5 Best Games With Undercover Missions, Ranked

Highlights

• Going undercover in video games lets players experience unique roles and personal stories, enhancing gameplay.
• Games like Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation use disguises to add depth and challenge to missions, immersing players.
• Titles like Alpha Protocol and The Saboteur offer players the thrill of espionage and stealthy infiltration.

Video games continue to wow and dazzle players, with numerous titles letting players enjoy a power fantasy as they take on unlikely roles and take part in personal stories that will make them shed a tear. So, it’s easy to see why the idea of going undercover is so fascinating that a lot of games let players enjoy this fantasy in ways they couldn’t dream of.

Some titles employ gameplay mechanics that let players take on certain disguises to fool people around them and get into restricted areas, while other games use the idea of going undercover as a core aspect of the story that governs everything they do. Players who want to immerse themselves in a video game where they take on the role of a secret agent or infiltrator will find several games that help fulfill that fantasy.

5 Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation

Best Mission(s): Storming The Fort, The Last Dance, A Fool’s Errand

No matter how great the Assassin’s Creed games are, it was always silly to see the protagonists hide themselves in plain sight when they were wearing clothes that made them as conspicuous as ever. So, when players got their hands on Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation, they were more than pleased to see that Ubisoft decided to experiment with the Persona system and use three outfits to make gameplay feel as unique as ever.

The regular Assassin Persona gave players access to their tools while remaining notorious at all times and drawing unwanted attention. The Slave Persona lets players mingle in groups and gain notoriety slowly without fear of being found out but at the cost of limited weaponry. Finally, the Lady Persona let players charm and bribe guards with ease, but the lack of competent weaponry and the inability to parkour meant that players had to be careful and not attract unwanted attention in this disguise.

In execution, having to move around the map and change outfits could be frustrating at times, but this attempt to make the main character’s outfit more meaningful than ever in an Assassin’s Creed game helped missions feel distinct and let players immerse themselves in the idea of going undercover instead of just interacting with convenient gameplay systems.

4 Alpha Protocol

Best Mission(s): Bug Al-Samad Airfield, Intercept Surkov At The US Embassy, Infiltrate Alpha Protocol

The idea of playing an espionage RPG was certainly an intriguing prospect, but Alpha Protocol‘s frustrating gameplay and distinct lack of polish meant that a lot of players couldn’t be bothered with playing this game to completion. This is a shame since the game’s novel idea of channeling the three JBs (James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Jack Bauer) let players mold Michael Thorton’s character in whatever manner they saw fit.

Along with this, there are a lot of missions in the game where players can infiltrate bases undercover, but they must invest in the right skills and make sure their behavior isn’t suspicious if they don’t want to attract any unwanted attention. Players will love fooling people and lying to their faces, but a single mistake can lead to their cover being blown, which can have dire consequences if one hasn’t invested in Michael’s combat skills.

3 The Saboteur

Best Mission(s): Slaughterhouse, The Big Gun, C’est Ici L’Empire De La Mort

One of the most underrated open-world games ever made, The Saboteur lets players take on the role of a member of the French Revolution who must liberate various regions and minimize German occupancy in these areas. The use of black-and-white colors to show districts that are being oppressed by the Nazis is an interesting idea that is executed with great finesse. This strong visual design enhances The Saboteur‘s gameplay, making it feel like an amalgamation of the Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto games.

One of the many ways players can infiltrate dangerous areas is by wearing a disguise, which is imperative for players to carry out a stealthy approach and not raise alarms. It’s a satisfying way to play the game, but players who don’t want to go undercover and have the ammo to spare can always go in guns-blazing and liberate the French with sheer force.

2 Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Best Mission(s): Invitation To A Party, Basement Killing, Terminal Hospitality

There are many Hitman games that players love for their scintillating gameplay, but many people consider the second title to be the one that put this series on the map. Codename 47 brought some nice ideas to the table, but Hitman 2 perfected them and let players enjoy a combination of stellar level design and a riveting story that humanized 47’s character in new and interesting ways.

From trying to sneak into a party in the German embassy to hiding a massive sniper rifle and bringing it to a position where the target can be taken out, the variety of missions in Silent Assassin makes it a beloved Hitman game that players can’t get enough of. Players will love switching disguises and avoiding the watchful eyes of guards as they eliminate their targets in a host of missions Agent 47 is forced to complete to save the life of an innocent reverend who was kidnapped simply because of his association with the hitman.

1 Sleeping Dogs

Best Mission(s): The Wedding, The Funeral, The Election

The life of an undercover cop is not an easy one, but Sleeping Dogs certainly makes this feel as entertaining as possible. It helps that the amazing melee combat system is so much fun that most players would shirk the idea of using ranged weapons altogether. The protagonist of this tale is Wei Shen, an undercover cop who infiltrates the Triads and uncovers a massive conspiracy.

Throughout the game, Shen forms bonds with the people he’s supposed to keep an eye on, culminating in one of the greatest missions in video game history involving a wedding and a gang shootout that serves as a major turning point for the narrative. While players may be an undercover cop, that doesn’t stop them from wreaking havoc in the open world. This can be immersion-breaking, but the amazing combat, visual presentation, and heart-wrenching narrative more than makeup for this.