Stealth-based game
|
|
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. In one aspect, stealth-based games are basically a highly refined form of the old children's game of hide-and-seek.
The first successful game in this genre was Metal Gear. Others followed onto this approach, notably the PC game Thief: The Dark Project. During the development of Wolfenstein 3D, id Software implemented many stealth features, such as sneaking behind the guards or dressing in enemy uniform, but none of these made it into the released version.
The popularity of stealth-based games did not really take off until the release of Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation. Since then, there have been other games in this genre, most notable being the Syphon Filter and Splinter Cell series. Many survival horror games also implement aspects of this genre.
In recent times, stealth games have grown even further in popularity, so much so that some mainstream action games such as Halo 2 and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault 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, where other action games revolve more around quick reflexes.
Whereas the excitement in most action games is the adrenaline rush of combat, in a stealth game, the enjoyment 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.fr:Jeu d'infiltration