Ever wanted to know what it would feel like to be a shadow warrior, moving undetected and striking silently? You don’t technically play as a warrior in these games, but the sneaky part is there. Read on to learn more about my top 5 recommended stealth games you can play this September 2022.
5. Hitman
Release date: March 12, 2016
Developed by: IO Interactive
Posted By: Square Enix
Hitman is a third person stealth action game for PC, Playstation and Xbox. While there are already other Hitman games on the market, it’s always good to go back to the one that brought Hitman games back into the mainstream. Following the story of Agent 47, a genetically modified assassin, the player carries out several assassinations. How the player performs these kills is entirely up to them. There is no single solution to each of the game’s missions, and that is where the beauty of it all lies.
While shooting the target may be the fastest way to take care of it, it might also be the easiest thing to alert enemies to. Poisoning the enemy can be difficult to pull off, but it can also be the most stealthy approach if done correctly. That’s where the replayability of the game comes from, allowing players to replay each mission differently on each run. The possibilities are endless in Hitman, controlled only by the player’s imagination.
The first game has a free trial on Steam, so you can try it yourself to see if you like it.
4. Assassin’s Creed 2
Release date: November 17, 2009
Developed By: Ubisoft Montreal
Published By: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed 2 is a third person open world stealth action game for PC, Playstation and Xbox. While it isn’t the last game in the series, it is one of the franchise’s defining games. The first game in what would later become known as the Ezio Collection, Assassin’s Creed 2 follows the story of Ezio Auditore, a young man from Florence driven by circumstance to become an assassin. He must make use of the skills he learned growing up, along with the skills he picks up along the way, to avenge the family on him.
As is the theme of all Assassin’s Creed games, stealth is an important part of this game, allowing Ezio to roam the land undetected by those who would see him dead. This is achieved through a combination of blending in with the crowd, traversing rooftops through parkour, and hiding inside haystacks. Stealth is bestowed in this game as most enemies die in one hit when attacked undetected. Once spotted, those same enemies take more hits to take down.
Assassin’s Creed 2 also improves and updates Assassin’s Creed 1’s combat system. The player has access to a wider range of weapons, from small, fast daggers to large, slow halberds. Ezio even has access to a firearm in the future. Unlike the first game, Ezio can use the assassin’s signature hidden sword in combat. This allows for a wide range of playstyles that the player can adapt to.
Ezio’s story throughout the trilogy is no joke either. Once you finish Assassin’s Creed 2, I recommend that you get the rest of the Ezio collection.
3. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Release date: September 1, 2015
Developed By: Kojima Productions
Posted By: Konami
Metal Gear Solid 5, or MGSV for short, is a third-person open-world stealth game for PC, Playstation, and Xbox. Hideo Kojima intended it to be the Metal Gear Solid game that would connect all the Metal Gear Solid games. It would answer all the questions that long-time fans of the series would have had. Sadly, it will also become his last Metal Gear Solid game, as shortly after Kojima and Konami had a nasty breakup, which led to Kojima leaving Konami and bringing a good portion of his team with him. . This split took some of the potential out of Metal Gear Solid V, but it’s still a solid game.
You play as Snake, the beloved main character of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. After losing an arm and a leg in an attack on Mother Base, you are tasked with building your mercenary company from scratch. You rescue your old allies, recruit new ones, and eliminate anyone who gets in your way. Stealth is crucial in MGSV. Since you are almost always alone during your missions, you must be unnoticed by the enemy, as you will have a hard time taking them down on your own. Everything from sound, light, and even smell is taken into account when sneaking into the game.
While it is possible to kill every enemy you see, the player receives more when using a non-lethal approach. This comes in the form of recruits, material rewards, and reputation. One of the most valuable allies the player can get is only available if they take them down through non-lethal means. As for who that ally is, you’ll just have to find out by playing.
2. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Release date: August 20, 2013
Developed By: Ubisoft Toronto
Published By: Ubisoft
Blacklist, the latest game in the Splinter Cell franchise, is available for PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It is a linear third-person shooter stealth game, with a very high focus on stealth. You play as Sam Fisher, a member of the Fourth Echelon, a group assigned to conduct special operations. Following a large-scale attack on a military base in Guam, they discover that the group responsible for the attack is planning more attacks on US soil. So it’s up to Sam to track down the leaders of this group and neutralize them.
As with previous games in the Splinter Cell series, there is a heavy emphasis on staying in the shadows. While Sam Fisher can engage in firefights, doing so is discouraged unless you prepare for it. As with Assassin’s Creed 2, most enemies in this game can be easily neutralized when stealth is employed, but become difficult to overpower once alerted. As such, Sam must use a variety of gadgets to help him sneak away. Devices include noisemakers, sleeping gas, and even tasers.
While stealth is the key for most of the missions, there are three playstyles that the player can employ when playing this game called Ghost, Panther, and Assault. Ghost revolves around stealth and non-lethal approaches. Panther follows a similar approach in terms of stealth, but employs a more lethal approach. Assault is the full shooter approach, where the player throws stealth out the window and just shoots everyone they see.
1. Dishonored
Release date: October 9, 2012
Developed By: Arkane Studios
Published By: Bethesda Softworks
Dishonored is a first person stealth action game for PC, Playstation and Xbox. The player follows the story of Corvo, the empress’s bodyguard. When she is killed by a group of assassins with mystical powers, he is blamed for her death. Then, Corvo must use his abilities as a bodyguard and the mystical powers he soon receives to bring the truth to light. Along the way, he meets several formidable allies who will aid him in his quest for revenge. Throughout the game, Corvo can gain upgrades to both his weaponry and his magical powers. These upgrades can help Corvo stay in the shadows more easily or help him become the embodiment of death.
Every mission in the game has Corvo tasked with the assassination of a target. While killing his enemies is the easiest way to finish missions, it also serves to worsen the state of the city by increasing Chaos. Chaos is a system introduced in the game where the more kills Corvo causes, the higher the Chaos becomes. In the higher levels of Chaos, there will be more guards, rats (by the way, the place is infested with carnivorous rats that bring plagues) and can even affect the end of the game. It is up to the player to decide if he wants to go the hard way or the hard way.
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