In previous articles I have told you the best productions capable of enhancing the narrative and cinematographic aspectand also the best Horror; today I will focus on a genre dear to me: the stealth. Having trained with the first Solid, I developed a great love for this genre, and today I will tell you about the best productions – preferably arrived in the last decade – that have been able to best exploit the genre. Many of these are not gods stealth pure since, in recent years, the genus has hybridized a lot. That said, let’s go and discover them together.
The best stealth games
Hitman 3
Relaunched with a reboot last 2016, the most famous pelatone in the history of video games is back in the limelight with the recent Hitman 3 (HERE our review). It is a direct sequel both in terms of narration (unfortunately very low quality) and in terms of gameplay, the real flagship of the production. Hitman, in fact, it was and remains a stealth; combat is possible but in no way represents an easy way to follow, far from it. Expect a title characterized by a feeling and mechanics known to those who lived the predecessor, here expanded, of course, but not in full.
We mentioned before the narration of this Hitman 3 it’s nothing special. Mind you, the predecessor also follows the same line, and also the first Hitman (2016). Probably the budget in the hands of IO Interactive it is no longer that high; the times of Blood Money or Absolution, titles characterized by a much larger budget. In any case, IO Interactive it is first of all a very capable study and, narration aside, Hitman 3 it is not affected at all by this problem, on the contrary. We then have one of the most complex level design in the stealth field, able to amaze at every game and to continuously impress the player with dozens and dozens of possibilities. Furthermore, the graphics sector – especially on PS5 / Series X And PC – it’s amazing: the game moves a lot of AI on the screen, has a great anti-aliasing filter and has great textures.
Ultimately, it is a title not to be taken into consideration only if you are also looking for a good narrative, otherwise it is among the best of its kind.
” Click here to purchase Hitman 3 Xbox One / Series X | S version
” Click here to buy Hitman 3 PlayStation 4 version
” Click here to buy Hitman 3 PlayStation 5 version
Dishonored 2
How can we not start from the game that perhaps most of all leaves ample freedom of choice to the player, starting from the only big narrative crossroads that allows you – even – to refuse the powers. Denying this gift means foreclosing a good portion of the gameplay, but it is also true that it transforms the game into a sort of 90 ‘Thief, a genre that, among other things, in its pure version has not been seen for quite a while. time. With the powers completely disabled, it is necessary to carefully study the routines of the enemies, listen to them, read the documents scattered around the environment and decide whether to stun or kill them. A gigantic range of possibilities that explodes completely with the addition of super abilities.
Dishonored 2, therefore, even more than its extraordinary predecessor, it greatly enriches the gameplay, and believe me: if played with active powers, perhaps in new game plus, once you have unlocked them all, a world will open to you: dozens and dozens of possibilities that always make the title different, favoring a practically stellar replay value. But the achievements of Dishonored 2 certainly do not stop there. The level design is indeed wonderful, especially in some missions, above all Kirin Jindosh’s mansion and another sequence that I have no intention of saying. Then there is a finally broader structure of the levels and the possibility, only in some cases, to complete the collateral activities. Furthermore, and it is important to underline it, at the beginning of the adventure it is possible to choose who to face the whole experience with: you can play as Emily Kaldwin you hate Corvo Attano, and as expected, the choice has repercussions on the gameplay. Play with Crow it means accessing a completely different branch of skills, recycled from the first chapter, it is true, but still different from what interests you Emily. In new game plus, however, things get very interesting, as you will be able to mix all the skills in a single game; I leave it to you to imagine the playful possibilities.
Lovers of stealth and more, come forward: Dishonored 2 It won’t be great from a narrative point of view, but it features stellar gameplay.
” Click here to purchase Dishonored 2 PlayStation 4 version
” Click here to purchase Dishonored 2 Xbox One version
Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience
I could tell you endlessly about Metal Gear Solid Vhow the development was managed and the break between Konami And Hideo Kojima. But it’s not the place to do it, and in truth I don’t even have the desire to awaken that phantom pain still present in me and in all the hardcore fans. What I want to highlight is the multifaceted, complex and always different gameplay.
I begin by telling you that the collection contains Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Metal Gear Online and all DLCs. A very rich package, at least from a content point of view, despite – as you all know – the obvious cuts that production has undergone. As exaggerated as it may sound, waiting to get your hands on The Last of Us: Part II – according to reviews it has well-worked stealth mechanics. HERE our review – I would like to tell you that, for now, a stealth with such refined mechanics and with such freedom does not exist at all outside of Metal Gear Solid V. The latest Solid developed by Hideo Kojima, as much as it differs and far removed from its predecessors, it enhances the stealth approach so much, placing it in an open world context in which the exceptional level design is always different. Already in Ground Zeroes but even more in The Phantom Painthe maps are really vast, but never redundant, and you will have a lot of fun looking for the best ways to deal with every situation, and don’t forget that you can also rely on your army. Big Bosshere renamed Venom, has the opportunity to call a helicopter into battle, to send his soldiers on missions and to use various vehicles. However, the most fanciful addition concerns the shoulders: starting with a fast steed capable of throwing vehicles off the road with his excrement, MGS V adds variety upon variety; you will hardly get bored.
” Click here to buy Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience in PlayStation 4 version
” Click here to buy Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience in Xbox One version
Splinter Cell Blacklist
Disappeared from the radar for some time now, Splinter Cell Blacklist represents the last contact that fans had with the always great Sam Fisher. Arrived during the summer of 2013 after a somewhat subdued chapter compared to the previous ones (Splinter Cell Conviction), had the arduous task of reviving the entire franchise while maintaining the formula used in Conviction, but preferring more the stealth approach. However, the other possibilities are no less: Blacklist it is in fact the freest episode of the saga, the one capable of satisfying every palate. Actions such as running, shooting and climbing are therefore more refined than in the past. The developers then had the intuition to get the scores back again: at the end of each mission you will in fact be awarded an award that will take into account the approach used: this means that to get a high score you don’t necessarily have to be ghosts; even shooting wildly, but doing it without being injured and making good use of the covers, rewards and not a little. Maximum decision-making freedom for the player and well-defined gameplay are the spearheads of the latter Splinter Cell.
Even the narrative sector, for what are the typical canons of the genre and of the same saga, was not bad at all: a group known as The Engineers threatens the stability of the United States, forcing them to withdraw all armed forces, otherwise they will unleash an attack every week. Although the premise is always the same, and above all it concerns America once again, it is the best narrated chapter of the saga, also thanks to a good level direction and the great return of Luca Ward as a voice of Sam Fisherabsent from the days of the exceptional Chaos Theory.
In the hope that this much appreciated spy characterized by the now very famous three green eyes will make his return, I seriously advise you to give a chance to Splinter Cell Blacklistespecially on PC or Xbox One Xhaving been officially updated by Ubisoft.
” Click here to buy Splinter Cell Blacklist in Xbox 360 version (compatible with One and Series X | S)
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
I conclude this short but very intense roundup with a title definitely worthy of attention, starting from the fascinating setting in which it takes place, ending with its bombastic gameplay. Alternating quite convincingly first and second person, Mankind Divided succeeds in the very difficult intent of completely immersing the player and thrilling him with its convincing stealth mechanics. Furthermore, if in the previous recommended titles the plot had some problems, this time the story is really successful, except – perhaps – only for the ending.
While waiting for a likely next chapter, you can satiate your hunger for stealth titles with Mankind Dividedand if he manages to win you over for good, it would not be bad to give a chance to the previous chapters of the franchise, so as to have a better overview of the story.
” Click here to buy Deus Ex Mankind Divided in PlayStation 4 version
” Click here to purchase Deus Ex Mankind Divided on Xbox One version
What are stealth games?
Taps on the walls to attract the enemy’s attention, water arrows to extinguish the braziers and create shadow areas, spectacular splits to land your opponents in style. Ah yes, there is also him: that bald chameleon with a lot of bar code in sight. Stealth games are games full of charm, that require a lot of patience and dedication. Let’s go and discover them.
How we have selected the best stealth games
It was simpler than expected, and the reason is quickly explained: there are very few left in circulation. And we mean true stealth, not the myriad of action adventure games that also integrate a stealth component within them. We then fished out the best titles of recent years, making sure they were still very enjoyable and appreciated by a wide audience. The oldest is Splinter Cell Blacklist, still today one of the most rewarding stealth experiences of the genre; the most recent, however, is Hitman III, a paradise for fans, considering the care for the level design and the myriad of missions available.
Difficult and unnerving?
Yes and no. In the sense that it depends too much on the type of experience and the result you want to bring home. Furthermore, as also reiterated before, most of the stealth titles are now hybridized and also host other approaches, including the most stormy ones. Returning to the focus of this paragraph again, you may have a hard time with the purest possible experiences, far from any action approach. However, unless you want to get the best scores, all the proposed experiences are perfectly suited to different types of users.
