Recommendations for a tactical shooter game that focuses primarily on special operations and stealth in general?

[MaLeK97]

I've been playing through the old COD: Modern Warfare games again after a long time, and I got reminded of how much I love the stealth missions in those games, and not just in them, but stealth in video games in general.

Briefings on the mission, planning your route and RoE, sneaking around, cooperating with your teammates (or soloing) to complete the mission you're assigned to do, equipping your character(s) with appropriate equipment for the mission you were to undertake, (e.g. silencers, night goggles, for stealth ops), etc. I love those things, and would honestly like to find a game that focuses primarily on these tactical operations.

When Metal Gear Solid TPP came out, I played it for hundreds of hours. I feel it managed to capture the tactical espionage and stealth aspect PERFECTLY! There were plenty of ways you could go and do your mission or free-roam to take over an outpost/base, whether stealthily or guns blazing. But, the emphasis on stealth and tactical gameplay is where I believe the game shined the most for me, and I a game like this would be really great to play.

What I'm mostly interested in is the gameplay with the features I mentioned before (the more, the merrier). Story and writing can be ignored, open-world is not a necessity, as long as the game offers multiple paths towards completing your mission, something like in the Splinter Cell, or Hitman games (games which I've also played through, and loved). I've also played through the Rainbow Six (original trilogy) games, so those can be ignored as well.

This may be obvious, but I'm looking for single-player games, not co-op or multiplayer games like Rainbow Six: Siege, Escape from Tarkov, etc. The age of the game is irrelevant, it can be modern, released recently (~2 years), or classical (pre-2000's), it doesn't matter, as long as it's good.

I primarily play on PC, but I'm willing to buy a copy and play through an emulator if games like this exist on other platforms.

Any suggestions for games like this?

The only game that comes to my mind right now is Ghost Recon Wildlands, but I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about the game, many say it feels more like GTA instead of something along the lines of The Phantom Pain, plus the questionable gameplay mechanics like microtransactions, skill set/equipment grinding kinda put me off.

Thanks in forward, and apologies for the long post!

 

[Brian Boru]

The Far Cry series from FC3 on is the obvious candidate which comes to mind. I recommend:
FC3—but has QTEs.
FC4 + Valley of the Yetis.
FC Primal—but this has no guns.
FC5.
FC New Dawn.
I haven't played FC6 yet, but will.

Crysis + Warhead. Crysis 2 & 3 are more restrictive, I didn't like them.
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 I enjoyed, sort of FC Lite. I think other SGWs are also restrictive.

Sniper Elite 4 I put a few hours into, and will continue at some stage.
Ghost Recon Wildlands same, a few hours and will continue later.

MGS TPP pissed me off with the intro, I'll play it if I find a skip-intro mod.

I got Metro Exodus + DLCs recently—could be great if you don't mind horror & survival elements.
If that sounds good, then the STALKER trilogy is a similar classic.

Just Cause series maybe—JC2 is the best.

Assassin's Creed series, mostly without guns. Plenty to like, maybe look at AC Origins and AC Odyssey games first.

More tactical are:
Commandos series
Desperados series
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice

 

[Frag Maniac]

I've been playing through the old COD: Modern Warfare games again after a long time, and I got reminded of how much I love the stealth missions in those games, and not just in them, but stealth in video games in general.

Briefings on the mission, planning your route and RoE, sneaking around, cooperating with your teammates (or soloing) to complete the mission you're assigned to do, equipping your character(s) with appropriate equipment for the mission you were to undertake, (e.g. silencers, night goggles, for stealth ops), etc. I love those things, and would honestly like to find a game that focuses primarily on these tactical operations.

When Metal Gear Solid TPP came out, I played it for hundreds of hours. I feel it managed to capture the tactical espionage and stealth aspect PERFECTLY! There were plenty of ways you could go and do your mission or free-roam to take over an outpost/base, whether stealthily or guns blazing. But, the emphasis on stealth and tactical gameplay is where I believe the game shined the most for me, and I a game like this would be really great to play.

What I'm mostly interested in is the gameplay with the features I mentioned before (the more, the merrier). Story and writing can be ignored, open-world is not a necessity, as long as the game offers multiple paths towards completing your mission, something like in the Splinter Cell, or Hitman games (games which I've also played through, and loved). I've also played through the Rainbow Six (original trilogy) games, so those can be ignored as well.

This may be obvious, but I'm looking for single-player games, not co-op or multiplayer games like Rainbow Six: Siege, Escape from Tarkov, etc. The age of the game is irrelevant, it can be modern, released recently (~2 years), or classical (pre-2000's), it doesn't matter, as long as it's good.

I primarily play on PC, but I'm willing to buy a copy and play through an emulator if games like this exist on other platforms.

Any suggestions for games like this?

The only game that comes to my mind right now is Ghost Recon Wildlands, but I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about the game, many say it feels more like GTA instead of something along the lines of The Phantom Pain, plus the questionable gameplay mechanics like microtransactions, skill set/equipment grinding kinda put me off.

Thanks in forward, and apologies for the long post!

I wouldn't put too much stock in the GRW complaints you're referring to, as many of them have to do with either playing on Tier One mode, or clinging to squad assistance too much. I also find most that play it don't even try to use stealth, but instead take a Kill Em All approach, which is by far NOT the most effective (or immersive IMO) way to play it. I have a complete video guide on it done on Extreme with no HUD or skill upgrades, which is not only very challenging, but also more realistic than Tier One mode with all the upgrades that make you OP.

One of the things that I actually loved about playing with no skill upgrades is you don't even have the skill to order heli drops, so I found myself finding the nearest chopper to steal to take to the mission a lot of times. I captured every mission, including the DLC ones in Inca Camina, a total of 114 vids, and averaged less than 10 min per mission. That's without showing all the weapons and weapon parts I collected, usually via stealth, so it still feels like a pretty long game. I also started and ended each mission at a safehouse.

I showcased this guide on Ubi's GRW forum, and the tactics used were an eye opener for some. The guide became popular enough for it to be stickied.

This page has definitely closed. To find your favorite forums and threads, go to https://discussions.ubisoft.com.

This page has definitely closed. To find your favorite forums and threads, go to https://discussions.ubisoft.com.

forums.ubisoft.com

If you're wondering why I got banned from their forum, it's because during the pre-release hype of GR Breakpoint, I mentioned what I thought of their turning GR into a Sci Fi fantasy tiered loot game like The Division, though probably in a more colorful way than I should have.

GRW is a game that you can play any way you want for the most part, and sadly, maybe the last good GR. There were some on the Ubi forum whom were sorta role playing it. For instance there's a mission where you frame one of the main characters by putting something incriminating on her laptop. One of the guys role playing said it wouldn't be very believable unless you could sneak in and do it undetected, which he thought would surely have to be done at night.

About an hour or two later I uploaded a short vid where on my Tier One save I parachuted onto the roof of her office, uploaded the info to her laptop, then snuck out, and in broad daylight. I was never detected, and since I placed a Go To waypoint for my squad up on the hill while parachuting, they never were either. Now granted, the guy said he probably wouldn't be able to do that parachute drop that precisely, but I found it wasn't too difficult. You'll also hear some people complain that camo clothing doesn't make you less visible, but I found staying in shadows makes it harder for them to see you, which is part of the reason I always started my missions at 8 AM, when the sun is bright, and the shadows dark.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I'm not sure if it would fit what you're looking for, but the Deus Ex games can be heavy on stealth. You can either choose to be more stealthy, or run-and-gun.

 

[Johnway]

i suppose there is splinter cell series and if you're prepared to go further back, there is of course the thief series.

 

[MaLeK97]

I wouldn't put too much stock in the GRW complaints you're referring to, as many of them have to do with either playing on Tier One mode, or clinging to squad assistance too much. I also find most that play it don't even try to use stealth, but instead take a Kill Em All approach, which is by far NOT the most effective (or immersive IMO) way to play it. I have a complete video guide on it done on Extreme with no HUD or skill upgrades, which is not only very challenging, but also more realistic than Tier One mode with all the upgrades that make you OP.

One of the things that I actually loved about playing with no skill upgrades is you don't even have the skill to order heli drops, so I found myself finding the nearest chopper to steal to take to the mission a lot of times. I captured every mission, including the DLC ones in Inca Camina, a total of 114 vids, and averaged less than 10 min per mission. That's without showing all the weapons and weapon parts I collected, usually via stealth, so it still feels like a pretty long game. I also started and ended each mission at a safehouse.

I showcased this guide on Ubi's GRW forum, and the tactics used were an eye opener for some. The guide became popular enough for it to be stickied.

This page has definitely closed. To find your favorite forums and threads, go to https://discussions.ubisoft.com.

This page has definitely closed. To find your favorite forums and threads, go to https://discussions.ubisoft.com.

forums.ubisoft.com

If you're wondering why I got banned from their forum, it's because during the pre-release hype of GR Breakpoint, I mentioned what I thought of their turning GR into a Sci Fi fantasy tiered loot game like The Division, though probably in a more colorful way than I should have.

GRW is a game that you can play any way you want for the most part, and sadly, maybe the last good GR. There were some on the Ubi forum whom were sorta role playing it. For instance there's a mission where you frame one of the main characters by putting something incriminating on her laptop. One of the guys role playing said it wouldn't be very believable unless you could sneak in and do it undetected, which he thought would surely have to be done at night.

About an hour or two later I uploaded a short vid where on my Tier One save I parachuted onto the roof of her office, uploaded the info to her laptop, then snuck out, and in broad daylight. I was never detected, and since I placed a Go To waypoint for my squad up on the hill while parachuting, they never were either. Now granted, the guy said he probably wouldn't be able to do that parachute drop that precisely, but I found it wasn't too difficult. You'll also hear some people complain that camo clothing doesn't make you less visible, but I found staying in shadows makes it harder for them to see you, which is part of the reason I always started my missions at 8 AM, when the sun is bright, and the shadows dark.

Looks interesting, I guess I might give GR Wildlands a try, especially if it can be played similar to the MGS V TPP.

I'm not sure if it would fit what you're looking for, but the Deus Ex games can be heavy on stealth. You can either choose to be more stealthy, or run-and-gun.

Can't quite say that I'm interested in sci-fi environment, but I guess it doesn't hurt to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

i suppose there is splinter cell series and if you're prepared to go further back, there is of course the thief series.

Already played through those games, and Chaos Theory is definitely my favorite of the first three games, I can't say about the rest of the SC games, it somehow didn't have the same feel as the previous ones did, it felt more action-oriented than stealth-oriented, not sure if that makes sense.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

If you like the Thief games, have you tried Dishonored 1 & 2? They're amazing.

 

[Withywarlock]

I second @WoodenSaucer's recommendation of the two Dishonored games, their DLC and standalone expansion Death of the Outsider.

You might want to try the S.W.A.T games, I think S.W.A.T 4 being the most beloved one. That's like the Rainbow Sixes of old where you had to follow rules of engagement, try not to shoot people up too much and use cable ties to help crims get a taste of prison food a bit sooner than they'd like. Rainbow Six: Vegas was my first taste of tactical shooting, with being able to coordinate room breaching, flanking rules and all manner of things. The second game and its multiplayer (RIP) were my favourite, but you can't beat LVU Campus as a map.

Operation: Flashpoint is a military sim which can allow for stealth and there's a few missions where being quiet is essential, especially with how much damage hits on the various parts of your body can be. It might be a bit difficult to get into, but see how you get on with it when it goes on sale. It is a Codemasters game, after all.

 

[Zloth]

Everyone's listed off quite a few. Thief 1 and 2 are the granddaddies, but are fun if you can put up with the lego people. I think they fit your description well, as stealth is the only way to get things done for several levels. Also, the bow is a very fun weapon to use in that game.

Ubisoft's Watch Dogs games can be played with stealth. I never played the first one but the second and third were fun.

Styx: Master of Shadows has lots of stealth action, though there's not really any shooting. It's super cheap when a sale comes around. It did start to get repetitive toward the end but, if you got it on sale for $5, so what?

I wonder if Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines would work? If you play as a Nosferatu vampire, you're hideous so showing your face in public at all causes major problems. I expect they use stealth a ton. I didn't play as one, though, so I can't be certain. (I am certain you need to mod the game to make it playable, though.) It's another one that's rather old, but not as old as Thief.