Stealth Games, Yay or Nay

[Xeogred]

The weirder nature of the first game makes me like it a little more than T2 though, but I can see how people might favor one or the other. I don't miss the lack of zombies in T2 though... I'm at the bank level right now in T2, think I'm a little over halfway. I need to get back to it and finish it up. The atmosphere is still incredibly weird though and some of the levels like finding Garret's hideout and whatnot were really amazing.

I agree. The developers wanted to make the sequel a more pure stealth experience so they had to sacrifice some of the weirdness of the first game. That stuff has a stronger presence in T3 though. But even with out the monsters, the world of Thief 2 is still a lot more intriguing and unique than that of MGS/Splinter Cell/Chronicles of Riddick/Hitman/Manhunt. Atleast Tenchu takes place in feudal Japan


The bank mission is actually the 6th level out of 15 so you're not past the halfway point yet I'd say that there's more and more of the weird stuff the further you get into the game as the plot thickens.

Oh wow, you're right. I must have glanced at another mission listing that was wrong or looked at it too quickly, so I'm barely to the halfway point... awesome! Which makes sense when I've usually heard T2 is longer than the first I think.

Yeah I can imagine T2 still gets weirder as it goes. The Machinist are insanely weird... the "Eavesdropping" level was amazing, hearing about the weird experiments they're doing, the robots, SEEING the experimented people... so funked up. T1 was a bit more supernatural and T2 seems a bit more twisted/torturous or something.

In booting up the game just for a few seconds to double check I was on that level, yet another thing that Thief does so well setting the bar so damn high... is the music. I can see how silence can work in scary/stealth games, but Thief's sound design is just mindblowing and the music is constant, always without being too busy or too little. It really sets the tone and drowns you in the atmosphere. It might be nostalgia goggles, but I think in the case of some FPS classics like the Thief games, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, etc, the music was really magical and huge element on claustrophobic intensity (thinking more Thief/SS2 here). This constant driving dark energy that's brushing the tip of your neck... haha. You never feel safe. I don't quite get this intense vibe when a game relies solely on ambient/sound effects.

The original STALKER is a prime example of this as well for me, that got it right:


Moments when you were underground and NOTHING even happened... you were still on the edge of your seat with music like this playing in the background.

In comparison, Dishonored was far too silent for me and none of the music was memorable at all. What was there was great, but it just doesn't submerge you into this dark world like the Thief music does.

Deus Ex vs HR's OST is just another argument for another time I'd say, lol. I just really wish the MOD format wasn't so short lived, the original Deus Ex and Unreal have some of the most atmospheric music in videogame history to me.

Anyways I think that settles it, now that I'm done with Dishonored for now and not sure what else to play, I think it's finally time to finish up T2 and get to the sequel sometime.

@Menegrothx: Have you ever dove into The Dark Mod? I'm really stoked to check it out sometime, probably after I finish up T2-T3. It looks like something I could get obsessed with like Doom WAD's and whatnot. That and well I guess there's also tons of fanmade Thief 1-2 missions I could check out sometime as well.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I've really been wanting to get into this genre, but not sure where to start. I don't really have that many consoles as of yet, so I am limited. Splinter Cell would probably be my best bet for starters.

[Gamerforlife]

I've really been wanting to get into this genre, but not sure where to start. I don't really have that many consoles as of yet, so I am limited. Splinter Cell would probably be my best bet for starters.

Tenchu Wrath of Heaven is a good start. If you're not opposed to playing something in 2D Mark of the Ninja is an even better start. That game is superb.

[Menegrothx]

@Menegrothx: Have you ever dove into The Dark Mod? I'm really stoked to check it out sometime, probably after I finish up T2-T3. It looks like something I could get obsessed with like Doom WAD's and whatnot. That and well I guess there's also tons of fanmade Thief 1-2 missions I could check out sometime as well.

Havent' tried it out yet. I've read that one of the fan expansions for Thief 2 is so great that it would easily pass as a 60 USD retail game.

I've really been wanting to get into this genre, but not sure where to start. I don't really have that many consoles as of yet, so I am limited. Splinter Cell would probably be my best bet for starters.

Get the Tenchu games on PS1 (the later ones aren't that good) and this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thief-The-Compl ... 2576ffd13f

The first Metal Gear Solid is a classic. I wouldn't call it a pure stealth experience since there's so much bossfights, shooting and so on but it has a great storyline so if you haven't played the first MGS yet, I'd recommend trying it out if you can find it for decent price.

[Gamerforlife]

Get the Tenchu games on PS1 (the later ones aren't that good) can find it for decent price.

That's not true. Wrath of Heaven is more polished and accessible than both PS1 games and not quite as ugly looking. I would say for anyone who does want to play the PS1 games though, to play the original first. Tenchu 2 was noticeably harder

Beyond Good and Evil is another recommendation. It's not a name that gets thrown around a lot in stealth gaming circles, but it features quite a number of stealth based sections. It's available on almost every major gaming platform too, especially with the HD re-releases. Quite a bit simpler to get into than Metal Gear Solid, which has clunky controls and a convoluted story. I would not recommend MGS as someone's first stealth game, especially given how harshly it punishes you for getting spotted

I'll say it again though, nothing beats Mark of the Ninja as long as one doesn't mind it being 2D. That's the most accessible stealth game I have every played

[SamuraiMegas]

I effing hate the camera in MGS... the fourth one has the best camera though.
I really want Mark of the ninja.. trying to get someone to trade with me for it.

[optmusprimenumber]

It is cool to see this thread alive again. I need to try Dishonored. Deus Ex Human Revolution was really fun, I stealthed so hard in that game.

And I still need to play Thief 3 myself, so I'm looking forward to that. I know it won't top the first two, but still looks pretty awesome. I hear people say it's a better sequel than say Deus Ex IW was.

...Even with those flaws, 3 is still is a very good game... ...And the game actually plays surprisingly well on a gamepad on the Xbox version, having an analog stick to control sneaking/walking/running works really well.

I've been playing DE IW for a little over a week now, on my third playthrough, definitely an old favorite of mine. I'm playing it pure stealth (for the most part, there's a couple moments...) and I recently realized how awesome the Baton is, especially with Strength Biomods. I used to sneak/fight my way to the first sniper rifle and snipe EVERYONE after that. I've played around with the poison Bolt Caster but it's not that fun. The baton is sweet, total silent knockouts and if I get caught I can still smash their face and minimalize damage to the situation. And it's always a plus to be able to get up close to enemies and and not need bullets. I'm not using the Cloak Biomod (Invisibility) or the Thermal Masking Biomod (Inivisible to Bots). I don't upgrade my Move Silent Biomod until halfway through the game, and don't max it out until later in the game. On that note, I find myself using only passive Biomods (don't need "bio energy"). I'm squeezing all the stealth out of this game that I can. I kind of play it Batmanishly too, carrying and using all the different grenades. I rarely use guns though I carry a couple pistols (Red Greasel Hunter and the Assassin Pistol) and not until later on do I carry a sniper rifle. They are more or less tools than weapons for me - pistol: flashlight, red greasel hunter: infrared flashlight, assassin pistol: scope - and detonators of various explosives. This game's really fun. Realistic difficulty isn't as challenging as I hoped though. But you can play with the environments and your approach constantly. I dragged 18 or so boxes from remote locations to one room one time so I could clear the room and get a kill that I've never gotten without being noticed (even though after the killing part, no matter how secretive, everyone in the place is automatically mad at you.. so I had a fun time sneaking out of the place). I still have to play the first DE, I've played maybe halfway through on the PS2 version but got I have it on Steam now, just waiting for the right day. But Invisible War is a good game, even though it's a weak sequel, and even with the stupid loading screens.

And maybe I've said this before, but Theif 3 on oXBox is awesome. The controller works very well, particularly for lockpicking - you move the left stick around to move the pick and pull a trigger when the controller vibrates consistently, way cool.

[Razzmatazz]

Great thread.

Splinter Cell Conviction was actually my favourite game on the Xbox 360. I spent so many hours with it, completing it on Normal, then on Hard, then in Co-op, then doing the Hunter mode, then getting the Achievements... I think the bodycount can get a bit ridiculous, it almost borders on Arnie in Commando territory, but otherwise it is my favourite entry in the series. I've never been a big fan of Metal Gear, even the story that gets all the acclaim. Just give me some old fashioned terrorists in Rainbow Six with dodgy Spanish accents. Although it's hard playing the old ones without the cover system now, it's the old "sneak out gradually from behind a wall where the enemy can't see you unless they see your eyes, and ignore your massive gun sticking out". Ah...the days of "Breach and clear".

Most things have been covered in stealth games, but someone PLEASE make an unlockable wrestling move cheat in a Splinter Cell or Thief game. The amount of times I've wanted to German Suplex a guard, or Russian Leg Sweep, or best of all, Electric Chair. One day...

[ExedExes]

Just give me some old fashioned terrorists in Rainbow Six with dodgy Spanish accents. Although it's hard playing the old ones without the cover system now, it's the old "sneak out gradually from behind a wall where the enemy can't see you unless they see your eyes, and ignore your massive gun sticking out". Ah...the days of "Breach and clear".

I just finished RS3 and I love those accents. "CUIDADO!" "POLICIA!" etc.

I never used Breach & Clear that much. Open Flash & Clear! Or just send them all out and hope they get lucky.

But back on stealth, I'm really having a good time with Splinter Cell (the first one). Who knew the police could be so corrupt and that raising any sort of alarms gets Lambert upset? Plus, they could have just kept Sam's default position in crouch-walk for the entire game and it could be called a *feature*

[Xeogred]

It is cool to see this thread alive again. I need to try Dishonored. Deus Ex Human Revolution was really fun, I stealthed so hard in that game.

Invisible War stuff.

Funny to see someone who loves Invisible War, haha. Yeah I won't rag on it too much, but replaying it directly after Human Revolution, it was easy for me to figure out which sequel I like a lot more. Still, both combined don't even compare to the original. How far did you get exactly? I bet it's not as far as you might think, haha that game is pretty dang long. I've replayed it like 10 times but always forget how long it goes towards the later parts. I guess the HUB world portions stick to mind a lot (New York, Hong Kong, and France), whereas a lot of the later parts of the game is just a chain reaction of mission levels. If that makes sense. The game is obviously a bit clunkier than the sequels, but it's still just as fun and easy to do a non-lethal/stealth run.

And speaking of Thief, I just wrapped up II... well unofficially. I caved and just watched some videos on youtube of the last level after spending like two hours on it and running out of items. I figured out how to make the beacon thing and knew what to do, but holy hell it was just so tough getting around all the bots. I think the game was starting to glitch in the last few levels though... items were clipping through objects, the sound was messing up until I reloaded the game, and yeah I just have no idea how some guards were finding or hearing me sometimes. It got real frustrating. I'll have to really finish off the final mission sometime though, but wow that level is a beast.

So with that said, I started up Thief III and have to say I'm impressed so far. I love/hate this engine so much, it's clunky performance wise and not Win7 friendly... but yeah the shadows and physics (especially at the time) are still really good. I can definitely tell it seems very faithful to the first two games as well, same voice actors, goofy guards, maps, everything about it is pretty much Thief just in a new engine. So yeah, I'm pretty excited to dive into this one. But I'm going to hold off and take a break from Thief while I play some other games...

One being Far Cry 3, which does seem to have stealth that's fun and doable. There's takedowns sneaking up on enemies and 1 whole section of 3 skill sets that is mostly for stealth. So yeah I like trying my best sneaking into areas first, but when I'm caught it's just guns blazing haha.

And that's what I like about the Deus Ex games and Metal Gear Solid specifically. You can play them aggressively or not, they work completely well either way. And if you slip up sneaking around and have to go crazy, you're not really penalized.

Oh and yeah, I think you're really going to dig Dishonored if you like this kind of stuff. I can't wait to replay that one. I personally like Human Revolution more, but it's easy to say Dishonored definitely has better stealth elements and a bigger focus on that. You can play it as Thief or Bioshock, or a bit of both.