5 Best PS1 Stealth Games That Still Hold Up Today

The original PlayStation was a huge boon for developers and players alike, as it helped usher in the new era of CDs. No longer were teams limited by cartridge storage space, which meant we got tons of new, innovative games that pushed gaming forward in major ways. Those improvements were probably best seen in role-playing games, but other genres took part in the fun as well. One of those genres was stealth, which didn’t get much play before the PS1 but became a major player on the console, only to have its true breakout during the next console generation.

Here are five PS1 stealth games still worth playing today.

5) Chicken Run

You might not think a game based on the Chicken Run movie from 2000 would be any good, and you’d sort of be right. Chicken Run wasn’t winning any Game of the Year awards, but it was a neat stealth game from Blitz Games. It takes the parody of The Great Escape that the movie used to great effect to stitch together a solid conversion.

Chicken Run has three different acts. You’ll need to carefully sneak around the farm, avoiding guard dogs and the farm’s owners. Each act culminates in a boss battle, which might be the worst part of the game. Still, if you’re looking for a PS1 stealth game, you could do much worse than Chicken Run, even if the controls leave something to be desired.

4) Tenchu 2: Birth Of The Stealth Assassins

The second Tenchu game took the original format and tried to improve on it. However, the publishers at Activision originally planned to make this a Western exclusive. That didn’t happen, but the developers did take out some of the more niche Japanese elements, which was a weird choice.

Some players will call Tenchu 2 an improvement on the original, and they aren’t exactly wrong. It’s a rad take on being a ninja that encouraged you to replay missions to earn high ranks. Plus, Tenchu 2 added a mission editor, letting players create their own levels. However, it didn’t do enough to improve on the original to move it above it on this list.

3) Syphon Filter

I considered having Syphon Filter 2 in this spot, but decided to go with the original because it does such a good job of capturing the feeling of being a super-spy. Granted, that makes it a combination of shooter and stealth game, but many of the most successful stealth games are similar. Just look at the game at the bottom of this list.

The first Syphon Filter was incredibly innovative at the time. Giving players so many different options for getting through each encounter. You’re not going to feel like a silent ninja assassin as you do in Tenchu, but you will absolutely feel like a covert operative who has access to some of the most cutting-edge tech. Toss in one of the more immersive stories of the late ’90s, and you have one of the great stealth games on the PS1.

2) Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

As hinted at earlier, the first Tenchu might technically be a worse game than its sequel, but the focus on stealth in the original is just a little bit better. It’s also worth noting that the mission design in the original is almost impeccable. Sure, making your own missions in the sequel was fun, but these developer-crafted levels are sublime.

The 11 sandbox levels are filled with different ways for you to sneak through toward your target. It was such a massive hit that Tenchu became Activision’s best-selling game in 1998 and remained developer Acquire’s biggest hit until it put out Octopath Traveler in 2018. That’s impressive, and it speaks to how much players loved the intricate level design in the first Tenchu game.

1) Metal Gear Solid

It couldn’t be anything else. Metal Gear Solid was an absolute game-changer when it launched in 1998. Hideo Kojima’s first game in the Solid series launched one of the most important series in gaming history and was met with unanimous acclaim. Simply put, there wasn’t a person alive in the late ’90s who loved video games who didn’t at least feel like they had to try Metal Gear Solid to see if it could live up to the hype.

I’m not saying it hit for everybody, but it was pretty close. Just look at those sales numbers. MGS hit six million sales by 2001, and the series has only gotten better since then. While Syphon Filter was a great mix between stealth and gunplay, Metal Gear Solid is on another level. Some might find those original controls a little clunky, but once you get used to them, it’ll blow your mind how many tools you have at your disposal. This isn’t just the best PS1 stealth game; it’s also one of the best stealth games of all time.

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