I remember the original Tenchu fondly. But, unfortunately, like many games on the PSX, the controls feel clunky and unresponsive today, and make the game a lot more difficult and less engaging than it was (and the graphics didn't help).


The best stealth game I can ever remember playing is Mark of the Ninja. It is, quite simply, brilliant. If you want me to gush for hours about everything this game does right, I will.


Recently, I also have gotten into Dishonored, which I have been playing as a Clean Hands / Ghost style. All stealth, no killing. I'm quite enjoying it. Part of it is the world and setting, but a lot of it is how well the game does as a stealth game. It does unfortunately have a bit of an identity crisis: The game rewards and promotes stealth gameplay, but almost all of the nifty moves and weapons you get are designed for combat. Nevertheless, it does have a lot of potential as a stealth game, and is probably rated as my third favorite IP that uses a First-Person perspective.

I would really love to see Dishonored retooled with a couple more mechanics taken from the Thief franchise, such as a greater reliance on light and shadows, as well as greater flexibility when it comes to manipulating them.