Games with interesting Stealth Mechanics

[tokage]

As it was mentioned briefly in the other thread I would throw 'Beyond Good and Evil'(watch fom 6:00 for the stealth) into the ring.
I know it is debatable if the stealth mechanism in there is complex (or realistic) enough to make it onto the list, but I kind of liked the simplicity it had to it. Looking back I think it was a slight bit too easy, but better than a stealth system that is so complicated, that it is way easier to just shoot everybody down(I know there are better examples)

OT:

TA,Supreme Commander...

I know what you are feeling. If you liked TA, try Spring, it is open source.

[Wilbefast]

As it was mentioned briefly in the other thread I would throw 'Beyond Good and Evil'(watch fom 6:00 for the stealth) into the ring.
I know it is debatable if the stealth mechanism in there is complex (or realistic) enough to make it onto the list, but I kind of liked the simplicity it had to it. Looking back I think it was a slight bit too easy, but better than a stealth system that is so complicated, that it is way easier to just shoot everybody down(I know there are better examples)

OT:

TA,Supreme Commander...

I know what you are feeling. If you liked TA, try Spring, it is open source.

True, I haven't checked up on Spring in a while - thanks for the reminder

I really liked the "How not to play Hitman" series, probably because of how often things go wrong in that game and you end up playing, well, exactly how you're not supposed to.

BTW if you want your video to start at 6 minutes you can put #t=6m0s at the end. I know this because I looked it up 10 seconds ago - isn't the net great!? Im fine putting Beyond Good and Evil fine up there if you want, favourites are just as welcome, and when you think about it, not many games have really revolutionised stealth.
It's mostly been a matter of learning patterns and timing, and less of planning and execution. In theory Assassin's Creed has a bit of the latter, but enemies you kill have a habit of respawning, so "clearing an area before making your kill" doesn't really work that well. There was also claims that you could meld with the crowds, but that means monks (mobile hiding spots) because normal civillians really only get in the way, and if they do provid cover it's in such a negligable way that I haven't noticed - walking around on your own, or even sprinting up and down in front of guards, doesn't seen to trigger any response.

One I might put up is Abe's Odyssey - pretty much one of my favourite games, and the only stealth game I know of where you possess the guards and use them to access terminals and such... wait a second that reminds me of something - there was another game that did that... I think

[Zaphon]

wait a second that reminds me of something - there was another game that did that... I think

Messiah, maybe? In that game you control an angel who can possess people and creatures to get them to do his bidding. I've only played the demo, but it seemed like a fun game.
Abe's Odyssey & Exodous are awesome! Haven't finished 'em though o:

[Renegade_Turner]

Wilbefast makes a good point about Assassin's Creed. When I think about it, at least games like Metal Gear Solid acknowledged when you were out of sight of the enemy. In Assassin's Creed, you could be hidden in a corner on the highest tower on the map which happens to have no guards in it, and they'd still be trying to climb up the side of the tower to chase you because YOU'RE NOT IN A HAYSTACK AND HAY IS MAGIC.

And yes, it was one of the easiest games I've ever played.

[Nail]

I liked Tenchu's stealth system. It was very ninja-y.

[Wilbefast]

YOU'RE NOT IN A HAYSTACK AND HAY IS MAGIC

I sometimes wonder if it's actually possible to shake off the guards without hay - I mean, you gallop past them on a horse and charge off to the other side of the world map and they'll follow you all the way there on foot. It's ridiculous.

It's the whole question of looking cool vs feeling cool - Ubisoft make a lot of games that look cool, but some of them make you feel retarded, especially if there's no challenge or they force you to be "cinematic" (eg: hiding in hay).

Messiah, maybe? In that game you control an angel who can possess people and creatures to get them to do his bidding. I've only played the demo, but it seemed like a fun game.

Heard of that but never played it - there was a game called "Second Sight" and another called "Psi-Ops" - I have a feeling they might have possession too.
Was Munch's Odyssey any good? I was so cut it was only on XBox...

I liked Tenchu's stealth system. It was very ninja-y.

Which one? There are a lot of Tenchu games out there and I haven't played any of them

If you could find a video it would be useful too...

[cowowar]

Dark Messiah: Might and Magic had an excellent stealth system. It made stealth interesting and rewarding without making it too easy ala Fallout 3. The idea of having an orc guard notice you than you have to kill him with daggers when he has a sword and a shield is pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhuzuKIP ... re=related

By the way, that is the demo build, and the final version maxed out with AA is easily one of the prettiest games i have ever played (Also its much darker ;P). Also, the console version "Elements" is a dumbed down port that completely removes talent system and with it the ability to create any kind of character that isn't the standard warrior mage archer or rouge builds.

[Renegade_Turner]

The best thing about Dungeon Keeper was possessing your minions.

[Wilbefast]

Fallout 3 is like a kleptomania simulator: like Obilivion I just can't stop stealing things

Anyway, I added Dark Messiah and (a) Tenchu - thanks for the video

The best thing about Dungeon Keeper was possessing your minions.

That was an awesome game - have you played Evil Genius?


By the by - I'm on my way back to Australia so probably won't be nearly as availiable for the next fortnight

[Ltp0wer]

Only played Hitman 2?

HERESY!
You must play Blood Money.

[Swordarm]

Assassins Creed doesn't really deserve to be on the list. It's a plattformer, more precise a free-runner.
It's not a stealth game. The stealth aspect was promised but never really executed.

Basicly, you are hidden until you do something agressive. And then there is the "invisible" button. You walk slower but become pretty much cloaked, being able to kill one guard and stand next to him, his pal comes over, looks around "shouts" WHO DID THIS in your face and then you stab him too

No complains about any other game, they all deserve their place.
I am actually tempted to propose U-Boat Simulation games...
Good old Wolfpack or Silent Hunter whatever.

Oh and go ahead and add Alien vs Predetor, along with Spider-Man 1 TheVideo Game. (the second didn't have stealth anymore). Even very first Spider-Man for the PS1 had some cool early stealth levels but the concept was dropped later.

In these games, you can crawl at ceilings and in dark corners on any wall to stay hidden, then launch your attack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No1HtDAm ... re=related

Not showing all the cool things but what the hell.

[Wilbefast]

Spider Man? Oh I remember that game - good fun, I liked the "silly mode" cheat that added rubber duckies to the sewer and all sort of other random stuff.

Guess Assassin Creed has to be mentioned because it at least tries to do things differently - its real problem is that it's too easy, the guards are too stupid: if you couldn't run around them and climb up buildings in plain view without them getting suspicious, and if they had some degree of peripheral vision so they could see you murder the guy standing right next to them then it would be much more interesting, and apart from Hitman it's the only game there where you're hiding without being hidden so to speak.
That's though whole thing though - they never delivered on the the level of tension promised: making it accessible is all very well but unless there's a challenge it's not going to be any fun.

Splinter Cell conviction was original going to do something similar, but that's all changed now it seems. Here's a demo from 2007:

Splinter Cell Conviction - 2007

And here's the new look for 2009 - it's gone back to the hiding in shadows sort of gameplay, which is not nessecarily a bad thing. However the "Mark and Execute" is another example of looking cool but not feeling cool, because it'll likely make the game a cakewalk just like Assassin's Creed.

Splinter Cell Conviction - 2009

[Swordarm]

actually, Assassins Creed was born out of Prince of Persia, the Two Thrones, which had the same premise.

Free movement around Babylon, climb anything gameplay and so on. And then Ubisoft decided to release the game a full year early and all these elements were iced for some later game. With turned out to be AC (which is rougly by the same team anyway).

[Renegade_Turner]

Fallout 3 is like a kleptomania simulator: like Obilivion I just can't stop stealing things

Hahaha it does that to you too? Fallout 3 turns me into such a bastard. Not in the coldheartedly-killing-people way but in the wow-I-could-get-lots-of-money-for-this-better-steal-it. But now I've horded so much money that I've nothhing to spend it on and now all I feel is empty inside.

That was an awesome game - have you played Evil Genius?

No, what's that? Some kind of spiritual successor to Dungeon Keeper? The original game was the best. Dungeon Keeper 2 was good too, but not as good. I remember playing it when I was like 8 or 9, because my brother had bought it. When I got the torture chambers, what I liked to do was capture every single enemy on the map and put them in the torture chambers, then keep healing them constantly until they convert to my side.

"O HALLO THAR MR. WIZARD I C U HAV JUST JOINED MY SIDE, LET ME SHOW U AROUND DE PLACE, DIS IS UR HOUSE, AND DATS DE CHICKEN FARM, DIS ONE IS DE TORTURE CHAMBER, BUT WE DONT LIKE 2 TALK ABOUT DE TORTURE CHAMBER AROUND HERE, MAKES FOLKS NERVOUS AND DAT..."

[invertin]

But now I've horded so much money that I've nothhing to spend it on and now all I feel is empty inside.

I like to call this Fable 2 Syndrome.

Mostly because my evil character has so much money he could probably buy the very souls of every person he's ever killed ever.

And he is an evil person, so that's alot of souls.

Kleptomania happens to have the unfortunate side effect of OH GOD SLOOOOWWWWW WHY CAN'T I GO FASTER I HAVE SO MUCH USEFUL STUFF AND NOTHING USELESS TO DROP AAARGGHHH

I'm then forced to drop one of my three pairs of power armor so that I can walk again.

Or in Oblivion's case

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH MOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I'm then forced to drop 12 of my 47 swords to be able to move again.

Or knock my horse out and put things in their stomach.

Ohrightstealthuuuuhhhh

Well I've got no ideas. The only thing I can think about is the Courier missions from InFamous and the stealth there was very simple. Or maybe the potential stealth in Cortex Command, but the stealth there is really just the AI being incapable of knowing where you are unless you make a noise. Even if you just walked past them.