The best story-based stealth games

Key findings

• Stealth games like
  Metal Gear Solid
  And
  Hitman
  Tell compelling stories that drive gameplay.
• Alien: Isolation
  The narrative forces players to hide from the terrifying Xenomorph in order to survive.
• The
  Splinter cell
  The series combines exciting narratives with stealth mechanics and creates a balance between storytelling and gameplay.

The stealth genre has come a long way since its first incarnations in 1981 Castle Wolfenstein to contemporary efforts such as Metal gear And Hitman. One aspect of the stealth genre that has improved over the years is the way it tells stories, and particularly how it uses stories to drive its own gameplay systems.

These games use the game design philosophy of hiding from enemies to shape and advance their plot, and contextualize the reasons why the player must remain hidden. These are games that rely on the content and narrative of their stories to drive their design, and those that have used stealth gameplay to complement their epic stories.

6 Alien: Isolation

Spectacular stealth survival game expands the Alien universe

Alien: Isolation Set 15 years after the events of the first film, directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Ellen Ripley’s daughter Amanda as she searches for her mother’s fate. Driven into the shadows by one of the most terrifying stalker mechanics in video games, the Xenomorph stalks the player while trying to stay hidden.

Amanda’s need to hide from the incredibly powerful and intelligent Xenomorph is the reason for her search, as she must survive in the dark, claustrophobic halls of the Sevastopol is crucial to uncovering the secrets of Ellen’s disappearance at the end of Foreigner. insulation reproduces the pure need for survival and hiding within a story that moves at a wonderfully brisk pace, and this outstanding game is readily available on every platform today.

5 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell

Geopolitical spy thriller strikes a balance between secrecy and gripping narrative

Originally conceived as a science fiction game that competed with Metal Gear Solid 2, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell eventually evolved into a cutting-edge stealth title that focused on real-world geopolitical events and mixed them with its own unique narrative. Protagonist Sam Fisher isn’t designed to take much damage, dying after two or three shots, so his effort to stay hidden through the game’s incredible light and shadow system becomes vital to survival.

The ongoing story unfolds over nine missions and leads into each new level in a wonderfully organic way. Splinter cell features some phenomenal stealth systems, with an impressive mechanic that allows the player to be completely hidden by shadows. Its systems are directly tied to the story, as Sam’s presence in certain areas can be construed as an act of international war, making the need to remain hidden even more important. A Splinter cell The remake is currently in development at UbiSoft Toronto, where it will hopefully retain these brilliant aspects.

4 Hitman

In the soft reboot of the cult franchise, Agent 47 travels around the world

Hitman was pretty quiet after the release of absolution in 2012, but developers IO Interactive envisioned a soft reboot in 2016 that took Agent 47 back to the series’ roots. Simply known as HitmanThis globe-spanning story focuses on Agent 47’s attempts to carry out a series of assassinations in various parts of the world, such as Thailand, France, and the United States.

Using an episodic model Hitman puts the player in a sprawling sandbox where it’s up to their own discretion to hide from the wrong people. 47’s mission is unfolded in these episodes with some of the best writing and dialogue of any game of the decade, as the narrative gives way to new objectives and challenges, thwarting the player’s plans.

3 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

The climax of the Splinter Cell series tells an incredible story

Splinter cell was a pretty high priority for UbiSoft in the 2000s, Chaos theory A large team has worked on it in various phases. The already fantastic mechanics of the series have been improved, Chaos theory adds a sound monitor that can trigger enemies based on Sam’s movements and refined lighting that further improves the shadow system. All of these new systems work hand in hand with the old ones as series protagonist Sam Fisher’s decidedly dark third chapter explores the sinister underworld of terrorism and political intrigue.

Amidst rising tensions between China and Japan and North and South Korea, the attempt to spark an all-out global war takes Sam to various locations such as New York, Peru, and Panama. The story is the densest and best-written of the entire series, as Sam’s quest to navigate between these international conflicts to prevent an all-out war is at the heart of the narrative. It succeeds perfectly in telling a compelling story that blends ingeniously with its game systems.

The iconic PS1 stealth game cemented the stealth genre

After a break from his stealth action simulation following Metal Gear Solid Snake In 1990, series creator Hideo Kojima brought the franchise back in 1998 with the power of the PS1. With the new, advanced hardware at his disposal, Kojima wanted to create a game that presented feature-film-level story and acting within the structure of a brilliant stealth-action experience.

Metal Gear Solid Snake returns from retirement to stop an armed terrorist group that has seized a base full of nuclear missiles, armed only with his wits and a long list of skills. Snake’s journey through Shadow Moses fits perfectly with Kojima’s typical writing style, as the story shifts from dramatic events to smaller, more personal issues to suit the game’s design systems.

1 Dishonored

An inventive stealth game with fun powers and brilliant world design

Inspired by similar games like Thief And Deus Ex, Dishonored was an attempt to revive the immersive simulation genre and all the intricacies associated with it. Building on the player’s choice and freedom, Dishonored is a game set in a wonderfully unique world where Corvo Attano, the Empress’s bodyguard, is betrayed and left for dead. Seeking revenge and rescuing the Empress’s kidnapped daughter, Emily, Corvo’s journey takes him through the awe-inspiring and visually stunning city of Dunwall.

The developer Arkane Studios has designed a game in which Corvo and the player must use a wide range of powers and abilities in conjunction with clever weapons to overcome intense challenges. Behind it is a story that is based on intrigue, betrayal and loyalty, and similar to Half-lifethe player never leaves the first-person perspective of Corvo. Long, thoughtful boat rides while Samuel Beechworth informs about the ongoing story are one of the highlights, while Dishonored uses a rich, highly detailed world to shape every aspect of its game design and drive the player to the dramatic ending.