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A Newcomer’s Guide to the Metal Gear Saga

By Jen Miller, Posted on October 20, 2023

With the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 on modern game platforms, a new generation will finally get the opportunity to dive into Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear game series. As legendary as the series is, it can be daunting for total newcomers to even know where to begin, let alone get past the damn title screen in Metal Gear Solid. Don’t worry, we got you.

MAIN CREDITS

Written, Edited, and Directed by
ForceWave

Narrated by
HubPie

GUIDES

Metal Gear (MSX) Guide

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake Guide

MGS4 “Minecraft” Guide

Policenauts for people who don’t understand Japanese

Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots by Project Itoh – Hideo Kojima credits Project Itoh as being one of the few people who understood Sons of Liberty when it was first released. Itoh would go on to become a creator in his own right, with original novels that were later adapted into anime films. This novelization of Guns of the Patriots is a good way to hold yourself over until the game finally gets ported, and Kojima even recommended that newcomers read Itoh’s novelization in order to better understand the Metal Gear Saga.

Genocidal Organ by Project Itoh – Originally a SNATCHER-inspired fan-fiction written by Itoh. Would go on to inspire The Phantom Pain‘s themes of control through language. Later adapted into an anime film by Geno Studio.

Harmony by Project Itoh – Itoh’s second original novel. Deals with similar medical themes as Kojima’s POLICENAUTS. Later adapted into an anime film by Studio 4°C.

Films

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Kojima’s favorite film ever. Though its influence is especially felt with his space-faring adventure game, POLICENAUTS, the film’s influence can be felt throughout all of Kojima’s work.

Dr.Strangelove or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964) – A satire on the Cold War that greatly informed Kojima’s worldview.

Gojira (1954) – Known in the West as “Godzilla”, Gojira was a milestone in early post-war Japanese cinema, depicting the anxieties of a country still reeling from the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To quote Para-Medic, “it’s mostly mindless fun, but it’s also got a serious anti-nuke message as well”… a description that’s also apt for the Metal Gear franchise itself.

Blade Runner (Theatrical: 1982, Director’s Cut: 1992, The Final Cut: 2007) – An early cinematic influence on Kojima, which would go on to inspire his own cyberpunk epic, SNATCHER.

The Great Escape (1963) – Kojima credits this World War II film for giving him the idea of basing a game around stealth.

Escape from New York (1981) – The original “Snake.”

From Russia With Love (1963) – Though the entire James Bond 007 film franchise inspired the Metal Gear series, Kojima singled out this film as one of his favorites.

Che (2008) – A two-part biopic about controversial Cuban revolutionary. Kojima supposedly cited the first part as an influence for Peace Walker.

RoboCop (1987), Total Recall (1990), Starship Troopers (1997) – While Kojima may not have referenced these films as influences, Paul Verhoeven’s mix of action movie camp, whacky science-fiction, and social commentary all fit Kojima’s narrative style like a glove.

Persona (1966), 3 Women (1977), Mulholland Drive (2001) – Likewise, while none of these have been specifically cited by Kojima as an influence, all involve themes of personal identity that fans of The Phantom Pain would appreciate.

Oppenheimer (2023) – The legacy of the atomic bomb, and the culpability of scientists who contribute to the war machine, casts a long shadow on both Hideo Kojima’s life and in the Metal Gear Saga. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer powerfully depicts both of these topics.