Metal Slug 3 is the third installment in the series where General Morden plans to establish a new world order. The player guides one of the heroes: Marco, Tarma, Eri, or Fio, as they blast their way through side-scrolling levels with unique themes, filled with countless enemies and bosses. The player has to free hostages and can ride various vehicles such as camels, elephants, tanks, and robots.
On PlayStation 4 , the gameplay involves completing five arcade stages to unlock additional game modes, including Storming the Mothership and Chubby Isle Paradiso. A co-op mode is included, but no online multiplayer. The player can compare single-player scores with friends using Xbox Live.