Sneaking Into The Stealth Genre

I've always had a particular fondness for stealth games, and I think at this point (two levels into Splinter Cell: Conviction, to be precise) I've worked out why.

In my mind there are two different types of stealth experience, or more accurately two different ways of using stealth to your advantage. Lets use two hypothetical scenarios to illustrate this.

Example 1

In the first instance, we are using stealth to remain essentially invisible. We are a shadowy figure deep behind enemy lines, skulking through a fortress full of twitchy mercenaries toting automatic weapons. We are outnumbered and outgunned; we feel a little bit insecure, and we know that should we draw attention to ourselves then we have very little hope of survival.

Our objective is to retrieve some sensitive information from a particular room in the fortress and escape with it undetected. For the sake of argument, lets say that the target is on the top floor, and we're currently on the bottom. All the way up, our hearts are beating uncomfortably fast and our palms are sweating. If an enemy catches a glimpse of us moving from cover to cover, him and his mates are going to be bearing down on us within seconds. If we fail to hear the gentle whirring of the security camera, it's going to set alarms blaring and we've essentially failed.

The whole trip from bottom to top and back down again is almost unbearably tense and exciting. We reach the exit with our intel in hand, disappearing off into the night, picturing the enemies we left none-the-wiser staring slack-jawed at the open safe. We feel relief, we feel pride, we feel accomplishment. We took on a huge force of enemies as just one guy and we succeeded. There's more achievement in that than shooting down a hundred waves of enemy soldiers.

Example 2

Here we are using stealth to remain anonymous. It sounds like a very similar task to the first example, but in actuality it's measurably different. Here we have a big, open-ended environment full of not just guards but also civilians, respectively going about their patrols and their daily lives. We're no longer infiltrating a closed-off environment full of bad guys, but rather we're breaking the law in a real piece of human society.

Our objective is to assassinate someone. It's rather simple in theory, but there are different ways we can approach it. First of all, getting close; do we sneak in the back door, covertly incapacitate one of the guards and stroll casually through the front, or nip down the chimney dressed as the sweep? Our choice entirely, but one way might be exponentially more successful than the others. We need to take a risk and do what we feel is right, which isn't always what's most obvious.

Once we get close, then what? Do we do him with a double-tap to the head and risk exposure? Or do we slip some cyanide in his cup of tea and watch him keel over from the relative safety of the closet? Our choice again. Then we get on with deciding our method of exfiltration. Out of the window and down the drainpipe, maybe?

The point is that if you succeed you actually feel like a contract killer. You made your own choices, you approached the situation as you saw fit and you were successful. You feel intelligent and powerful.

Tying them together

What we have here are two examples of how stealth can be applied in different ways to generate different emotional responses. You might try and argue that Example 1 is describing a linear experience while Example 2 is simulating that of a sandbox structure, but that isn't the case, and Splinter Cell can prove it.

The Splinter Cell series is the one I point to when someone asks me what I feel provides the most complete stealth experience. This is because, while essentially linear, SC splices elements from both of the above examples to leave the player feeling relieved, intelligent, proud and powerful, all in equal measure. While one mission may require you to remain invisible, keeping alarms and body count to a minimum, the next level may give you fifth freedom to eliminate whoever you like in order to get to your target, with remaining in the shadows the most effective way of evening the odds.

You see, this is why I like stealth games -- because they provide a range of different ways to stimulate the player. While it could be argued that all genres do this to some degree, it's far more evident in a game such as Hitman or Thief than it is in, say, Black or Max Payne. 

I think more people should buy stealth games and give their somewhat slow pacing a chance, because the rewards at the end of the experience are more than worth it. So my recommendation to you, fellow gamers, is if you haven't already, get involved in the stealth genre. It might not be what you're used to, but sticking with the same thing all the time makes you thick, according to science. I'm paraphrasing, obviously.

Incidently, if you're looking for a good stealth experience stay away from Splinter Cell: Conviction.