What The Hell Happened To The Stealth Genre?!
Stealth's not dead, it's just waiting in the shadows.
As I patiently lay in the shadows, scoping out the area and wait for the opportune moment to take out my target, a thought occurs. Well, two thoughts: "What ever happened to good ol' days of stealth games?" and "Why are my hands so cold?"
Stealth games, as a genre, have never hit the lofty heights of its bombastic cousin, the "action shooter". Whilst series like Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid and Hitman have gone on to shift millions, they're always flanked by the likes of Call of Duty and Gears of War in mainstream popularity.
So much so, in fact, that the examples I've given above have somewhat dabbled in action elements at one point or another in their titles. Yet there's a reason Conviction or Absolution are often sneered at, as they deviated too far from their mold to stay relevant.
Thankfully, the stealth genre isn't dead. The old stalwarts are getting their acts in gear in recent years, as well as newcomers like Dishonoured and Batman carrying that torch in the last decade or so.
It's not dead, no. But it has seen such a marked shift that it's somewhat diluted from its roots. The real question, then: is that for better or worse? Indulge me, if you will, as we sneak about and have a crafty look at where it all changed, where it's going and why we love it so much.