Poll: Stealth games

[Rheinmetall]

I was wondering which stealth-action game do you prefer? I have played all MGS games and I think Snake Eater was probably the peak of the series, at least in terms of pure game-play enjoyment. On the other hand I have only played Blood Money from the Hitman games, and I hear that this was probably the best of them. They are two different games, two different schools of stealth game-play, but they are both excellent. So what game did you enjoyed the most? Or was it some other stealth game that you enjoyed, Splinter Cell maybe, or something different?

EDIT: In the poll I typed by mistake "Assassin", but I meant Assassin's Creed, but I can't change it.
I also forgot Thief which is unforgivable, but please forgive me because I haven't played the game. But after seeing how popular it is I will certainly play it.

 

[Truniron]

I love stealth games. Maneuvering through a guarded place unseen and then find the goal and escape unseen is something that makes a game so much better than just go nuts, take objective and run like hell. My favorite stealth game is either Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker or (like you) Snake Eater.

 

[The Madman]

The Thief series is by far my favourite stealth series but of that list I'd say Hitman: Blood Money pulled of the stealth elements best. Just felt so incredible badass to pull off the perfect mission which is exactly the feeling you should get from a stealth game. That said of that list I'd still say the Arkham games are the best overall, not necessarily the best stealth, but overall best game in my mind.

 

[Rheinmetall]

I see a lack of Thief (especially Thief 2).

Well, my vote goes to "other": Thief series. Thief 2 is the peak of this series with excellent stealth gameplay which can hold up to most modern stealth games.

You are absolutely right. Thief should have been in the list, but I wasn't very familiar with the game.

 

[Rheinmetall]

The Thief series is by far my favourite stealth series but of that list I'd say Hitman: Blood Money pulled of the stealth elements best. Just felt so incredible badass to pull off the perfect mission which is exactly the feeling you should get from a stealth game. That said of that list I'd still say the Arkham games are the best overall, not necessarily the best stealth, but overall best game in my mind.

I agree Hitamn: Blood Money offered you a rare feeling of satisfaction by completing a perfectly a mission.(which I have never experienced it so far,lol) I can't remember how many times I have played "A New Life" trying to achieve the silent assassin rank and always I missed some small detail and there was one witness, or a noise was heard...

 

[Username Redacted]

I loved the stealth sections in Arkham Asylum. Have yet to play Arkham City but from my roommates reaction to it it isn't as good as the original. That said I also think it would be cool to use either game as a model for a 'Predator' video game.

 

[kyogen]

The Tenchu series is my favorite for stealth action even though MGS 3 was a brilliant game.

For pure stealth, I'd go with the Thief series.

 

[loudestmute]

So many great choices on the list. Trying to pick a favorite among them, I started thinking about what really makes the stealth in a game fun to play.

In no particular order:
*A sense of empowerment when sneaking through and leaving no dead/unconscious bodies aside from those asked for by the mission
*Allowing the player to try and salvage their attempts at accomplishing goals after being discovered and circumventing the alerted guards appropriately
*Variety in the tools and tricks used to enhance your sneaking
*MAPS. Players should be allowed to plan some of their route in advance, and have some way of finding escape points if/when things go south
*Rewarding players appropriately. Got large and open levels? Hide goodies in the hard to reach bits. Tight, enclosed spaces? Make it exciting to take down any who would think to raise an alarm against the player.
*Increasing replay value not just through "harder" difficulty settings, but quietly notifying the player that they could have done that last job a little better.

A lot of these requests are featured in many games on the poll. Heck, Skyrim's got a good half of the list and it's not even trying to specialize in stealth. About the only one on the list I haven't truly enjoyed was the Metal Gear Solid series. It bothers me enough that combat is stiff enough that it has always felt more like punishing the player for getting caught. Combine that with mandatory use of that awkward combat in boss fights, and that's a recipe for destroying controllers, vocal cords, and the neighbor's sleeping habits.

 

[Strain42]

I tend to like the story and atmosphere of stealth games, but I really suck at them, so I don't play them very often.

I've got Spy Mouse on my iPod, that's the last stealth game I bought.

 

[endtherapture]

The stealth in Assassin's Creed feels broken.

The stealth in Batman is funnest.

The stealth in Thief or Splinter Cell is probably best, but it's very difficult and fiddly and annoying.

 

[go-10]

where's Star Craft Ghost? A game so stealthy that its still in the shadows

 

[BloatedGuppy]

You should just erase the poll and replace it with Thief.

 

[Tanis]

Their, maybe Syphon Filter.

 

[ResonanceGames]

Thief is pretty far and away the best. And I don't mean that to dump on those other games, a lot of them are really good. But Thief is a stealth simulator, not just a stealth game, which puts it in a bit of a different league, and it's done so well that I couldn't vote for anything else with a straight face.

 

[Zen Toombs]

where's Star Craft Ghost? A game so stealthy that its still in the shadows

Toombs approves +5

[Toombs remembers how much he wanted that game]

Toombs is saddened -10 mood

OT: [user]Zen Toombs[/user] is otherwise lurking on this thread so that I may find more stealth games. I haven't played very many, but I find them fascinating and wish to play more. ^_^

[small]Yes, [user]Zen Toombs[/user] is refering to itself in the third person. What of it?[/small]​

 

[octafish]

Where the fuck is Chaos Theory in that poll?

Seriously, of all the Splinter Cell games you could have chosen, you picked Pandora Tomorrow over Chaos Theory? Don't get me wrong, Pandora Tomorrow is a great game, but Chaos Theory was nothing short of a masterclass in stealth gaming when it first came out. I've never played another game that nailed secret agent subterfuge as well as Chaos Theory.

Stealth games generally require plenty of planning, tactics and, fundamentally, trial-and-error. Chaos Theory mixed things up hugely. By opening up the paths through levels, expanding your moves arsenal and giving you a frankly ridiculous number of guns and gadgets to play with, it changed the fundamental dynamic of the stealth gameplay. You still had to be careful, but if things ever did go wrong, you had the gadgets and tools available to improvise your way out of any potential problem. Every other Splinter Cell game I played, an alarm going off necessitated me going back and reloading an earlier checkpoint. In Chaos Theory, it meant I'd simply ruffle through my inventory and moves collection to try and something to get me out of my predicament. Once the crisis was dealt with, I'd carry on stealthing it like Batman.

To me, a great stealth game is one that encourages creativity and improvisation as well as forethought and careful step-by-step planning. That's where Chaos Theory got it so so right.

Exactly. Splinter Cell peaked with Chaos Theory, it is its apex.

I think Thief 2 is the best stealth game, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is almost as good but introduces Co-op and Spy vs Merc so beats Thief 2, and Hitman: Blood Money is the most fun to play. It's a big puzzle game and most puzzles have multiple solutions.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I voted for 'other'. The Thief series.