A lot of people think the franchise started on the PlayStation One. This was true for the Solid part of the series, but MGS has existed long before this. The original game was released back in 1987. In the years since then the series has evolved into one of the most prolific stealth video games on the market.
The story has evolved from being a basic “get in their and destroy the bad guys” to an incredibly complex story that intertwines through many characters across several decades. As a franchise alone, the MGS series is one of the largest and most well known video game franchises.
Now that Kojima is forever done making Metal Gear Games, any future entries in the series are not going to be as good. What are some other games out there that have attempted to copy the format? Even if there are no clones, are there any other good games like Metal Gear Solid?
Assassin's Creed: Origins
Kojima was a big fan of the Assassin's Creed games when they first came out. The stealth aspects of the game do have a lot in common with the MGS games. It is not as hardcore stealth and the setting is in historic times, so there are no guns, but the AC games are definitely good ones to check out if you want a game like Metal Gear Solid
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The newer Deus Ex games are a lot more futuristic when compared to the MGS games, but this game shares quite a lot. The gameplay and focus on stealth is very similar. You can decide to play the game without raising the alarm, or you can just burst into an area with guns blazing.
Hitman: Absolution
Games in the Hitman series, particularly the newer ones are a lot like Metal Gear Solid. Very strong focus on staying undetected, but if you do raise the alarm, you can just start shooting the shit out of everyone. Fairly high production values too. I didnt find the story to be as interesting as the MGS story, but it's still a good game that is worth playing.
Vampire Rain: Altered Species
I still don't know whether this game is a joke or what. The main character is very obviously based on Solid Snake. Watch a few videos for some mild entertainment :D
Velvet Assassin
An older game that sort of fell under most peoples radar. It is a good stealth game that is worth playing.
Batman: Arkham Knight
The Arkham Batman games by Rocksteady are very stealth orientated. You can zip around the place a lot faster than Snake, but this is Batman so it has to be somewhat superheroish.
Dishonored
This is a steampunk game that has a lot of stealth elements. The stealth isn't nearly as intricate as it is in MGS, but it is fun. You get some cool powers and abilities to help stay in the shadows.