The Best Stealth Missions of All Time

Stealth is an art in video games — one that’s hard to perfect. The detection system of the enemy plays a huge role in the player’s satisfaction level. Too easy to sneak past enemies? Then, players will quickly lose interest in continuing the game. Usually, the higher the difficulty level of these missions, the easier the enemy can detect you. This article focuses on video game missions where stealth is the best tactic to beat the mission.

Also Read: Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake: Screenshots and Details

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory — Panama Bank Mission

This is probably the most memorable mission in the Splinter Cell series. Players are given a great variety of items, routes, and options to approach any mission. The agent you control could also interact with different aspects of the environment like doors and ladders. Also, you can destroy the lights so you can use the darkness as a cover for silent assassinations. We still get a tingle down our spine thinking about this game.

Because players have to infiltrate tight spaces, conflict can almost never be avoided. But that’s where the stealth part comes in — your job is to sneak past all the enemies in this mission. Your goal is to steal bearer bonds worth $50,000,000 but you can only enter the vault by accessing three panels located in different spots in the bank. Some traps and security protocols you’ll need to beat are security cameras, lasers, motion sensors, and guards. The fact that the odds are stacked against you makes it all the sweeter when you do beat the mission.

Dishonoured 2 — The Clockwork Mansion 

The Clockwork Mansion is the fourth mission you’ll play in Dishonoured 2 but it’s probably the best mission in the game. Your goals in this mission are to kill Kirin Jindosh and rescue Anton Solokov. But the trick is that the Mansion is ever-changing so only its creator or someone who’s used to its structure can navigate properly. 

Along the way, you’ll encounter rather disgusting lab creations in the maze, that is the Clockwork Mansion. Of course, you still have the option of killing everything in your path. But we recommend you sit back and enjoy the scenery. Delving into walls to escape or assassinate guards is a strange, but riveting emotion — we like it! 

Call of Duty 4 — All Ghillied Up 

All Ghillied Up is the thirteenth mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Even though the mission is anything but simple, it’s basically an assassination. You see, this time around, you don’t get a cheap shot at the target. Instead, you have to sneak past enemy lines and fail the assassination. 

You don’t stand a chance. Not against the tanks at the beginning of the mission and not against the onslaught of soldiers. So, you run! The mission is concluded with an emergency rescue via a chopper. This mission is one of our favourites because it balances stealth and gunplay beautifully. You’ll have a wide variety of guns to pick from, as well as items like grenades, Mines, flashbangs, and many more. Come to think of it, we should have used flashbangs more when we completed the mission. It would have been great for crowd control in the end.

Batman: Arkham City — Return to Mr Freeze

The whole Batman video game series encourages players to use stealth any chance they get. This is because most groups of enemies can call for reinforcements which act as the punishment for not using stealth to beat all the challenges. Arguably, no mission in the series requires more stealth than Return to Mr Freeze. 

Thief 2 — Life of the Party

As the name sounds, Thief 2 puts players in the shoes of an expert thief who throughout the story, will be given different missions. Sure enough, these missions will require you to steal something, whether that be the life of the enemies you’ll encounter or valuable items. Speaking of the opps, you have the option of not killing them which makes the mission all the more challenging. Life of the Party is a memorable experience because of the stellar level of design. The level goes deep and players have to use everything they’ve learned so far. That is, eavesdrop on security guards and armed personnel, avoid the guard’s work shifts, and avoid the gaze of archers. If you’re looking for a reason not to snuff some guards out, increase the difficulty and watch the AI get better at detecting you. 

Half-Life Alyx — Killing Jeff

Jeff is a former worker who has now turned into a zombie. So, it’s up to players to give him a final farewell which is tricky because Jeff can’t be damaged like the other zombies. In fact, he’s practically impervious to your attacks so you need a bigger weapon. That is, a compactor, so it’s up to players to lead him to his final resting place which is hard because Jeff is now blind. But now, he’s extra sensitive to noises so he’ll come chasing whenever he hears a noise. It’s a game of prey and predator in which only stealth can give you an edge.

Hitman: Blood Money — Curtains Down

Hitman is an assassin video game that encourages players to blend in with their environment and eliminate targets. Curtains Down is one of the few stealth missions in Blood Money that caught everybody’s attention. This mission tasks players with killing two targets, an actor and an ambassador but the tricky part is that both targets are in the room. The actor is practising on stage while the ambassador is sitting in an Opera Box. If you’re fast enough, you could kill both of them with your pistols but for players who wanted to ace this mission, players rigged the chandelier and then replaced the dummy gun with a real one. As soon as Alvaro’s head is blasted off on stage, Ambassador Richard will try running for the hills. Only for the chandelier to fall on him. Basically, setting up traps without anybody knowing felt pretty da*n good.

Alien: Isolation — San Cristobal Medical Facility

Alien: Isolation is a scary game for first timers but after a few cringe-worthy reactions to the alien’s attacks, you’ll eventually start fighting back. You’re still the prey so your priority is to get as far away from the Xenomorph as possible. The AI detection system of the alien in Isolation is world-class so it’s complex. Xenomorphs are killers by design because their masters used them to purge worlds after which they’ll eliminate the Xenomorph before they start living there. So, the medical facility is a playground for the alien and you’re the little mouse who can’t afford any mistakes. Beating one of the toughest AI in video games at its own game feels sublime.

Mark of the Ninja — A Change in Course

This is the only 2D game on the list which is for good reasons. The little cues for good and bad ideas via sound and light are amazing because they add depth to the video game. But the part that takes the cake is the crafting system with which players have to come up with creative strategies to pick off their opponents one by one. Your job is to sabotage an enemy’s hideout by filling it with flammable gas and then escaping the lair before everything goes boom-boom. The explosion is amazing because all that sneaking around and restarts finally paid off.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What Are the Best Stealth Games of All Time?

The best stealth games of all time are Metal Gear Solid 5, Dishonoured 2, Hitman 3, Mark of the Ninja, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Alien: Isolation, and Invisible, Inc. These games are in the stealth niche so they reward players who beat missions while remaining undetected throughout the game. The Metal Gear Solid enemy AI is notorious for their ability to adapt to situations. So, you could try that game out first. 

What’s the Best Weapon for Shooter Stealth Games?

The pistol is the best weapon for shooter stealth games because it’s easy to aim. If you use a rifle like the M14 or a shotgun like Spas 12, you may be shot before you can aim. The M14 is especially popular in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Especially if you’re attacking multiple enemies. You can quickly aim and drop three bodies before they can get help. Also, pistols are much more silent than sniper and assault rifles.

What Makes a Good Stealth Game?

The enemy detection system makes stealth games great! If enemies are too quick to detect you, the video game becomes impossible to play. But if it’s fair to players, a lot more will stick around. Especially if the video game lets players camouflage using their outfits and the environment.