Stealth Games Where Combat Is An Option

Genres can be restricting, but they help give a game some focus, as well. Stealth games are beloved, though dedicated games in the genre are a bit rare. Some games lighten the stealth mechanics to make combat more approachable and forgiving, or start to forgo stealth more and more in favour of combat. Blending the two systems can be quite difficult.

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These games, however, succeed. Stealth is still the main focus with enough depth to never make it feel lesser, but being pushed into combat can feel just as rewarding. Sometimes, a stealth mission goes wrong and you don’t want your only recourse to be reloading the game.

8

Dishonored

Some of the best immersive sims there are, the Dishonored games are stealth games through-and-through. Each level is built to provide you endless ways to move through them without being seen, and it’s supernatural abilities let you stay hidden and take down enemies without needing to get your own hands dirty.

With a world as reactive as its own, things will go wrong. A bottle knocked over, an enemy just out of sight. Dishonored makes getting into a fight just as exciting, enemies attacking you relentlessly and chasing you down. Your own abilities have just as much utility in combat though, and a sword used in stealth is just as strong when swung in combat.

Holding the title as one of the earliest 3D stealth games, the Metal Gear Solid games have always pushed stealth and planning to the forefront. This continues in Metal Gear Solid 5, with the open world bring you a greater degree of planning and unpredictableness to the game. And sometimes, that means resorting to more direct means.

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While it will always pale in comparison to the excellence of the stealth, MGS5 has shockingly good combat for how little you may ever interact with it. There are copious different weapons, ranged and melee options, plenty of movement options for Snake to dive out of harm’s way and so much more. You should avoid it, but going in guns blazing is still a viable option.

6

Hitman

Another astounding immersive sim, the Hitman games have always had social stealth as their mantra. You’re doing less peeking around corners, and more hiding in plain sight. Donning different disguises and gathering a plethora of tools is the name of the game. Except one wrong outfit, taking out a weapon at the inopportune time, and your cover is blown.

Good thing the game gives you plenty of weapons, from explosive briefcases to assault rifles. Some outfits even let you carry the big guns around with you, letting you unleash a hail of bullets whenever you want. Agent 47 is skillful with his hands too, able to disarm any opponent and make their weapon his own in the blink of an eye.

5

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

After an extremely long hiatus, the Deus Ex games returned with Human Revolution. An incredible RPG with some great stealth, it’s non-stealth options were comparatively paltry and clunky. Mankind Divided was a massive jump in this regard, deepening the stealth mechanics while rebuilding its combat mechanics into something much more fluid.

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Hacking was given greater depth, and guns felt much better. They could be modded with greater customisation, and Jensen’s own augmentations had more use in full-frontal combat rather than being restricted to just stealth and traversal.

4

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle

From the developers behind the modern Wolfenstein games, Machinegames took a more stealthy approach with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Indiana Jones is just one man, after all, and a whole army of Nazis is a bit much for one man to take down. That doesn’t mean he isn’t damn good at it all the same.

While the Great Circle mostly pushes you to use stealth and the environment, that can just as easily be used to pull enemies into unfortunate scenarios. Punch a Nazi in the face and steal their weapons, whip them from a distance, toss grenades their way. Anything and everything is an option, and the only difference between stealth and combat is how much the enemy sees you.

3

Sniper Elite

When you go into a Sniper Elite game, you know exactly what you’re getting. It’s literally in the name. You’re a professional sniper, and taking up a Crow’s Nest, picking out your enemies and taking them down one-by-one is your talent. The bullet that’s never seen. While it’s rare, there might be a time when the shot just doesn’t quite line up, or misses.

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And that’s when you need to go in guns blazing. It’s a shoot-first, think-later scenario. No planning for bullet travel speed, wind direction, enemy movement. Nice and simple, aim and pull the trigger. It’s a decidedly simple system compared to meticulously planning each shot, but the game still gives you a reasonable amount of options when your aiming skills just aren’t up to snuff.

2

Sly Cooper

Before Ghost of Tsushima and the Infamous games, Sucker Punch were renowned for the Sly Cooper games. Cel-shaded and playing off cliches of old romance and noble thief stories, the Sly Cooper games were light-hearted and gorgeous, and centered around stealth as much as you’d expect. Combat was still an option though, one that got more expansive with each game.

By the third entry, you could play as multiple members of Sly’s band of thieves. Each of them had their own strengths and weaknesses, but Murray was a walking tank. Stealth wasn’t his strong suit, but combat sure was. Everyone could hold their own, but Murray could literally shakedown an enemy after combat already started, and end the conflict just as fast.

1

Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

Tied with Metal Gear Solid as one of the earliest 3D stealth games, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins put you in the role of two ninja, Ayame and Rikimaru as they took on various missions for their lord across Japan. Each character had their own talents and tools as their disposal, though both were still pushed towards stealth.

Of course, being detected wasn’t the end, and both protagonists had plenty of ways to take down an opponent. In fact, the game even had a few boss battles you had to engage in, so it only makes sense for its one-on-one combat is reasonably competent.

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