Favorite Stealth Series?

*alert: this thread operates under the assumption that many PC gamers nowadays also own or have played games on a console*

My favorite parts of a stealth game are 1) good controls, 2) good camera controls, 3) slow pace with few (if any) time limits to complete missions, 4) variety of weapons, 5) variety of items or gadgets. As with other games, an atmospheric and beautiful and immersive setting helps. Oh, and most importantly, I think the game's method of indicating how hidden you are is important.

I have not played Syphon Filter. I have only played a little of Deus Ex. And I only played the first Tenchu for the PS1. WITH THAT BEING SAID...

I would say THIEF is my personal favorite. I liked the setting and close in camera perspectives. I did not finish the game but I ordered it recently so hopefully I will finish Thief 3 soon.

METAL GEAR SOLID comes in second place. It is almost like an arcade stealth game, if that makes any sense. Fun, but almost more of an Over The Shoulder Person Shooter than pure stealth game.

Hitman is a mixed bag, in my opinion. More disguise based and very mission centered...fun, just different.

I barely remember Tenchu but it seemed great. I wish they had it for the PS2 or PS3...do they?

I also really enjoyed Splinter Cell: Double Agent.

Finally, The Elder Scrolls series has some stealthy gameplay. Not enough for me to think of it as a stealth game, but I enjoyed using invisibility potions in Morrowind and sneaking around (the bow damage from a hidden position was also nice in Oblivion).

Anways, I just wanted to discuss stealth games for fun. Thanks. Any comments, recommendations, disagreements are appreciated.

Thief because of its great mechanics (the light gem, specifically), but also because of the challenge; you have to weigh the risks, as just because your light gem is black an enemy with a torch can come buy or you just might not see that metal plate on the ground as you walk by a little too fast. Its also the purest stealth game as your combat skills are not the greatest, and you need to do all you can to avoid conflict.

Next up is Hitman on my lists. While not as pure as Thief, it is a different sort of stealth game as its based on blending in, disguises, and other things. Conflict is a main point of the game, but you can do it stealthily (sniping from afar, poisoning food, or simply waiting in the bathroom for your victim to step up to the urinal so you can garrote, poison, stab, or just shoot him silently).

Deus Ex was good too as it relied solely on how hidden you felt, if that makes any sense. Though Deus Ex isnt really a series (no, Deus Ex 2 does not count).

Thief is the first pure stealth game, no matter what the MGS fans tell you, and its also the best. The stealth mechanics, with your ability to hide in the shadows and follow the patterns of guards, are perfectly defined and functional. The level design is completely catered towards these stealth elements too, unlike other games which pretend to have stealth components like Fallout 3 - in that game the levels are too small and narrow to really sneak around.

The level design is also varied - mansions, haunted cathedrals, under the ground, mines, city streets - and has been accurately modeled on the Medieval architecture appropriately. Each of the three games also has a great story, a mystery of sorts, and one of my favourite (some would say the best) antagonists in a video game.

You can see the influence of Thief in so many other games like SC, SS2, Deus Ex 1 - it is just a shame that more people didn't buy it. I think many missed the point because its in First Person and you have this assortment of weapons like the bow and the sword. There are plenty of levels where you can avoid contact altogether. I can't wait for the fourth game - here's hoping its in good hands!

the only one here that focuses totally on that is splinter cell...Hellboard

the only one here that focuses totally on that is splinter cell...Hellboard

My favorite is Hitman, because it's a challenge to complete the levels without getting discovered, yet if the inevitable happens, you have a fighting chance to gun your way out, unlike the Thief games.

[QUOTE="Hellboard"]the only one here that focuses totally on that is splinter cell...krazyorange

My favorite is Hitman, because it's a challenge to complete the levels without getting discovered, yet if the inevitable happens, you have a fighting chance to gun your way out, unlike the Thief games.

emm NO you are stealing stuff in that game and you can hardly kill anyone, plus a stealth game shouldn't be in first person view in my opinion i hated thief.. i drop it in the second level...Hellboard

[QUOTE="Hellboard"]emm NO you are stealing stuff in that game and you can hardly kill anyone, plus a stealth game shouldn't be in first person view in my opinion i hated thief.. i drop it in the second level...Makari

you can hardly kill anyoneHellboard

That's why it's the most pure/real stealth game ever made. Not killing anyone AND not seen by anyone is really challenging.

plus a stealth game shouldn't be in first person view in my opinionHellboard

your opinion fails

[QUOTE="Makari"][QUOTE="Hellboard"]emm NO you are stealing stuff in that game and you can hardly kill anyone, plus a stealth game shouldn't be in first person view in my opinion i hated thief.. i drop it in the second level...krazyorange

well, ive only played a bit of splinter cell, but ive played all the hitmen ones.

hitman: freaking awesome, blood money was incredible, the choice is mindblowing and lots of other stuff like customisable weapons, accidental assassinations and an overall gloss of "supercool" makes blood money one of my favourite games ever

i have splinter cell pandora tomorow, ive never got past the first mission, because my old old cpu couldnt handle it, and i havent tryed it since then. one of these days i will give it a bash. it seems pretty cool

I like Thief best.--Anna--

Yes just so. I don't understand the first person argument, if your a real thief you don't watch yourself over the shoulder. Also I seem to remember killing people and hiding the bodys. In fact there were levels that counted how many were killed and/or Knocked out. I loved all three games.

Anna I really like your avatar. Loved Blade Runner.

I am a fan of all Stealth games listed there apart from Thief which I have never played, so I can't comment on it... and Syphon Filter because the only Syphon Filter I have played was Syphon Filter the Omega Strain on PS2 and I never really played stealthfully in it apart from the one mission where it is a requirement... but I was a fan of that game none the less... first game I ever played coop in and one of my all time favorites on PS2... I am also a big fan of Death to Spies on PC... Hitman/Splinter Cell gameplay set in WW2... you play as a Russian Spy... Pretty good game in my opinion... it may seem to have poor graphics, but the gameplay makes up for that...

Stealth games are my number one type of game though... I love being sneaky :)

It doesn't get any better then the Splinter Cell series, specifically Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory which included coop and marvelous multiplayer unrivaled by any stealth game.OoSuperMarioO

I really enjoyed Chaos Theory, although as with all Splinter Cell games, it can quickly bog into a trial-and-error experience.

[QUOTE="OoSuperMarioO"]It doesn't get any better then the Splinter Cell series, specifically Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory which included coop and marvelous multiplayer unrivaled by any stealth game.BlueBirdTS

I really enjoyed Chaos Theory, although as with all Splinter Cell games, it can quickly bog into a trial-and-error experience.

And that is a bad thing? It isn't a stealth game if the path is just laid out in front of you and says "go this way, but be sneaky"...? I like games that take me 4 or 5 attempts to figure out the best path... I especially like games that have multiple ways of doing things... Like Hitman... there are dozens of ways to kill each target... that is what makes it fun... experimentation...

It doesn't get any better then the Splinter Cell series, specifically Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory which included coop and marvelous multiplayer unrivaled by any stealth game.OoSuperMarioO

[QUOTE="BlueBirdTS"]

[QUOTE="OoSuperMarioO"]It doesn't get any better then the Splinter Cell series, specifically Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory which included coop and marvelous multiplayer unrivaled by any stealth game.Squeets

I really enjoyed Chaos Theory, although as with all Splinter Cell games, it can quickly bog into a trial-and-error experience.

And that is a bad thing? It isn't a stealth game if the path is just laid out in front of you and says "go this way, but be sneaky"...? I like games that take me 4 or 5 attempts to figure out the best path... I especially like games that have multiple ways of doing things... Like Hitman... there are dozens of ways to kill each target... that is what makes it fun... experimentation...

I never said it was a bad thing, it just gets a little tedious after a while (especially if you know the "solution" but keep messing up the execution...think Mirror's Edge).

... I am also a big fan of Death to Spies on PC... Hitman/Splinter Cell gameplay set in WW2... you play as a Russian Spy... Pretty good game in my opinion... it may seem to have poor graphics, but the gameplay makes up for that...

Squeets

I was interested in that game but the reviews seemed kind of lukewarm. I like the idea of a WW2 stealth game so I'm glad to hear that you think it's good. It was cheap when I last saw it...I will look into it again.

Thief, Tenchu and MGS are my favs.

I also enjoy some of the splinter cell games alot to.

Thief is the best though imo and and the most unique.

Only played a small dose of Metal Gear and those games just never cought my interest.

Other then that, I really enjoyed Hitman series, Splinter Cell(except for the 360/Pc version of double agent) and the Thief games. Both Deus Ex games had fun stealth elements, but many rpgs have that, like Vampire Bloodlines aswell.

But out of the stealth in the Hitman, Thief or Splinter Cell series, then Thief wins there. In thief you were no rambo, and you were actually scared of conflict. That was pure stealth.

And to the person about first person view... That creates more immersion, and in Thief 3, you could also switch to a nice third person view mode, so its got something for everyone ;)

Hitman->Splinter Cell, Deus Ex is my favorite game ever, but you can't think of it as a stealth game.nevereathim

you cant think of hitman as a stealth game either. Sure, it has some stealth to it but it's basically assassination, killing your target in anyway. Plus you use disguises to get past guards and such. But Hitman is a good game too.

emm NO you are stealing stuff in that game and you can hardly kill anyone, plus a stealth game shouldn't be in first person view in my opinion i hated thief.. i drop it in the second level...Hellboard

Wow. I think you've been desensetized by the crappy action games and swishy graphics of today. Why shouldn't a stealth game be in first person? Makes sense to me - puts you in the moment and makes the stealth more raw. How is stealing stuff not stealth? It's a far more stealthy game than anything since because it forces the player to rely on stealth, and there's never a point when action is the smart way out.

Splinter Cell is a largely inferior, simplified game when compared to Thief. Whereas Splinter Cell sets up cool "stealthy" moments, the game is completely linear. Thief throws the player into a level, tells you where the objective is, then the player must attack it however way they can. Planning a course of attack is brilliant. There's usually a lot of ways in. Some take longer to find, but are usually more rewarding. The levels are peppered with storytelling like overhearing guards (also usually funny), reading notes, and narration from Garret. The inbetween level cinematics are pure class and so original.

Thief 1 and 2 are not only the best stealth games ever, they're also some of the most stylish and smart games too. The games industry drastically needs more of these games, and it's sad to see that nothing like this has appeared for ten years. A pair of brilliant games (loved the third too, but not as much) that deserve any praise handed to them.

[QUOTE="BlueBirdTS"]

[QUOTE="OoSuperMarioO"]It doesn't get any better then the Splinter Cell series, specifically Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory which included coop and marvelous multiplayer unrivaled by any stealth game.Squeets

I really enjoyed Chaos Theory, although as with all Splinter Cell games, it can quickly bog into a trial-and-error experience.

And that is a bad thing? It isn't a stealth game if the path is just laid out in front of you and says "go this way, but be sneaky"...? I like games that take me 4 or 5 attempts to figure out the best path... I especially like games that have multiple ways of doing things... Like Hitman... there are dozens of ways to kill each target... that is what makes it fun... experimentation...

[QUOTE="Hellboard"]emm NO you are stealing stuff in that game and you can hardly kill anyone, plus a stealth game shouldn't be in first person view in my opinion i hated thief.. i drop it in the second level...1carus

Wow. I think you've been desensetized by the crappy action games and swishy graphics of today. Why shouldn't a stealth game be in first person? Makes sense to me - puts you in the moment and makes the stealth more raw. How is stealing stuff not stealth? It's a far more stealthy game than anything since because it forces the player to rely on stealth, and there's never a point when action is the smart way out.

Splinter Cell is a largely inferior, simplified game when compared to Thief. Whereas Splinter Cell sets up cool "stealthy" moments, the game is completely linear. Thief throws the player into a level, tells you where the objective is, then the player must attack it however way they can. Planning a course of attack is brilliant. There's usually a lot of ways in. Some take longer to find, but are usually more rewarding. The levels are peppered with storytelling like overhearing guards (also usually funny), reading notes, and narration from Garret. The inbetween level cinematics are pure class and so original.

Thief 1 and 2 are not only the best stealth games ever, they're also some of the most stylish and smart games too. The games industry drastically needs more of these games, and it's sad to see that nothing like this has appeared for ten years. A pair of brilliant games (loved the third too, but not as much) that deserve any praise handed to them.

Precisely. Stealth games are one of those genres that takes a certain appreciation. I mean, who wouldn't want shiny graphics, but absolutely not at the loss of gameplay. Fullblooded stealth games are certainly one of the most gameplay-intensive games out there, and most people are used to extremely linear, explosion-heavy dazzlefests. ...which, clearly, are not going to occur in a stealth game.

As for what others have said, Splinter Cell and Hitman really aren't stealth games, but Hitman seems a little closer to true "stealth" because it can be extraordinarily rewarding if you choose to complete a mission by killing as few times as allowed by the game's structure. In Thief, you steal. In Hitman, killing is substituted for stealing. Same basic concept.

[QUOTE="1carus"]

[QUOTE="Hellboard"]emm NO you are stealing stuff in that game and you can hardly kill anyone, plus a stealth game shouldn't be in first person view in my opinion i hated thief.. i drop it in the second level...krazyorange

Wow. I think you've been desensetized by the crappy action games and swishy graphics of today. Why shouldn't a stealth game be in first person? Makes sense to me - puts you in the moment and makes the stealth more raw. How is stealing stuff not stealth? It's a far more stealthy game than anything since because it forces the player to rely on stealth, and there's never a point when action is the smart way out.

Splinter Cell is a largely inferior, simplified game when compared to Thief. Whereas Splinter Cell sets up cool "stealthy" moments, the game is completely linear. Thief throws the player into a level, tells you where the objective is, then the player must attack it however way they can. Planning a course of attack is brilliant. There's usually a lot of ways in. Some take longer to find, but are usually more rewarding. The levels are peppered with storytelling like overhearing guards (also usually funny), reading notes, and narration from Garret. The inbetween level cinematics are pure class and so original.

Thief 1 and 2 are not only the best stealth games ever, they're also some of the most stylish and smart games too. The games industry drastically needs more of these games, and it's sad to see that nothing like this has appeared for ten years. A pair of brilliant games (loved the third too, but not as much) that deserve any praise handed to them.

Precisely. Stealth games are one of those genres that takes a certain appreciation. I mean, who wouldn't want shiny graphics, but absolutely not at the loss of gameplay. Fullblooded stealth games are certainly one of the most gameplay-intensive games out there, and most people are used to extremely linear, explosion-heavy dazzlefests. ...which, clearly, are not going to occur in a stealth game.

As for what others have said, Splinter Cell and Hitman really aren't stealth games, but Hitman seems a little closer to true "stealth" because it can be extraordinarily rewarding if you choose to complete a mission by killing as few times as allowed by the game's structure. In Thief, you steal. In Hitman, killing is substituted for stealing. Same basic concept.

I would say Splinter Cell, unfortunately Splinter Cell nor Metal Gear Solid are stealth games anymore they are third person shooters now.DarkGamer007

*spoiler*

I was forced to shoot 3 different people at 3 different points in the game in the bathroom of the hideout... and that wasn't gameplay... more of an interactive cinematic...

*end spoiler*

And in MGS... it is only not stealth based when in boss fights... the entire rest of the game can be completed without attacking a single enemy if you are stealthy enough...

And in MGS... it is only not stealth based when in boss fights... the entire rest of the game can be completed without attacking a single enemy if you are stealthy enough...Squeets