Hello everyone!
Just in time for the release of MGSV: The Phantom Pain, which will expand what we know about the history of Big Boss (the first major antagonist of Solid Snake), today I will offer you a looong summary of the whole plot of Metal Gear in chronological order, so that even beginners can choose to dedicate themselves to the new title of Kojima without fear of being disoriented from the main story.
Obviously we want to clarify that this is not entirely my own work … well, I have having played every game in the series I could have started a job summary but it would take weeks to complete, so I decided to support the excellent work played by the community of Metal Gear on Reddit who performed for me the most important task: skim unnecessary content to tell the bare minimum (of course you’ll still have a lot to read).
Spoiler Allert!
If you are planning to play the whole saga, please go away.
Lets go!
1918 – Powerful mens of Russia, the US and China create “The Philosophers”, an organization that has the ability to decide on the fate of the whole world and influence events
1961 – President Kennedy disobeys Philosophers
1963 – Kennedy is killed
1963 – Metal Gear Solid 3: Virtuous Mission (Playstation 2)
- The agent of FOX (group of CIA infiltration led by Major Zero) Naked Snake infiltrates in Russia with the aim of recovering Sokolov, a Russian designer and destroy his latest creation, the Shagohod (a tank capable of launching a nuclear warhead)
- Snake encounters The Boss, legendary soldier and his mentor. The woman has infiltrated the ranks of the evil Colonel Volgin
- The Boss betrays Snake and the United States in delivering a nuclear bomb American Volgin.
Volgin detonates the bomb on Russian soil
1964 – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Operation (Playstation 2)
- International crisis: the United States, to convince the Russians of their innocence on the nuclear explosion and prevent World War III send Naked Snake again on Russian soil for the mission Snake Eater. The soldier must kill The Boss and destroy the Shagohod
- During his mission Snake is helped (and hindered) by Eva (apparently infiltrated by the CIA, but actually a spy for the Chinese government) and Revolver Ocelot
- Snake discovers that Volgin has been given ‘”Philosophers’ Legacy,” a bank account of $ 100 billion
- Naked Snake destroys the Shagohod, killing Volgin and The Boss and recovers half of the ‘legacy
- In the end Snake discovers that The Boss was all the time loyal to the United States working undercover. It was believed to be on a mission to retrieve the Philosophers’ Legacy, and had received the nuclear device for Volgin directly by the US government in order to be able to gain the trust of the evil Colonel. Unbeknownst to her, however, the bomb was detonated on the Russian territory and the Americans found themselves at the center of the international crisis. At that point, directly from the central control of the CIA, The Boss had received her last mission: to continue to play the role of traitor and be ultimately killed by Naked Snake to free the US from accusations of Russians
- Upon returning home Snake is awarded the title of Big Boss, but the soldier, disgusted by the behavior of his government, leave the FOX unit followed by Major Zero
1970 – Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)
- Big Boss is captured and tortured by his old FOX unit (which became independent in the meantime by the CIA under the command of Gene Viper)
- While he is imprisoned Big Boss knows the Green Beret Roy Campbell
- Helping each other the two escape, but Big Boss finds out that the United States accused him of drive treacherous FOX unit, which is why they arrested Major Zero
- Big Boss and Roy Campbell founded the FOXHOUND, with the aim of eliminating the unit FOX
- FOXHOUND Unit consists of: Big Boss, Revolver Ocelot, Eva, Major Zero and Frank Jaeger (former member of FOX)
- Having defeated and killed Gene Viper, Big Boss appropriates all FOX’s funds, all of its soldiers and plans to build its own military nation detached from world governments
- It turns out that the entire betrayal of FOX was orchestrated by Major Zero and Ocelot (with the help of Gene Viper) to force the CIA to come out and steal them the Philosophers’ Legacy (half that Big Boss had delivered at the end of MGS3)
- Ocelot kills the head of the CIA and get the inheritance and the list with all the names of the Philosophers
- The group FOXHOUND gets rid of the organization and, with the help of the army and the Inheritance obtained from Viper, founded a new organization for control of world events, the Patriots (Big Boss is elected as the leader of the group)
- The Patriots took control of the US government and begin their plan to unify the world (plan originally designed by The Boss, the mentor of Big Boss)
1971 – FOXHOUND becomes a military official unit of US Army
1972 – Big Boss is severely wounded in battle and risk their lives
- Major Zero, fearing to lose the greatest living soldier, starts the project LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES: using cells of Big Boss and Eva as a surrogate mother, Zero tries to get the perfect soldier, that is an exact clone of the legendary Big Boss
- Eva generates twins Solid Snake and Liquid Snake, both considered imperfect clones and failures
- It is created in vitro a third clone: Solidus Snake, which happens to be a perfect copy of Big Boss
- To prevent possible betrayals and control the three children, is implanted a gene for accelerated aging, leading to the death of the clones before 40 years of age
- Big Boss wakes up from a coma and is horrified by what Major Zero came to do
- Convinced that the Patriots have lost the right path and misrepresented the dream of The Boss, Big Boss leaves the group
1974 – Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP, Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
- Big Boss was called to resolve a coup in Costa Rica with his new unit, the Militaires Sans Frontieres
- It turns out that the army has taken control of Costa Rica is building a Metal Gear (Bipode and self-propelled tank capable of launching a nuclear warhead): codenamed Peace Walker
- The Peace Walker is governed by artificial intelligence (henceforth AI) based on the character of The Boss, and is therefore able to launch nuclear attacks without human action
- A CIA agent, Hot Coldman, reprograms the AI of Peace Walker with the aim of launching an atomic bomb on the basis of Militaires Sans Frontieres, but missed being killed by the KGB
- In deathbed tells the Peace Walker targeting the island of Cuba, and send false information to the United States, into believing his government to be under imminent attack by the Russians
- Big Boss tries in vain to convince both Americans and Russians of the double game of Hot Coldman but is not believed
- A nuclear war is imminent, but the Peace Walker instead of the nuclear missile launch as scheduled deactivates and destroys itself: the AI of The Boss did not allow the outbreak of World War III because of the legendary mentor Snake dreamed of a world in peace not more upset by wars
Once the mission is finished Big Boss uses the acquired group of scientists and engineers to build a Metal Gear staff. Once the machine is completed, however Paz, an undercover agent (under the order of Major Zero) steals with the ultimate aim in the future to launch a nuclear attack on US soil and blame Big Boss and his unit
Big Boss decided at this point to create their own military nation, completely detached from corrupt governments worldwide
The nation will be called Outer Heaven and will aim to eliminate Major Zero and The Patriots
1975 – Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (Playstation 3, xbox 360, Playstation 4, Xbox One)
- Big Boss rescue Chico from Camp Omega and find Paz (believed dead) with signs of tortures and a bomb inplanted in her abdomen by the leader of XOF Skull Face
- Meanwhile Huey Hammerick informs Big Boss that IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) is going to do an inspection on Mother Base
- The inspection was a farce because the attackers were part of XOF
- However, after the violent operation to remove the bomb from Paz (without anesthesia), it turns out that she has a second bomb (do not know where but presumably the uterus), and to save them is thrown into the water. The explosion of the bomb burns Big Boss face
- In an audio recording between Paz and Skull Face, which occurred in captivity with her at Camp Omega, we understand that Skull Face wants to kill Major Zero, but it still remains a mystery
1975 -1984 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
1984 – 1994
Big Boss founded Outer Heaven and developed the Metal Gear TX-55
Unbeknownst to the US government, with the help of the infinite wealth that has accumulated over the years, gets total control of FOXHOUND
1995 – Metal Gear (MSX – NES)
- The US government learned of the creation of the Metal Gear Outer Heaven
- The FOXHOUND unit is asked to destroy the weapon (of course, the government does not know that is a subsidiary of Big Boss, leader of Outer Heaven)
- Big Boss send on mission Frank Jaeger, who fails the mission and gets caught (but actually is a soldier Big Boss as the whole unit is controlled by the latter)
- The US government asks the sending of a new FOXHOUND soldier for the destruction of Metal Gear
- Big Boss (always under the guise of the leader of FOXHOUND) send on mission Solid Snake (inexperienced soldier who would simply failed giving more time to the Big Boss for the realization of his plan)
- Solid Snake proves to be smarter than expected (after all, is the clone of Big Boss!) And can destroy Outer Heaven and Metal Gear. Big Boss is defeated in a duel and is presumed dead.
- Roy Campbell was appointed leader of FOXHOUND (which then regains independence from Big Boss)
1999 – Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX – NES)
- The world faces the gravest crisis of Petroleum ever
- Dr. Kio Marv creates a synthetic oil that can save anyone from the crisis it is in possession
- The brilliant doctor is captured by soldiers of Zanzibarland (independent nation founded by a military group that broke away from Russian control in Zanzibar)
- At this point, Zanzibarland owns the only source of energy used and still keeps in check the world. In addition, order the construction of a Metal Gear
- Solid Snake is sent on a mission to Zanzibarland to free Dr. Marv
- There he discovers that the leader of Zanzibarland none other than Big Boss, and that Frank Jaeger (the first soldier sent on Outer Heaven) is his right under the name of Grey Fox
- Solid Snake defeats Metal Gear D, Grey Fox and Big Boss
On his deathbed, Big Boss tells Snake to be his father, leaving the soldier in total doubt - Big Boss dies
The Patriots recovered the body of Big Boss and revived through nanomachines inserted into his body, keeping it in a cryogenic coma from which he can not wake up.
Major Zero begins to exploit the body of Big Boss for the construction of nanomachines with which to strengthen their soldiers (Soldier Genome Project), donating their reflections advanced combat skills and courage in the face of death.
Revolver Ocelot (always remained in the ranks of the Patriots) is not happy with the treatment given to the body of his old friend Big Boss and leaves the Patriots
2000 – Roy Campbell leaves FOXHOUND and Liquid Snake assumes command
2001 – Major Zero, old and tired, is unable to find anyone who is able to take his place as leader of the Patriots to continue in its mission to unify the world.
For this, commissioned the construction of 4 AIs (ruled by a fifth central AI) they take control of the Patriots and continue their work based on algorithms preloaded.
Before finally leaving the world in the hands of IA, Major Zero does appoint Solidus Snake (perfect clone of Big Boss, and member of the Patriots) President of the United States.
2003 – Roy Campbell and Solid Snake create a military unit in order to intervene in the event of a crisis orchestrated by the Patriots or FOXHOUND.
Dr. Naomi Watts, chief of the medical staff of the unit of Solid Snake, injects inside Snake (without his knowledge) a virus called FOXDIE.
This virus is managed by a set of nanomachines that have the ability to induce death to specific persons on the basis of their DNA. Naomi Watts was the companion of Frank Jaeger/Grey Fox and the creation of the virus FOXDIE is on his way to take revenge on Solid Snake (who killed his companion) and of the whole unit FOXHOUND.
2005 – Metal Gear Solid (Playstation – Nintendo Gamecube)
- FOXHOUND seizes an island of a small archipelago of Alaska: Shadow Moses
- On the island it was just completed an advanced Metal Gear Rex
- Since FOXHOUND controls the island and the Rex, the United States are blackmailed and forced to hand over the body of Big Boss to Liquid Snake within 24 hours.
- Roy Campbell decides to intervene and send Solid Snake on Shadow Moses, in order to interrogate the head of DARPA and the president of ArmsTech kept as hostages (these individuals will be able to tell if Liquid Snake and Rex have the opportunity to state launch a nuclear attack on the United States)
- Snake find the president of ArmsTech but before he could ask for the information they need witnesses the death of man after a heart attack
Snake, continuing to investigate, defeats the whole FOXHOUND: Psycho Mantis, Vulcan Raven, Sniper Wolf, and Decoy Octopus Revolver Ocelot. - During the fight with the latter, just as Snake is about to be killed by his rival, a cybernetic Ninja intervenes and cuts the arm to Ocelot
- The Ninja is none other than Grey Fox, kept alive by an exoskeleton powered by nanomachines
- During the mission, Snake free Meryl (Roy Campbell’s daughter) and Otacon (designer of Metal Gear Rex): Liquid Snake learns that is capable of launching nuclear strikes
- Solid Snake, with the help of Grey Fox boosted by armor Ninja, knocks out the Metal Gear Rex and throws Liquid Snake down
- Grey Fox dies in agony crushed by Metal Gear Rex
- Solid Snake escapes from Shadow Moses with Meryl and Otacon, but is pursued by Liquid Snake (which is not killed by the fall)
- Even as Liquid is going to kill the three, the virus in the body of Snake FOXDIE acts again (he was also responsible for the killing of President ArmsTech and the head of DARPA) and causes a cardiac arrest at Liquid, who died on the spot
- Naomi Watts tells Solid Snake that he injected the virus FOXDIE soldier in revenge, because they knew that Grey Fox was alive and was hiding behind the identity of the Ninja
- Snake learns that the virus, completed its task, it will deteriorate and kill him
Following the incident of Shadow Moses Roy Campbell, with the help of information Otacon, it promotes the publication of a book that caused a sensation and discontent in the American population, forcing Solidus Snake (current US President) to escape with Revolver Ocelot (only survivor of FOXHOUND).
Revolver Ocelot implant the arm of Liquid Snake and nanomachines in the body of the latter combine the consciences of two individuals: the birth of Liquid Ocelot.
2007 – Metal Gear Solid 2: Tank Mission (Playstation 2 – Xbox 360 – PlayStation 3 – PSVita)
- Solid Snake infiltrates on a US ship that is carrying the new model of Metal Gear Ray
- In an attempt to destroy the weapon witnessed the arrival of Liquid Ocelot, who steals the Ray and sinking ship
- Solid Snake is considered drowned
2009 – Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Playstation 2 – Xbox 360 – PlayStation 3 – PSVita)
- The agent of FOXHOUND Raiden is sent over a huge oil rig (Big Shell) that was taken hostage by an armed group of terrorists calling themselves the Sons of Liberty
- During the mission it is helped by another undercover independent Iroquois Pliskin
- Raiden and Pliskin attack and manage to hurt the terrorist leader, who calls himself Solid Snake
- Raiden discovers that the terrorist is Solidus Snake (and former US president) Pliskin mind is the real Solid Snake!
- Continuing with the mission, Raiden learns that the platform Big Shell is actually a giant Metal Gear and the basis of one of the four IA governing the global economic system (of course no one knows the plan of Major Zero)
- Raiden and Solid Snake can insert a virus in AI , but Snake is captured
- At this point, Raiden discovers that the entire mission was orchestrated by Liquid Ocelot and Artificial Intelligence to create a new incident similar to Shadow Moses and test his skills as a soldier to give life to a new Genome Project Soldier
- Raiden was then manipulated from the start of the mission and never came in contact with anyone outside of AI in disguise.
- The IA reveals to Raiden that the entire mission has served to investigate how to manipulate human behavior: Raiden is ordered to eliminate Solidus Snake, and all his loved ones will be killed
- Raiden defeats several Metal Gear Ray, saves Solid Snake and Solidus Snake kills
- Big Shell is destroyed and Liquid Ocelot escapes in the last Ray
- Raiden vows to take revenge against the Patriots for manipulating him
2013 – The world, after the development of nanomachines increasingly advanced, is controlled by a diverse group of mercenaries hired by governments to solve the various crises: the war is at the heart of the world economy.
The mercenary group most powerful and important is commanded by Liquid Ocelot. To stop the growing rise of Ocelot, the UN order to Solid Snake (now thirty-five) to kill the terrorist.
Snake, as imperfect clone, despite his age has the appearance of an old man and knows that he has very little time to live (the aging process advanced degenerated even more following injection of the virus FOXDIE)
https://youtu.be/qph4dAVdyz0
2014 – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
- On his first attempt, Snake can not kill Ocelot, only to discover that the terrorist has kidnapped Dr. Naomi Watts, head of FOXDIE
- Snake frees the Doctor, which reveals that the FOXDIE is changing … soon the virus is definitely deteriorate and begin killing uncontrollably anyone near Snake, making living bacteriological weapon
- Snake will ultimately take his life, to make sure that the virus dies with him … but first he has to think about his mission and stop Ocelot
- The doctor explains that Ocelot (Liquid Snake and before him during the incident of Shadow Moses) want to get the body of Big Boss to go with his DNA to AI center of Major Zero, the one in charge to control the other 4 Intelligences artificial, allowing them to control all the world’s nanomachines
- Snake is attacked by a group of Metal Gear non-nuclear and manages to escape only with the help of Raiden, he returned to action after undergoing implantation of a Ninja exoskeleton similar to Grey Fox
- Meanwhile Ocelot manages to get the battered corpse of Big Boss (but why should he be tortured? The last time we had left in incubation permanent laboratories of Major Zero …. In the end we will have the answer!)
- Thanks to DNA in the body, Ocelot takes possession of all the nanomachines and immediately turns off all the soldiers in the world (not his), making even unusable weapons (which are activated through nanomachines in recognition of DNA)
- The project of The Boss of a united world and without the specter of war is taking place, but Ocelot has become undisputed leader of all, then must be stopped
- Ocelot goes to Shadow Moses to steal what remains of Metal Gear Rex and launch a nuclear attack on 5 AIs, now no more defenses
- Snake and Raiden intervene and stop the launch of nuclear warheads and implanted in the heart of artificial intelligence main a virus developed by Dr. Naomi Watts.
- The virus destroys the system of the Patriots and the impulse to disintegrate away all nanomachines of the world, freeing all living beings from the technological control
The world is only with a primitive technology from which will have to start in order to survive
Snake and Ocelot, now uninterested in what happens in the world face off in a final epic duel: Ocelot is killed
EPILOGUE:
- Solid Snake visits the grave of Big Boss and prepares to commit suicide by shooting himself in the mouth to prevent the collapse of FOXDIE and the annihilation of life on Earth
- Just before you pull the trigger, it is interrupted by an elderly man pushing an old man on a wheelchair
- The man is Big Boss, while the individual in a wheelchair is Major Zero, it kept alive by a respirator
- He explains to Snake that the body uses Ocelot to access the AI was to Solidus Snake that as perfect clone of Big Boss, was fully compatible with the system created by the Patriots
- Big Boss had been kept alive and in permanent coma from nanomachines of Major Zero until the moment when, following the destruction of technology, had been awakened
- Big Boss realizes that the dream of The Boss, a world without war, can not be realized by force and violence, but only with confidence towards others and dialogue …. He, Major Zero and Ocelot have pursued that dream misrepresenting and wreaking untold suffering, and it is right that now pay for their actions
- After disconnecting the respirator of Major Zero killing him, Big Boss collapses and prepares to die killed by cardiac arrest caused by FOXDIE Snake (which, remember, was killing certain DNA preconfigured by Dr. Watts)
- Dead also Big Boss, Snake does not remain that the suicide, but shortly before pressing the trigger finally comes to know that the destruction of nanomachines in the world has stopped the deterioration of FOXDIE, and then he has four or five more years to live in serenity before it was killed by the gene for premature aging.
- Solid Snake thus part and decides to spend the last years of his life traveling the world and enjoying the beauty of this is able to offer
The End
If you hadn’t enough you can watch this playlist on Youtube that resume the whole story
See ya!