15 Best Hidden Gem Video Games Of The Decade

1. Splinter Cell: Blacklist

There hasn't been a new Splinter Cell game in over six years, which stings doubly because the last instalment, Blacklist, was such a confident step in a new direction for the series.

Coming towards the tail-end of the last generation, Blacklist followed up the controversial Conviction, attempting to blend that title's action-orientated approach to 'stealth' with the classical, methodical approach of the original Xbox trilogy.

Though franchises suffering an identity crisis had tried and failed to find a harmonious balance before (looking at you, Resident Evil 6), Ubisoft's effort surprisingly paid off. If you wanted a more active, aggressive approach, the level design accommodated for that, while also providing the ability to take it slow and ghost your way through areas.

The focus was always on player choice, and it made for an inventive stealth game at a time where the genre was sadly no longer in vogue. If Ubi picks the franchise up, it should build on these foundations - but let's face it, it'll end up being another open world game, won't it?