10 Confusing Trends The Gaming Industry Is Convinced You Like
6. Tacked On Stealth Sections
Stealth is an undoubtedly phenomenal gaming mechanic. Hell, some of the best games of all time centre themselves entirely on it. So why is it that running into a non-optional stealth section nowadays is likely to have you thinking, "Oh no, please, anything but this?"
When a stealth segment is done right, it can break the action up in a satisfying way. However, when it's not handled to perfection, it can bring a game's pacing to a grinding halt and leave players pushing to get through it so they can start the fun again. Everyone loves Mary Jane, but nobody was clamouring to slowly sneak around as her when they wanted to be web-slinging as Spider-Man.
The frustrating thing is that stealth is tacked on to what feels like every major release now, even in Double-A/Indie games. It's like the industry is convinced you need stealth segments. Why does the mysterious teen drama Life is Strange need stealth? Why does the puzzle-based translation simulator Chants of Sennaar need stealth? Why does any game not focused on stealth need stealth?