The gaming area covers many genres and suits several interests, making it one of the best ways for everyone to spend their time. No matter what a gamer might want to check out, most video games will have all of these bases covered and then some. This is especially true when it comes to stealth games, where the act of sneaking around and taking out enemies is quite immersive and fun in video games.
Gamers who want to become a silent assassin or secret agent will find more than enough games to fit this fantasy. In fact, several video games have made it a point to construct entire franchises around the gameplay loop of sneaking around, with some of these series being revered by many fans. Here are some of the biggest stealth video game franchises that have never seen a single title rated poorly on Metacritic.
10/10 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
Splint cell is a legendary video game franchise finally getting a new title, with the first game being remade for a new generation. The adventures of Sam Fisher as he tackles a wealth of missions truly make for a great time.
Almost all the games in the series prioritize stealth and punish players for trying to go through the game’s weapons. The gameplay is tight, the stories are quite memorable, and the characters are also quite engaging in their own right.
Speaking of legendary stealth franchises, another great series is popping up Metal Gear Solid. The story of Solid Snake and his many other iterations throughout the series’ confusing yet engrossing timeline is a blast.
It helps that the stealth gameplay in each game is good, with the player being punished for trying to turn this game into an action title. The series may have ended abruptly with Kojima’s departure from Konami, but the legacy of Metal Gear Solid the series will remain intact for years to come.
8/10 The Chronicles of Riddick
The Chronicles of Riddick is one of the most underrated game trilogies of all time. The movies may not be great, but it’s really surprising to see how much work went into making the games as fun as possible.
All three games in the series are a blast to play through, with the stealth-action gameplay actually quite engrossing. Players might be able to go into full action mode near the end of these games, but trying to get through the early stages using barebones gear is going to be pretty painful.
7/10 Sly Cooper
Sly Cooper was one of the IPs that Sucker Punch Productions used to work on before shifting their attention to more mature projects. It’s a shame as the series had some great characters and gameplay that was both engaging and tense at the same time.
Being a gentleman thief is something many games have played with, and Sly Cooper has certainly succeeded in making the main character fall into the same category. It helps that the sneaking isn’t too punishing, rewarding players for clearing stages while not being overly critical of their mistakes.
6/10 Batman: Arkham
The Batman: Arkham series is one of the greatest superhero game franchises of all time. Even Batman Arkham Origins is loved by the masses despite being the weakest game in the series, which speaks volumes when it comes to the quality of these games.
The Arkham game features Predator sections where players must sneak around to take out enemies without being spotted and shot down. These sections are always tense and do a great job of highlighting the great stealth mechanics of these titles.
5/10 Deus Ex
Deus Ex is one of the greatest immersive sim franchises of all time. It speaks volumes for the quality of these games that even Invisible War received an 80 rating on Metacritic – a game criticized by many fans for being a disappointment after the fantastic nature of the first game.
If there’s any game that really deserves a remake, it’s definitely the first one Deus Ex. Each title in the series has fun action-stealth gameplay, but the first game still holds a special place in the hearts of many fans and is considered one of the best video games ever made.
4/10 Assassin
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Given the long history of Assassin series, most would assume the franchise has at least one dud in its sea of gems. However, each game in the franchise has done a great job of carrying on the respected legacy of the franchise.
From the charm of the old games to the technical masterpiece that is the reboot, Assassin is clearly packed to the brim with quality titles that any stealth game fan will enjoy. The last one Assassin game is a celebration of everything that made the franchise so successful, with a wealth of creative ways to kill a target on a massive level that is full to the brim with brilliant opportunities to perform extremely elaborate and satisfying assassinations.
3/10 Tomb Raider (reboot)
The original Grave robber games didn’t really feature stealth of any kind. However, the reboot decided to diversify its gameplay with the inclusion of both stealth and action-based gameplay.
This makes the three modern Grave robber game is a blast to play through. The games may have some facets of outdated design that several titles released around the same time suffer from, but the games are quite engaging once players get past this particular hurdle.
2/10 Watchdogs
Watchdogs is one of Ubisoft’s flagship franchises, with the first game garnering tons of pre-release hype and being one of the most popular video games of all time. The second title did a good job of improving upon the flaws of the first game, with Watch Dogs: Legion integrating some unique ideas that make it one of the most interesting open world titles out there.
The inclusion of hacking makes play through Watchdogs series an explosion if players go down a stealth route. Slowly incapacitating enemies and clearing out an area without sounding the alarm feels amazing every single time.
1/10 Crysis
Crysis is a series mainly known for pushing the limits of graphics to their extreme limits. To this day, the first Crysis the game still looks absolutely gorgeous with the graphics cranked up to max – which wasn’t even possible at the time of launch!
The game combines both stealth and action games to great effect. In fact, given how tough this game is on normal difficulty, using the nanosuit’s abilities to incapacitate enemies from the shadows is simply mandatory.
