If you're a video game fan, you've probably heard of Hideo Kojima, the Japanese game director known worldwide for creating and developing the Metal Gear series of games and also for his eccentricity. Hideo Kojima's games always have an engaging narrative and very well-crafted and iconic gameplay, which has made many of his games instant classics.
Today we're going to go through the difficult task of listing, in order, the 10 best Hideo Kojima games, with number one being the best of them all! In this list, we'll take into account the popularity, gameplay, innovation, and longevity of the games when ranking them. Ready to find out which are Hideo Kojima's best video games? Then let's get to the list.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes – 2014
Last on our list is Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, which is considered by many to be the worst of Hideo Kojima's games, at least when it comes to the Metal Gear saga. In this game, we follow Snake in 1975, shortly after the events of Peace Walker, who needs to infiltrate an illegal American prison in Cuba.
In practice, Ground Zeroes, released in 2014, served as a prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, the next game in line for release. What ended up disappointing many fans is that Ground Zeroes feels like a demo for Phantom Pain, and not a full game in itself. Its campaign is only 2 hours long, which is shorter than some demos released today. Despite this, the game has a score of 80 on Metric and is available for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.
Death Stranding – 2019
Despite his fame as a brilliant director, when it comes to Hideo Kojima's games, not everything is rosy. In ninth place on our list we have one of his most controversial games, Death Stranding. After finishing the Metal Gear series of games, everyone expected another stealth game from Kojima, but that's not what he delivered.
The high expectations, unique gameplay, and repetitive beginning made this game a disappointment for some, while for others, those who managed to adapt to the new style, the game is incredible. Despite having a troubled launch, it achieved a score of 82 on Metric, very high for the vast majority of directors, but not for Kojima. The game is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Lunar Knights – 2006
Were you expecting another Metal Gear game? Despite having become famous through the games in this franchise, Hideo Kojima has directed games with completely different styles, which proves his versatility as a director.
Lunar Knights is an action-adventure game where you control Lucian and Aaron, the game's two protagonists who are fighting against an invasion of space vampires that threaten humanity. Despite being quite different from the other Hideo Kojima games on our list, this game was very popular with Nintendo DS users and got a score of 82 on Metric. The game is only available for Nintendo DS
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – 2003
In seventh place on our list of the best Hideo Kojima games, we have Zone of The Enders: The 2nd Runner. The game's story takes place in a future where humanity has colonized Mars and giant robots serve as the main combat resource. It is in this context that Dingo Egret finds the Orbital Frame, an extremely powerful resource desired by different groups.
Zone of the Enders is an action and combat game known for its fast-paced but fun gameplay. Fans of the Metal Gear series, especially Metal Gear 3: Snake Eater, will find many similarities between the two games, despite the themes and gameplay being completely different. Its Metric score is the same as the previous one, 82. You can play the game on PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4 and PC.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – 2013
Next up on our list is Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, one of the only games in the franchise that doesn't feature Snake as the main character. Metal Gear fans will remember Raiden as the young FOXHOUND soldier who's taking part in his first mission against terrorists in Metal Gear Solid 2: Snake Eater. This, however, is a very different Raiden than the one we meet in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
The game is set in 2018, four years after the events of MG Solid 4. Raiden, now working for a private military company, tries to support his family by accepting various missions around the world, however, he is forced to face his past. The game received a score of 83 on Metric and is available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots – 2008
Halfway through our list, we have the conclusion of Solid Snake's story. Right at the beginning of the game, our protagonist discovers that he has one more year to live and that he must set out on his final mission, eliminating Liquid Ocelot, who intends to start an insurrection against "the Patriots".
The game deals with strong and impactful themes, such as aging and death, and manages to conclude the story of several characters in the series in an emotional way, even for those who have not played Hideo Kojima's other games. The game achieved an impressive 94 points on Metric and is still one of the director's best-rated creations. Unfortunately, Guns of The Patriots has only been available for PS3 since its release.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence – 2005
MG Solid 3: Subsistence serves as a prologue to the entire series and is set in the middle of the Cold War, during 1964, so it does not have the technological advances present in other games in the series. The game follows Naked Snake, known in future games as Big Boss, on one of his missions for the CIA in the Soviet Union.
Despite having gameplay similar to its predecessors, prioritizing getting through the stages without being noticed and dealing with your enemies stealthily, the game introduces new mechanics, such as the camouflage system and a new melee combat system. Its score on Metric is 94 and, for many, it is the best of Hideo Kojima's games. The game is available for PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Metal Gear Solid – 1998
The first game in the franchise that established Hideo Kojima as one of the greatest directors in the gaming industry is, to this day, one of the best games in history. MG introduces us to Solid Snake who, in this game, is already a legendary soldier and whose goal is to find and eliminate Liquid Snake, his clone and now leader of a terrorist cell.
The game is also the first to feature the stealth mechanics that would become the series' most notable feature. Although the camera perspective is in 3D, the game feels more like a 2D game due to some situations where the camera adapts on its own, such as when Snake approaches a curve. It has a Metric score of 94 and the game is available for PS1 and PC.
Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain – 2015
Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain was the last of Hideo Kojima's games before he had left Konami due to creative disagreements. Nowadays, Kojima can no longer produce games in the series as he does not own the rights to it, so this will always be remembered as the director's last Metal Gear.
Phantom Pain follows Venom Snake, the name adopted by Big Boss during the game due to his fame as a soldier, on his mission to locate and eliminate those responsible for the destruction of the MSF (Militaires Sans Frontières) nine years earlier. Despite having the best open world of all Kojima's games to date, the repetitive gameplay and weak narrative prevented this title from taking first place. Despite this, the game achieved a score of 95 on Metacritic, placing it in the site's top 50. The game is available in versions for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – 2001
First on our list of Hideo Kojima's best games is the game that every MG fan was already expecting to find here, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. If the Japanese director has ever produced a perfect game, this was definitely it. Both its gameplay and its story impressed everyone who came into contact with the game at the time.
The game is set in 2007 and runs through 2009, and you control, for the most part, Raiden but also Solid Snake, whose mission is to destroy the terrorist group Sons of Liberty, led by Solidus Snake, another clone of Big Boss. The game received an incredible 96 points on Metacritic, placing it among the forty best games. Today, the game is available for three platforms: Playstation 2, Xbox and PC.
Conclusion
So, did you like our list of the best Hideo Kojima games? What do you think is the director's best game? Tell us in the comments! Want to know more about games? Then check out our article on Every Assassin's Creed Game, Ranked!. Now, if you want to know more about Hideo Kojima's games, watch the video below.
