Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell are classics of the stealth game genre, so what happens when you bring them into 2023 with a PS1 aesthetic and a focus on slow, methodical gameplay? Well, you get the game we’re talking about today, and No Sun To Worship is one you should definitely be keeping an eye on; you can even play it right now.
The stealth action game is under development by Antonio Freyre of Merlino Games, who you may recognize from Undetected, a 2022 stealth adventure that took heavy inspiration from Metal Gear Solid – with those classic MGS games also coming to Steam real soon too.
Now Freyre is channeling this love for the stealth genre into their new game, which bears great resemblance to Splinter Cell while adding a delightfully grungy PS1 aesthetic, with a free demo available now.
While the demo is short and sweet, the atmosphere created here is nothing short of astounding. The reflections of water bounce off the walls just as you remember it in Shadow Moses, and the slight hums of the facility you’re infiltrating are met with some crunchy sounds as you walk along metal grates and tiptoe in shallow waters. If you like a classic PS1 aesthetic that’s brought into the modern day, just like with the Dead Space demake, No Sun To Worship is for you.
What really surprises me about No Sun To Worship is how heavily it focuses on stealth. It’s unforgiving nature makes you take everything extremely slow, scanning your surroundings and peeking around corners to make sure you can pop dudes in the back of the head before they notice you. There’s also a really cool mechanic that ties your health (which you can scavenge from enemies) to the ability to be completely silent.
You’ll need to be aware of louder surfaces when enemies are nearby, but you can press the spacebar to completely muffle all movements at the expense of your health, which creates a really interesting dynamic between yourself and the environment.
There’s no release date for No Sun To Worship just yet, but you can wishlist the game on Steam and try the new, free demo via itch.io right now. If you’re looking for a game with an immaculate PS1 vibe that channels classic Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell, this is it.
If you can’t wait for No Sun To Worship and instead want some classics, we’ve got the best old games you should be playing put together in a list, alongside the best single-player games too, for when you just want to get lost in a world on your own.