5 Best Stealth-Action Games, Ranked

Stealth games have seemingly grown in a more niche way in recent years. While stealth mechanics as a whole remain, these have become supplementary to the overall experience, a useful tool for stories in a broad toolkit, as opposed to the focus on the gameplay.

But maybe this is a rather pertinent way for the stealth-action genre to be seen. Hiding within and among AAA titles and indie darlings, a host of excellent stealth-action titles still bring the pain perfectly and silently. Players wanting to get a taste of sneaky action should make sure they haven’t missed out on these fantastic titles.

5 Assassin’s Creed: Mirage

An Excellent Return To The Roots Of The Assassin’s Creed Series

Assassin’s Creed games have eased up on the ‘assassin’ part in recent titles. Certainly, experimenting with what it means to be an assassin and how they’ve functioned in different cultures is as essential part of this series’ longevity, as there’s only so long they can write about the sort of “quintessential” assassin without the formula growing stale. But after a few years of rugged Norse raiders and spear-wielding warriors, Mirage presents an excellent return to the classic assassin.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage combines that classic stealth and subterfuge from the earliest titles in the series with incredible graphics and gameplay revisions that have become a staple in their own right within the Assassin’s Creed series. Definitely a game for those who love the idea of the Assassin’s Creed series, but were turned off by some of the elements in the more recent titles, like loot boxes or leveled gear.

4 Dishonored 2

The Mechanics of a Powerful God Woven Into Stealth With Consequences

Following on from the monolithic Dishonored, Dishonored 2 combines brutal action and magical gameplay with a modular twist to make for an incredibly compelling stealth title. Supernatural abilities marry some incredibly engaging stealth mechanics in a game that keeps the narrative tight and focused while offering a lot of player input that ultimately shapes how the story concludes. A dark fantasy that is well worth its immersion, the sequel lives up to the original’s incredible legacy – and even surpasses it in some ways.

Dishonored 2 has a dark but fascinating world for the player to explore, a brutal revenge narrative on a grand scale, and a blend of different combat styles that are all augmented by the cloak of stealth – there’s a strategy that makes the most sense for every player, and seeing it through is an incredible experience.

Hideo Kojimia’s FOX Engine Excels in a Masterwork Of Stealth-Action

This game made waves upon release, a stunning mixture of tactical action and intrigue, synthesized into an incredible package. For 9 years (yes, it’s been that long) this game has enthralled people with an expansive open world and an utterly unique military style. Controlling a private army in this sci-fi-inspired – but still incredibly gritty and grounded – title is a very cathartic experience, and guiding Snake to his revenge is one of the greatest narrative experiences in gaming.

This game is an exemplar in the stealth open-world genre, and it is most definitely one to keep an eye on for players looking for a fantastic story to get lost in, and the use of the FOX Engine truly heightens that experience with its attention to detail and mechanics.

2 Thief: The Dark Project

The Blueprint That Makes a Classic Stealth-Action Games

Thief: The Dark Project is in many ways the pioneer of the first-person stealth-action genre. This game had reactive enemies who could see, smell, and hear the world around them, and it left the protagonist in a series of increasingly dangerous missions in their quest for revenge. Thief Gold is the original, no-frills version of Dark Project with a host of additional missions and campaigns to really flesh out the experience.

Don’t let the game’s original age scare you off, it’s an elegant and focused combination of gameplay mechanics to see here and they hold up exceptionally well by modern standards. This is, without a doubt, one of the exemplars of the stealth genre, and many subsequent stealth games owe a debt to Thief that they’re going to have to pickpocket their way into repaying.

1 Hitman: World of Assassination

Brings Together Some Sublime Stealth Action

Combining three incredibly polished and well-made stealth games, Hitman: World Of Assassination ties together a trilogy into a single, dark, and slick package. The story is an engaging thriller filled with twists and subversions, expanding on the world of Agent 47. Every individual map has its own unique style and flair, and no two areas feel the same. Everything from an Italian coastal village to bustling streets in Miami has a distinct, lovingly detailed feel.

The game has an abundance of updates and DLC, and while this is undoubtedly a reason to play, there is a caveat to having this game as the top stealth game among all these contenders. The World of Assassination bundle is a confusing and frankly predatory way to market these less as an individual bundle of games, but more as a mini platform of sorts, where Hitman content can be parceled out. Getting past this hurdle is the only thing stopping players from sinking their teeth into some of the best stealth action available today.