Metro Exodus 2019
Why it still holds upChoosing how to approach each objective, between open areas and linear stretches, still gives it room to play your way today.
Stealth games that still hold up
Seen is the one thing you cannot afford to be
Games
Metro Exodus 2019
Why it still holds upChoosing how to approach each objective, between open areas and linear stretches, still gives it room to play your way today.
Thief II: The Metal Age 2000
Why it still holds upLarge levels with several routes, and tools that change light and sound, still leave you to plan your own way past the guards today.
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines 1998
Why it still holds upCommandos die easily when shot, so visible vision cones and a small squad of specialists still make each mission a planning puzzle today.
Hitman 3 2021
Why it still holds upIts maps are built to be replayed, and every routine and every disguise is another way to the same target, which is why it is worth going back to now.
SWAT 4 2005
Why it still holds upCharacters die quickly on both sides, so a room taken with a plan still beats one taken by force, and that careful pace holds up today.
Hitman: Blood Money 2006
Why it still holds upEach mission is an open space with several ways to reach the target, and a payout that rewards doing it cleanly still invites a second try today.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 2002
Why it still holds upLight and shadow are your refuge and the level layouts form routes through gaps in vision, so play is still built around reading the lighting rather than shooting today.
Soma 2015
Why it still holds upWith no way to fight, the threat is being caught, and that still gives the setting its pressure today.
Valkyria Chronicles 2008
Why it still holds upA map for commanding and a third person view for aiming still let you plan like a commander and then aim like a soldier today.
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way 2002
Why it still holds upBecause guards react to sound, light and bodies, a careful, silent approach and an all out one both still work today.
Spec Ops: The Line 2012
Why it still holds upOrdinary shooter systems turned toward the protagonist's choices, with missions, hints and environment all pushing one theme, still make it play as one argument today.
Metro 2033 2010
Why it still holds upSet pieces such as turret defense, sneaking onto a tram and hallucination sequences keep a linear structure from feeling monotonous today.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay 2004
Why it still holds upFists and shadows, with guns held back, still give the escape its own tension today.
Wolfenstein: The New Order 2014
Why it still holds upChoosing between silent takedowns and open fights still makes each encounter your own call today.
King's Bounty: The Legend 2008
Why it still holds upReplacing squadrons with gold after a loss turns every fight into a decision about what it will cost, which still gives its tactics weight.
Mafia II 2010
Why it still holds upToday you still get a period feel from a city dressed in cars and music of its years, with cars that handle differently on ice.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee 1997
Why it still holds upIt still plays as a careful puzzle platformer: rescued Mudokons follow your commands and checkpoints are the only saves.
Rise of the Tomb Raider 2015
Why it still holds upReasons to explore every corner remain today, from optional tombs with physics puzzles to hubs full of crafting materials.
The Operative: No One Lives Forever 2000
Why it still holds upMissions open to sneaking or to fighting, with humour throughout, still suit more than one way of playing today.
Assassin's Creed Origins 2017
Why it still holds upA free Discovery Tour mode removes combat for guided historical tours of ancient Egypt, a reason to visit it today even if you skip the story.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009
Why it still holds upEvery gunfight is still a rhythm of peeking and hiding, since health returns when you take cover.
P.T. 2014
The Evil Within 2 2017
Why it still holds upEven now, a town you can explore freely, with scarce ammunition, makes every trip between buildings a decision about risk.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun 2016
Why it still holds upEvery guard becomes a puzzle you can solve in your own order, with a visible cone of vision and bodies you can hide, and it stays tense today.
Little Nightmares II 2021
Why it still holds upSlow stretches of sneaking that give way to desperate escapes, with a companion at your side, still keep the tension today.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow 2004
Why it still holds upEach stealth section today has a few more ways to play, with Sam whistling to draw guards and carrying bodies through doors.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves 2004
Why it still holds upEvery job still has more than one way in, because three thieves with different skills let you pick the one that suits each heist.
Gunpoint 2013
Why it still holds upA cross section that shows every guard and circuit lets you plan a route before moving, and that planning still pays off.
Gemini Rue 2011
Why it still holds upThe investigation is still a puzzle of what each character knows, across two stories you move between.
SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs 2003
Why it still holds upShort rounds with no respawns give each match tension.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes 2004
Why it still holds upEvery sneak is still a matter of staying unseen, with soldiers who talk to each other and notice you by sight and sound.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey 2018
Why it still holds upChoosing what to say and which side to fight for still shapes the story, and that is a reason to replay it today.
Neverwinter Nights 2 2006
Why it still holds upEvery roll is still something a Dungeons and Dragons player can read, with rules taken straight from the tabletop.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl 2007
Why it still holds upToday, a Zone where exploring decides what you carry gives each trip a reason to look further.
Parasite Eve 1998
Why it still holds upExploration and fighting still feel joined, because combat continues on the screen where you walk.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist 2013
Why it still holds upEach level can still be played as the kind of operative you want, between silence and aggression.
Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood 2002
Why it still holds upToday, controlling several characters at once with limited resources makes each mission a matter of planning.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons 2013
Why it still holds upControlling both brothers at once makes every puzzle a matter of cooperation, as it still does.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 2005
Why it still holds upWhat you fire is still a choice in every fight, since the ammunition is made of living creatures.
Kenshi 2018
Why it still holds upEvery outing across a map this large is a story you write yourself, and it absorbs you today.
Thief: Deadly Shadows 2004
Why it still holds upIn a city where each guard is a problem you solve your own way, you still choose how to get in.
The Age of Decadence 2015
Why it still holds upQuests with several solutions still leave the way through to you today.
The Warriors 2005
Why it still holds upA gang you fight alongside in every mission still makes every brawl feel like a crew effort.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin 2002
Why it still holds upPlanning a clean job, in levels that leave the method to you, still pays off today.
Crysis 2007
Why it still holds upA shooter that hands the player this many tools is still a fine place to experiment.
Hitman 2 2018
Why it still holds upYou still find something new in a map on a second visit, because there is always another way in.
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey 2006
Why it still holds upSeveral characters across two worlds still give the story more than one point of view today.
Prey 2017
Why it still holds upWith any object possibly an alien, and often more than one way in, every room is still worth a careful look today.