When it comes to stealth games on the PS2, two franchises probably come to mind. First, theMetal Gearseries has been associated with PlayStation for most of its lifetime past the NES days. The second game was a huge hit in the early days of its lifecycle butMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eateris regarded as the best entry on the platform let alone in the entire series.
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The other notable series isSplinter Cell, which started out as an Xbox exclusive series. Between these two franchises, PS2 fans had plenty of AAA stealth games to choose from. However, what about the lesser-known underrated stealth games out there?
824: The Game
24: The Gamewas better than it had any right to be. There were a ton of licensed-based games on the PS2 at this timefromThe SopranostoAlias. Among the many,24’sadaptation was one of the best.
It kept the dual-screen format from the show, which helped create tension in certain situations. It’s not going to win any awards for the best-hidden gem on the PS2, but it will make for a gun afternoon, especially for fans of the show who missed it the first time around.
7James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothingis the best moviein this seriesstarring Pierce Brosnan other thanGoldenEye. That movie, and game, set a high mark for the series. Most games that came after it couldn’t hold a candle to the N64 classic.
Video games based on movies were typically rushed through development, makingGoldenEyean outlier. That’s whyEverything or Nothingwas special as it was a new 007 adventure but without a movie to go along with it. This was a smart move on EA’s part but to this day, most still only rememberGoldenEye.
6Manhunt
Manhuntis one ofRockstar’s weirdest games. They had made a name for themselves withGrand Theft Auto 3and continued to push their mature angles with their future games.Manhuntwas perhaps a bridge too far as it was like a snuff film turned into a game.
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It was hard to empathize with the main character or anyone else onscreen. It was murder for the sake of murder which may not have sat well with even the most diehard of Rockstar fans. Still, as chilling as it was, the stealth gameplay was admittedly solid.
5Mister Mosquito
Mister Mosquitoismore similar to a game likeShadow of the ColossusthanMetal Gear Solid. It’s a rather weird game wherein one plays as a mosquito and is tasked with sucking blood from a Japanese family while staying stealthy.
If a family member is alerted then a small battle will ensue. It’s safe to say there is not a game as unique as this, even with the comparison toShadow of the Colossusbrought up. It’s not a traditional stealth game, but that’s also why it deserves a spot on the list. It’s a shame the sequel never left Japan as it was also on PS2.
4Red Ninja: End Of Honor
Red Ninja: End of Honoris one of the worst reviewed PS2 games on Metacritic, slipping into the red zone. It’s easy to understand why it was disliked at the time. The camera is the worst thing about it, making it difficult to get around. The controls weren’t perfect either but they were serviceable given patience.
What stood out on the positive side was the art style and unique character design of the heroine, Kurenai, who was seeking vengeance for her father’s death. It is a clichéd setup andother ninja gamesdid whatRed Ninja: End of Honorwas trying to do better, but it’s still worth a look, especially with a boost through emulation.
3Spy Fiction
Spy Fictionis one of Swery’s earliest games. Fans may recognize that name as he was also the director forDeadly Premonition, one of the most polarizing video games of the past decade.Spy Fictiondoesn’t have as quirky of a narrative as some of Swery’s other games, which may disappoint fans.
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It plays similarly toMetal Gear Solidwith traditional spy equipment from invisibility cloaks to silenced pistols. It too suffers from a poor camera and controls that could have been fine-tuned. Still, Swery fans may find something intriguing abouta spy gamelike this.
2Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow
Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadowwas originally a PSP game in 2007 before it got a PS2 port in 2010. To put that time period into perspective, that’s four years after the PS3 launched and games were still coming to the PS2. It’s one of the better swan songs on the console.
Syphon Filterwas a great trilogy of games for the PS1 that couldn’t quite get its footing right on the new system. This is the last game in the series and it is not a bad one to go out on. It reviewed quite well but the problem was getting noticed as it was a case of too little too late for most PlayStation fans.
1Tenchu: Fatal Shadows
Tenchu: Fatal Shadowsis the second PS2 entry in the series afterWrath of Heaven. That game is considered to be a classic whereasFatal Shadowswas deemed too much of the same thing. This was the fourth main gamein the seriesand not much had changed since the PS2 days.
The gameplay, story, visuals, and camera all felt like a step back for the series. It’s not an awful game by any means and reviews were perhaps too negative at the time. There are better entries to check out in the series before this, butFatal Shadowsis better than the initial impressions.
