Metal Gear Solid franchise: overrated, underrated, or just right?

I've only played MGS IV, but I can appreciate the immense quality present in the game even if I didn't particularly like/enjoy the game.

Very well made game if nothing else.

I think it gets about the treatment it deserves. It's highly praised, because it should be; a lot of the game design in those games is brilliant, MGS4 less so, but even that was still a good game at its core. It's commercially successful, and for the most part those games are unique in a lot of ways. When sequels come out they aren't carbon copy retreads, but actually show a level of progression in their game design. The plot and character stuff is really entertaining in a self aware cheesefest and bat shit insane sort of way. Where they are overrated is the notion that the games have that much meaningful shit to say, because that's a load of hokum. The games are pulp narrative, any meaning derived from them is giving way too much credit to a franchise that revels in its absurdity. That and they are badly written and bloated from a story telling standpoint.

That said Snake Eater/Subsistence is excellent. Ditto for Sons of Liberty and Substance. MGS1 to me is still one of the best games on the Playstation 1 (the best being Silent Hill). And for all intents and purposes I have not been as excited for a game as I am excited for MGS5 in a long ass time.

I think the series gets what it deserves. I'd go into detail, but champ pretty much covered it.

If anything, Kojima used to be crazy overrated. It was just a normal thing to see MGS fans talk about the guy like some untouchable game design god. Like nobody else is on his level or ever will be. Then you'd have guys saying that he is the best story teller and writer in any medium... pfft, hahaha.

Luckily that's not really a thing anymore.

In many ways, this game deserved the credit people piled up on Metal Gear Solid as a cinematic game, it was better in pretty much every regard.

The quality is such, that it is a timeless game. The update (much like Black Mesa) shows the difference between a short term game of the moment and a genuine masterpiece designed for men.

Metal Gear Solid is not this.

The quality and attention to detail in MGS games is just astonishing.

I would say neither from the poll although I haven't played every game in the "Metal Gear" franchise. However each entry in the MGS series I have different opinions on. Some I thought were excellent (MGS3), while others I didn't like (MGS4).

I guess you can say I am a fan of the series but not to the extent of some of the worship Kojima gets. I'd put this series along with Halo as a good franchise with some studs (MGS3), duds (MGS4), and decent (MGS2).

I do lol at people that think MGS has great writing and story. I'm so glad it's not 2008 anymore (SWs veterans will know why).

started out just right, became increasingly overrated as time went on

The 3rd game; severely overrated. Story seems to get stupider and stupider with each installment, but overall the MGS games tend to be better than many of their contemparies at that time period. I actually love the 1st, 2nd, and 4th games of the franchise.

My main issue with the 3rd (one of many issues with that game) was the main character Big Boss not really being distinguished enough from the long time protagonist Solid Snake. They literally gave him no personality of his own really. Felt like a carbon copy in a much older setting.

It gets what it deserves. Overall, it's a very good franchise, with some caveats.

Mechanically the series keeps improving. Personally I still think the original Solid delivers the most complete package, but MGS4 is the best as far as gameplay goes(as of now). Snake Eater faults in a few areas--namely the excessive pausing with camo/eating.

The series mostly gets the praise it deserves. But MGS4 is massively overrated.

Overrated.

It used to be a little overrated, but thankfully, that's sort of cooled down in recent years

It's one of the best franchises on the market, and it mostly gets the praise it deserves.

I've thoroughly enjoyed and hated the gaming in MGS. The attention to detail is one of the main draws for me. I'm hopeful for the upcoming MGS, but I'm certainly not hyping it.

Used to be the biggest Blu-Ray case sniffing , Kojima worshiping, MGS fanboy ever, back in the day, basically, up to MGS4.

But my excitement I had for the franchise pretty much fell off years ago. Ground Zeroes was "meh" and its length and lack of content left a bad taste in my mouth, and what little there was incited no excitement whatsoever in me for The Phantom Pain. I'll prolly buy it (depending on the reviews), just because I buy most of the high profile releases, I'm just completely indifferent to the franchise now.

And I'm not even indifferent to Kojima himself. I just care far more about whatever he does next, and the future of what would've been Silent Hills.

Alright, except for MGS4.

underrated if you ask me. Not enough people has given a chance to this godly franchise but pretty sure that MGSV is gonna be a mega-hit and then Konami will drive it to the ground.

its overrated the only good one was the 1st one

Just right, but slightly overrated at times.

Greatest game franchise of all time.

I've always enjoyed it, and I wouldn't say the franchise is overrated, but I also don't think MGS4 deserved the 10 it got here.

Over-rated vomit.

I think people can acknowledge that Metal Gear is super dumb, but they can also take it seriously.

People take The Matrix seriously with its philosophy and story, but that's also a super dumb action movie with lazy writing and shitty acting.

I'd definitely say the series is one of gaming's definite must plays because of its stature as a series one man owns, created in the eighties yet remains relevant, and the way you can see his relationship with the series evolve with the gameplay and stories at hand is one of the most unique there is in gaming.

Kojima wanted to make something that put cinematic gameplay more on the map with MGS1 while working off the minute success of the first Metal Gear (and the sequel). With that, he pretty much created some of the most charismatic Western characters that a Japanese developer can. This clearly shows with the liberties taken with Twin Snakes, with the pulp being so overt because of the good will the original created. Despite that, I can't say I actually finished the game because the gameplay is just so dated. The cutscenes lack a sense of weight, there's no ebb and flow to combat, and the camera is a 1998 camera through and through. It's an overrated title for me.

The second game tries so so so hard to be so so so meta it interferes with the gameplay, which at times, feels excellent. It's everything a sequel should be from a sequel standpoint, with better performance, better level design, more options that scale with more challenge, but that shit gets so bogged down with fucking cutscenes bumbling on and on about what memes mean in the whole theory of things. Which is fine when it leads to excellent moments - Snake's monologue at the end is legendary and Kojima's best writing - but absolutely annoying when it gets woven in with the lore involving the Patriots. Kojima wanted his fame, he wanted this to be his MGS swan song, and with the way the rain trickles down the tanker, the way he handles his idea about sequels with his flip to Raiden, the way he balances batshit insane and that ever so small yet important suspension of disbelief is so good from a gameplay standpoint. It just should't have so much bad lore. Or Otacon.

Sorry.

MGS2 is overall a just right kind of game for me, seeing as it's a good game that doesn't get the love it once did. MGS3 is like eating two great meals at a steakhouse and then getting served a really good plate of sushi. It's so different, but so good. This, mainly, for me, is because The Boss is handled fantastically. No Kojima forgetting to put his pen down, no "ERMAGERD NANOMACHINES," just one of the best cycles in the video game history. Because when you play as Raiden, he's a weak dude in the shadow of Solid Snake. When you play as Solid Snake, you learn about Big Boss being the superior soldier Snake's genetics are taken from. When you're playing as Big Boss, you're tasked with eliminating the ultimate soldier, The Boss. And she's so calm about it, she's focused on her task, she's actually a character, that in a world where bad guys are on top of buildings fighting with katanas, immortal vampires, and electric-infused, crotch-grabbing Russians, she's thoroughly believeable. With her being so grounded, Kojima is able to get away with hovercrafts with Ocelot's silly ass, he's able to get away with The Boss' crew being supernatural, he's able to get away with so much because you know your ultimate goal is this man eliminating the woman he loves the most. The crazy stuff is just Metal Gear being Metal Gear. But the main mission is genuinely gripping, with a detailed, if too linear, set of levels to travel through and some great boss encounters. It's not really a great set of writing, but the stories are either plot driven or character driven, and Kojima absolutely nails at least two of these characters. It's slightly overrated for me because there are some legit downers in the overall gameplay department - stealth is deeper than ever, but more cumbersome, the last boss suuuuuuuuucks, and the general 2005-ness of having a TPS camera but not the smoothest control scheme. Games man.

MGS4: "ERMAGERD NANOMACHINES"

Kojima didn't want to make this game. It shows.

Peace Walker is eh. It's good because its gameplay is solid, it reintroduces Metal Gears as something you actually can give a shit about, and at the very least its Skinner Box shit can get my jimmies going for a bit. But the depth in the actual systems is barely there, and it takes all of two hours to exploit everything the menu has to offer you. The story, I put it like this - the first half, everything about the nukes is pretty decent and The Boss parts suck. The second half, switch that. Otherwise, Peace Walker's bosses are mediocre at best and the level design is awful. Thank god this isn't MGS V or I would have flipped a shit.

Peace Walker is pretty damn overrated. I had a fun time, but I wished it didn't exist because it stomped all over the good will of MGS3's ending **** YEAH IT LED TO MGS V WHICH WILL BE THE GOTY 2015

@ConanTheStoner, tagging y'all

Suuuuuuuuuuuup

It gets what it deserves.

Yeah, that's why that thing only has one good movie. There is a fine point where Metal Gear can take itself seriously and work, the stuff in Snake Eater I'm willing to meet the game half way on. The stuff in 4 or 2? Nah, **** that. I assure though I do not take The Matrix's brand of philosophy all that seriously. The plot about one man going from chump to The One is however very well executed.

Way Overrated

MGS 1 is HIGHLY overrated. Otherwise the series mostly deserves its praise. But as a plot-driven game rather than a "stealth" game.

Definitely not underrated. I've enjoyed the games and beaten most of them multiple times (MGS1, MGS2, MGS3, MGS4), I think they get the praise they mostly deserve, bordering overrated at times.

Well, the first time we see her she's carrying a 500 lb box in each hand. ARGUMENT DESTROYED BLAB.

Haha j/k man. She is about as down to Earth as it gets for MGS.

Great post though.

I gotta admit, I got carried away with my praise for PW when I first played it. I was just so glad that it wasn't MGS4 that I was willing to look past a lot of the bullshit. My expectations were at an all time low which was a major benefit to my experience with PW. Of course it only took another trip through MGS2 and MGS3 for my thoughts on PW to be put in perspective. It wasn't one of the MGS greats, but at the very least it sparked some hope for the future of the franchise.

And as you said, it ultimately led us towards MGSV which is shaping up to be the best MGS to date. Mechanically it's already superior to the rest of the franchise, just gotta see the whole thing comes together. No matter what, it's going to be one hell of a game!

I love MGS 1 and 3. I thought 2 and 4 went overboard with the story.

I only played small amounts of MGS 1 but it was a very good game at the time. MGS 2 and 3 I played numerous times over. I know a lot of people say the story is crap but the fact that it is utter nonsense is what makes it awesome to me. MGS 4 was a big disappointment although I did enjoy the actual gameplay. Ground Zeroes absolutely blew me away, I love how the mechanics are shaping up to be and love how smooth the controls are. So all in all I think the series gets the praise it deserves. I can understand people can be turned off by the long cut scenes and batshit crazy story but IMO that is what makes it great. Plus the gameplay.

just right.

I'd say just right

Although Metal Gear Solid 4 is so overrated it's ridiculous. Not as shitty as MGS 2, but pretty shitty all the same.

MGS1 and Snake Eater are absolutely amazing

OverBaited. :P

As overblown as MGS cutscenes are, for good or bad, they never really intrude on the gameplay. This is why I don't think it deserves the "movie game" title. The gameplay improves with each game and its getting really good. I agree that GZ is going in the right direction--MGS5 is perhaps the only non nintendo game i'd like to play.

I played MGS4 way later than everybody else. I was pretty surprised how people didn't care for it, almost to the point that I felt they played a different game.

Because of Sons of Liberty, overrated.

Otherwise I very much dig the series. The original holds a special place in my heart, I had a blast with the overlooked VR Missions, and Snake Eater is simply fantastic.

So when you can't properly critique a successful series you just say it's over rated. Lazy.

Garbage.

After the excellent MGS1, which to me WAS DONE RIGHT. Everything after that, became a convoluted, movie snooze fest. And no I haven't tried MGS 3 or 4 or Ground Zeroes, nor do I want to.

Arguably the best game in the series? You aren't exactly setting your opinion on a good footing.

So you're making sweeping generalizations of the whole series without playing beyond MGS2. Okay.

well then you completely suck for not playing mgs3 and mgs1. those games are needed to FULLY appreciate mgs4. you were probably like a lost puppy during that game and didn't even understand all the inside "jokes" and nostalgic pieces they threw in.

Just right, it does have some really good games, and some not that amazing.

MGS 1 - Just right

MGS 2 -Just right

MGS 3 - Underrated

MGS 4 - Overrated

this when it comes to critics and/or sales not popular opinion. Its unacceptable how the best game in the series (MGS3) sold and scored the least

Just right, this series is very enjoyable and deserve the praise they get.

Don't recall missing out on "inside "jokes"".

The game is well made, I just don't particularly like them.

@Heirren: I agree. I have never once felt like the cutscenes were detracting from the gameplay in any way. They may be long and crazy but the story itself is as well and that works for me. Ground Zeroes is definitely taking the series in the right direction. It is much more modernized in its control schemes and just feels worlds above Snake Eater, which I absolutely love. With MGS 4 I too felt the game was different then what others had played because it continued the MGS feel and gameplay. I played it right after release as well as my friend had it pre ordered and even back then I thought the game was awesome.

The whole mgs series just oozes personality and the people who complain about the cut scenes being too many really are just grasping at straws as since when is extra content a bad thing when the game still has incredible gameplay and lots of it. There are very few games that have been treated with as much attention to detail as the metal gear series.