15. Shadow Warrior 2

Shadow Warrior 2 Gameplay

Shadow Warrior 2 combines FPS mechanics with a smorgasbord of weapons and a pile of dirty jokes.  Lo Wang’s attempt at saving the world has resulted in a botched operation.  The corporate shogun must now take on a plethora of demons and humans, using everything from swords to BFG’s.  Wang’s shadow skills and mobility allow for excellent stealth options, and taking down the unsuspecting foes here, is a gruesome yet satisfying experience. SW2’s excellent loot system offers plenty of options for weapon customization, and its procedurally generated designs will keep you coming back for more.

In a Nutshell:  Yes, SW2 is as fun as this picture looks. 

Asking Nicely:  Oh, come on man; he said “please”. 

14. Styx Master of Shadows

Styx Master of Shadows Gameplay

Released in 2014, Styx Master of Shadows, is an RPG stealth game developed by Cyanide Studios.  You will embark on a quest as a goblin named Styx, who is over 2 centuries old, and set-out to discover the nature of your identity.  On your quest you’ll upgrade your skill trees and gather as many goodies as possible.  The game incorporates many stealth elements, yet its key feature is the use of shadows.  Mastery of the lighting system, as well as the game’s freedom of movement, will grant you the power to become the ultimate goblin sneak.  Styx has wonderful opportunities for creative puzzle solving, lending itself to a high replay value.

The Waiting Game: A familiar stealth mechanic; Styx waits for the perfect moment to strike.

Master of Shadows: The darkness is your greatest ally in Styx. 

13. Thief (2014)

Thief (2014) Gameplay

Another game that makes use of an excellent lighting system is Thief.  Playing as the master thief Garrett, you begin the game learning the ropes with your friend Erin.  After a cataclysmic event in which Erin disappears, your mission becomes her rescue, and you will uncover the mysteries of the city along the way.  At the end of specific missions, you will be graded on your abilities to avoid detection, as well as the amount of loot you have swiped.  While Thief is somewhat lacking in polish, it makes use of excellent stealth mechanics by encouraging the use of shadows, and Garret’s swooping ability offers a fun method for navigating the city. 

Dat Look Good: Thief’s graphics and lighting engine are still visually impressive.

Of Man and Shadows: “Man is a substance clad in shadows.” — John Sterling

12. Quantum Break

Quantum Break Gameplay

Quantum Break is a groundbreaking game that seeks to fuse gaming with live action storytelling.  In a botched attempt to create a time machine, two people are doused with chronon radiation, giving them special abilities to manipulate time. Each of them go their separate ways; one on a quest for ultimate power, and the other compelled to stop him.  The game employs the use of a 3rd person shooting system, and there are several puzzles and plot twists to be discovered.  An interesting blend of live action cutscenes and gameplay, combined with an intriguing sci-fi narrative, makes Quantum Break a fascinating game for people looking for an alternative approach to gaming. 

Welcome to the 4th Dimension: Your ability to manipulate time will help you get the drop on the bad guys in Quantum Break.

Live Action: Aidan Gillen delivers a solid performance in these live acted cutscenes.

11. Sword with Sauce

Sword with Sauce Gameplay

Sword with sauce is a stealth action game with a gloriously simple art style and slick gameplay.  There isn’t much of a story here, yet you may find yourself pleased by that fact, as you it will give you time to develop your playstyle and focus on fun.  The world and enemies are high res and low detail, which contributes to a near zen feeling as you progress through the levels.  There are 6 weapons and multiple gadgets to choose from—including one of the coolest ever offered in a video game—a deployable black hole.  You can choose between a guns blazing playstyle, or go full ninja and sneak your way to victory.  Sword with sauce is a delight to play, and considering that its price on Steam is only $2.99, this is a can’t-miss game for fans of the stealth action genre.

Schwarzschild’s Monster:  Fortunately, the magic of video games assures that you remain outside of the Schwarzschild Radius, when deploying the Black Hole gadget.

Cartesian Design: SwS’s art style is reminiscent of the N64 days, and its fun-factor is on par with Goldeneye 007.

10. Dying Light

Dying Light Gameplay

In Dying Light you play as Kyle Crane, a member of the Global Relief Effort deployed to the city of Harran, in an effort to free survivors from a zombie apocalypse.  Your mission, apart from saving the city, is to retrieve documents that were stolen from your organization, and prevent the release of that sensitive information.  Dying Light is played from a first-person perspective, and it makes tremendous use of a free-running system which gives the player an excellent sense of freedom in movement.  A dynamic day/night cycle keeps things fresh and interesting, as the enemies you face at night offer a much greater challenge relative to those faced during daylight.  The extremely deep skill-trees contribute to an RPG style gameplay, allowing for various approaches in playstyle.  Part horror, as well as espionage thriller, Dying Light was well received by gaming critics, and it is sure to put a smile on the faces of fans of zombie games.

First Person Zombie Action:  Hmmm... A hammer and a watch might not be the most effective strategy for the big zombie here.

The Freaks Come Out at Night: The night-time enemies offer a significantly greater challenge than their day-time counterparts.

9. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Gameplay

In this game you will take control of Sekiro; a samurai warrior who lost his arm in defense of his kensei.  After obtaining a prosthetic arm, which has various uses, you embark on a quest throughout feudal Japan in an effort to rescue your master.  Sekiro’s left arm is equipped with a grappling hook, allowing for a greater range of motion relative to other FromSoft titles. Combat is expected to be very intense, yet Sekiro has a unique ability to revive after death.  This is a highly anticipated game by the Souls community, and it’s currently slated to launch on March 22, 2019.

Mixin’ It Up:  Sekiro elevates his position to gain an advantage on the Corrupted Monk.

Prelude to Battle: Arguably the greatest moments in FromSoft games.  The threat of violence here is like something out of a Sergio Leone film.

8. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex: Human Revelution Gameplay

In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, you play as an elite ex-SWAT operative named Adam Jensen, working for a Bio-tech firm.  Adam’s human form has been technologically modified, giving him special abilities, and separating him from “normal” humans.  The game takes advantage of this dichotomy, weaving together story lines centered around the question: What does it mean to be human?  The story encourages the player to think philosophically about that question through Adam’s narrative, incorporating dialogue trees that allow you to engage in your own interpretation.  Gameplay is interspersed with RPG elements and first person shooting.  However, a stealth approach is typically your best option for navigating this game’s impressive difficulty.  Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel to the previous games of the series, and it is an excellent place to start for players new to this franchise.

"Alas, poor Yorick!":  Adam appears to have forgotten his skull.

The Duality of Man: Deus Ex: HR oozes style at every turn, and it contrasts that with deep philosophical questions concerning humanity’s existence. 

7. Splinter Cell Blacklist

Splinter Cell Blacklist Gameplay

In Splinter Cell Blacklist, a terrorist organization calling themselves The Engineers has begun attacking a string of priority U.S. interests.  They claim to be doing so in response to a rise in the global military presence of U.S. forces in foreign nations, and they have issued a time dependent ultimatum known as the Blacklist.  The U.S. has two choices, either pull-out, or send in Sam Fisher to infiltrate the organization and save the day.  Sam will carry out his mission by choosing between 3 different playstyles; Ghost, Assault, and Panther, each of which allows the player to chose between varying styles of stealth.  As with nearly every Tom Clancy game, there is an impressive story to be discovered here, and you will be rewarded for your ability to think in a fluid and tactical manner.

Globetrotting: Fisher’s mission takes him to a variety of locales, including this basecamp in Northwestern Iraq.

Watch Your Head Sam:  Those green goggles are an easy target.

6. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay

CP2077 is unlike anything you’ve seen before.  This action RPG is set in a futuristic dystopian metropolis known as Night City.  To say that the world is “fully realized”, is somewhat of understatement in that term’s current context; the city is alive, the people go about their daily lives, and everything in the game has a level of authenticity that we as gamers have not yet experienced.  You will create and play as a character of your choice, adjusting your looks, stats, and playstyle as you deem fit, and the world will respond to you accordingly.  The game uses a first-person perspective in the effort to offer ultimate immersion, and its combat and shooting looks to be top-notch.  CD Projekt Red appears to have spared no expense in the development of CP2077, and this game is currently set to release when it’s ready.

Back to the Days of Future Past: 80’s retro meets the future in CP2077’s visually stunning world. 

High LOD: The level of detail is set to rival Red Dead Redemption 2.

5. Assassin's Creed Rogue

Assassin's Creed Rogue Gameplay

Assassin’s Creed Rogue takes place during the 7 years war, in a timeline between AC Black Flag and AC3.  As the maverick Shay Cormack, you will uncover the “truth” of the Assassins, and play turncoat against your former brothers in arms.  The gameplay is a familiar experience for avid players of this series.  However, AC Rogue shines its brightest when you are considering the story, and the philosophical notions associated with positive and negative freedom.  The naval gameplay has been expanded upon relative to Black Flag, and the opportunity to join up with the Templars creates an alternate narrative for the franchise.  While it lacks the polish of the modern AC games, such as Origins and Odyssey, AC Rogue provides an interesting story for fans of this series.

An Ominous Vessel: A dark wind blows, and ghosts of the past unfurl troubled sails.

Get to Work: Arrrgh, stop standing around and swab me deck me mateys.

4. Mark of the Ninja Remastered

Mark of the Ninja Remastered Gameplay

2012’s Mark of the Ninja, is a 2-D side-scroller with an animation style akin to Batman: The Animated Series, and it has been remastered to support 4K resolutions.  You play as an unnamed Ninja who has been granted special powers from a legendary tattoo. Players begin the game having been awakened by a mysterious ninja named Ora, who guides you through the first mission with the objective of rescuing your sensei.  Mark of the Ninja places a heavy focus on stealth, and prioritizes sneaking and evasion tactics.  There are several locations throughout levels for players to hide, and you must operate in the shadows to be most effective.  The game was well received when it launched, and its remastered version will allow a new generation of gamers to experience 2-D platforming stealth.   

Beware of the Tattooed Ninja:  Mark has been remastered and is available on multiple platforms, including the Nintendo Switch.

Be a Shadow: Avoid the lights, find places to hide, and evade whenever possible in this 2-D stealth platformer.

3. Aragami

Aragami Gameplay

Partly inspired by Tenchu and borrowing elements from Dishonored, 2016’s Aragami showcases an impressive art style and several stealth mechanics.  You play as Aragami, a shadow spirit summoned by a girl being held captive by an army of light.  In order to free her, you will have to find six talismans, and level up your character through the game’s skill tree and progression system.  Aragami has a unique ability allowing him to teleport from shadow to shadow, similar to Dishonored’s blink mechanic.  The primary focus is on measured sneaking, and you will be severely punished if you try to go full Rambo on hordes of enemies.  Aragami uses a minimized HUD, and when combined with its excellent choice of music, it creates a very atmospheric and immersive stealth experience.

Dicta Boelcke: Perhaps this enemy was blinded by the brilliance of Aragami’s attack.

A Foreboding Feeling:  Something tells me it’s not going to end well for this guy.

2. Hitman 2

Hitman 2 Gameplay

In Hitman 2, Agent 47 embarks on a mission to infiltrate the militia of the shadow client and disband the organization.  The first mission of the globetrotting 47 finds you in New Zealand, with the objective of eliminating the HVT Alma Reynard; a lieutenant of the shadow client.  Impressed by your abilities, the ICA approves further missions for 47, unfolding the rest of the story. In traditional Hitman fashion, there are multiple approaches to completing your missions, and the use of stealth and disguises is paramount to your success.  Hitman 2 introduces new sniper mechanics to the series, and it also allows for an online co-op experience.  If you’ve enjoyed previous entries in the Hitman series, then Hitman 2 will be right up your alley.   

In Position: At this distance, one must take the Coriolis Effect into consideration, but fortunately, Agent 47 need not concern himself with philosophical discussions on physics. 

Uh Oh: Sean Bean makes an appearance in Hitman 2.  Chances of survival?  Grim.

1. Assassin's Creed Unity

Assassin's Creed Unity Gameplay

Linked closely with the events of Assassin’s Creed Rogue, AC Unity follows the events of Arno Dorian.  Arno is wrongfully accused of murder and placed in a bastille where he befriends a fellow assassin and discovers the nature of his identity. After a civil uprising, he manages to escape prison, and he embarks on a revenge mission to find the killer of the man he was wrongfully accused of murdering.  AC Unity is the first game in the series to incorporate RPG mechanics in the form of skill trees, allowing players to develop playstyles focused on health, melee, ranged combat, and stealth.  The free-running system has been improved, allowing for free-run up, and down.  The game also introduces The Phantom Blade, a ranged crossbow capable of firing a silent projectile.  Unity offers an interesting story that is well connected to the events of Rogue, making it a must-play game for avid AC fans. 

A View from the Top: It’s a familiar vantage point in an AC game, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.

Ranged Silence: The Phantom Blade allows for stealth kills at a distance.