Stealth is a tricky beast in gaming. Few titles pull it off smoothly, and even fewer can base most of the game around it. The titles below vary in their use of stealth, but they all use the mechanic as a main gameplay element. Even more commendable is the replay value in each of them.
Most of the games below are beefy, and players are still encouraged to come back to these titles time and time again for new ways to go through them. The replay value present in these games not only ensures countless hours of playtime, but the variety also makes them a lot of fun to talk about with friends.
The Phantom Painkeeps much of the series' core stealth gameplay intact while having an open-world to play around in. Building up Mother Basethroughout the main story is one of the more satisfying methods of progressionin gaming.
Even after beating the game, many players are still compelled to keep building up Mother Base to get better equipment and achieve higher ranks on missions. The many routes to infiltrate most places also give the incentive to experiment with the world.
Anyone planning to playThe Phantom Painhas to make sure they also playGround Zeroes, the separate prologue to the game.
Ubisoft sometimes seems aware of the fatigue surrounding its trademark formula, so some of its recent open-world titles try to shake it up.Avatar:Frontiers of Pandora’sstrength is how much it makes players feel like a Na’vi in the world of Pandora.
Players tower above humans and tout increased speed and strength. In addition to the lengthy story campaign, there are also a ton of side quests to accomplish, along with countless collectibles and free updates that add story content. Finally, there is the ability to play through the whole game cooperatively with a friend.
Frontiers of Pandora’sstrength is just how fully realized the world of Pandora feels.
5Dishonored
Play Around With The Different Powers In The Levels
Arkane is notable for keeping the immersive sim genre alive. The genius of a game likeDishonoredis the separate levels with clear objectives and a variety of solutions. The powers at players' disposal encourage experimentation and going through levels multiple times to test out different methods.
The ability to beat the game without killing anyone also presents a unique challenge for those looking to perfect their playstyle. However, killing everyone in sight or sadistically toying with the AI is just as valid a method.
While far from the first immersive sim — games likeSystem Shockpredate it by several years —Deus Exwas revolutionary for how detailed its environments were and the player’s freedom in exploring them.
Sneaking around is just one method of dispatching enemies, but even in stealth, there are varying strategies acrossall of theDeus Exgames.
Playing throughDeus Exagain while focusing on different stats and modifications creates an entirely new feel. On top of that, players are sure to find new nuances in the levels they missed the first time around.
Jin Sakai’s journey to fight off the Mongolian invasion inGhost of Tsushimafeels a lot like anAssassin’s Creedgame in some ways, but it distinguishes itself in how the game world uses cues to minimize the UI, deepening immersion.
There are plenty of side quests and collectibles to round up, along with a fantastic DLC story. After the game’s release, developer Sucker Punch Productions added a multiplayer mode,Legends,that greatly extendsGhost of Tsushima’splaytime.
It abandons the grounded story of the single-player and instead indulges in Japanese folklore, making for some interesting levels and encounters, emphasizing the game’s combat mechanics more than its stealth side.
There is also Kirusawa mode, which lets players go through the game in black and white with a filter to make it look like old Akira Kurosawa movies.
It is difficult to quantify Rocksteady’s importance in the superhero game genre.The studio’sArkhamgamesproved comic book characters could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the most respected gaming franchises.
Arkham Knightis the biggest game of the series, and it shows in the beefy side content accompanying the main story. While the hand-to-hand combat inspired so many games after it, the stealth gameplay shines just as brightly. Batman’s tools to stalk through the night never grow tiring as players do all there is to do within Gotham City.
There are few games with as much replay value asHitman.Every level is set in an open environment withvarious NPCs accomplishing different tasks. As Agent 47 interacts with the world, the rest of the level reacts appropriately, sometimes in unpredictable ways.
The game does a good job of guiding players to perform different actions on the various levels. Players have to play through each level dozens of times before seeing most of what there is to see in it, and even then, having a mastery of the environment offers a new level of fun.
