Rank the MGS series
Here's how I rank what i've played.
1. MGS3. Has a fantastic story and probably the best gameplay in the series. The Snake Eater version is great, but the control scheme in Substance really does make a huge difference.
2. MGS. Great story, not as out there as the later games, has held up very well over the years. My only complaint is that it's a bit too easy now, after being used to the more recent games in the series.
3. MGS2. Took the gameplay of the previous game and upped the challenge/added some new features. Sometimes I think it's a bit too similar to the previous game, and the story is way too confusing. However, I actually like Raiden as a character.
4. MGS4. This game is lower on the list not because I think it's bad, but I really don't care for the chapter-based gameplay. The first two are great, but Chapters 3 and 5 are kind of a pain. The plot also isn't all that great in my opinion. Still, the game is good.
5. Peace Walker. The gameplay is a lot of fun, and I love the monster missions. Why is it at the bottom of my list? The plot. I could go on and on about the game's plot, but i'm not going to. I'll just say that the way it ties into the other games feels really forced, and makes some of the other games less interesting because of it.