Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

If you want: less comedy, more thought-provoking meta themes
Playable on: Metal Gear Solid HD Collection on Xbox One and Series consoles via backwards compatibility; the same collection on PS3 or Xbox 360; PS2 or OG Xbox.

Metal Gear Solid 2 may not spring to mind when you think “comedy games,” but c’mon, when a dude points to the bandana he has on his head and says he has “infinite ammo,” we’re not too far off from the kinda meta humor High on Life plays with.

Read More: Metal Gear Solid 2 Retrospective: Be Careful What You Wish For

And while High on Life is often teasing other mainstream games, it frequently wears a love of classic inspirations on its sleeve. While I didn’t catch any direct references to MGS2 in High on Life, the Nipulon boss fight does reference the Psycho Mantis fight from the first Metal Gear Solid, and plays with some of the same mind-warping concepts.

MGS2 lands on this list though for its meta themes about simulations, games, and war. If you know Metal Gear, then you know this series also has a huge appetite for silliness, but it’s often dealing with very serious topics just as much—if not moreso.