Summary
- Assassin's Creed Shadows allows players to choose between ninja and samurai for dynamic gameplay.
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution offers diverse gameplay choices thanks to character customization and upgrade system.
- Hitman: World of Assassination provides freedom in missions with adaptable assassin Agent 47.
Players who like choices in their games will typically pick up big RPGs like those from Bethesda or BioWare. Their games have great dialogue choices and branching storylines that add replay value to the package, which can be seen in games like Fallout 3 or Mass Effect. However, RPGs are not the only games that give players choices in how they complete missions.
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There are gameplay mechanics in non-RPGs that allow players to tackle linear missions in a myriad of ways that don’t result in Game Over screens or a reset to the latest checkpoint. These next games all fit that bill, as they offer players an open-ended approach to every mission they tackle. Most of these examples come from stealth games, as it is a very open-ended genre, but there are some linear curveballs as well.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ninja Vs Samurai
Assassin's Creed Shadows
- Released
- March 20, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
The debate over who is cooler, ninjas or samurai, has been waged online for ages, and Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players a choice. They can explore the open world and tackle individual quests with Naoe, a ninja, or Yasuke, a samurai.
Naoe can go into missions brazenly to take out targets like she is John Wick, or she can go silently, which is how she’s meant to be played. Yasuke can sneak around, too, but his size and strength make him better suited as a door-smashing, brain-bashing ox-like human, and the variety of options between the two feels very dynamic.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Cyberpunk Takedowns
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
- Released
- August 23, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Deus Ex: Human Revolution gives players a lot of choice in their gameplay. It’s a cyberpunk RPG, and as such, players can customize their character, Adam Jensen, to be an expert at hacking, stealth kills, or gunplay.
The ways that players can approach missions are more diverse than what's seen in most stealth games, thanks to the skill tree and upgrade system. This, in turn, encourages players to try out different approaches to find which playstyle suits them, and then to look for an approach that matches their style during every mission and enemy encounter.
Hitman: World Of Assassination
Master Of Disguise
Hitman (2016)
- Released
- March 11, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Stealth, Third-Person Shooter
The reboot of the Hitman series debuted in 2016 and had a bit of a rough launch before patches fixed a lot of bugs. Since then, players have enjoyed a trilogy of games and associated DLCs where, as Agent 47, they are cast into a crowded open area, and then must find and eliminate their target with as few hiccups as possible. There are even in-game events centered around timed contracts, like taking out Le Chiffre from Casino Royale.
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All of that content, minus the timed exclusives, has been combined into one neat and ongoing package called Hitman: World of Assassination. Agent 47, the protagonist, is one of the most adaptable assassins in gaming. He can don the role of a detective or a rockstar and look completely natural doing it. The challenge comes from making a plan for how to approach the target ahead of time, and then executing on it and adapting when things inevitably go wrong.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Bite-Sized Big Boss
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
- Released
- June 8, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Stealth
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is the best portable entry in the series. It debuted on the PSP and later got an HD port to consoles. Peace Walker is a continuation of the prequel series starring Big Boss, where players progress through a mission-based structure instead of one seamless environment.
Stealth is always the best option, but Big Boss also has a nice variety of lethal weapons at his disposal. What makes missions truly engaging is the ability to strap balloons to enemy soldiers to send them back to Mother Base, where they can become crew members. It adds an extra incentive to use non-lethal takedowns so that Big Boss can bolster his ranks.
Party Hard 2
We Will Never Listen To Your Rules
Party Hard 2
- Released
- October 25, 2018
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows
Party Hard is a good idea for a game that combines the openness of Hitman with the psychedelic art style of Hotline Miami. The execution is a bit rough, but thankfully, most of those issues were fixed in the sequel.
Party Hard 2 focuses each set piece on several targets and missions, giving players bonuses for taking them out in certain ways. Going loud is never really an option since locations are filled with people (much like in Hitman), but there are a lot of creative ways to stealthily lay traps, like electrifying water and then luring targets to their doom.
The Saboteur
Bringing Color Back To Paris
The Saboteur
- Released
- December 8, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
The Saboteur has an equally creative art style as Deus Ex: Human Revolution does, since the entire map starts out in black and white. The concept is that the Nazis have taken over Paris and zapped the French’s creative juices (metaphorically speaking), thus plunging the city into black-and-white chaos.
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As players free sectors through optional and main missions, color will gradually return to the world. The mission structure and tool selection may not be as diverse as other games, but it’s a good time regardless, and the combination of stealth, driving, and action keeps the pace moving and ensures there's always an alternate approach to every challenge. Giving Nazis what they deserve, from a stab to the neck to a grenade to the groin, never gets old.
Scribblenauts
Wordplay
Scribblenauts
- Released
- September 15, 2009
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Action, Platformer
Scribblenauts is something completely different from the stealth genre, as it’s more of a family-friendly puzzle game, and this original DS title still holds up thanks to its creative gameplay mechanics. Each mission gives players a set of instructions, like rescuing a cat from a tree. Then players can type in more than a hundred words to magically craft objects or people out of thin air.
A ladder could save the cat, or maybe someone could chop down the tree, or players can get really creative and summon a dragon to burn the tree down (hopefully the cat doesn't burn with it). The amount of creative freedom can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it's one of the few games that truly allows players to approach a challenge in their own creative way. Any of the Scribblenauts games are worth looking into for fans of puzzle games and players who like unshackled gameplay features.
Sniper Elite: Resistance
Skulls And Bones
Sniper Elite: Resistance
- Released
- January 30, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
One World War 2 game just doesn’t seem like enough, so let’s also recommend the latest entry in the Sniper Elite series as well, Sniper Elite: Resistance. Like Hitman, each level is set in a mini-open-world environment with tons of optional objectives to complete, and however players want to approach doing so is up to them.
The best solution is always through sniping enemies from a distance, which often results in a zoomed-in shot of the bullet exploding a kneecap, skull, heart, or whatever organ players were aiming at. That said, stealth, laying traps, or even going guns blazing are all options as well. It’s the most brutal game on this list, to be sure, and that's exactly why fans dig it.
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