Whether or not it’s Snake’s elevator ascent to the wet cliffs of Shadow Moses or the climactic battle between pupil and mentor within the closing moments of Snake Eater, Hideo Kojima and Konami’s epic spy thriller franchise, Steel Gear, is house to a few of gaming’s most iconic moments. Telling a narrative that spanned a number of console generations and pushed the inventive capabilities of video video games to their limits, Strong Snake and Massive Boss’ adventures are legendary, a lot in order that many declare they’re among the many most vital releases the medium has ever produced.
Again in 2015, Steel Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache seemingly ended the franchise for good, with Kojima leaving Konami and the Steel Gear Strong IP behind to kind his personal studio. Nonetheless, Konami has began resurrecting the collection by means of re-releases and remakes, like Steel Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater popping out later this 12 months. With so many new gamers experiencing this world of undercover espionage, shady authorities conspiracy and gruff-voiced dudes with cool eyepatches for the primary time, we’ve laid out the chronological order of the Steel Gear Strong collection so newcomers and returning followers can catch up.
Bounce to:
- The right way to play in chronological order
- The right way to play by launch order
How Many Steel Gear Strong Video games Are There?
Not together with remakes, ports or remasters, there are 17 complete Steel Gear video games: 11 mainline video games, 5 on handheld gadgets and one on cell. Though that’s numerous video games, a good chunk of them are thought of non-canon, with their tales overriding occasions from the primary saga and spinning off into their very own distinctive takes on the universe.
2018’s Steel Gear Survive takes place in an apocalyptic actuality the place a zombie virus has overtaken the world, so it falls outdoors the primary canon. As for the PSP’s Steel Gear: Acid and Steel Gear: Acid 2, they veer from the timeline and inform a brand new story, making them alternate-timeline spin-offs. Then there’s the Sport Boy Coloration’s Steel Gear: Ghost Babel, which is an alternate-universe Steel Gear sequel that wipes away the occasions of Steel Gear 2: Strong Snake, thus eradicating it from the timeline. And at last, Steel Gear Cell and Snake’s Revenge have since been deemed non-canon by the group and Kojima himself in interviews.
That leaves 11 video games inside the primary storyline. Every recreation is taken into account a part of the true Steel Gear Saga, spanning from a fictional alternate-history Nineteen Sixties to the late 2010s. So, let’s run you thru all of the video games in that story.
Which Steel Gear Ought to You Play First?
We suggest two potential beginning factors for Steel Gear. For these within the full saga, we suggest 2023’s Steel Gear Strong: Grasp Assortment Vol. 1, which incorporates the most effective accessible variations of Steel Gear Strong 1–3. Alternatively, for these excited about merely making an attempt out the franchise (and for these with a decrease tolerance for older video games), we suggest beginning with the collection’ most up to date iteration, Steel Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache.
Steel Gear Video games in Chronological Order
These blurbs include gentle spoilers for every recreation, together with characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Steel Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater
The primary slot within the saga’s timeline and the latest recreation to get a contemporary remake, Snake Eater follows a US Particular Forces operative codenamed Bare Snake through the occasions of the Chilly Warfare. Despatched to find and extract a Russian scientist from the Soviet Union to forestall him from constructing a weapon of mass destruction often known as the Shagohod, Snake’s shocked to seek out his former mentor, The Boss, has betrayed the US authorities and sided with the Soviets.
After a heated battle, Bare Snake is brutally defeated and left for lifeless within the jungle. Surviving the encounter, he’s tasked by his commanding officer, Zero, to return to Russia, discover his mentor and kill her, all of the whereas monitoring down the Shagohod to forestall nuclear struggle. By the tip of the story, Bare Snake adopts the moniker of Massive Boss, turning into a legend among the many US Particular Forces. Nonetheless, his battle with The Boss and the secrets and techniques he’s uncovered all through his journey depart him disillusioned together with his responsibility and the federal government he serves.
Learn our unique evaluation of Steel Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater or our new evaluation of the MGS3 remake.
2. Steel Gear Strong: Moveable Ops
Set six years after Massive Boss’ climactic battle together with his former mentor, Steel Gear Strong: Moveable Ops picks up the legendary soldier’s story as he goes face to face together with his former squad, FOX Unit. The sport begins with Massive Boss studying FOX has gone rogue, betraying the CIA and staging a revolt.
Captured and tortured on a Colombian base by FOX Unit, Boss breaks free however learns he’s been accused of treason. In a bid to clear his identify, he decides to search out his former allies and pursue their ruthless chief, Gene. By the tip of the sport, Massive Boss learns of Gene’s need to create a nation of mercenary troopers often known as Military’s Heaven and acquires the mass of funds and tools saved for the venture. Returning to the US, he later types a squadron of particular ops troopers often known as FOXHOUND.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Strong: Moveable Ops.
3. Steel Gear Strong: Peace Walker
4 years after the occasions of Moveable Ops, we meet up with Massive Boss, who has left FOXHOUND and the Patriots. Since leaving, he’s fashioned a brand new band of mercenary troopers often known as Militaires Sans Frontières (or MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Utilizing their newfound military to guard international locations that don’t have the forces or means to defend themselves, Massive Boss and Miller wage struggle towards an armed militia often known as the Peace Sentinels after they invade Costa Rica.
Throughout his investigation, Massive Boss quickly realizes that his former mentor, The Boss, is in some way concerned within the Peace Sentinels’ plans. Worse, they’ve entry to nuclear weapons, wielding a supremely highly effective mech known as the Peace Walker. Rallying on an off-shore oil rig often known as Motherbase, Snake and the Militaires Sans Frontières take the battle to the Peace Sentinels, making an attempt to find their true motive and secrets and techniques. The sport ends with Massive Boss battling his former ally Paz, who seems to be a undercover agent of Zero’s shady authorities group, Cipher.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Strong: Peace Walker.
4. Steel Gear Strong V: Floor Zeroes
A couple of months following the occasions of Peace Walker, Floor Zeroes acts as a prologue to the fifth entry within the Steel Gear Strong collection: Steel Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache. The story sees Massive Boss embark on a brand new mission after studying that Paz survived their climactic battle through the closing moments of Peace Walker and is being interrogated by Cipher at a mysterious army base often known as Camp Omega. Understanding that she has essential details about Cipher and will reveal secrets and techniques about MSF to the shadowy group, he rushes to extract her.
Whereas infiltrating the bottom, he discovers a mysterious Cipher cell often known as XOF, which is led by a sadistic, severely burned commander known as Cranium Face. The prologue ends with Snake extracting Paz solely to comprehend his allies are being attacked by the XOF again at Motherbase. The onslaught destroys the oil rig and eradicates Militaires Sans Frontières, leaving Massive Boss on the cusp of loss of life.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Strong: Floor Zeroes.
5. Steel Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache
9 years later, Steel Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache opens with a severely injured Massive Boss waking up in a hospital in Cyprus. Evading an assassination try the place he’s attacked by a person lined in flames, a telekinetic soldier and a grasp sniper, Boss is saved by Revolver Ocelot and returns to motion as he leads a brand new mercenary group often known as the Diamond Canine.
Swearing to cease the XOF after they destroyed Militaires Sans Frontières, he adopts the codename Venom Snake and heads to Africa to select up their path, studying that the former-Cipher-affiliated group went rogue. Their chief, Cranium Face, is as a substitute engaged on a devastating parasitic weapon with the ability to eradicate the Western world. The sport ends with Massive Boss setting in movement his plans to create a army nation often known as Outer Heaven, the place troopers are free to stay with out getting used to additional shady authorities plans.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Strong 5: The Phantom Ache.
6. Steel Gear
11 years later, the story catches up with the primary entry within the collection: Steel Gear. The sport follows Strong Snake: a rookie soldier and member of FOXHOUND. FOXHOUND is as soon as once more run by Massive Boss, who acts as Snake’s mentor and commanding officer. On his first mission, Strong Snake is distributed to trace down a weapon of mass destruction being constructed in a army nation often known as Outer Heaven.
Throughout his mission, he finds one other agent codenamed Gray Fox, who was additionally despatched to trace the weapon. Gray Fox reveals the mysterious weapon is a mech codenamed Steel Gear, which has the ability to launch nuclear bombs. The sport ends with Strong Snake and Massive Boss coming to blows, with the latter revealing he was behind Outer Heaven’s plans.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear.
7. Steel Gear 2: Strong Snake
4 years later, Strong Snake returns to motion after he learns Massive Boss survived the occasions of the earlier recreation and is presently setting up a brand new Steel Gear for the fictional nation of Zanzibar Land.
Teaming with numerous characters, Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land and makes an attempt to destroy the weapon of mass destruction, battling Massive Boss and his military of troopers alongside the way in which.
See extra about Steel Gear 2: Strong Snake.
8. Steel Gear Strong
Six years after Steel Gear 2, Strong Snake returns in a brand new mission. This time he’s despatched to battle his former unit, FOXHOUND, which has gone rogue, turned towards the US and brought over a mysterious authorities facility on an island often known as Shadow Moses. Shadow Moses is allegedly a take a look at web site for a secret Steel Gear, with FOXHOUND threatening to make use of its nuclear weapons in the event that they aren’t provided with Massive Boss’ corpse and a big sum of cash.
Snake heads to the ability and fights numerous members of FOXHOUND, together with Revolver Ocelot, Psycho Mantis and a Cyborg model of his former ally, Greyfox. He additionally meets the eccentric chief of FOXHOUND, Liquid Snake. The sport ends with Snake being declared killed-in-action by Colonel Campbell and presumed lifeless by the federal government after they supposed to double-cross him. He flees Shadow Moses alive.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Strong or see extra of the finest PS1 video games.
9. Steel Gear Strong 2: Sons of Liberty
Steel Gear Strong 2: Sons of Liberty opens two years later, with a now-rogue Strong Snake infiltrating an oil tanker whereas looking down a brand new Steel Gear being transported to the US. There he discovers a prototype Steel Gear often known as Steel Gear Ray, which is subsequently stolen by Revolver Ocelot. Ocelot sinks the tanker and escapes, whereas Snake is blamed for the tanker’s destruction.
Two years later, we shift to a brand new protagonist: Raiden. An agent of FOXHOUND, Raiden is distributed on a mission to an off-shore decontamination facility often known as Massive Shell, which was constructed to clear the crude oil spill induced when the oil tanker was destroyed throughout Strong Snake’s mission. Massive Shell has been hijacked by a militant group often known as the Sons of Liberty, which has taken the US president hostage.
Infiltrating the ability, Raiden quickly discovers issues aren’t fairly what they appear, trying into Massive Shell’s secrets and techniques and assembly a junior lieutenant named Iroquois Pliskin, who’s clearly hiding a giant secret. By the tip of the sport, Strong Snake joins Raiden’s mission, telling him he’s going after Ocelot (who it’s revealed is possessed by the need of Liquid Snake) and the Patriots.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Strong 2: Sons of Liberty or try extra of the finest PS2 video games.
10. Steel Gear Strong 4: Weapons of the Patriots
Marking the tip of the primary story and Strong Snake’s closing mission, Steel Gear Strong 4: Weapons of the Patriots catches up with Snake three years after the occasions of Sons of Liberty. As a result of cloning course of used to create Snake and the rampant FOXDIE virus nonetheless coursing by means of his veins, we uncover that his physique is quickly growing older, with the protagonist being informed he solely has a 12 months left to stay. Donning a brand new nickname, Outdated Snake, he returns for one closing mission.
He’s to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, who’s presently operating a brand new model of Outer Heaven which is comprised of among the largest non-public militaries within the Center East. Equipping his physique with nanomachines, Snake units out to convey Ocelot down, studying that his nemesis intends to as soon as once more find Massive Boss’ corpse and execute a mysterious plan. As Snake battles his age and the lingering FOXDIE mutating in his physique, he makes his manner in the direction of a closing confrontation together with his most ruthless enemy.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Strong 4: Weapons of the Patriots.
11. Steel Gear Rising: Revengeance
The ultimate story within the present Steel Gear timeline, Steel Gear Rising: Revengeance focuses on Raiden who, as we realized throughout Weapons of the Patriots, has reworked right into a cyborg. The story picks up 4 years after Steel Gear Strong 4, revealing that Raiden now works with a personal army firm known as Maverick Safety Consulting.
Throughout an operation in Africa, Raiden is attacked by a rival non-public army group often known as Desperado Enforcement. Wounded and left for lifeless by its commander, Jet Stream Sam, Raiden continues his investigation into Desperado and learns some sinister secrets and techniques in regards to the group and its allies. Because the revelations in regards to the non-public army develop darker, Raiden swears to convey them down, setting off on his personal to ship violent justice.
Learn our evaluation of Steel Gear Rising: Revengeance.
What’s Subsequent for Steel Gear?
Now that we have gotten our palms on the Snake Eater remake, questions stay about what we would see subsequent within the stealth franchise. Konami hasn’t confirmed whether or not they ever plan to make unique Steel Gear video games with out Hideo Kojima. What we do know for positive is the unique video games’ messaging in regards to the digital age is as poignant as ever in 2025.
That being stated, Steel Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater developer Virtuous Studios did tease that remakes of different Steel Gear video games aren’t off the desk. Talking with IGN, the group stated, “Relating to remakes of earlier video games within the collection apart from Steel Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater, we’ll take heed to participant demand and think about accordingly.” True to their claims, the studio is rumored to being spreading a ballot after Tokyo Video games Present that lets followers vote on which Steel Gear recreation to remake subsequent.
For extra recreation timelines, additionally see Murderer’s Creed Video games in Order and an inventory of Far Cry Video games so as.
Callum Williams is a freelance media author with years of expertise as a recreation critic, information reporter, guides author and options author.