Steam is running the original Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1 as a free-play weekend to promote Vol.2. If you have not played it before, that is 30-plus hours of Kojima’s stealth writing at no cost, and a very good excuse to figure out what you play next. Below are the seven PC games that hit the closest notes: hide, plan, sneak, and only fight when the plan fails. All of them run on Windows, most run on the Steam Deck, and a few on macOS through Whisky or Rosetta.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitman World of Assassination | Sandbox stealth | Free Starter Pack | $19.99 base | Immersive-sim social stealth |
| Splinter Cell: Blacklist | Third-person tactical stealth | No | $19.99 | Modern controls with classic Splinter Cell design |
| Dishonored 2 | Choice-driven stealth | No | $29.99 | Two protagonists, radically different toolkits |
| Alien: Isolation | Tension and hiding | No | $39.99 | AI-driven single enemy that hunts you |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | Cyberpunk stealth-RPG hybrid | No | $19.99 | Multiple paths through every objective |
| Ghost Recon Wildlands | Squad stealth in open world | Free trial | $29.99 | Four-player coop stealth |
| Death Stranding | Kojima’s post-MGS vision | No | $39.99 | Same director, completely new genre |
Why players look past MGS
Even in the Master Collection, MGS is a period piece. Real reasons regulars point people to alternatives:
- The camera and controls on the Vol.1 titles are faithful to the originals, which means fixed cameras and 90s inputs. Newer stealth games are easier to reach for.
- Solid Snake’s toolkit is fixed. Splinter Cell, Dishonored, and Deus Ex all give you loadouts and upgrade trees.
- The story is done. Vol.1 covers MGS 1 through 3; Vol.2 adds 4 and Peace Walker. After that, the series is over.
- Multiplayer is limited. MGSV had a strong online component but the Master Collection does not carry it forward.
- Some players just want the vibe without the cutscenes.
The alternatives
Hitman World of Assassination - Best sandbox stealth
Hitman World of Assassination rolls Hitman 1, 2, and 3 into one hub. It is the closest thing to Kojima’s design philosophy: give the player a level with fifty ways through and reward the ones who find the elegant one. Freelancer mode adds a roguelike layer that keeps the game running long after the main missions are done.
Where it falls short: first-person view mode is still weak. Load times on older machines are noticeable.
Pricing:
- Free: Starter Pack (one full training level, one Sapienza mission)
- Paid: $19.99 base game, $69.99 for the full trilogy
- vs MGS: comparable price point, wider replay value
Migrating from MGS: save format is unrelated. Familiar controls; the biggest adjustment is planning-first rather than reaction-first.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/1659040
Bottom line: the sandbox stealth game to buy if MGS was your first.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist - Best third-person tactical stealth
Splinter Cell: Blacklist is the last Splinter Cell Ubisoft shipped and by far the most polished. It cleaned up the classic Sam Fisher toolkit (goggles, silent takedowns, tag-and-execute) and added a co-op campaign and Spies vs Mercs multiplayer.
Where it falls short: shows its 2013 age. Ubisoft’s UI conventions are dated. Uplay overlay still required.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: $19.99 base, often on deep sale
- vs MGS: comparable stealth loop, less narrative weight
Migrating from MGS: the third-person cover system is closer to MGSV than to the older MGS titles. Progression is unlock-based rather than gadget-fixed.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/235600
Bottom line: the pick for anyone who wants the Sam Fisher fantasy on modern hardware.
Dishonored 2 - Best for choice-driven stealth
Dishonored 2 hands you two protagonists with different powers and asks you to move through Karnaca either as a ghost or a butcher, and the game rewrites itself around your decisions. Emily’s Domino power (linking enemies so they share fates) is one of the most creative stealth tools ever put in a game.
Where it falls short: the launch performance issues were fixed but the reputation persists. Some players find the second-half missions too dense.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: $29.99 base
- vs MGS: slower pace, higher creative ceiling
Migrating from MGS: think of it as MGS with magic. The alarm system rewards low visibility the same way.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/403640
Bottom line: the alternative when the “how do I get past this without being seen” itch runs deepest.
Alien: Isolation - Best for tension
Alien: Isolation is a stealth game where the enemy is one Xenomorph, one AI, and the entire station. You cannot kill it. You hide, you crouch, you time your sprints. The atmosphere is worthy of the Ridley Scott film, which is what people mean when they say it is the best Alien game ever made.
Where it falls short: the runtime is long (25+ hours) for what is essentially the same tension. Some sections wear out their welcome.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: $39.99 base, frequently discounted heavily
- vs MGS: single-enemy focus versus MGS’s ensemble; much scarier
Migrating from MGS: save often. The tension model is closer to survival horror than tactical stealth.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/214490
Bottom line: the pick when you want stealth to feel dangerous.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - Best cyberpunk stealth-RPG
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a first-person immersive sim with a stealth loop that rewards the same patience MGS asks for. Every level has three or four ways through, and Adam Jensen’s augmentations give you a build-your-own-toolkit setup that Solid Snake never had.
Where it falls short: the story ends on a cliffhanger the sequel never resolved. Some augmentation systems feel over-engineered.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: $19.99 base
- vs MGS: closer to MGS 4’s cyberpunk aesthetic, deeper RPG systems
Migrating from MGS: first-person is a shift. The pause-plan-execute rhythm carries over almost directly.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/337000
Bottom line: the pick for players who liked MGS 4 more than MGS 3.
Ghost Recon Wildlands - Best squad stealth in an open world
Ghost Recon Wildlands is the four-player coop stealth game. The Bolivia open world is huge, the Santa Blanca cartel targets are structured like MGSV missions, and the AI squad fills in when friends are not available. Prone crawling, drone recon, sync shots.
Where it falls short: enemy AI can break the fiction when you push too hard. Ubisoft’s usual open-world checklist bloat.
Pricing:
- Free: recurring free weekends
- Paid: $29.99 base
- vs MGS: much larger scope, less narrative weight
Migrating from MGS: shares MGSV’s rhythm of scout, plan, execute. Missions loop cleanly.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/460930
Bottom line: the coop option after finishing the Master Collection with a friend.
Death Stranding - Best Kojima follow-up
Death Stranding is what Hideo Kojima made after leaving Konami. It is not a stealth game the way MGS is, but the same director wrote and directed it, and the same weird tone, long monologues, and asynchronous multiplayer mechanics show up. The Director’s Cut on PC adds a proper firing range and shortcuts.
Where it falls short: the first ten hours are slow on purpose. Some players never adjust to the pacing.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: $39.99 base for Director’s Cut
- vs MGS: not stealth, but the same author
Migrating from MGS: the connective tissue is authorial rather than mechanical. Approach it as a new genre.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/1850570
Bottom line: the pick for anyone who plays MGS mostly for Kojima.
How to choose
- If MGS 1’s structure was the appeal: Splinter Cell: Blacklist or Dishonored 2.
- If MGS 3’s stealth in nature is what stuck: Ghost Recon Wildlands.
- If MGS 4’s cyberpunk near-future is what you liked: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
- If MGSV’s open-world mission structure was your favorite: Hitman World of Assassination, then Ghost Recon Wildlands.
- If Kojima the author is what you follow: Death Stranding.
- Stay on the Master Collection this weekend to play through MGS 1, 2, and 3 for free; buy Vol.2 later for MGS 4 and Peace Walker.
FAQ
Is Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1 really free on Steam? Yes, as a limited free-play weekend running until July 27 to promote Vol.2. Progress carries over if you buy the game afterward.
What is the closest game to Metal Gear Solid on PC? Splinter Cell: Blacklist for the third-person stealth feel, Hitman World of Assassination for the sandbox design, Death Stranding for the Kojima author signature.
Does Metal Gear Solid Master Collection work on Steam Deck? It runs, with some caveats around control mapping and cutscene resolution. Community launch options fix the most annoying issues.
What game is closest to MGSV specifically? Ghost Recon Wildlands. Same scout-plan-execute rhythm, same open world, same tolerance for silliness in coop.
Is Death Stranding a Metal Gear Solid game? No. Same director, unrelated universe, entirely different genre. Play it for the tone, not the stealth.
