10 Modern Video Game Tropes We're Totally Sick Of

6. Hiding In "Tall Grass"

"They're coming! Quick, hide in the tall grass!"

There's always some tall grass, isn't there?

Some nebulous, constantly-in-the-right-spot, peppering the environment "tall grass", regardless of whether you're exploring ancient Egypt or a cuban gang boss's fortress in the middle of the ocean.

Because once Metal Gear Solid started to peter out, Splinter Cell undersold and Hitman went on hiatus, the majority of game developers didn't want to "do stealth" anymore - at least not as a main focus.

Instead, they want the potential intensity of a stealth sequence - the white-knuckle, "Are they/are they not gonna spot me" stuff - without building an entire set of mechanics that exemplify a game overall.

So we're left with what Assassin's Creed set in motion, and every other title has cribbed: Patches of grass that render you invisible, "detection meters" and some random thing to throw out as a distraction (usually a rock). This makes every stealth sequence from Horizon Zero Dawn to A Plague Tale, Days Gone to A Way Out absolutely identical.

Stealth used to be a whole genre, and if you're going to include it, flesh out a bunch of transition animations, give us loads of different takedowns and vantage points, level pathways and equipment.

Do it right.