Stealth and action are two sides of the same coin. It is one thing to have tense moments of quiet suspense, but by adding on more engaging and exciting sections, the game can feel far more enjoyable, as, rather than just crawling around sneaking the entire playthrough, players are instead tested on several fronts at once.
7 Best Third-Person Games With Stealth Mechanics, Ranked
Stay hidden in these great third-person games that let players sneak past enemies instead of fighting them guns blazing.
When placed in a first-person perspective, the stealth and action segments become all the more immersive, letting players truly feel as though they are hiding from a nearby guard, then dispatching them without ever losing focus. The best games in the stealth-action space respect both aspects of their design, perfectly encapsulating what it means to have the power of silence and aggression at the same time.
Thief (2014)
From The Rafters To The Streets
Details:
- High verticality in every section
- Transitions quickly between pure stealth and action
Thief, as a series, set a strong foundation for first-person stealth-combat balance long before it became popular, and the 2014 carries on that tradition in the best ways possible. Light, sound, and enemy awareness all play a role in how players sneak around the world, but at any point, the quiet tension can be broken with a clash of blades.
What makes Thief special is how well the combat feeds directly back into stealth. Drawing a weapon alerts nearby enemies and forces a complete alteration in the entire encounter, meaning that players have all the power to escalate the action from stealth whenever they choose in ways that make sense and are thematically grounded.
Dishonored
Complimenting The Sneaking With Powerful Abilities
Details:
- Choice to be completely silent from start to finish
- Each encounter incorporates chances for both approaches
Dishonored excels by treating stealth and combat as two equal systems rather than opposing ones. Every ability and tool gives players the chance to approach encounters in whatever manner they choose, whether with explosive action or by sneaking past every enemy from the shadows.
10 Best Stealth Games For Beginners, Ranked
Curious about the stealth genre but not sure where to start? These stealth games offer a perfect entry point for beginners to sneaky gameplay styles.
The brilliance lies in how seamlessly players can transition between the two, as a failed stealth approach doesn’t mean failure, but a chance to fight back. The levels are also designed with these styles in mind, making each approach equally viable and satisfying from start to finish.
Skyrim
An Entire Playstyle Dedicated To Stealth
Details:
- Stealth archer and rogue playstyles
- Bonuses for sneaking as well as pure aggression
Skyrim may not be a traditional stealth game, but a lot of its systems allow stealth and action to coexist as organically. The stealth archer playstyle is easily one of the most popular in the game, letting players carefully position themselves out of sight, only to dispatch foes in a single shot without ever being spotted.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as players can go down routes of illusion magic or become sneaky rogues, each offering a unique take on the idea of stealth. All of these builds revolve heavily around player choice, as at no point are they forced down one specific route, meaning that at any point in time, they are free to quietly walk through an encounter or run with swords drawn and ready for a fight.
Deus Ex Mankind Divided
Switching Between Care And Guns Blazing In A Flash
Details:
- Augmentations that open the doors for endless stealth opportunities
- Routes within levels that favour specific approaches
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided offers a refined stealth-action hybrid that has stood at the top of the genre ever since it released. Augmentations allow players to cloak, hack, incapacitate, or eliminate enemies in seconds, but every choice has tactical consequences, meaning that planning becomes just as important as the actions themselves.
7 Stealth Games With The Best Melee Combat, Ranked
Not all stealth games restrict players to just hiding in the shadows; here are some great titles that feature incredible melee combat systems.
In terms of level design, every space supports multiple approaches, often simultaneously, which adds so much depth to the world purely from a gameplay perspective. There’s also no downtime between modes of stealth or action, as firefights can break out pretty much instantaneously from a single cue, ensuring the enemies feel realistic and reactive in a way that few other games have even tried.
Cyberpunk 2077
Taking Out Night City From The Shadows
Details:
- Fluid combat that can be played however the player chooses
- Immersive environments that can include several paths to success
Cyberpunk 2077, like any good RPG, never imposes any limits on how players should play the game. There is a huge range of skills that support stealth approaches, where players can hack cameras and distract enemies in order to sneak by, but the combat abilities are just as effective, letting players slash, shoot, and blow their way through just about any enemy in their way.
And if players want to remain flexible during their playthrough, they are more than welcome to use both approaches in conjunction, creating more advantageous openings through an initial section of sneaking. The choice really is down to the player, but even in the missions themselves, there will be chances to experience each method individually and together as the story progresses.
Prey
Sneaking Past Countless Deadly Anomalies
Details:
- Controlling the pace of engagements with stealth
- Certain confrontations force action upon the player
Prey manages to make stealth and combat integral parts of the gameplay experience that are not just useful options, but necessary components to survival. Sneaking past threats conserves ammo and health, but direct confrontations are inevitable, constantly forcing players to adapt to each new challenge thrown their way.
Because of how tense and unpredictable the world and enemies are, players can never get too comfortable using one approach, as they can very quickly be pushed into combat or stealth when they least expect it. This ensures that players never feel fully in control, incorporating aspects of the plot and narrative directly into the way the game is played.
GTFO
Every Step A Cautious Movement Forward
Details:
- Sound becomes a crucial key for survival
- Tempo shifts the second players are heard
GTFO leans heavily toward stealth, thrusting players into dark and ominous scenarios where hiding is as powerful as shooting. But as they progress further, fights become unavoidable, turning the quiet moments of tension into brutal firefights with seemingly no end.
What makes the combat dynamic so compelling is how important each factor is to the success of the team. Poor stealth doesn’t just make fights harder, but it turns them into catastrophes with virtually no escape, and in the same way, certain sections can only be cleared through careful movement, reinforcing the idea of constant vulnerability that looms over every mission.
Gloomwood
Classic Graphics, Modern Feel
Details:
- Highly mechanical stealth segments
- Violent solutions become necessary and equally viable
Gloomwood takes a classic approach in its visual design, but the gameplay is anything but dated. The stealth mechanics are pretty extensive, factoring in everything from sound to line-of-sight, while the combat is intentionally clumsy and limited, meaning that there are no easy ways out if things go loud.
Stealth may often be the safest solution forward, but that doesn’t mean players can’t shoot their way through enemies with just as much ease. It just becomes a case of using both systems in equal amounts, as players can only get so far by hiding, and will quickly be gunned down if they try to brute force their way to the end.
Metro: Last Light
Apocalyptic Wastelands Where Fights Are Guaranteed
Details:
- Enemies can largely be avoided in certain areas
- Explosive moments of non-stop action throughout
Metro: Last Light perfectly balances stealth and combat by intentionally making both gameplay styles feel like crucial tools to the player’s overall success in the wasteland. Ammo is a scarce resource right from the start, making stealth an appealing option, but enemies and encounters require a more explosive option, forcing players into engagements in between more calculated sneaks.
The stealth method is often presented as the most optimal path, yet even when enemies are alerted, the combat never feels like a punishment. Instead, it becomes a dramatic release of tension that never feels forced but always delivers a memorable firefight that players will be thinking about longer after it concludes.
Deathloop
Time As A Tool For Destruction
Details:
- Time manipulation in real-time
- Natural flow of stealth into combat
Deathloop is one of the best examples of how to make action and stealth sequences equally enjoyable. Players can quietly manipulate environments and enemy routines or heavily embrace action, with each weapon and ability feeding directly into the idea of experimenting with one’s surroundings in every way possible.
The game rewards improvisation in such a unique way that as with very few consequences for failure, players can feel free to try and refine their approaches again and again until they feel satisfied. It is a rare case where alerting guards or missing a shot doesn’t feel bad, but just another chance to do better or try something completely different in the next loop.
8 Best Stealth Games With A Focus On Realism, Ranked
These stealth games offer immersive experiences, forcing players to use their real-life instincts to survive.
