10. Mark of the Ninja (2012)

Mark of the Ninja Trailer

Developer: Klei Entertainment

Genre: Stealth, action, side-scrolling, indie

Theme: Stealth, Ninjas.

So, you’re a ninja on his day off. But ninjas don’t have days off, do they? That’s what you find when some soldiers burst in, gunning down everyone in sight. How do you balance the odds, you ask? By applying a killer tattoo, the aforementioned Mark of the Ninja. Killer as in it’ll kill you and/or make you mad. But let’s not dwell on that: the tattoo gives you superpowers!

Stabby superpowers!

In this 2D stealth platformer, you take the role of the only hope for your ninja clan (games have taught me that ninja clans are prone to dying out), as you take on soldiers with guns and dogs with rabies. But it’s still a risky endeavor. You must use the environment to your advantage, sticking to the shadows,creating opportunities, and using your superhuman reflexes to stay alive. You can even hang the corpses of your enemies to terrify them, as they don’t know who is out there killing their buddies, and distract them while you either run away or kill the unsuspecting victim.

And not so hidden vents. IT’S RIGHT THERE, MORON.

With upgrades that make you faster and more agile, imaginative stages with destructible light sources and lots of places to hide (like vents, shadow corners and the like), an interesting plot and a distinctive visual style, this is one little gem that not only measures up to any other stealth game, but sets the bar higher.

Mark of the Ninja - Stealth Gameplay

11. Sniper Elite 4 (2017)

Sniper Elite 4 - Official Teaser Trailer - 2016

Developer: Rebellion Developments

Genre: Tactical shooter, stealth

Themes: Snipers, WWII

Relying on stealth, planning and aim, Sniper Elite 4 is a game for those who like to be patient and precise, for it gives you a chance to control sniper Karl Fairburne as he helps the Italian resistance against those pesky World War II fascists.

Die, you fascist but punctual train!

The gameplay is quite similar to previous games, where you need to use the terrain to your advantage in order to get in the perfect position. What’s the perfect position? Ideally where all enemies (officers and privates alike) can’t see you, but you can see each and every one of them, putting bullets through their skulls without them knowing where they’re coming from. With larger maps than previous installments, an improved AI and the fan-favorite x-ray cam that activates when your kill is awesome enough, Sniper Elite promises to be a tactical and violently satisfying game.

I don’t know if I’m killing him or making him pass out with my dirty glove.

I know, I know. 2017 is not 2016. You know what? I don’t care. This game’s awesome. Why, you ask? Because it shows you that there’s a certain finesse to long range killing too. And better if you can see what happens to an eyeball when impacted by a high caliber bullet.

The system now includes shrapnel and melee kills for the x-ray cam, so if you’ve ever wondered exactly what your knife is doing inside your enemy’s heart, you’ll be satisfied with this game. Expecting to sell more than 200,000 physical copies in the UK alone, this is one game to be on the lookout for.

Sniper Elite 4 Gameplay at E3 2016