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DarthVolod on 20 June 2012
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Jay520 said:
DarthVolod said:
Is really the only stealth game that will come out this year that I can think of.

 


Hitman: Absolution! Why aren't people hyped for this game?!?!

As for Dishonored. It just like a game where you get to stab a lot of people in the face.


Hitman: Absolution is an action game at its core with some minor stealth elements tacked on. Based on what the gameplay that has been shown, and what the developers themselves have been saying about the new "action" focus I would say it is about as much a stealth game as Mass Effect 3 is an RPG (that is to say not much of one at all really).

Dishonored is kind of a wild card from a studio that does not have much of a reputation. It seems to mix elments of Bioshock with its art direction and plasmid like abilities and the Thief series with its stealth and steam punk world together which is an awesome combination (especially the Thief part). While the developers said you would be able to play it in a non-stealth fashion (just like the hybrid stealth/shooter of last year, Deus Ex HR) there will be consequences for it, and that is what a game needs to be a stealth game, consequences.

Playing non-stealth in stealth games like Thief, Deus Ex, and the older Hitman games resulted in the game punishing you in a variety of ways ... usually it was a quick death as your character is usually unable to handle a swarm of guards. Hitman: Absolution, however, is encouraging players to take a more action oriented approach with a focus on gunplay while stealth elements are dumbed down so anyone can handle them (you get an ability that lets you see a guard's path as though Agent 47 can predict the future or something).

It is sort of like what happened with the Metal Gear Solid series after MGS 1. MGS never really had a strong emphasis on stealth, but at least in the first game you were somewhat penalized for not being sneaky. In MGS2 and beyond you can pretty mcuh kill guards with impunity and not have to worry so much if the alarm goes off or not. Hitman: Absolution is taking a similiar route by moving away from stealth in favor of action which seems to be the most popular and lucrative genre of this generation.