Summary
The stealth game genre is relatively broad, featuring everything from the hardcore stealth experiences of early entries intheSplinter Cellseries, to the action-stealth sandboxes of games such asMetal Gear 5: The Phantom Pain. While not all of these games focus on creating immersive experiences, many of them are often immersive thanks to tense, cinematic gameplay and open environments to explore.
Many games in the immersive-sim genre thatheavily encourage stealthtend to be among the most immersive stealth games, thanks to their lack of hand-holding and variety of interconnected environments. There have been many immersive stealth games over the years, especially in the genre’s early days, but both old and new games have been included for the sake of variety.
Dishonoredisa lightweight immersive-simthat allows players to approach encounters in whichever way they see fit, be that in full stealth or with brutal violence. However, stealth is highly encouraged, as players that blitz through the game killing everyone in sight will find themselves with a bad ending. While this could be observed as a flaw inDishonored’sdesign, as it punishes combat-oriented players for playing how they wish to, it helps to make the stealth gameplay feel meaningful.
The variety of options and routes through each level, even in full stealth, allowDishonoredto provide an immersive stealth sandbox for players to experiment in. This, along with the well-crafted environments and richly detailed interiors, makes sneaking through each ofDishonored’sdistinctive Steampunk missions an immersive undertaking.
Published by the prolific New Blood Interactive,Gloomwoodcombines elements of thesurvival-horror and immersive-sim genres to offer players a truly immersive stealth experience. As with many, if not all, immersive-sims, stealth inGloomwoodis not the only option. However, it is highly encouraged, as combat puts a drain on the player’s resources and forces them to adapt quickly. This makes stealth arguably necessary, especially in some portions of the game. Thankfully,Gloomwood’sThief-inspired lighting mechanics make stealth an engaging and immersive activity.
One ofGloomwood’sgreatest strengths, and arguably one of the key factors in its immersive atmosphere, is its level design. Each level is meticulously crafted, offering players unique routes through each area and constantly giving them landmarks to easily navigate. This, along with the subtle world-building, immersive sound design, and cinematic lighting, results in a game that’s easy to get lost in.
This sandbox detective simulator puts players ina procedurally generated citywith fully simulated citizens, each of which has its own routines. This allowsShadows Of Doubtto offer players an immersive open world to be in, making the immersive-sim-inspired stealth remarkably visceral.
Shadows Of Doubtgives players complete freedom to explore their simulated city, choosing which cases to take on and how to go about solving them; players are able to pick locks, break into apartments, and even bribe the city’s denizens. By ensuring players are able to approach each case from a variety of angles and allowing them to explore every nook of its procedural cities,Shadows Of Doubtis able to offer a one-of-a-kind stealth experience.
Released all the way back in 1998,Thief: The Dark Projectis an old-school stealth game that won’t be for everyone due to its rough edges. However, the attention to detail in its level design, expertly crafted difficulty,and innovative light and sound systemarguably makeThief: The Dark Projectone of the most immersive stealth games even by today’s standards.
Players must be aware of their surroundings at all times, making use of the environment to avoid guards and complete their objectives. To do this, players are given a bow and several unique arrow types; moss arrows to reduce noise, water arrows to snuff out torches, and rope arrows to reach new locations, among others, make this bow a truly versatile tool for sneaking around.Thief: The Dark Projectis also full of personality, particularly in its presentation and tongue-in-cheek voice acting.
Arguably one of if not the best games in theSplinter Cellseries, and possibly one of the best stealth games ever made,Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theoryis a surprisingly immersive stealth game despite its increasing age. Having been released all the way back in 2005,Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theorywon’t be up to scratch for players who want a modern experience with slick presentation, but the game’s visuals and gameplay are shockingly smooth for a title that’s nearly twenty years old at the time of writing.
The game’s atmosphere is made immersive through cinematic lighting and a careful balance of light and dark environments that emphasize stealth at every corner. Unlike many modern stealth games, going loud inTom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theoryis generally less rewarding than attempting full stealth. This results ina hardcore stealth experiencethat fans of the genre are sure to love, but might turn away more casual players.
