Stealth-based game

Categories: Computer and video game genres

A stealth-based game, unlike an action game, revolves around patience, avoiding combat, and using stealth and cunning to complete your objectives. It is not a genre unto itself (though it is usually found in shooter games), but instead a focus the game can have.

The first successful game in this genre was Metal Gear. Others followed this approach, notably the PC games Thief: The Dark Project and Deus Ex. During the development of Wolfenstein 3D, developer id Software experimented with many stealth features, such as sneaking behind the guards or dressing in enemy uniform, but none of these features made it into the final game.

Stealth-based games did not gain mass popularity until the 1998 release of Metal Gear Solid. Since then, there have been many more games in this genre, most notably Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Many action games, such as Medal of Honor and Syphon Filter, include stealth-based levels. Some survival horror games implement aspects of this genre, as well as platformers such as Sly Cooper.

In recent times, stealth games have grown even further in popularity, so much so that some mainstream action games, such as Halo 2, have included stealth and spying elements in their gameplay.

Gameplay

The dynamics of a stealth game are quite different from first-person shooters or other action games. Players of stealth-based games can die very quickly if they approach it in the same way as a traditional action game. Stealth games generally emphasize accuracy, planning, keen observation, and puzzle-solving skills, whereas other action games revolve more around quick reflexes.

Whereas the excitement in most action games is the adrenaline rush of combat, the enjoyment in a stealth game is usually (but not always) cerebral in nature. The ability to silently stalk an opponent or be within arm's reach of a potentially dangerous enemy and yet be completely unseen appeals to many gamers. These games also tend to have more emphasis on story, as part of a stealth-based game's impact comes from the ambiance that the game has, emphasizing urgency and the need to remain hidden. Likewise, stealth-based games also tend to contain more visual and sound cues than other games, again to heighten the experience.