Is the Stealth Genre Dying?

It seems these days it's tough to find a game that focuses just on stealth while many games tend to have stealth elements in them. Some examples include Batman Arkham City/Arkham Asylum, Metal Gear Solid 4, Deus Ex Hr and the upcoming Dishonored. Even Splinter Cell has moved away from stealth for the most part. Does this mean the genre is on its way out? Is the idea of a stealth game too much of a “niche” to survive?

[prototypeknuckles]

A little I mean stealth and survival horror seem to not be cared about, and its all about action and grit nowadays, but there are a few games that still care just not the main stream games like re, or sc can be trusted anymore.

[lastdual]

Essentially, stealth has become just an option.

We don't see pure stealth games in the traditional sense today. Instead we see games that say "you can be stealthy . . . or go in GUNS BLAZING!"

It's the same thing that we've seen happen with survival horror. If your games isn't also an action game, risk-averse publishers don't want any part of it. Unfortunately this often translates to a dumbed-down experience.

[Bathyj]

I actually like games where you can play your own style. As you said, stealthy or guns blazing. Far Cry is a perfect example.

What I dont like is when games say, here this is a stealth bit, you can be stealthy here and pretty much nowhere else. Batman:Arkham Asylum is a good example of this.

PS
Enjoying the hell out of Sniper Elite V2 at the moment.

[s45gr32]

I don´t mind that much that stealth is just an option; however, stealth as an option for MGS4 was a disaster. Is sad to see this genre become an option mainly due it made the games more realistic i.e. splinter cell you are a black ops agent do not leave any evidence that the U.S. was involved in the operation. That was cool because lets faced it avoiding enemies is more challenging than getting rid of them not only that but in real life black ops agents must not leave any evidence of their native country thus seeing results without anyone noticing was going on. As for survival horror damn it all why not who doesn´t like a scary game....

[JellyJelly]

Deus Ex: Human Revolution laid out the option perfectly. I felt like I failed if I didn't go stealth.

[iamlegend9999]

If i'm playing on a harder difficulty. I do stealth.

[ChipChipperson]

Let's not forget that it's not only just the lack of stealth segments, but just the way most stealth mechanics work with games that try to implement them. It's either really bad stealth mechanics i.e. Far Cry 2, enemies can perfectly pin point your exact location in the thick jungle during the night even though you killed a guard with your machete silently. You alert one guy, the whole area just knows where you are, why? And then there is the other stealth mechanic where it is just too simple and lacking. The very basic stealth gameplay with the very few stealth segments just aren't that much fun, nor challenging. It's either that or they are always scripted stealth segments where the enemy AI just has no behavior to them where they just wait for you to go up behind them. Most of these stealth games are missing that sense of observation of your targets.

[JimmyJames70]

Yeah. It's. Dead.

[Bathyj]

There are still stealth games around, but they're hard to find. ;P

[SilentNegotiator]

Especially exceptionally good ones.

[Swiggins]

I didn't see what you did there ;3

[Bathyj]

Hoho, very nice. I see what YOU did there.

[DragonKnight]

God I hope not. Stealth is probably my second favourite genre after RPG's. If someone made a great ninja-based stealth RPG I wouldn't be able to throw money at it fast enough.

[Bathyj]

Ever play The Last Ninja?

Not RPG or stealth, but a great Ninja adventure back in the day. Awesome graphics and score.

[RedDeadLB]

Tenchu on PS1?

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Somebody make another Tenchu game. Not only will my problem be solved, but I'll be extremely happy another Tenchu game got released.

[Bathyj]

Here, what this guy said. Glad its not just me.
Poisoned Rice... BEST WEAPON EVER!!

[ChipChipperson]

If they ever do make another Tenchu game, I really hope they make it more like 1-3. The last, I think, 3-4 installments have been good, but lacking compared to the older ones. I want my Ki Meter back.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

I agree. Just make them open world missions, smart enemy A.I, tons of Hissastu kills based on multiple attack angles and weaponry.

More environment interaction like in Tenchu Shadow Assassins is appreciated but much less hand holding to do so.

[TheMutator]

nah Metal Gear Solid 5 coming soon!!!

[Kanzes]

and Dishonored..

[NYC_Gamer]

The era of pure stealth gameplay is dead now studios will make some cheap hybrid full of action with little stealth elements

[soundslike]

Thats the big guys who do that (ubisoft, rocksteady). Everyone buys those games and now complain about why its been dumbed down?
Thats why Dishonored deserves every stealth gamer's attention. It appears to have stealth mechanics and AI on par with the genre's classics and even going the extra mile. So if you want stealth, put your money where your mouth is.

[Whitefox789]

We need a new console Tenchu on PS3/X360 (gotta have Rikimaru and Ayame).

I'm trusting Shinji Mikami with the Survival Horror genre with his new project codenamed: Zwei.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

It's the reason I have his company Tango Gameworks in my radar. I am hoping he abandons the idea of pinata monsters (enemies that drop ammunition and health) and use the direction he displayed in Resident Evil 3.5.

[Whitefox789]

I concur my friend, not only do I think its a bit weird that enemies drop health or ammo (though then again it was weird finding health and ammo in inexplicable places). However what you've just stated right there is what hurts the survival horror genre.

I remember a time my brother could not finish RE3 because he was saved in a state where he was in orange caution, had no health recovery items, and had almost no ammo except for 5 shots in his pistol, and three zombies were outside of the save room. Since he wasn't able to ration his resources effectively he was at a point where it would be very hard for him to continue the game.

I also hope whatever Mikami is making it isn't linear I loved backtracking in RE1, 2, 3, CV. Heck I loved it in Dino Crisis.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Dino Crisis was survival in it's purest form in my opinion.

[Hasanhastam]

Until new game of hitman and metal gear franchises are in development. I think NO

[s45gr32]

MGS4 stealth was an option. You could go guns ablazing. Hell the last act of MGS4 stealth was thrown out of the window replaced by gun ho tactics wtf? Maybe hitman I don´t know but stealth as a genre is dead and buried it will live now as an option no more or less.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

I disagree because all Metal Gears put you in situations where you had no choice but to fight back but unlike most games today, it wasn't the direction of the whole campaign.

I mean you can go gun blazing in all stealth games of earlier generations as well but you will earn less rewards, use way more resources to take on squads enemies....etc

Stealth was an option but a HEAVILY ENCOURAGED option.

[TheDivine]

Yea that bothered me. Its true there were always action bits in all MGS games but they were reserved for bosses and certain scenes like the end escape scenes. The rest was all stealth. Shooting would get you killed quick, maybe you could kill a guard if you were spotted but that was just to get enough time to hide in a locker, in a vent, or under a table. Mgs4 made stealth totally unnecessary imo. Sure you could sneak bye but enemies were too busy fighting each other to notice or care about you. It was the opposite of past games, mostly action with a few stealth parts thrown in like when you revisit Shadow Moses. I prefer action as a last resort and being spotted usually meaning death or running like a botch lol. Mgs3 had the perfect balance of survival, stealth, action, gameplay, and cutscenes. Perect imo.

[Paul85]

I want a new tenchu game !!!

[taquito]

this questions is a few years old, the last good stealth games were mgs4 and splinter cell chaos theroy

[George Sears]

They are a few games coming out soon that incorporate stealth in there gameplay to some extent. Games like Assassins Creed 3, Hitman Absolution, The Last of Us incorporate stealth in there gameplay mechanics one way or the other.

IMO, the stealth genre is genre defying. It seems to be one of those genres that can mesh with other in some way or form. I do believe it is dying. Sad to see something like the latest Metal Gear nothing but a hack and slash over the top nonsense. But to each there own.

[HeavenlySnipes]

Assassins Creed almost has zero stealth. They have that alertness indicator but you can't really play the game stealthy. All the targets (at least from AC1 and AC2) have to be killed with brute force unfortunately. I doubt 3 will change this

[black911]

Everythings dying it's 2012.

[Relientk77]

Tenchu 1 and 2 on PS1 were amazing, I wish that series would make a comeback

there are games coming out that atleast have some stealth elements: Dishonored, Metal Gear Solid 5, Hitman Absolution, The Last of Us, and Assassins Creed 3

[r21]

Dishonored and probably Hitman hopefully will reignite the stealth genre.

[urwifeminder]

I hate stealth games with a passion die i say lol.

[ALLWRONG]

Thief 4, Splinter Cell and Hitman will change that.

[Max-Zorin]

One of my favorite stealth games was Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven on PS2.

[TheKayle]

stealth/action mixed is more realistic to me...

if theres a single target or two and u r a badass superhero theres no reason to dont use ur silencer gun on him

always avoiding fight is boring

i repeat TO ME

[franko]

That crappy 'mark and kill' thing in splinter cell? Wtf is that? I wanna kill the enemy!

[Bathyj]

Nooo.

Wouldnt you rather press Y to kill 4 guys?

[franko]

Noooo! I wanna kill one by one stealthy,not that express s**t. Soon we will just 'look' at the games. What's the point if the game is playing by itself?

[3-4-5]

Assassins Creed anyone ?

They have a unique multiplayer experience in that game you can't get anywhere else.

it's very underrated.