan, yet, new players and old, might want to see which of the best Metal Gear games provides a hard enough experience to challenge players enough for the title of Big Boss himself. These entries include the mainline series, ranked by which is the hardest Metal Gear game.

8 Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes

A Short Experience More In-Line With A Sandbox

Metal Gear Solid 5:Ground Zeroes is a strange case in the Metal Gear Solid series. The game acts as a prologue to the main Metal Gear Solid5 and serves as essentially a playground for the new FOX Engine. In Ground Zeroes, players can try out the new mechanics and gameplay that awaits them in The Phantom Pain, whilst experiencing some fairly simple missions all set in the same location.

Ground Zeroes is a much more linear experience, as players will select a mission and be provided with a sandbox to try and fulfill it through any means. Ground Zeroes is perhaps the easiest, not only because it is so short, but because the gameplay is the smoothest it has ever been.

7 Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes

Updated Gameplay Removes The Challenge Of The Original

Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes is the odd duck in the MGS family. Whilst the series has had many weird additions, Twin Snakes acts as a remake for the original Metal Gear Solid and provides some more action-orientated cutscenes and some jokes that players might consider over-the-top and pretty corny when compared to the original's smarter and patient level of jokes.

There are things to like about Twin Snakes, like the action, graphics, and controls, but it's not as good as the original. In terms of difficulty, players are in for an easier time, as the sneaking mechanics are far easier, and boss health bars seem lacking, allowing players to easily wipe them out and continue to the next wild cutscene.

6 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Incredibly Fluid Gameplay & A Chicken Hat Makes A Playthrough A Breeze

Considering Ground Zeroes is the prologue to the main game of The Phantom Pain, it would make sense that this title is the second easiest in the Metal Gear Solid series. Metal Gear Solid5 has one of the best game engines that players would ever experience, with such attention to detail in not only its open world and mechanics but also in the smooth gameplay of stealth and action combined.

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Players have intense freedom of movement with their controls, in which they can shoot in the third person, or first person, whilst diving and rolling. There’s also a large arsenal of loadouts to choose from, and if that’s not enough to make the game easier, then failing a mission multiple times will give players a chicken hat which makes enemies practically ignore them during stealth.

5 Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Accessible & Easy Thanks To The Shooting Mechanics & Fulton System

The exploits of Big Boss emerge on the PSP with Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. In this game, players have a more linear story to experience, rather than the usual wide and open spaces of the other Metal Gear Solid games. In Peace Walker, players are mainly aiming to get from Point A to Point B, whilst killing, avoiding, or using a Fulton extraction on as many enemies as they desire to do so.

Peace Walker is one of the easier titles of the franchise, considering it was originally released for the PSP, and later the Xbox 360 and PS3. The gameplay is more conserved thanks to its conception on a handheld device, making it easier and more accessible.

4 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots

Refined Combat Makes It Easier To Control The Battlefield

The conclusion to Solid Snake’s story, Metal Gear Solid4: Guns of the Patriots is by no means an easy game, but when compared to the early iterations of the Metal Gear saga, it’s up there as an easier title. Metal Gear Solid 4 features better and more refined combat and gameplay, meaning players don’t have to stand still to shoot a gun.

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The revision of gameplay and the extended camo system make gameplay more engaging for those who enjoy the thrill of combat, or just want to embark on a stealth mission. There are also more gadgets, and the third-person camera makes missions easier for more modern players.

3 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Discovering The Path & How To Beat Bosses Without Help

The story that began it all, Metal Gear Solid3: Snake Eater brings the story of Naked Snake to life. Metal Gear Solid3 is a fan favorite for a good reason, and the game takes a lot of care and craft to get everything just right. Players might find some difficulty with the game’s mechanics, as exploration and curiosity are recommended, as players can enhance and even skip certain boss fights with the right knowledge.

Metal Gear Solid3 can still be a challenging experience, especially when players are on their own, and have to fend for themselves and discover secrets that they might not know about. Metal Gear Solid3 is definitely a rewarding game to play, and the Metal Gear SolidDelta: Snake Eater remake has many fans hopeful that it can ignite the original’s charm once more.

2 Metal Gear Solid

Control Issues For Modern Players

The first Metal Gear Solid game was a doozy and featured Solid Snake embarking on his first mission in a 3D environment. As players enter Shadow Moses, they will find all manners of new and exciting mechanics and possibilities that were not available in the Metal Gear series before. Yet, the fixed camera angles might be a bother to new players of the series who are used to third-person and over-the-shoulder POVs.

Despite the issues that some might have with the camera, the true difficulty lies within the boss fights, in which each boss and area plays slightly differently. Players have to commit to unique gimmicks to win, such is the way with Psycho Mantis.

1 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty

Complex Map Layout & Impressive Boss Gallery

A controversial entry at the time, but now one of the most beloved, Metal Gear Solid2: Sons of Liberty tried something new, and it paid off. Metal Gear Solid2 puts Solid Snake on the sidelines for a younger and more inexperienced operative known as Raiden. Fans at the time weren’t eager for this change of protagonist, but modern audiences are all the happier for Raiden and his story.

Yet, as a game, Metal Gear Solid2 isn’t harder because of the discouragement of not playing as a Snake, but it’s harder due to the direction of its missions on Big Shell. Players might be aimlessly running around the large areas as they search for their next objective. Meanwhile, the fixed cameras might hurt some players’ stealth runs if they can’t see the whole area ahead.

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