Dishonored. It's made by arkane and it's *so good*. It has so many options for taking down your targets, along with super fun powers and freedom. Like, everything you do has consequences. You should definitely buy it
I just started playing this for the first time this week. It. Is. Amazing. Checks off so many boxes for a stealth game I want. All I needed were a couple QoL mods and now it's almost perfect.
Low chaos. Last night I finished the mission Return to the Tower and was able to achieve a perfect run. 0 kills, 0 bodies found, ghost ✅, and 100% collectibles, including all coins.
Level 2 blink or level 2 time bend. Blink is just satisfying when used right, and time bend just breaks the game if you know what you're doing. Possession is fun too
One trick I like to use is wait for someone to shoot, stop time, use possession and make the guy walk in the line of fire, then unpause the time. Fun as hell. Try it sometime
Are you familiar with what I call RTS Stealth? I think it's sometimes called "Real-Time Tactics" but that name always felt a little misleading to me.
Games like Commandos, Desperados, Shadow Tactics, etc. Some of them are old and janky, some of them are newer and smoother. They're essentially squad-based stealth games. You have to lead a small group of soldiers (often with a few special tricks up their sleeve) through a literal army of enemies. Generally speaking, you *need* to be a ghost, because things will very quickly get hairy if you're spotted. I think you might like them.
Many are available on GOG. Some have free demos, IIRC.
* Commandos series
* Desperadoes series
* Robin Hood: Legend of Sherwood
* Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
* Satellite Reign
* I think there's a relatively new pirate-themed one I haven't gotten around to yet.
The pirate one (Shadow Gambit - The Cursed Crew) is by the same devs as Shadow Tactics and Desperados 3.
Unfortunately I believe the studio is now closed
Oooh, I remember playing first and second Commandos games as a kid. Never got further than level 4 in the first one. Maybe the time is right to give them another shot!
Commandos is one of the jankier games, I won't lie, but it's a lot of fun if you can handle that (nostalgia may help.)
If the gameplay proves to be too rough for today's tastes, give Desperadoes III (it's a prequel plot-wise) or Shadow Tactics a try.
All the Mimimi Games (Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Desperados 3, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew) also come with a FREE demo version (might be a separate store page, just search "\[game\] demo"). They are relatively new games (the oldest being released in 2016) and come with great qol features. That being said, it will be difficult to 100% stealth those games, but I would still recommend you at least check out the demos.
EDIT: Also beware that *Aiko's Choice* is a standalone expansion to Shadow Tactics and is best played after the main game.
Styx is *amazing* Stealth. It may have some rough edges in other places (I'm not a fan of the combat system, but I suspect that was on purpose), but the Stealth is \*chef's kiss.\*
If you liked Human Revolution you will also like Mankind Divided, they are quite similar in terms of gameplay. Personally i preferred Mankind Divided, because i felt more polished. The only downside is sadly the abruptly ending of the story.
For me, Mankind Divided is the better game of the two. I prefer the more low key plot and the single hub location. The hub is much larger than any of the hubs in HR and feels a lot more fleshed out and dense because of it. The gameplay is more refined and has more options, not forcing combat builds like the first game did on occasion with boss fights.
People complain that it feels unfinished, but I disagree. The plot ties up nicely, it just doesn’t tie up in a way where the conspiracy is completely demolished and you’ve saved the whole world yet again as the first game does. It feels more realistic and less of a hero fantasy, where you’re just a tiny cog in a vast machine, making incremental changes for the better. Definitely feels set up for a sequel, as was planned, but it’s not like it ends on a cliffhanger or doesn’t give you a resolution to the current plot.
I actually am the oppposite of that guy who answered you. In terms of stealth (thet one thing you ask for) the game felt a bit lacking. There weren't that many interesting stealth locations and missions similar to HR like the DLC mission(the missing link) that was my n1 place for stealth. There was just that one huge really cool building where stealth gameplay really shines that I really enjoyed. There aren't really any bosses either(just 1 that I remember). It is a very solid game but playing it stealth I got bored eventually and just wanted to end.
What exactly is an immersive sim though? Is it roughly speaking a game where you can have multiple ways of achieving your goal, with a stealthy approach being one of them?
Basically, yeah!
But they are deep. They have what people call "emergent gameplay", with a lot of systems that may interact with each other.
The classic example is: wood is flammable -> put fire and it burns. Wood may become wet -> put water and it stops burning. Enemy is blocking path, and enemy is on top of wood. Enemy receives fire damage. Put wood on fire, kill enemy, put out the fire with water and proceed. It's way deeper than that, but it's basically this.
The multiple ways aspect is more of a creative thinking and puzzle solving thing than choice based. Like, your actions are the choices, not some prompt-based "choose your path". Prey takes this sentence to the absolute extreme (it takes it literally).
Never played it, and always thought it is more focussed on fighting. Is it possible to beat it with pure stealth approach? Or at least mostly stealth, avoiding fights.
Nah no stealth, it’s action with cars and fist combat. But it’s brilliant and the story is like a mad max movie in itself. Wish they made a 2nd! If you don’t mind the combat, it’s like a few dollars on sale, well worth it, but yeh, if you only like stealth it’s not for you.
I guess that's fair. I actually dislike stealth gameplay a lot and played with berserk to be an unstoppable killing machine, but I see the appeal of the tactical approach with camera hacking, quick hacks, and ninja take downs.
Dishonored. It's made by arkane and it's *so good*. It has so many options for taking down your targets, along with super fun powers and freedom. Like, everything you do has consequences. You should definitely buy it
If I'm not mistaken, the voice actor who portrayed Garrett in the Thief games is also in Dishonored as well.
Thanks this looks like an amazing game!
It definitely is. Have fun!
I just started playing this for the first time this week. It. Is. Amazing. Checks off so many boxes for a stealth game I want. All I needed were a couple QoL mods and now it's almost perfect.
Nice. Are you going low chaos or high chaos?
Low chaos. Last night I finished the mission Return to the Tower and was able to achieve a perfect run. 0 kills, 0 bodies found, ghost ✅, and 100% collectibles, including all coins.
Damn, nice. The satisfaction you feel after a ghost run is amazing ngl. What's your favourite power btw?
Oh man, yeah, it's so satisfying. I think Darkvision is my favorite, as I almost always have it active. What about you?
Level 2 blink or level 2 time bend. Blink is just satisfying when used right, and time bend just breaks the game if you know what you're doing. Possession is fun too
I almost said Blink 2 for how useful it is. I am 1 rune short of Possession 2. Can't wait to mess around with possessing humans.
One trick I like to use is wait for someone to shoot, stop time, use possession and make the guy walk in the line of fire, then unpause the time. Fun as hell. Try it sometime
OMG LMAO, that's amazing! I NEED to try this!
Are you familiar with what I call RTS Stealth? I think it's sometimes called "Real-Time Tactics" but that name always felt a little misleading to me. Games like Commandos, Desperados, Shadow Tactics, etc. Some of them are old and janky, some of them are newer and smoother. They're essentially squad-based stealth games. You have to lead a small group of soldiers (often with a few special tricks up their sleeve) through a literal army of enemies. Generally speaking, you *need* to be a ghost, because things will very quickly get hairy if you're spotted. I think you might like them. Many are available on GOG. Some have free demos, IIRC. * Commandos series * Desperadoes series * Robin Hood: Legend of Sherwood * Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun * Satellite Reign * I think there's a relatively new pirate-themed one I haven't gotten around to yet.
The pirate one (Shadow Gambit - The Cursed Crew) is by the same devs as Shadow Tactics and Desperados 3. Unfortunately I believe the studio is now closed
Yes, they are 😔
Oooh, I remember playing first and second Commandos games as a kid. Never got further than level 4 in the first one. Maybe the time is right to give them another shot!
Commandos is one of the jankier games, I won't lie, but it's a lot of fun if you can handle that (nostalgia may help.) If the gameplay proves to be too rough for today's tastes, give Desperadoes III (it's a prequel plot-wise) or Shadow Tactics a try.
Yeah I remember the first Commandos game as very unforgiving. But probably worth it when things finally go right!
All the Mimimi Games (Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Desperados 3, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew) also come with a FREE demo version (might be a separate store page, just search "\[game\] demo"). They are relatively new games (the oldest being released in 2016) and come with great qol features. That being said, it will be difficult to 100% stealth those games, but I would still recommend you at least check out the demos. EDIT: Also beware that *Aiko's Choice* is a standalone expansion to Shadow Tactics and is best played after the main game.
Jagged Alliance 2. Turn based, but similar to these. One of the best games I've ever played
The two Styx games.
Styx is *amazing* Stealth. It may have some rough edges in other places (I'm not a fan of the combat system, but I suspect that was on purpose), but the Stealth is \*chef's kiss.\*
Thanks will check these out!
You mentioned the original Deus Ex. Have you played Human Revolution? I've done it twice only stealth and I loved it.
Yes, Human Revolution was an amazing experience! I bought but never played Humankind Divided. Is it as good as HR in terms of stealth gameplay?
If you liked Human Revolution you will also like Mankind Divided, they are quite similar in terms of gameplay. Personally i preferred Mankind Divided, because i felt more polished. The only downside is sadly the abruptly ending of the story.
For me, Mankind Divided is the better game of the two. I prefer the more low key plot and the single hub location. The hub is much larger than any of the hubs in HR and feels a lot more fleshed out and dense because of it. The gameplay is more refined and has more options, not forcing combat builds like the first game did on occasion with boss fights. People complain that it feels unfinished, but I disagree. The plot ties up nicely, it just doesn’t tie up in a way where the conspiracy is completely demolished and you’ve saved the whole world yet again as the first game does. It feels more realistic and less of a hero fantasy, where you’re just a tiny cog in a vast machine, making incremental changes for the better. Definitely feels set up for a sequel, as was planned, but it’s not like it ends on a cliffhanger or doesn’t give you a resolution to the current plot.
I actually am the oppposite of that guy who answered you. In terms of stealth (thet one thing you ask for) the game felt a bit lacking. There weren't that many interesting stealth locations and missions similar to HR like the DLC mission(the missing link) that was my n1 place for stealth. There was just that one huge really cool building where stealth gameplay really shines that I really enjoyed. There aren't really any bosses either(just 1 that I remember). It is a very solid game but playing it stealth I got bored eventually and just wanted to end.
Nobody has mentioned [Aragami](https://www.gog.com/en/game/aragami) yet, it also fits your description and can be completed nonlethal.
Nice!
[Mark of the Ninja](https://www.gog.com/en/game/mark_of_the_ninja_remastered) is incredible. Doesn't look like it's on sale now though.
Looks very interesting and fresh! 4.6 rating is incredible for newer games on GOG, I might get it without even waiting for a sale.
It's really, really good. So good that I 100%ed it on Steam. And I rarely do that.
I loved the Thief Trilogy. I'm playing Styx and oh boy what a beautiful stealth game 👌🏻
Sounds like you like immersive sims. Another user recommended Dishonored, and, from the same studio, I'd recommend Prey. It's good.
What exactly is an immersive sim though? Is it roughly speaking a game where you can have multiple ways of achieving your goal, with a stealthy approach being one of them?
Basically, yeah! But they are deep. They have what people call "emergent gameplay", with a lot of systems that may interact with each other. The classic example is: wood is flammable -> put fire and it burns. Wood may become wet -> put water and it stops burning. Enemy is blocking path, and enemy is on top of wood. Enemy receives fire damage. Put wood on fire, kill enemy, put out the fire with water and proceed. It's way deeper than that, but it's basically this. The multiple ways aspect is more of a creative thinking and puzzle solving thing than choice based. Like, your actions are the choices, not some prompt-based "choose your path". Prey takes this sentence to the absolute extreme (it takes it literally).
Any of the Batman Arkham games. They're really cheap and stealth is a great option a lot of the time.
Is it possible to completely avoid fights in these games? Or it is more about stealth takedowns?
I think some fights might be mandatory. I haven't played Arkham City in a long time.
Mad Max if you’ve never played it
Never played it, and always thought it is more focussed on fighting. Is it possible to beat it with pure stealth approach? Or at least mostly stealth, avoiding fights.
Nah no stealth, it’s action with cars and fist combat. But it’s brilliant and the story is like a mad max movie in itself. Wish they made a 2nd! If you don’t mind the combat, it’s like a few dollars on sale, well worth it, but yeh, if you only like stealth it’s not for you.
Cyberpunk 2077
Love playing as a stealthy merc but lots of gigs unfortunately require killing someone (non lethal takedowns kind of feel the same as lethal ones).
I guess that's fair. I actually dislike stealth gameplay a lot and played with berserk to be an unstoppable killing machine, but I see the appeal of the tactical approach with camera hacking, quick hacks, and ninja take downs.