There was a time long ago when games were much more pigheaded than they are now. You could normally pick up any game within seconds, as few titles revolved around anything more than obliterating everything on screen. With the establishment of the stealth genre in the late 90’s however, we saw brains becoming just as important as brawn. For those who see discretion as the better part of valour, here’s a run down of ten of the best stealth games ever made.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is not even a stealth video game, officially. It is supposed to be an action-RPG. But we don’t really care- Deus Ex: Human Revolution basically plays out like a stealth/espionage game, and it kicks ass at it. Taking cover and sneaking past enemies while using augmentations gives you great satisfaction, and little things like taking care you don’t make much sound for the enemies to hear you, use silences weapons, don’t get caught by cameras and hide bodies to name just a few make it that much more authentic and enjoyable. The fact that the other mechanics of the game are just as good as the stealth aspect only helps.
Siren: Blood Curse
Stealth gameplay is tense at the best of times, and combining this with the usual fear generated in survival horror games is a recipe for a scary title. Many of those responsible for the original Silent Hill worked on the Siren series over the years, and the unique ability to view the game from an enemy’s perspective added a veneer of fright that made it a uniquely oppressive title. The original games on PS2 were a bit too tricky however, but Siren: Blood Curse on the PS3 struck a great balance between possible and challenging modes of stealth gameplay.
Gregory Horror Show
A bizarre and original take on the stealth survival horror cross breed, Gregory Horror Show is intriguing for its eerie use of cartoon components. The game’s visual style and anthropomorphic characters reek of daytime children’s programming, but it makes the anxious and challenging stealth gameplay all the more chilling for it. A rare gem that is well worth tracking down if you enjoy a more overbearing style of stealth game.
