Solid Snake hides behind a tank in Metal Gear Solid, a popular stealth video game.

Stealth games (more commonly referred to as FPS -- "First Person Sneakers") are video games that, unlike traditional action games, revolve around patience, lurking, and avoiding detection (or getting rid of an enemy silently and quickly without calling attention) in order to complete missions. The genre of stealth-based games is fairly old, but there are still few games that fall strictly within the genre. However, since the popularization of the Metal Gear series with Metal Gear Solid in 1998, many recent action games have borrowed elements from stealth-based games. Image File history File links MGS_screen_psx. ... Image File history File links MGS_screen_psx. ... Solid Snake ) is the protagonist of the Metal Gear video game series. ... This article is about the original Metal Gear Solid released for the PlayStation. ... This article is about computer and video games. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... One of many logos; used in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and the sequel to it. ... This article is about the original Metal Gear Solid released for the PlayStation. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

History

The earliest game to feature stealth elements was Castle Wolfenstein (not to be confused with the unrelated Wolfenstein 3D), released in 1981 by Muse Software. Stealth elements were not used again until Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear, released in 1987 by Konami for the MSX2, and shortly thereafter for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game became a success, particularly in North America, after selling over a million units. Castle Wolfenstein is a computer game by Muse Software for the Apple II. It was released in 1981 and later ported to the PC for DOS, to the Atari 8-bit family, and to the Commodore 64. ... Wolfenstein 3D (commonly abbreviated to Wolf 3D) is the computer game that started the first person shooter genre on the PC. It was created by id Software and published by Apogee Software on May 5, 1992. ... Muse Software was a software and computer game publisher and developer for the first generation of home computers. ... Hideo Kojima , born August 24, 1963) is a Japanese video game designer at Konami. ... Metal Gear ) (commonly abbreviated to MG) is a stealth-based game designed by Hideo Kojima. ... Konami Corporation (コナミ) TYO: 9766 (NYSE: KNM) (SGX: K20) is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling computer and video games. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... “NES” redirects here. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Metal Gear was followed by two independently-produced sequels that were both released in 1990: Snake's Revenge (the non-canonical sequel produced without Hideo Kojima's involvement) in North America and Europe for the NES and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (the official canonical sequel produced by Hideo Kojima) in Japan for the MSX2. While Snake's Revenge offered only minor improvements to the concept, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake expanded the genre significantly, including a greatly improved enemy AI, placing an even greater emphasis on stealth. While the early Metal Gear games were moderately successful, the concept did not develop beyond those few games for almost a decade. Snakes Revenge is a stealth-based action game developed by Konami for the NES. It was released in North America in April 1990 (under the Ultra Games label) and in Europe in March 1992 (under the Konami label). ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is a stealth-based game directed by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami . ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hondas humanoid robot AI redirects here. ...

During the development of Wolfenstein 3D, developer id Software experimented with several stealth features, such as sneaking behind the guards or dressing in enemy uniform, but none of these features made it into the final game. The genre didn't expand much further until the release of Goldeneye 007 on the Nintendo 64 in 1997, which involved various areas where either a brute force or stealth approach could be used, with stealth often being safer. Other times stealth was essential for survival- particularly in escape situations. Next came Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (February), closely followed by Metal Gear Solid (September), both released on the PlayStation, and Thief: The Dark Project (November) on the PC, all released in 1998. System Shock 2 also encouraged the player to use stealth through use of respawning enemies, severely limited ammunition and weapons that wear down with repeated firing. Wolfenstein 3D (commonly abbreviated to Wolf 3D) is the computer game that started the first person shooter genre on the PC. It was created by id Software and published by Apogee Software on May 5, 1992. ... id Software (IPA: officially, though originally ) is an American computer game developer based in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. ... For the film, see GoldenEye. ... Nintendo 64 ) is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... This article is about the original Metal Gear Solid released for the PlayStation. ... The Sony PlayStation ) is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid-1990s. ... System Shock 2 (commonly abbreviated SS2) is a science fiction horror-themed first-person shooter which incorporates a number of elements commonly seen in computer role-playing games. ...

Stealth-based games did not gain mass popularity until the release of Metal Gear Solid. Since then, it was followed by a sequel Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and a prequel Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, along with many more games in this genre, most notably the Splinter Cell, Manhunt and Hitman series. Other games incorporated a stealth approach as an option to players, notably Deus Ex and Bungie's Oni. Many action games, such as Medal of Honor and Syphon Filter, include stealth-based levels. Some survival horror games (Siren being one example) implement aspects of this genre, as well as platform games such as Sly Cooper. This article is about the original Metal Gear Solid released for the PlayStation. ... Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (commonly abbreviated MGS2) is a stealth-based game that was developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. ... Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (commonly abbreviated MGS3) is a stealth-based game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. ... An image from the original Splinter Cell Splinter Cell is a series of video games endorsed by American author Tom Clancy. ... Manhunt is a violent and controversial video game released by Rockstar Entertainment in November 2003. ... Hitman is a video game franchise available on PC and several video game consoles including Xbox 360, Xbox, Gamecube, and Playstation 2. ... This article is about an interactive computer and video game. ... Oni is a third-person action game developed by Bungie West, a division of Bungie Studios (now part of Microsoft), and released in 2000. ... Medal of Honor (MOH) is the name of a series of first-person shooter games set in World War II. The first game was developed by DreamWorks Interactive (currently known as EA Los Angeles) and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for the PlayStation game console. ... Screenshot of Syphon Filter. ... Silent Hill: Origins, a forthcoming survival horror title by Konami. ... Siren is a stealth-based survival horror video game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 console in 2003. ... A simple platform sequence from the game Wonder Boy Platform game, or platformer, is a video game genre characterized by jumping to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles. ... Official illustration of Sly Cooper, hero of Sucker Punchs series of platform-adventure games for the PS2. ...

In recent times, stealth games have grown even further in popularity, so much so that some mainstream first-person shooters, such as No One Lives Forever and Goldeneye's spiritual successors Perfect Dark and Perfect Dark Zero, have included stealth and spying elements in their gameplay. Closely related to the intermingling of first-person shooters and stealth games is the first-person shooter subgenre tactical shooters, such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. Far Cry expanded on this genre by having a lush outdoor environment (the player may hide behind boulders and trees or in shrubs). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... No One Lives Forever, commonly abbreviated NOLF, is the name of a computer game and video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Fox Interactive. ... GoldenEye is the 17th James Bond film and the first to star Pierce Brosnan in the role as the British secret agent. ... Perfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 game console. ... Perfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console. ... Tactical shooters include games of the first-person shooter (FPS) and third-person shooter genre of video games that generally simulate non-fictional, squad-based combat. ... For information on the series see Rainbow Six Rainbow Six is the first in a series of first-person shooters computer and video games. ... Far Cry is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Crytek Studios from Germany and published by Ubisoft on March 23, 2004 for Windows. ...

Gameplay

The dynamics of stealth games are quite different from first-person shooters or other action games. Players of stealth-based games can die very quickly if they approach problems in the same way as a traditional action game. Stealth games generally emphasize accuracy, planning, keen observation, and puzzle-solving skills, whereas other action games revolve more around quick reflexes. In stealth based games, a player cannot simply walk into multiple enemies pathways, unlike most action games. Stealth based games require that the player eliminates targets silently and without detection. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Whereas the excitement in most action games is the adrenaline rush of combat, the enjoyment in a stealth game is usually (but not always) cerebral in nature. The ability to silently stalk an opponent or be within arm's reach of a potentially dangerous enemy and yet be completely unseen appeals to many gamers. These games also tend to have more emphasis on story, as part of a stealth-based game's impact comes from the ambiance that the game has, emphasizing urgency and the need to remain hidden. Likewise, stealth-based games also tend to contain more visual and sound cues than other games, again to heighten the experience. Fans of stealth-based games often find great excitement in the high-risk, high-tension gameplay and cinematic experience that is typical of the genre, whereas other gamers may find stealth-based games unenjoyable due to the lack of frantic action and occasional frustration at the high finesse that is often required.

Selected important games and major series in the development of the stealth genre

Games

• Metal Gear (1987): First mainstream stealth game. First stealth game on a console (NES).
• Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (1998): First 3D stealth game, also making it the first 3D stealth game on a console.
• Thief: The Dark Project (1998): First 3D stealth game on a PC. First to rely on light and shadow to hide, instead of just line-of-sight. Also the first to use audio, such as hearing footsteps and eavesdropping on conversations, as the primary means of keeping track of unseen foes.
• Syphon Filter 2 (2000): First stealth action game to include versus multiplayer.
• Deus Ex (2000): First game to allow stealth and action to be equally viable means towards completing objectives.
• Hitman: Codename 47 (2000): First 3D stealth game to allow the player to obtain disguises from any enemy, thereby focusing stealth on "hiding in plain sight."
• Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (2003): First to incorporate cooperative multiplayer. Its Xbox port, Tenchu: Return from Darkness, released in 2004, is also the first to incorporate online co-op.
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004): First to incorporate stealth based "hide and seek" gameplay into versus multiplayer.
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004): First stealth game to incorporate camouflage as a means of hiding, yet another form of "hiding in plain sight."
• Shinobido: Way of the Ninja (2006): First stealth game to offer open-ended mission selection. Missions change based on who you are allied with, how much they trust you, and how skilled you are at stealth.

Major Series

• Thief series: Pioneered 'first person sneaking' (as opposed to 'shooting').
• Deus Ex series: Open ended FPS-RPG hybrid, which provides sneaking and action based solutions to objectives.
• Metal Gear series: Pioneered stealth gameplay
• Splinter Cell series: Best-selling, critically acclaimed. Pioneered realistic stealth.
• Syphon Filter series: Established as a hybrid containing both sneaking and shooting based levels; in later games the player is often allowed to play the game however they please (although by sneaking through the level the player is better rewarded, and obviously eliminates the risk of dying by enemy gunfire.)
• Hitman series: Open ended game where the goal of each mission is to assassinate a target or targets (with some other sub-objectives).
• Tenchu series: Ninja game incorporating stealth as the main focus of its gameplay. The overall score on each level is determined by how many stealth kills the player has subtracted by how many times the player has been spotted.
• No One Lives Forever series: A stealth-oriented FPS featuring a 60's spy theme.

Other stealth-based games, or games featuring stealth elements

• Commandos (1998)
• Aliens vs. Predator (1999)
• Hidden & Dangerous (1999)
• WinBack (1999)
• Drakan: Order of the Flame (1999)
• Project I.G.I.: I'm Going In (2000)
• Gothic (2001)
• Aliens versus Predator 2 (2001)
• Headhunter (2001)
• Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (2001)
• Arx Fatalis (2002)
• Europa 1400: The Guild (2002)
• Prisoner of War (2002)
• Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (2002)
• Sly Cooper (2002)
• Drakan: The Ancients' Gates (2002)
• Beyond Good & Evil (2003)
• I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike (2003)
• The Great Escape (2003)
• Rogue Ops (2003)
• Aurora Watching: Gorky Zero (2004)
• The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004)
• Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (2004)
• Spy Fiction (2004)
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (2004)
• Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (2005)
• Cold War (2005)
• Fahrenheit (2005)
• Sniper Elite (2005)
• Stolen (2005)
• Call of Juarez (2006)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
• Sneak King (2006)
• BioShock (2007)
• Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (2007)
• Dark Sector (2007)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007)
• Assassin's Creed (TBA)
• StarCraft: Ghost (Postponed)

Metal Gear ) (commonly abbreviated to MG) is a stealth-based game designed by Hideo Kojima. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Syphon Filter screenshot. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about an interactive computer and video game. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 47 disguised. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (commonly abbreviated MGS3) is a stealth-based game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Hammerite redirects here. ... This article is about an interactive computer and video game. ... The Metal Gear Solid logo. ... An image from the original Splinter Cell Splinter Cell is a series of video games endorsed by American author Tom Clancy. ... Syphon Filter is the name of a video game series published by Sony and developed by Sony Bend (formerly Eidetic), that has appeared on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable game systems. ... Hitman is a video game franchise available on PC and several video game consoles including Xbox 360, Xbox, Gamecube, and Playstation 2. ... Tenchu (天誅) is the title of a popular stealth-based video game series wherein the player assumes the role of a ninja. ... This article refers to Japanese spies and assassins known as Ninja. For other uses, see Ninja (disambiguation) This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... No One Lives Forever, commonly abbreviated NOLF, is the name of a computer game and video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Fox Interactive. ... Promotional artwork for the Commandos series. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Aliens versus Predator is a series of video games released for computers. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Hidden and Dangerous is a late-ninties computer/console video game developed by Illusion Softworks and published by Take Two. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Winback is a video game developed by Koei for the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and PlayStation 2 in 2001. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gothic is a computer role-playing game by Piranha Bytes, a German developer. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the upcoming film, see Alien vs. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Headhunter is a video game developed by Amuze for the Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Arx Fatalis is a RPG game for the Xbox and PC, released in November 2002 by Arkane Studios, a video game developer based in Lyon, France. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Europa 1400: The Guild is a simulation game set in Europe in 1400 A.D. The game features an ability to run a dynasty to compete against the computer in realtime. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This article is about the 2002 game. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (named Sly Raccoon in Europe and Kaitou Sly Cooper in Japan) is a platform game by Sucker Punch Productions, released on the Sony PlayStation 2 in 2002. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Beyond Good & Evil is a video game for the GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox platforms. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Great Escape is a game based on the 1963 movie, The Great Escape. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rogue Ops is a video game developed by Bits Studios and published by Kemco for the Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Sony Playstation 2 in 2003. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Escape from Butcher Bay Categories: Computer and video game stubs | 2004 computer and video games | Windows games | Xbox games ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is a game developed by Midway Games. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spy Fiction is a video game by Sammy Studios and Sega for the PlayStation 2 The Plot: (Warning: Spoilers or end details follow) The game starts out as the player controlling either Agent Billy Bishop, or Agent Sheila Crawford. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cold War is a video game published by Canadian publisher DreamCatcher Games (Linux Game Publishing for Linux) and developed by Czech developer Mindware Studios. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fahrenheit (known as Indigo Prophecy in the United States and Canada) is a video game that was released in September 2005. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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BioShock is a video game in development by Irrational Games, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Dark Messiah Might and Magic is a computer game developed by Arkane Studios and Floodgate Entertainment for Ubisoft. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Dark Sector is a computer game currently (as of 2006) under production by Digital Extremes. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is an unreleased FPS computer game. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Altaïr Character Model. ... StarCraft: Ghost StarCraft: Ghost is a tactical action game for video game consoles, currently under development by Blizzard Entertainment. ...

See also

• List of video games by genre