Vol. 2 is out, it's the first time a lot of people can play Metal Gear Solid 4 without dusting off a PS3, and the obvious question is: where do I start? Here's the sane order, plus a couple of things worth knowing so you're not lost twenty minutes in.
If you're brand new to the series
Play Vol. 1 first. Genuinely. MGS4 is the finale of Solid Snake's story and it assumes you know MGS1 through 3 - it will spoil them and lean on them constantly. Coming in cold, you'll get gorgeous nonsense instead of the payoff it's meant to be.
The order inside Vol. 2
By release it's MGS4 first (2008), then Peace Walker (2010). By story it's the other way round: Peace Walker sits back in Big Boss's era, well before Solid Snake, while MGS4 is the very end of the line. Go story order - Peace Walker, then MGS4 - so the finale actually lands as a finale.
Peace Walker: bring a friend
Peace Walker was built around co-op, and its base-building loop rewards patience. It's a slower burn than the mainline games and a good deal better with a second player. Don't judge it by the first hour.
MGS4: block out the evening
Fair warning - MGS4 loves a cutscene. The ratio of watching to playing is steep, especially late on, and one of the final sequences runs long enough to make a cup of tea during. That's the deal. When it does hand you the controller, the stealth still holds up.
Ghost Babel is a treat, not homework
The bundled Ghost Babel is a standalone Game Boy Color side-story, not part of the main canon. Save it for after - it's a lovely bonus, not something you need to slot into the timeline.
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