What game had your favorite stealth gameplay?

Splinter Cell and Thief made me realize that MGS' stealth is child's play. It's tough to surpass Chaos Theory, as much as I love Human Revolution. I guess I'll rank it

1. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
2. Deus Ex Human Revolution
3. Hitman Blood Money

Three different games, three different kinds of stealth. All executed brilliantly. Thief would be a very close 4th to me.
 
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Without a doubt, the Thief series.
 
The most memorable stealth experiences i had have been playing Snake on MGS4 online. I get a special rush knowing i'm sneaking past real humans that behave unpredictably. Haven't found a stealth game that compares.
 
D4Danger said:
I was hoping somebody would say Commandos. What a great franchise.

sadly stealth nowadays seems to mean "wait in cover until you're told to press the 'A'wesome button"

Hidden and Dangerous too. It was basically Commandos 3D when it first released. I think I played the first level countless times and then never bothered to complete it.

I hope GOG get this game some time, the sequel was pretty bunk though.
 
MGS4, especially acts 1 and 2. The amount of options and ways to approach everything, and sneaking through a warzone. It was just phenomenal.

I also really like the way stealth was implemented in Uncharted 2. It seemed like the best implementation of optional stealth in a non-stealth game that I've played. On my crushing playthrough, I would approach nearly every encounter with stealth, and it was so much fun. I beat the entire train levels with stealth (with the exception of the parts where you had to fight).

I haven't played Deus Ex HR yet, or really paid much attention to it. I had no idea it was a stealth game, and now I'm interested. I'll try to play this in the near future.
 
zkylon said:
The most memorable stealth experiences i had have been playing Snake on MGS4 online. I get a special rush knowing i'm sneaking past real humans that behave unpredictably. Haven't found a stealth game that compares.

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Came in here to say the same thing. Team Sneak in Metal Gear Solid 4 is the best stealth experience ever.

Example: Your invisible. It's a snow map. Your character's breath, knife they hold, and footsteps are your only give away tells to the players who are visible trying to hunt you. You can hide flat on your stomach to avoid having your breath/knife/footprints be seen, but you lose mobility of course. Plus, you throw in the team dynamic that if ANYONE on your group is shot, then there is a 5 second(or was it 10 second) window where your whole team becomes visible to the enemy team. If they are shot during this visible period then the timer resets, and when a team full of people with assault rifles see's you with your tranquilizer handgun or a knife in your hand, then you better have some god like bullet evasion since 1 shot to your head = your dead.

Even playing as visible people was an intense experience, because you have to look for these things as you play. Shadows on the wall of an invisible player moving around, avoiding small confined areas by yourself so you don't get stabbed or choked out by someone waiting for you.

I salute Kojima and the people who came up with this brilliant game type. It's as good as stealth can get. :) Oh, and who doesn't love hiding in a box and watching a player run by assuming no one is in it, as you jump out and grab them behind the neck, and lay on top of them on the ground till they pass out? Or poking your head out of a garbage dumpster to see if someone is running by, and when they do you open it up and tranquilizer shot them in the head.

Sooooooooo goooooooooooood.
 
Uncharted 2 stealth mechanic is so awesome, it's a bit basic, but the implementation is very smooth, I love how Drake automatically crouch to avoid detection. I'd love to see ND go all out and make proper dedicated stealth games with more complex AI and enemy route.

oh, and MGS4 first 2 chapter and the brief last chapter is so awesome stealth gameplay wise.
 
Easy_D said:
Odd choice but nothing excites me more than having a good run as a spy in TF2, it's glorious.
I support this nomination. Tricking AI is one thing, tricking human opponents is something else entirely.

EDIT: This lends support to Chaos Theory as well, though the mechanics are obviously very different. God I loved that mall level.
 
paperboywriter said:
the coop-voicechat-whispering in chaos theory was pretty great. really don't know why no dev explored this idea any further?!
I never played Chaos Theory (never cared for the Splinter Cell series). Would you mind elaborating on this feature? It sounds interesting.

We could use more co-op stealth modes in general.
 
ScOULaris said:
I never played Chaos Theory (never cared for the Splinter Cell series). Would you mind elaborating on this feature? It sounds interesting.

We could use more co-op stealth modes in general.
Chaos Theory had two-on-two versus multiplayer (and ONLY that form of multiplayer... there were no other modes). You could communicate via voice chat with your team member; however, the other team could hear you speaking if they were close enough. There was some approximation of sound carry in the game, so you ended up whispering back and forth with your partner.
 
Evlar said:
I support this nomination. Tricking AI is one thing, tricking human opponents is something else entirely.

EDIT: This lends support to Chaos Theory as well, though the mechanics are obviously very different. God I loved that mall level.

Yep, I remember one particular Chaos Theory LAN session in which I was exposed on a bridge by one of the mercs, and he opened fire on me. I jumped off the bridge, and everyone watching, teammate included, counted me as dead, when I was actually hanging onto the bridge railing for the next several minutes. I was all but forgotten when he crossed that same bridge in pusuit of my teammate, and found himself being thrown off of it to his death.

So good.

I'll also throw in my support for Crysis and Arkham Asylum, although I must admit that as much as I love AA, the stealth pales in comparison to the other two.
 
Also, honorable mention for most memorable stealth level/scenario

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The End boss fight in MGS3. I spent like 40 minutes fighting this guy, and the whole time I couldn't believe it was happening. It was so awesome and intense.
 
I prefer more predatory stealth, so Batman: Arkham Asylum was perfect for me. They nailed the feeling of being invisible and invoking fear into the enemies. I can't freaking wait to play Arkham City tonight.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is second, because you could play any type of stealth you pleased. You could sneak around anyone, or you could go around knocking out (or killing) everyone. I preferred knocking everyone out.

In terms of more classic stealth, SC: Chaos Theory takes the cake.
 
If I had to pick my favorite single action from any stealth game, it would have to be from the Hitman series: pulling out my silenced 9mm and popping some security guard right between the eyes and then tucking my gun back into my coat all in one swift motion.

- Guard looks at you suspiciously
- "Hm, I don't remember seeing that guy bef-"
- *pew pew*
- Blood splatters on the wall and his body slumps to the floor
- 47 walks off like a boss.

Never gets old.
 
I don't even like playing as a Spy but I still have to say TF2. if anything it's too intense for my blood, but that is what a game needs when playing a spy.
 
For my money Deus EX HR, the game has multiple pathways in each level and gives you a wide variety of options on how to tackle each scenario. All the way being accessible and fun, and if you're discovered the game remains fun to play, unlike other games.

Chinner said:
i'm not saying its the best stealth play, but i really liked what they did in uncharted 2 because it smelt so smooth and natural in it.

I agree, not the best stealth play like you said, but it's integrated into the game in an impressively natural manner. I hope they expanded that kind of stuff for UC3.
 
zkylon said:
The most memorable stealth experiences i had have been playing Snake on MGS4 online. I get a special rush knowing i'm sneaking past real humans that behave unpredictably. Haven't found a stealth game that compares.
Have you tried assassin's creed online?
 
My favorite stealth mechanics in a game is so far Deus Ex Human Revolution.

I loved how it was actually not impossible to do, compared to the original Deus Ex.


In close second, would be Arkham Asylum. Awesome to stealth and make those people get scared.

And then would be some parts of the Assassin's Creed Series. Just some, since it was mostly action and escaping.
 
Crunched said:
Have you tried assassin's creed online?
Yes, it's excellent at times, but usually it's simply it's an endless chain of being backstabbed for backstabbing a backstabber.
 
I love Metal Gear, but there was something so fun about the grapple stealth in this game, running along a rooftop, and dropping down on a guy to assassinate him :)

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I'd say stealth in Human Revolution just makes you too powerful, I was fun early on when you can't really do anything but once you get more praxis points the game just breaks, especially with cloak when you can just waltz right through a room full of enemies just eating candy bars. There's also almost always "the stealth path" following which lets you skip obstacles so encountering one I always found myself looking for a vent because the game even gives you additional xp for taking that route instead of reaching some other solution through improvisation.
And improvisation was a bit part of Far Cry 2 which while not even close to perfect had the best stealth gameplay this gen imo. Sure it breaks from time to time, you get spotted by snipers or some other patrolmen but that's mostly because they're actually looking for any possible threat. Then there's of course emergent gameplay to factor in when they do find you but that's not what this thread is about.
Outside of this generation Thief (as a series) seems to me is the most obvious choice as it is to this day the best stealth game of all time.
 
Metal Gear Solid 2 - the best mechanics
Double Agent - some sunny levels and the HQ
Crysis - grab and throw, freak out soldiers, distract and divert, so awesome
 
Crunched said:
Have you tried assassin's creed online?
I wanted this to work so much. It just never clicked with me. I played it for 20+ hours in different game modes and barring any drastic changes for the upcoming MP release, I'm going to pass on it entirely. Lots of rooftop running, kill piles and very little stealth.
 
Zeliard said:
Thief 1 & 2

Can't beat them. Large and beautifully designed levels, very little player direction, strong mechanics.
Thief 2 definitely does it better, which is reasonable since it's one of the greatest games ever made. But yeah, I think Thief 1 and 2 are pretty strong in this genre of gameplay. I'm currently playing through Thief 3, but it just doesn't feel the same. I really hope that Thief 4 captures the feeling that Thief 1 and 2 generated.

Along with the Thief games, I'll have to go with Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and the original Xbox version of Double Agent.

Pazuzu9 said:
The final game in the Splinter Cell series, Chaos Theory.
If you haven't played the original Xbox version of Double Agent, I highly recommend you do so. It was developed by the Chaos Theory team.
 
Oh shit. This thread was made for me. Stealth games are the bread and butter of my interest in gaming.

All around best stealth: All three Thief games. Perfect.
Runner up: SC Chaos Theory

Most fluid: DX Human Revolution
Runner up: SC Conviction (say what you will, but the game flows in Deniable Ops)

Most interesting take on the genre: Tenchu 4/Shadow Assassins (different from everything else)
Runner up: Alpha Protocol or Hitman Blood Money

Really though, anything with stealth, I will at least play.

I don't really consider the MGS games pure stealth, more like "Espionage Action".

EDIT: Looking forward to Dishonored more than anything besides Thief IV.
 
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All the Metal Gear Solid games (aside from 4) were very entertaining with their uses of stealth, but the GBC game shouldn't be overlooked.
 
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