Shhh! we need to be quiet. They're is nothing better than the spine-tingling; suspenseful feeling you get when you find yourself on the edge of the seat begging that you don't get caught by the enemy. Stealth is a good way to tackle most situations and like life these games are no exception; to getting from A to B or assassinating a target all without getting caught, these are some of the best gaming franchises that have pushed the player to use pre-planned or on the fly tactics to silently complete their objective.
Disclaimer: In no specific order
Number 1: Hitman 2: Hitman Franchise
Nothing screams stealth more than a Hitman and IO interactive games does not disappoint.
Hitman follows a well-dressed gentleman named Agent 47 who was simply created for one single purpose; to be a non feeling, ruthless, killer.
Hitman 2, is played as a third-person, over-the-shoulder, stealth game, with no option to go into first-person view. Which is a benefit for giving the player more perception whilst committing noticeable crimes or to gain an advantage in combat; from switching to different gunning perspective or checking your surroundings before knocking someone unconscious the over-the-shoulder view does come in handy. Furthermore, Hitman 2 is more stealth orientated with the player having plenty of ways to complete their objective and the ability to gain more score at the end of the mission if it was completed with absolute silence. However, the game does not shy away from giving the player the option to go guns-blazing; this does effect your score and on higher difficulties can be quite challenging.
Hitman 2 is a great stealth game with a large amount of missions and a substantial amount of ways to complete them.
Number 2: Dishonored 2: Dishonored franchise
Dishonored 2, is a narrative driven stealth orientated game. Giving, players the option to choose form a wide variety of ability's to assassinate/humiliate their target with plenty of options to go about completing this task.
Firstly, Dishonored/2 are both beautiful looking games with their own unique art styles really on show when you play. Secondly, Dishonored had the basic premise of the multi option, ability; stealth mechanics all working perfectly together, with the option to use your ability's passively to see into other rooms or posses living creatures. On the other hand, you could use your abilities destructively by freezing time to dismember enemies or summon an army of rats to consume your victim alive. Furthermore, the environments have a variety of ways to interact with, any scenario the player is in from bottles to distract opponents, whale oil to use as an explosive or NPC's to provide upgrades. Dishonored 2 has improved on this fundamental idea by adding a wide variety of new abilities, customisation, mechanics and map variation. Finally, Dishonored 2 unlike the first dishonored can be played through two character archetypes; Corvo Attano (who was the playable character in the first game) and Emily Caldwin (New playable character to the series). Both, bringing there own unique abilities and customisation changes to the play-through.
If you love more fast pace, story driven stealth games then the Dishonored franchise are the games for you, from a great story, game mechanics and graphics Dishonored is example of what a stealth based story game can accomplish.
Number 3: Assassins Creed Unity: Assassins Creed franchise
Where would this list be without the one franchise that is more heavily reliant on stealth like no other? Assassins creed, is the pinnacle of stealth video games. Unfortunately, the newer games have moved into a more RPG style of gameplay and have slipped from it's stealth based counterparts. So, i shall be mainly talking about any game before AC Origins, because that's when AC made it's transition from a stealth based, open-world strategy game to more RPG centred experience with a stealth game mechanic option; gone are the one hit kill assassination's and replaced with upgradeables, weapon variants and one-on-one combat fighting mechanics.
AC over the many games created has gone through a lot of changes with each new iteration of the franchise adding their own ideas and fundamental game mechanics. Most, game mechanics being designed to fit in the period of time their game is based in; from AC syndicate being based on 1868 London during the industrial revelation adding the grapple hook to scale buildings quickly and the ability to ride in horse and chart, AC Black Flag being based during the golden age of piracy 1715-1722 adding pirate ships that can be upgraded and sailed by the player to dominate the high seas.
Depending on the game and location stealth may be utilised more or less but with each new iteration of the franchise stealth is always an option to take out an outpost or to kill your target.
Furthermore, each AC game has it's own unique look and style with all the locations the player can visit over the course of these games; beauty is not something to be missed.
Number 4: The Last Of Us: Last of us franchise
The Last Of Us 2 Trailer
When it comes to stealth and horror, Naughty Dog's "The Last Of Us" is a masterpiece in emotional story telling, horror and could you guess it? Yes, stealth.
The last of us like Dishonored focuses more on the narrative giving the player the option to use stealth or combat whenever they see fit. The games plot is one that will focus on emotion between a young girl and a bearded bad-ass as they try and survive the post apocalyptic world they are in. During the play-through the player will take control of either Ellie (The Young girl) or Joel (The bearded bad-ass), whenever the narrative sees fit.
The Last Of Us, is an amazing game with an emotional and beautiful single-player campaign and a great multi-player. The stealth missions on this game are some of the best from the spine-chilling suspense try to avoid being eaten by clickers or caught by hostile enemies and with another instalment on it's way, we can't wait for some more emotional, zombies killing shenanigans.
Number 5: Metal Gear Solid: The Metal Gear Solid Franchise
Have you ever had the great idea of trying to breach a military outpost in a cardboard box? No! Well, neither have we. However, Snake from the Metal Gear Solid Franchise certainly has had this ingenious idea and for good reason. The cardboard box is the most effective way to hide in plain sigh; giving the user an effective way to use element of surprise to their advantage when out-manned and out-gunned.
Metal Gear Solid is a fantastic game franchise managing to spawn a plethora of games over the 32 years it has been around; making it the oldest game franchise on our list. Metal Gear Solid is one of the few games that really kicked of the stealth genre with the first metal gear solid game get high critical acclaim when it was released. Giving the fans a bit of difference when it came to gameplay mechanics putting more emphasis on waiting, sneaking and observing your surroundings to complete the objective apposed to running and gunning. Of course, newer instalments would adapt on this basic mechanic.
All and all this list would not be here without this game franchise having an effect on the stealth video game genre that we all know and love. From, the fantastic story to the great game mechanics this game franchise will always deserve and spot on this list.
There we have it, we hoped you enjoyed are list. If there are any games franchise you think deserved to be on this list please leave us a friendly comment.
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