The recent announcement of Silent Hill 2’s remake has excited gamers for promising a stealth horror game to finish. But while Silent Hill 2 requires certain covert mechanics, it’s not a full-on title in the stealth genre. Fortunately, there are several games that players can indulge in should they want to experience such a playthrough.

These titles range from the massively popular Metal Gear Solid series to another successful franchises such as Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. Metacritic is a great metric to use in order to see how critics have reacted toward stealth titles, with certain games scoring huge critical praise.

10 Syphon Filter (1999) - 90

A soldier runs in the street in Syphon Filter (1999)

Syphon Filter has some action mechanics but is largely based around using stealth to capture enemies. The game centers around a protagonist whose mission is to capture an international anarchist by navigating through his many lairs.

Syphon Filter’s good reviews were attributed toward the tightness of the level design, where players were encouraged to figure out areas that would enable to them to complete sneak attacks. While shooting is an option, Syphon Filter tries to get players to use stealth as their primary weapon.through various puzzles and creative techniques.

9 Thief: The Dark Project (1998) - 92

A figure stands at the end of the corridor in Thief The Dark Project

Thief: The Dark Project is a first-person stealth title, which was seen as a game changer at the time of release. The basic intention is to traverse through various routes the titular thief takes to carry out his robberies and to avoid facing off against enemies.

The game was praised for making evasion a primary factor, as players could use elements of misdirection, concealment, and subtle takedowns to progress forward. More positive reviews went toward the challenge of the A.I., with NPCs quick and alert to any sound. Outsmarting them brings a definite sense of satisfaction to the overall experience.

8 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002) - 93

A man stands in a garage in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002)

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell began a long-running series centering around black ops agent Sam Fisher, who is tasked with investigating the disappearance of CIA offers that then sends him down a rabbit hole. The title’s success is credited with ushering an age of stealth-based games along with Metal Gear.

Splinter Cell was positively received for emphasizing non-lethal gameplay mechanics, which was a refreshing change from the norm in the genre. Moreover, the presence of dark and light meters based on the players’ visibility adds a new dimension, where players can decide how sneaky they want to be.

7 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004) - 93

A man stands by the side of a house in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow

Pandora Tomorrow relied on tried-and-tested techniques of its predecessor with little changes made in this game. While it is largely the same, it ended up receiving even better reviews due to how polished it is compared to the original entry.

Additions such as the laser sight and the ability to carry bodies while navigating the environment added to the greater production values. Pandora Tomorrow was also praised for featuring a tenser atmosphere within the story that takes is along the lines of a political thriller.

6 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005) - 94

A man about to sneak up on a soldier on a tower in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory revamped the series’ gameplay style to an extent, providing the protagonist with a combat knife to use in tight situations, A.I. detection monitor to plan evasive manuevers, and an aural monitor for players to gauge just how noise they are being.

Chaos Theory garnered the best reviews of the series for truly playing into its stealth theme, making it as realistic as Splinter Cell could be. Reviewers appreciated the game’s bold moves into enhancing its value rather than relying on the previous two titles’ gameplay mechanics.

5 Metal Gear Solid (1998) - 94

Snake hides behind a tank in Metal-Gear Solid (1998)

At the time of its release, Metal Gear Solid was the best-reviewed entry in the series and the greatest stealth game in terms of critical reception. Metal Gear Solid blended the topdown gameplay style of older titles with groundbreaking 3D environments.

Staying true to its tagline, the game stresses upon a tactical approach and critics marveled at how Metal Gear Solid presented this aspect. Techniques such as the infiltration mode, using the environment for concealment, and infrared goggles were all praised by reviewers as fascinating technical achievements.

4 Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (2006) - 94

Snake stands in front of a bridge in Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is an expanded edition of the original release, packed with multiple side missions and an online mode. It was well-received for combing indoor and outdoor environments, with camouflage a core part of the gameplay in both scenarios.

Metal Gear Solid 3’s reviews highlighted the emotional origin story, as the entry explains how everything within the narrative came to be. Close quarters combat and motion detecting gadgets were credited with offering a complete form of gameplay that leaves little to be desired.

3 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots (2008) - 94

Snake shooting from behind cover in Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns Of The Patriots

Many fans continue to find Metal Gear Solid 4 to be the best in the series, although it requires a lot of patience due to many hours’ worth of story material. Regardless, those invested in gameplay will find themselves right at home should they be focused on a stealthy environment.

Metal Gear Solid 4 was among the best-reivewed titles in the series, taking an over-the-shoulder perspective and a Psyche meter that helped detect enemies. Mainly, though, the glowing reviews came from critics who enjoyed the heartfelt story of Snake being on his last days. Metal Gear Solid 4 went to show that the stealth genre was far from dead.

2 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015) - 95

Snake walks around a creak in Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain

The final entry in the mainline Metal Gear series brought its A-game for a near-perfect stealth title. In addition, the complex story has players make various tough choices in Metal Gear Solid V. Perfectionists can complete the whole game without being detected if they want to.

The Phantom Pain pushes players to do away with bullet-heavy approaches and see if they can infiltrate areas based on pure skill. Critics lauded Metal Gear Solid V’s high points as improvements that they had been asking for years, with more good reviews going toward the open world design, mature themes, and the level of freedom.

1 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty (2001) - 96

Snake hides behind a wall in Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons Of Liberty

For a game that was called out for falsely advertising Snake as the main protagonist instead of actual hero Raiden, Metal Gear Solid 2 turned out to be a big critical hit. The entry was largely lauded for its cyberpunk aesthetic, as well as for bringing plot that constantly features one twist after another.

As far gameplay goes, Metal Gear Solid 2 was lauded for differentiating between Snake and Raiden, with the latter’s controls more challenging due to his lack of experience. The game is difficult as a result, but passing the many stealth-based challenges is all the more thrilling.

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