The History of Stealth – Assassins, Thieves, Agents that Made the Genre
Even Death Stranding, a courier simulator, draws on the stealth mechanics. Which actually goes to show how far this genre has come since the 80s. Today, we will look at the most important turning points in the history of stealth games.
Table of Contents
- The History of Stealth – Assassins, Thieves, Agents that Made the Genre
- Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
- Thief: The Dark Project
- Metal Gear Solid.
- Aliens vs. Predator
- Hitman: Codename 47
- Deus Ex
- Splinter Cell and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
- Siren
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
- Assassin's Creed
Thief: The Dark Project
- Creator: Looking Glass Studios
- Released: 1998
Oh, Garrett, Garrett, where have you been? Many players won't even remember you. They had Sam Fisher (who also slowly fades into oblivion), Ezio Auditore and his successors (all wearing hoods), then Jensen, and then the greatest competitor – Corvo. The last time they saw you, you were so... blurry. And it wasn't like that at first! The first three parts were all outstanding and trully challenging first-person stealth games (the third part also featured a third-person perspective).
Before all those celebrities pushed you out of the limelight, you ruled supreme wherever darkness used to reign. You were elusive. You roamed the dark streets of a gothic-steampunk city, where the poor were crushed by the boot of mega organizations, and monsters born of greed and created by the hand of man lurked in the alleys and ruins. It was hard to tell them apart. In this world, a man like you was a damned ray of hope. Sure, you robbed the poor and kept and kept it for yourself, but sometimes your actions made a difference!
First of all – the genre. You were once among the boldest. You moved in an unusual setting. You were the first to use shadow and light so efficiently – and it was you who showed that you had to be careful with any piece of garbage that could cause noise and alert the guards. It's a pity that you went missing after the last robbery, and Eidos cut you off from funds. I hope you come back. That you'll show me how to be as elusive as a ghost again. See you later, Garrett. See you among the shadows.
PART FIVE, WHICH WASN'T THERE
The reboot of Thief from 2014 was a misfire. I mean, it offered excellent stealth mechanics, good atmosphere, decent graphics and gameplay, but the game fell flat because of poor technical condition and bad story. The reviews were not amazing, and sales even more so. When rumors surfaced in 2017 that despite this, Thief V was in the making – David Anfossi, head of Eidos Montreal, offered the following commentary: "Apparently we’re developing Thief 5 game! So now we have a title... We just have to build a team, a budget... Forget it.”
