Ever wanted to know what it would feel like to be a warrior in the shadow, moving about undetected and striking silently? You don't technically play as warriors in these games, but the sneaking part is there. Read on to learn more about my top 5 recommended stealth games that you can play this September 2022.

5. Hitman

Release Date: March 12, 2016
Developed by: IO Interactive
Published by: Square Enix

Hitman is a third-person stealth action game for the PC, Playstation, and Xbox. While there are already other Hitman games on the market, it's always nice to go back to the one that brought Hitman games back into the mainstream. Following the story of Agent 47, a genetically-modified assassin, the player carries out various assassinations. How the player goes about these assassinations is entirely up to them. There is no one solution to each of the game's missions, and that's where the beauty of it all lies.

While shooting the target may be the fastest way to take care of them, it might also be what alerts the enemies the easiest. Poisoning the enemy may be difficult to carry out, but may also be the stealthiest approach if done properly. That's where the game's replayability comes from, allowing the players to replay each mission differently each run. The possibilities are endless in Hitman, only gated by the player's imagination.

The first game has a free trial on Steam, so you can try it out for yourself to see if you'll like it.

4. Assassin's Creed 2

Release Date: November 17, 2009
Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal
Published by: Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed 2 is a third-person open-world stealth action game for the PC, Playstation, and Xbox. While not the latest game in the series, it is one of the defining games of the franchise. The first game in what will later become known as the Ezio Collection, Assassin's Creed 2 follows the story of Ezio Auditore, a young boy from Florence driven by circumstance to become an assassin. He must make use of the skills he learned growing up, along with the skills he picks up along the way, to avenge his family.

As is the theme for all Assassin's Creed games, stealth is an important part of this game, allowing Ezio to roam the land undetected by those who would see him dead. This is achieved through a combination of blending in with the crowd, traversing the rooftops through parkour, and hiding inside hay stacks. Stealth is awarded in this game, as most enemies die in one hit when attacked while undetected. Once detected, those same enemies take more hits to take down.

Assassin's Creed 2 also upgrades and updates the combat system from Assassin's Creed 1. The player has access to a wider array of weapons, from small and fast daggers to large and slow halberds. Ezio even has access to a firearm down the line. Unlike in the first game as well, Ezio can use the assassin's signature hidden blade in combat. This allows for a wide range of playstyles that the player can adapt to.

Ezio's story throughout the trilogy is no joke either. Once you finish Assassin's Creed 2, I highly recommend picking up the rest of the Ezio collection.

3. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Release Date: September 1, 2015
Developed by: Kojima Productions
Published by: Konami

Metal Gear Solid 5, or MGSV for short,  is a third-person open-world stealth game for the PC, Playstation, and Xbox. It was meant by Hideo Kojima to be the Metal Gear Solid game that would connect all Metal Gear Solid games. It would answer all of the questions long-time fans of the series would have had. Sadly, it will also become his last Metal Gear Solid game, as soon after Kojima and Konami would have a nasty break-up, leading to Kojima leaving Konami and bringing with him a good part of his team. This split-up removed some of the potential that Metal Gear Solid V had, but it is still nonetheless a solid game.

You play as Snake, the well-loved main character of the Metal Gear Solid Franchise. After losing an arm and a leg after to an attack on Mother Base, you are tasked with building up your mercenary company from scratch. You rescue your old allies, recruit new ones, and take down anyone in your way. Stealth is crucial in MGSV. As you are almost always alone during your missions, you must remain undetected by the enemy, as you will have a hard time taking them down on your own. Everything from sound, light and even smell are taken into consideration when sneaking around in the game.

While it is possible to just kill every enemy you see, the player is awarded more when they use a non-lethal approach. This comes in the form of recruits, material rewards, and reputation. One of the most valuable allies that the player can get is only available if you take them down through non-lethal means. As for who that ally is, you'll just have to find out by playing the game.

2. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Release Date: August 20, 2013
Developed by: Ubisoft Toronto
Published by: Ubisoft

The latest game in the Splinter Cell franchise, Blacklist is available on the PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3. It is a linear third-person shooter stealth game, with a very high focus on stealth. You play as Sam Fisher, a member of the Fourth Echelon, a group assigned to do special operations. After a large-scale attack on a military base in Guam, they discover that the group responsible for the attack is planning more attacks on US soil. It is then up to Sam to track down the leaders of this group and neutralize them.

As with previous games in the Splinter Cell series, there is a huge emphasis on staying in the shadows. While Sam fisher can participate in firefights, it is highly discouraged to do so unless you prepare for it. Like with Assassin's Creed 2, most of the enemies in this game can be neutralized easily when stealth is employed but become difficult to subdue once they are alerted. As such, Sam must use a variety of gadgets to aid him in sneaking around. Gadgets include noise makers, sleeping gas, and even tasers.

While stealth is the key for most missions, there are three playstyles that the player can employ when playing this game, called Ghost, Panther, and Assault. Ghost revolves around stealth and non-lethal approaches. Panther follows a similar approach in terms of stealth but employs a lethal approach more. Assault is the full-on guns blazing approach, where the player throws stealth out of the window and just shoots everyone they see.

1. Dishonored

Release Date: October 9, 2012
Developed by: Arkane Studios
Published by: Bethesda Softworks

Dishonored is a first-person stealth action game for the PC, Playstation, and Xbox. The player follows the story of Corvo, the bodyguard of the empress. When she is assassinated by a group of assassins with mystical powers, he is blamed for her death. Corvo must then use his skills as a bodyguard and the mystical powers he soon receives to bring the truth to light. Along the way, he meets various formidable allies who will help him in his fight for revenge. Throughout the course of the game, Corvo can get upgrades for both his weaponry and his magical powers. These upgrades can either help Corvo stay in the shadows easier, or help him become death incarnate.

Every mission in the game has Corvo tasked with the assassination of a target. While killing his enemies is the easiest way to finish the missions, it also serves to worsen the state of the city by increasing Chaos. Chaos is a system introduced in the game where the more deaths Corvo causes, the higher the Chaos becomes. At higher levels of  Chaos, there will be more guards,  rats (the place is infested with flesh-eating, plague-bringing rats by the way), and may even affect the game's ending. It is up to the player to decide whether they want to go the hard way, or the harder way.

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