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Most gamers love a title that has a lot of action in it, but that doesn’t always mean brawlers and shooters. Sometimes, the best kind of action in a game involves the suspense of staying hidden before eliminating an enemy with ease. These are the types of games that make stealth tactics a central focus, rewarding players who keep things quiet and efficient. Why burst through the door to fight groups of bad guys when you can take them out before any of them know what’s happening? After all, theatricality and deception are powerful agents, or rather, powerful tools in the right hands.
Stealth tactics have been a big part of video games for a very long time, even going back as far as the 8-bit days before video game graphics advanced closer to realism. There’s something tantalizing about being a silent, yet deadly force that can accomplish a mission without raising alarms or provoking reinforcements from showing up. And while a lot of more recent game releases have included stealth as a complementary feature, some games have made it the main course of action for their experiences, with a lot of success. Here are five of the greatest stealth games that people love, and it’s no secret to anyone.
5
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
The art of ninjutsu
Whenever discussions about stealth tactics come up, ninjas are always part of the conversation. The concept of a ninja and the tactics used goes back to the 12th century in Japan, even though some places believe they weren’t really considered to be assassins. But the functions of a ninja are always associated with quiet efficiency, such as infiltration and reconnaissance. That’s only some of the reasons why ninjas are always popular in video game media, especially in titles that use ninjas as the basis for stealth action gameplay. One of the best examples of this is Tenchu: Stealth Assassins on the original PlayStation.
The game was developed by Acquire and released by Activision in 1998. Gameplay involves traversing levels and being undetected while eliminating targets and completing mission objectives. While the story of the game involves ninja clans clashing in the Sengoku-era in Japan, it was the stealth gameplay that garnered so much attention for PlayStation owners. While games like Metal Gear Solid had a stronger focus on cinematic storytelling alongside their own gameplay, Tenchu had a different approach to how players would approach sneaking around and taking out enemies. Using various tools to get around and not raise the alarm was super important, so staying in the shadows and out of sight was a primary focus for completing levels.
While getting spotted didn’t always mean death, it was a far cry from being able to fight back well enough, like the Metal Gear Solid series. Different items to lay as traps could distract enemies and open up weaknesses in defenses, giving a better chance of success when it counts. Tenchu: Stealth Assassins was one of the games that made the stealth genre so popular in the late 90s, which was further reinforced by other series like Metal Gear Solid that became very popular.
4
Assassin’s Creed 2
Character and mystic
One of the biggest series in the stealth genre is Assassin’s Creed, which has grown exponentially since it began in 2007. Multiple games in the series have taken players to different historical eras and locations, often adding different elements to mix up the gameplay for each new setting. But the bread and butter of the franchise has always lain in stealth action, which was the backbone of earlier entries in the series. But while most Assassin’s Creed games garner a lot of praise from players, many would say that the best entry is Assassin’s Creed 2 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
What makes Assassin’s Creed 2 so beloved by fans is its story and main character, Ezio Auditore, along with the Renaissance era, late 15th-century Italian setting. While some elements of the plot that are connected to the overall series may be seen as convoluted today, the early life of Ezio as he becomes an assassin fighting the Templars was intriguing to many people. The stealth gameplay was some of the best of the console generation, encouraging players to run across rooftops, blend with crowds, and ascend heights to complete missions. The famous weapon of the series, the hidden blade, is a primary tool for taking out targets and has become a central icon to most stories in the series.
There was an aura of mysticism and curiosity about Ezio and the world of the Assassins, but fun gameplay that made everyone feel like a true assassin of the past made it all the better. To many people, it didn’t get any better for the stealth genre than Assassin’s Creed. While Ezio would appear in more games following the release of Assassin’s Creed 2, most fans believe later games never reached the same level of excitement and reception that the first title once did.
3
Splinter Cell
Going dark with Tom Clancy
Most military thrillers have Tom Clancy in the title, and for very good reasons. The complex plots and characters that make up a Tom Clancy story are some of the best stories about military life and action you can follow. Which is why most action games that bear the name come with a legacy attached to them that is hard to live up to. And yet, Splinter Cell has become a series that is synonymous with the genre, often being looked at as the gold standard for most stealth video games. The first game introduced the world to Sam Fisher, a black-ops agent working for the NSA as part of a group called the Third Echelon. Sam partakes in missions that are highly sensitive and require a stealthy hand to get things done, which are perfect ingredients for any stealth video game.
What made Splinter Cell different from stealth games that came before was its emphasis on environmental factors to influence the outcome of situations, including a greater focus on lighting. Whether Sam was in a light or dark location would heavily influence how well he could be spotted or how effective his actions were against foes. This is further reinforced by the use of his iconic night vision goggles, which have a trademark sound when activated. By keeping to the shadows and taking down enemies with silent tactics, missions can be executed with great efficiency and discretion.
The Splinter Cell series would go on to have multiple game releases and build a legacy that solidified it as one of the best in the genre. Later games would try to switch things up by adding other elements to the stealth gameplay, including some multiplayer components, which had varying degrees of success. Co-op gameplay from Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow gave players the chance to complete missions together, while Spies vs Mercs added a competitive element to multiplayer and allowed players to take on the role of enemies. Since the release of the last game in the series, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, the series has not had a new game released, despite various Ubisoft executives saying that the series is still a priority to them.
Using only what you find
The Metal Gear Solid games are some of the most popular titles in the stealth genre, even though the majority of later releases have shifted to be more action-focused. But that wasn’t always the case for the series, as most of the earlier games were geared towards highlighting stealth espionage action. The first two Metal Gear Solid games were highly praised for their gameplay and narratives, but it was Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater that brought things back to basics in various ways. The game took the series back to 1964, during the events of the Cold War, when spies were more common as the standoff between the United States and Russia raged on. Gone was the futuristic technology of the first few games, and in were the retroactive tools of the 1960s espionage.
Naked Snake is the main protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 3, who would later become something different in the franchise timeline for later games. He is given the title Naked Snake because of how little support he gets from his government while taking on the Virtuous Mission in enemy territory. Not only does Snake need to execute his objectives alone, but he must do so with whatever he finds on hand, including eating and fighting against enemy forces he encounters. It’s with this that Metal Gear Solid 3 distinguishes itself as a step closer to true stealth action than other entries in the franchise, making players feel like they need to be smarter rather than stronger. Staying hidden, avoiding combat when necessary, and being clever in how they engage with enemies.
However, the markings of a Metal Gear Solid game are still present throughout. An over-the-top plot with complex characters, crazy moments that are shocking, and tons of ways to approach a situation keep things feeling consistent with the rest of the series. But as much as Metal Gear Solid 3 feels like other Metal Gear Solid games, it has a unique tone to it that has many fans feeling like it’s the best entry in the franchise. Metal Gear Solid 3 is getting a remake titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, which has new visuals and updated controls.
1
Hitman
Freedom of execution
Sometimes, there are more than a few ways to approach a situation, even when you want to be stealthy. When it comes to the freedom that players have in an experience, the Hitman series is one of the best to ever do it. While there have been multiple Hitman games across multiple platforms, many players have connected with the more recent entries in the series that were on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The original Hitman trilogy for the PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube is still one of the most remembered stealth games around, but the reboot of the series on later consoles has taken the foundation of the series to new heights.
Hitman lets players decide how to take out targets by giving them so many options to explore, along with many different outcomes for their actions. If a target is at a fancy party for an event with a giant chandelier above, you don’t necessarily have to drop it on them, or even think about it at all. Chances are, there are many ways to eliminate them before they even get the chance to enter that room. But the freedom goes beyond those limits as well, giving players the option to even go guns blazing when the moment calls for it, or use more clever methods to get the job done. There’s a sense of open-endedness to missions in Hitman, letting players feel like there’s no one right way to complete a mission from start to finish.
The plot of the Hitman series involves a genetically modified assassin named Agent 47, who is sent out on assassinations of VIP targets. Different games in the series have twists and turns with the stories they tell, often involving the organization that Agent 47 works for in some way, but assassinations are always the focal point of the franchise. The reboot titles were made with multiple episodes and additional downloadable content, usually giving new targets and locations to explore. Most critics and players loved the presentation of Hitman, especially the level of detail in the locations where missions take place. When it comes to a pure approach to stealth tactics, Hitman is one of the few game series that gets it very right in nearly every way.
No secret to anyone
Stealth games can be incredibly fun to play if you’re in the right mind for them. While most gaming experiences will have big action that involves being bullish and aggressive, the enjoyment of a stealth game comes from patience and smart tactics. Most modern games try to blend together the concepts of stealth with basic action to offer a level of leeway to players who don’t want to commit to one style or the other, which can work in some cases. But it’s no secret to anyone that the best experiences in the stealth genre are the ones that make players focus on remaining undetected so they can eliminate enemy forces with precision and efficiency. They make you want to strike hard and fade away, without a trace.
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