Summary

Few games are as self-explanatory as stealth games. It’s all there in the genre title. These games are about sticking to the shadows and surprising your enemies. You must conquer your enemies with strategic planning, misdirection, and tactical espionage. Choose your weapons wisely because any noise you make can be held against you.

Alternatively,some stealth games give you more freedom. You can hack, slash, shoot, and bomb your way through your enemies. You can mow down your foes indiscriminately, becoming a very visible part of your enemies’ nightmares. Although that head-on approach may not be easy.

An expansive cityscape, viewed from the player’s room in Prey.

Despite its premise, stealth is entirely optional in 2017’s horror-adjacentPrey. The immersive sim game rewards non-confrontation, but you may find it easier to blast hostile extraterrestrials in the face with a shotgun. You can pair that futuristic buckshot with an EMP charge for more firepower!

However, Prey wasn’t explicitly designed as a run-and-gun game. Enemies are brutally powerful; one misstep can spell doom for your spacefarer. Even if you refuse stealth, you’ll need tactical planning and foresight to conquer Prey.

The player crouches on an overlook in Sniper Elite 4.

7Sniper Elite

The World War II setting of theSniper Elite seriesmay seem inflexible, but the series offers you plenty of room to experiment. These tactical titles reward silent takeouts, but they don’t necessarily penalize all-out chaos. You (usually) won’t fail a mission if you decide to blow up everything you see with the most extravagant explosives in your inventory.

That being said,you won’t be doing yourself favors. You’re a solo special forces soldier; you can’t easily take on entire army divisions! Low- and no-stealth playthroughs are challenging, but they’re remarkably satisfying.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Eivor Looking At Broder

Despite the series’ stealthy origins, many of the more recent Assassin’s Creed games have been more lenient on stealth.Assassin’s Creed: Valhallais no exception. You can choose the traditional route and avoid drawing attention, or you can bash and stab a path of pure carnage.

Valhalla isn’t the only Assassin’s Creed title with hack-and-slash gameplay, either. You can also get your fill of stealthless stealth games withAssassin’s Creed: Odyssey. Of course, if you’re up for a challenge, you can try your hand at all-out attacks in the classic games, such asAssassin’s Creed 3.

The player character killing an enemy in Aragami.

Few games have the stylish aesthetic of Aragami, and even fewer have mastered the delicate balance of optional stealth. However, this pseudo-platformer has conquered both challenges! Despite your stealthy attire, you can absolutely dodge any attempts at subtlety and turn every level into a bloodbath.

Aragami’s stealth mechanics are impressive, but the game includes some remarkable all-out assault abilities. These flashy skills let you cut your way through heavily reinforced enemy ranks like butter, and you’ll lookremarkable.Go ahead and playAragami 2to keep that fun going!

Agent 47 walking towards a crowd. in Hitman

Hitmen must be stealthy and quick. Dispatching targets with anything less than precision stealth compromises their cover, after all. However, theHitmangames let you forgo that logic. Forget the silenced Silverballers. Equip some grenades, shotguns, and rocket launchers instead.

The series’ freeform problem-solving is its greatest asset, and loud assassinations are perfectly viable solutions. They’re not theeasiestapproach, but they’re undeniably entertaining. Become a public nuisance in Miami and Mumbai inHitman 2, or cause pandemonium in Chongquing and Berlin inHitman 3!

Jin Sakai delivering a fatal blow to an enemy after having successfully parried an attack.

Youcanbecome a demon of the night. You can stalk your prey like a panther and invade Mongolian armies’ most feverish nighttime terrors.Or,if you’re feeling more chaotic, you can turnGhost of Tsushimainto a hack-and-slash frenzy!

If the way of the ninja bores you, consider following the warrior’s path. Approach your enemies head-on, declare your presence, and use skillful swordplay to ravage your foes. The developers atSucker Puncheven included entire equipment sets for loud, in-your-face assaults — including goodies like bombs and explosive arrows.

A dead guard in front of an ornate door in Dishonored 2, shown from the perspective of the player who is hoisting a pistol and a sword

Reclaiming your reputation is hard if you’re known for publicly executing countless royal guards. So, it only makes sense forDishonored— and its sequel,Dishonored 2— to prioritize stealth. Many of the series’ most powerful upgrades amplify your silence, but some of themost amusingabilities supercharge your chaotic potential.

The outright bloodbath you’ll undoubtedly create with non-stealth gameplay may not be the most advisable solution, but it’s packed with unique challenges and opportunities. Just know that both games incentivize stealthy gameplay, so you’ll encounter more in-game resistance when playing as Dunwall’s increasingly infamous serial killer.

Metal Gear Solid 5 Snake With His Team

Metal Gear Solid 5continues the series’ tradition of heart-pounding tactical espionage, nail-biting boss fights, and letting grown men sneak around in cardboard boxes. It outfits you with the most advanced stealth gear, silenced weapons, and clever traps.

But, for those wanting to become more than a shadow, you can run and gun through the throngs of enemy soldiers. This time, you’re given plenty of attention-grabbing ways to overpower your foes. In addition to the unsilenced weapons, you can equip Big Boss with rocket launchers, grenades, and a full-blown miniature mech.