Metal Cog (franchise)
Metal Cog is a franchise of techno-thriller stealth games developed and published by Ekranzayn, the first game, Metal Cog, was released in 1985. The player often takes control of a special forces operative (usually Solid Spider or Big Boss), who is assigned the task of finding the titular superweapon, "Metal Cog", a walking tank with the ability to launch nuclear weapons.
Below is the release timeline for each video game.
| Title | Release Year | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Cog | 1985 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
| Metal Cog 2 | 1988 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
| Metal Cog Solid | 1995 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
| Metal Cog Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | 2002 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
| Metal Cog Solid 3: Spider Eater | 2005 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
| Metal Cog Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | 2008 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
| Metal Cog Rising: Revengeance | 2011 | Action-adventure / Hack and slash |
| Metal Cog Solid 5: Peace Walker | 2013 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
| Metal Cog Solid 6: The Phantom Pain | 2016 | Action-adventure / Stealth |
Storyline
Metal Cog's universe differs drastically from the our universe. It takes place on a alternate earth, one where a Great War like event happened, and in the aftermath two factions rose up, the United Democratic States of Ryarov (UDSR), and the United Socialist States of Arling (USSA), which wage a cold war against each other, referred to as the Winter War. Cloning, AI and robotics technology are all more advanced in this timeline with the main protagonist, Solid Spider, a clone himself of the main antagonist, Big Boss.
Metal Cog Solid 3: Spider Eater
Metal Cog Solid 3: Spider Eater, which takes place first chronologically, introduces Spider, an operative working for the fictional Task Force X unit of the TRU during the Winter War. The game focuses on the rise of Spider from an apprentice to a legendary soldier, as well as the downfall of his mentor and matriarchal figure, The Boss. After The Boss defects to the United Socialist States of Arling, Spider is sent into Arling to kill her and end the threat posed by Elizabeth Greenwood, a colonel with plans to overthrow the Arling government, and turned it into a matriarchy. Spider's heroics during the game earn him the nickname "Big Boss" at the end. The origins of The Patriots, an organization founded by Zero, are also explored.