Dishonored Series Alternatives and Similar Games

The BioShock franchise might not be as stealth-focused as the Dishonored games, but the sheer array of different weapons and powers allows for various different approaches to the enemies you face. Each game has its own unique action-packed gameplay to experience as it takes you through detailed levels from the underwater Rapture to the beautiful city in the skies: Columbia. Not only is the first-person gunplay well-designed, but so is the story in every single title. If you’re looking for a franchise that simply has no real lows and is consistently great from start to finish in every way, then you have to check out the BioShock games.

This big franchise puts you in the shoes of iconic Agent 47, who must figure out how to take out his targets in various locations in the best way possible. The third-person Hitman games are all about giving the player a huge amount of freedom in gameplay, and they do just as good of a job if not better than the Dishonored titles. Though some entries in the series might feel more linear, installments such as Blood Money and the new reboots, Hitman 1 and 2, are great sandboxes, with excellent maps filled with many challenges to deal with your own way. If you’re looking for more amazing stealth games that also let you go guns blazing if you so desire, then the Hitman games are for you.

One of the pioneers of stealth gaming, the Thief franchise stood out with its debut title in 1998, and has certainly been an influence for many stealth games we see today, including Dishonored. Whichever first-person entry you choose to jump in, you won’t be disappointed at the in-depth stealth mechanics at play, where every sound, shadow and light matter.

From the developers of Dishonored, you will simply love Prey if you loved playing Dishonored. The amount of non-linearity present in Prey is astounding, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint at being a spiritual sequel to System Shock as the developers intended. Explore a space station, craft, hack and face creepy monsters your own way in this epic sci-fi first-person horror title.

If you’re into stealth, then you’ll most likely be into the Styx games which are totally focused on stealth, unlike Dishonored which allows you to put some action if you so wish. In these games you play as a little goblin making his way through diverse and interesting levels while unlocking many useful skills via skill trees. If you’d like to play with a friend, then the 2nd title, Styx: Shards of Darkness, is what you’re looking for. These games might not impress you immensely, but if you’re looking for full-on stealth and are a hardcore fan of the stealth genre, then these challenging titles might be worth checking out.

Don’t expect much replay value here like in Dishonored, nor as much variety in gameplay, but do expect a captivating narrative with immersive characters and a beautiful, post-apocalyptic world. In this third-person adventure, you play as Joel sent to bring 14-year old girl Ellie out of the quarantined military US area. Using cover, stealth together with Ellie who will help you track your targets is essential, but using superpowers like in Dishonored is certainly not an option here. Either way, if you’re looking for a game that puts emphasis on storytelling coupled with light stealth and third-person shooting, then the award-winning The Last of Us is worth checking out.

A franchise that highly influenced the stealth genre, Hideo Kojima’s third-person games have left a great mark in gaming history, shining cinematically and mechanically. Whether you’ll put your foes to sleep using the tranquilizer gun, kill them or try to evade completely, is up to you. Fantastic emergent gameplay is especially present in the 5th entry, The Phantom Pain, an open-world game with plenty of side objectives, which is not the case for previous entries, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t equally as good if not better. The 3rd entry, Snake Eater is highly praised among fans, linear with open-ended environments. Whichever entry you jump in, get ready for some crazy lethal and nonlethal fun both in cutscenes and in gameplay.

Ubisoft’s famous third-person modern stealth franchise puts you in the shoes of special agent Sam Fisher who interrogates enemies for info, uses high-tech gadgets to apprehend foes and more. The iconic protagonist stands out with trifocal goggles, used for thermal and night vision. Staying in the dark and avoiding light is crucial in these titles, so if you’re looking for more stealth action albeit in a different setting then you might like this franchise.

Just like your approach affects the world in Dishonored, so too do your decisions in the Deus Ex games, first-person RPGs that let you play whatever way you want. Apart from choosing whether to do things stealthily or violently, you can also use augmentations; powerful abilities that further help you cement your playstyle. Everything you do matters, so if you’re looking for amazing cyberpunk RPGs, then you don’t want to miss out on the Deus Ex games.

This 2006 first-person fantasy action-RPG, despite its age, is still fantastic to this day. Its physics and melee combat are extremely satisfying, and its environments are designed in such a way to give you freedom in how you deal with your enemies. Use tons of different weapons and unlock many different spells that allow you to be creative. Don’t expect much from the story, but do expect enjoyable gameplay and good level design, especially considering it’s made by the same developers of Dishonored.

System Shock 2 might be old, but it’s an amazing, critically-praised first-person action-RPG horror where, while stealth is possible, isn’t always an option. The game’s incredible sound design adds terrifying atmosphere to the creepy sci-fi environments you explore throughout the space station, and there’s tons of skills to upgrade that can aid you in hacking, using psionic powers and more. If its dated graphics and UI put you off, then you may want to look forward to the enhanced edition which hopefully improves the classic in every way.

A mix of action and stealth, the Assassin’s Creed games are third-person games with huge open-worlds to explore and parkour your way through. There are many different settings to dive into, and each game has similar yet distinct gameplay. Sail the seas in Black Flag, experience RPG gameplay in Odyssey and Origins, climb the Notre Dame in Unity and more. For the closest experience of being an assassin, it is best to go for the debut title as well as Ezio’s trilogy and the detailed Unity.