Shooting and stealth don’t always go hand-in-hand together: an encounter that can be challenging and satisfying to sneak through risks being trivialized by shooting. Meanwhile, an action sequence can sometimes be more satisfying than stealth, but players have no way to know.
The best shooter stealth games are those that mix the two elements constantly. Thebest tactical FPS games, where slowly sneaking around is the only way to survive, know this well. The same is true for action-oriented stealth titles in the vein of theDishonoredseries. In the end, there is no one way to approach stealth action, and every game has to find a way to balance those two halves. Games that have strong stealth elements will also be considered.
Gloomwoodis a low-poly shooter set in a cursed Victorian city full of monsters and hostile, mutated citizens. This stealth action game takes inspiration from a variety of genres, from survival horror to immersive sims and retro boomer shooters.
WhileGloomwoodisstill in early accessand doesn’t yet have a proper ending, the areas included in the current release are polished enough to be played and include most of what will be in the final release. Plus, the gameplay is open-ended enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, meaning there is nothing to lose by trying the current release before the finished product.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2is a long title for a great game that is almost lost to time. So lost that playing it on modern machines will take even the more technically-minded players some time; time well spent, if it means trying this unique mix ofopen-world tactical shootingand first-person stealth action.
For some reason, theTom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighterseries features completely different games on PC and consoles. Those looking for stealth-focused tactical shooters are better off trying the PC versions first. The console titles are more action-focused and play more like a third-person cover shooter than a classicGhost Recontitle.
Sniper Elite 5is not the kind of game most people envision when they think of a stealth shooter. Still, there certainly are stealth sections to clear and shooting to be done. The main twist on the formula is that those two phases are almost completely separated. First comes sneaking, then comes shooting, and not at the same time.
With this caveat in mind,Sniper Elite 5is an excellent little game about shooting high-value targets from a distance. There’s a lot going on around the main mechanic of shooting a rifle from a distance, but that is still the main draw, and it works great. This is also a rare example of a stealth multiplayer game featuring both co-op and PvP modes.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklistis supposed to be the game that brings the series back to its roots. But while it’s certainly more stealth-focused than theself-defined"high-octane"Splinter Cell Conviction, it’s a far cry from the mood and feel of the original trilogy.
Still,Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklistis the best game in the series when it comes to shooting mechanics. WhileSplinter Cell Chaos Theorymight be the most beloved game in the series, it can scarcely be called a shooter. Sure, protagonist Sam Fisher might have a gun, but he doesn’t really need it. Meanwhile,Blacklistsees the player using their gun quite a bit.
SWAT 4is aclassic tactical shooterwith an emphasis on stealth. Carefully plan the team’s movement and positions, switch loadouts based on mission briefings, or bring some friends over with the co-op multiplayer mode.
WhileSWAT 4: Gold Editionsolves most of the technical problems that afflict this old stealth shooter, setting up a co-op game is not as easy as it used to be. Anyone who has ever used something like Hamachi knows what the deal is, but even this tried-and-true method can stop working seemingly at random. Still, the game is fully playable in single-player mode, with the player controlling an entire team with simple orders.
Deathloopis the latestgame by Arkane Studios, creators of the seminal action stealth seriesDishonored. It’s not surprising, then, if their first dedicated shooter is also a great game to sneak around in. And while the shooting is now the game’s bread and butter, the studio didn’t forget its immersive sim roots.
The elevator pitch forDeathloopis “time-looping, open-world stealth shooter.” And while it is a mouthful, seeing it in action feels totally natural. Every time the player dies, the world resets. Playing through the same level over and over makes the player more and more confident. With this confidence, stealth becomes less necessary, but it’s not until late in the game that it becomes completely unviable.
While previous Far Cry games allowed players to use stealth to get to a better position or set up an ambush, it wasn’t possible to do a full stealth playthrough. Far Cry 3 made stealth significanly more viable while still supporting other playstyles, and it’s still one of the best worlds to sneak around in. That said, stealth runs are absolutely viable for any of the game’s sequels.
What makes stealth fun in those games is how easy enemies are to tag from a distance and how lethal even a standard pistol can be. This isn’t the classic underdog stealth action about a lone assassin against an army.Far Cry 3is a sneaking power fantasy that makes players feel like the Predator, hunting a hopeless group of mercenaries.
Cyberpunk 2077isn’t a dedicated stealth game, but it has a surprisingly in-depth system for sneaking. Most missions are open-ended enough to make stealth a viable solution. Some parts of the game, like the Phantom Liberty DLC mission “Somewhat Damaged,” even make stealth obligatory.
Of course, sinceCyberpunk 2077is an action RPG, stealth is only really viable if the player invests in it. This is a blessing and a curse: sneaking can be made viable, or it can trivialize the entire game if too many points are spent on it. But, with a little self-control, reaching a happy medium is possible.
The only thing that overshadows how fluid sneaking is inDeus Ex: Human Revolutionis thebrilliant use of cover-shooting. Not only does this mechanic make for hard-hitting and punishing combat, but it also helps stealth, allowing players to peek behind corners without being seen. Going from stealth to shootout has never been easier.
Deus Ex: Human Revolutiondoes have its issues. For one, sneaking everywhere and using every vent trivializes pretty much every level. Another issue is the lack of ammo: while this is reasonable for a stealth shooter and does make precision in combat more important, it often leads action-oriented players to undue amounts of frustration.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painis the latest and possibly last title in the iconic stealth series. It’s also one of the bestMetal Gear Solidgames, at least according to the community. It certainly is the bestMGSgame for the shooting, withGround ZeroesandMGS 4coming second and third respectively.
What makes this game’s stealth action special is just how good both sneaking and shooting can feel. Shooting inMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painis rarely the best choice, and it’s best used sparsely. But trying to complete this game with pure stealth makes it one of thehardest games in the series. A mix of both is the ideal approach, which makes it a great stealth shooter.
