Intravenous
Intravenous is a stealth-based shooter with a top-down view, and I love it because when stealth goes out the window, you can still pull the situation back.
Gameplay-wise, the game is very, very good. Stealth, while not mandatory, is HEAVILY recommended because the combat is absolutely brutal. Generally, the stealth will consist of you trying your damned best to avoid guards, while the combat will be spamming many claymores at your back. The game heavily rewards exploration of the maps with stuff such as gun supplies and vent shafts that can be used to cheat a level. The gameplay loop is very fun, but on the highest difficulty, the game suffers a bit due to removal of gunplay. On the highest difficulty, since everything dies in one shot, low ROF guns become a joke, while high ROF guns become ““meta””.
– Real player with 18.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Assassin Simulation Games.
A masterpiece of the genre, a twist of early ’00s Splinter Cell style stealth, with a Hotline Miami-esque top down view. Shadow is your only safety when death is but a bullet away.
Punishingly difficult in stealth or full blown combat, your most lethal tools get you killed just as quick as they will your enemies, a poorly timed suppressed gunshot can bring a swarm down upon you, or frags and claymores blast shrapnel far beyond what you expect. Empty magazines, cans, and bottles make great distractions, and a Chaos Theory inspired OCP device lets you knock out lights and cameras. Dancing around your enemies in the dark is difficult, but one slip and the hunt is on, they don’t let up. The AI is smart enough to avoid a trap, opting to take cover and taunt you out.
– Real player with 17.1 hrs in game
Hitman: Codename 47
Hitman: Codename 47 is the game that started a whole franchise and presented one of games' most recognizable characters: Agent 47. This game has great ideas impaired by technical limitations, both from the technology of the time and the budget, but counters it by having fun gameplay and a flawless story.
It is amazing how intelligent games were back then, detailing storylines and interesting characters displayed with an easy-to-follow presentation. At the beginning of every mission you go to a briefing where you learn about your target and the details surrounding the hit you are going to perform. This is presented all in text and all you have to do is read it. One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the video of the target filmed by an ICA agent - which gives us an idea of how organized the Agency is.
– Real player with 50.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Assassin Classic Games.
Codename 47 is certainly an interesting nut to crack. I’m playing the Hitman series for the first time and doing it in order, so I can’t compare to later games in the series yet, but I think this game is an experience worth having, even if it’s not something I’d say everyone should rush out and buy.
The game’s best and worst feature is that you can’t save. In some levels, the more medium-sized ones that are more along the lines of “here’s the level, here’s your weapons, kill this target”, this can make for a very tense, suspenseful stealth experience and you can find yourself resorting to some interesting tactics to just try and survive a minute longer, but as the levels get longer and longer, and as you experience levels that have certain things to be done in a specific order, it becomes incredibly tedious and frustrating. It definitely comes from the 80’s school of game design that wants you to die over and over again until you get it exactly right, so think Cuphead if some of the levels took 3 times as long to master and you’re on the right track for this game’s difficulty. You do get two “lives” but the enemy’s suspicion of you doesn’t reset so you’re still in a bad spot if you died.
– Real player with 38.8 hrs in game
Hitman: Contracts
Hitman: Contracts can be summed as “The Dark Hitman”. The ambience of this game is oppressive, with dark environments and terrifying music. This is presented with improved mechanics and a better game flow. Contracts is not as epic as the last one but it has an identity of its own, shuffling from slow, dark moments, to action pieces.
This game was rushed and it shows, with an underdevolped training section and weapons cache, weird graphics and glitched animations (especially the fiber wire ones). The game was also too short so Codename 47 missions were remade (not necessarily surpassing the originals). Contracts is noticiably easier than Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, as gameplay is more consistent, but the fun in this game is to try the many different approaches to missions.
– Real player with 45.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Assassin Classic Games.
Of all the games before the success of Blood Money, Hitman: Contracts may not only be the most approachable entry from the classic series, but it also may be the most straightforward in its convoluted mess of a plot. Considering how unbelievably botched was the first game and how questionably broken was its sequel, the state of Contracts as a playable game as well as a modern Hitman entry is an accomplishment in of itself. While this game may play very similar to Silent Assassin, there are enough fine touches to make the engine feel more distinguished from its predecessors, although you can certainly use the same exploits known to the Glacier engine from before.
– Real player with 33.6 hrs in game
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is the second game in the franchise and helped to establish many of the core aesthetics of the series. Addressing the biggest complaints about the first one, Silent Assassin is a solid and worthy sucessor. Controls are more solid and responsive, with better aiming, and wider options for the player to tackle the missions; and everything is bigger and better. The main new feature is the creation of the famous rating system, were the highest rank is Silent Assassin.
The briefing is now narrated by Diana, creating one of the most recognizable features in the Hitman series, which you can hear while watching the mission video (the first one, in St. Petersburg Stakeout, is glitched though, as it cannot transition to the second part of the video). Locations are more alive, more populated with NPCs and with more indirect approaches. The map is now more useful, showing real time positions of NPCs and critical elements like elevators and ICA caches. Albeit still mostly linear, Hitman 2: SA tries its best to give the player different options of approach and has more signature kills, with the most famous being the killing of Hayamoto Jr. with a badly prepared Fugu fish.
– Real player with 110.0 hrs in game
Codename 47 was a success, a success that needed a sequel. And what do the good sequels do? Fix what’s broken, evolve what’s working. And Silent Assassin does that…kinda. Unfortunately, not always right. The overall structure of the game remained the same - you have a map where you need to do something, preferably unnoticed, and then, usually, leave the area. But how you do it is slightly different. First of all, and that is important for more… kind, i guess, players like me, - you can knock out enemies with a chloroform instead of killing them. This also means, that now you can knock out innocent people in the area and use their clothes almost without any consequences. Almost, because knocked out people do regain consciousness (quicker on higher difficulty), and because there is a new meter. Yes, starting with this game there is a “suspicion” meter in play. And it’s rather stupid, unfortunately. When you are seen by enemy/guard-type characters, their “suspicion” goes up. It’s universal for the map and it can only be slightly changed by what you are wearing at the moment. But it didn’t work as well as in later installments, with lots of smaller “if"s in play, where enemy/guard character could truly be described as “suspicious” and not “crazy and paranoid” and willing to shoot a hotel visitor just because he made a wrong turn (and yes, this can happen). What’s also sad, is that the infamous jungle chapters from Codename 47, are here as well, only now you’re in snowy Japan. Why would developers want to leave this kind of section in the game is still something i don’t understand. But it’s a solid game. Not yet as refined as Contracts and Blood Money, but not as raw and hardcore-ish as Codename 47. Definitely worth the play. P.S. Jesper Kyd’s music is amazing as always. P.P.S. You can now save in the game, if that put you off in Codename 47. Amount of saves depends on the difficulty level. P.P.P.S. The game is ridiculous to play if you speak russian. Russian stereotypes in this game are amazingly funny. Game even starts with a very harsh russian profanity, it’s the first thing you hear when you start the game.
– Real player with 78.2 hrs in game
Sekiro™: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition
My proudest gaming achievement.
Sekiro is a rock hard, unforgiving, thrilling, beautiful, roller coaster of a ride. Any Souls game experience you have will actually work against you in Sekiro for the most part. It takes the From Software formula in a completely new direction that was initially frustrating for me but ended up be incredibly fulfilling.
My initial playthrough was going along great until I ran into Shinobi Hunter Enshin of Misen. That guy was the biggest brick wall of any From Software game for me. I actually gave up for awhile but eventually it clicked. I Got Gud as they say.
– Real player with 508.6 hrs in game
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– Real player with 144.6 hrs in game
Samurai Simulator
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1440340/Cannon_Foundry_Simulator/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1403850/Mars_Colony_Builder/
You are a young warrior training in the art of bushido. Born in the turbulent times, you cross the country to find your life’s purpose in service to one of the powerful Daimyo. Find a lord whose ideals you hold dear, pledge allegiance to him, and lead his family to victory in the struggle for influence and power. Become a true legend among both samurai and local people. Make the right choices and defend your honour to live to old age and train your followers! Rise through the ranks or… start your own clan!
Samurai Simulator is an expansive life simulation game set in feudal Japan and inspired by the best RPGs on the market. Travel through a huge, open-world and perform various quests. Through them, you will gain experience that will allow you to develop your skills, and become a powerful warrior through one of several extensive skill trees. Feudal Japan is full of untold mysteries. Spread the glory of your lord across the region and you may also have to prove your strength against deities and local demons.
Be a lone traveller or build your clan, and your disciples and supporters will fight alongside you during the most demanding battles. Meet historical characters and perform interesting and complex tasks for them. Let the whole country know your name, so your clan becomes the most powerful clan in the region!
Game Features:
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An open world full of mysteries just waiting to be discovered
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Extensive RPG mechanics inspired by the classics of the genre
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Lead the samurai through his life and become a legendary warrior!
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Be whoever you want to be: a lone warrior, an army commander or village, castle or city owner
Suit for Hire
This is the best non-turn-based John Wick simulator. Running around face shooting and doing gun fu and knife takedowns never gets old. My only complaint would be the difficulty, but for me that just makes it have more value as I play a level over and over trying to beat it. Some might get frustrated, though, at going all the way back to the beginning of each level when you die.
Each level gives you a set location and group of badguys to take out, usually on your way to some kind of objective, even though there is no story at present to give any meaning to the killing. That is fine with me, but it might urk some. They are planning to add cut scenes, though, so for now, make up your own story about how the people he’s going after killed his car and stole his dog right after his sister died or something.
– Real player with 48.9 hrs in game
The combat for this game is well executed.
It rewards you with a full magazine for landing 7 back-to-back pistol shots.
Missed some of your shots? No problem, the game encourages you to mix it up with a close quarters option as a stylishly fancy way of getting more ammo for your pistol.
Performing an up close finisher on an enemy gives you a full magazine in your pistol. In order to have a chance to do a finisher you’ll need to build up a meter using punches and kicks.
Punch and kick are on 2 separate buttons, this is important to take note of because kicking objects towards enemies (including grenades) is a mechanic in the game.
– Real player with 9.6 hrs in game
Desperados III
Perfect game made with love and attention to detail. Engaging story, believable characters, excellent voice acting. Smooth and customizable control scheme.
This game represents the peak of the genre.
– Real player with 117.5 hrs in game
I LOVED the original…Then I played this! The original now sits in that nostalgic corner of my gaming brain never to be played again just thought about with fond memories because when you play the original you’ll be thinking of this!. Well worth every penny and more. I lost two and a half hours on one mission that only felt like half an hour, I also managed to burn my dinner in the process! Ha. The achievements are a very nice touch that gives the game some longevity….Speed running might be a bridge too far for me though! The only negative thing about this game is you get to the end eventually and you’ll want more!. Note to Mimimi…Please take my money and make more content….(pretty please).
– Real player with 91.3 hrs in game
Hitman: Absolution™
best stealth game
– Real player with 43.5 hrs in game
In my opinion the best Hitman in the series.
– Real player with 25.4 hrs in game
Hitman: Blood Money
Classic Hitman! There’s a reason people say this is the best Hitman game so far, and I totally agree.
I used to play this game in my early teens, and bought it again so I could have it on Steam (yeah, it is THAT good).
The missions are well thought-out, and take place on very unique locations. Each level is completely different from the other, and you never get the “I think I’ve done this before” feeling, because this game completely ditches the “Just go there and kill that guy” mechanic. The methods you choose to kill your target (or targets) really do feel unique, and the same thing will never work twice. You have to analyze your surroundings, the relationship between your targets and think about what will happen if you do X (this is one of the few games I ever played where the mission briefing REALLY is worth reading, because it gives you very important insight on the targets).
– Real player with 74.6 hrs in game
To start off, this game is awesome, and surprisingly good considering its age. I’ve never played a Hitman game before this one, it was cheap and had higher reviews than the other older games in the series, and I would now definitely consider myself a fan of the series.
This game is a “social stealth” game, meaning that you hide in plain sight, utilizing disguises, subterfuge, and clever tricks of your environment to take down your targets, and walk away nonchalantly from either the chaos (if you like a more comedic high profile approach), everyone’s lack of awareness that any killing happened at all (if you want to be a ninja), or from everyone’s shock that a chandelier “accidentally” fell on the party host’s face RIGHT when his wife blew up from a faulty BBQ propane tank (the best, most difficult, and rewarding way to do things).
– Real player with 33.8 hrs in game