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Do you like stealth games? I like stealth games. Let's talk about them!  (list by order of release) Metal Gear series Arguably the father of the stealth genre. Has its own megathread here.    Tenchu series Classic ninja-stealth with various gadgets that you can use (like a grappling hook!). The first two games were developed by Acquire, but the franchise was later acquired (pun intended) by Activision, which later sold it to FromSoftware.    Commandos series Real-time tactics series where you must control a group of commandos with different skills in order to complete your missions. Playing it non-stealthily is basically suicide unless you know what you are doing.    Thief series Immersive first-person thieving in a fantasy steampunk world. Thief 1 and 2 have several fan missions that you can play, and there is also a freeware game based on it, called The Dark Mod, with over 150 fan-made missions, made with the Doom 3 engine.    Deus Ex series Allows you to play in many different ways, including stealthily. Has its own megathread here.    Hitman series Hitman has a different stealth focus, sometimes called "social stealth", where you disguise yourself as the enemy and has to eliminate your targets in interesting ways. Has its own megathread here.    Desperados series Similar to Commandos but with more emphasis on story. The third game was made by Mimimi Games, the same developers that made Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun.    Sly Cooper series Mascot stealth platformer with nice cel-shaded visuals.    Splinter Cell series Modern-day espionage, with strong focus on light and shadows. A remake of the first game is supposedly coming out at some point.    (Forbidden) Siren series Although a survival horror series, they are very focused on stealth. The protagonists have a special ability to tune (like an antenna, with static and everything) into the sight of the enemies, the shibito. Trying to fight them, even when you have weapons, can be extremely dangerous. Also they don't die, they just fall over and get up later.    Manhunt 1 and 2 Kinda like a stealth snuff film, sorta. Made by Rockstar.    Chameleon I legitimately have never heard of this game before prior to making this thread. Apparently it has the StarForce DRM that could potentially gently caress up your Windows installation so don't say I didn't warn you.    Shinobido series A spiritual successor to Tenchu made by Acquire. Grappling hook also included.    Assassin's Creed series You know what this is. Thread about AssCreed Valhalla here.    Trilby: The Art Of Theft Arguably one of the first stealth indie games. Made by Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation fame.    Velvet Assassin "Inspired by the fascinating story and unbreakable spirit of British secret agent Violette Szabo, players take control of Violette Summer, a beautiful World War II spy deep behind enemy lines with no support or official backing from the British Government."    Dishonored/Deathloop First person stealth, but with cool supernatural powers. Incredibly fluid and flexible, your creativity is the limit really.    Mark of the Ninja Ninja stealth side-scroller. It is very very good. A remastered version was released on 2018.    Stealth Bastard Deluxe "Armed with only your wits and a pair of Stealthing Goggles, it’s your job to sneak your way through a deadly facility that’s determined to extinguish your fragile little life." Steam link.    Gunpoint "Gunpoint is a stealth puzzle game that lets you rewire its levels to trick people. You play a freelance spy who takes jobs from his clients to break into high security buildings and steal sensitive data."    République Stealth game in a totalitarian Big Brother world, where you can hack cameras to see around you. Both the normal and VR versions of the game are free on Steam.    CounterSpy "CounterSpy is a 2.5D side-scroller with stealth elements and randomly generated levels. Set in an alternate version of the Cold War, players play as a counter agent sent to infiltrate the bases of opposing countries in order to prevent either of them from launching nuclear weapons."    Alien Isolation Play hide-and-seek against a xenomorph and desperately fail at it. The atmosphere is off the charts.    Styx 1 and 2 Stealth but as a goblin! I still need to try these out.    Invisible, Inc Turn-based stealth with roguelike elements.    NEON STRUCT "You are Jillian Cleary: an ex-spy on the run, framed for treason and hunted by your former agency. You must move in secret, survive off the grid, and find a way to clear your name. Old friends and new allies will lend their support; but with the eyes of the world upon you, who can you trust?"    Volume "Pure stealth action and infinite level creation from the award-winning studio behind Thomas Was Alone. Enter the Volume to halt Gisborne Industries' corruption and train the masses to rob from the rich. Features weekly content updates in curated Staff Picks section."    SOMA "From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent comes SOMA, a sci-fi horror game set below the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Struggle to survive a hostile world that will make you question your very existence."    Clandestine "Clandestine is a 2-player or singleplayer stealth/hacking game set in 1996. Asymmetrical co-op allows one player to take the role of the spy while a friend provides overwatch and assistance as the hacker, and unravel a post-Cold War espionage conspiracy."    Shadwen "Shadwen is a 3rd person stealth-action game where the only rule is to remain unseen. Stay hidden - or the ruthless guards will kill you on sight!"    Aragami 1 and 2 Ninja stealth with supernatural powers like teleporting and whatnot. Both games have a coop mode.    Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Similar to Commandos but takes place during Shogunate-era Japan. You can play with a controller too. Extremely recommended.    Prey System Shock 3 in all but name. Stealth is also an option.    Heat Signature "Heat Signature is a game from the developers of Gunpoint where you break into spaceships, make terrible mistakes, and think of clever ways out of them. You take a mission, fly to the target ship, sneak inside, and make clever use of your gadgets to distract, ambush and take out the crew."    SpyParty "SpyParty is a competitive espionage game about subtle human behavior. A Spy hides in plain sight at a fancy cocktail party, trying to accomplish missions while blending in with the other guests, while a Sniper with a single bullet looks inward, searching for the Spy."    Phantom Doctrine "Phantom Doctrine is a strategic turn-based espionage thriller set at the peak of the Cold War. Drawing on a wide variety of influences and capturing the subtle intrigue of classic spy films, the game thrust the player into a mysterious world of covert operations, counterintelligence, conspiracy and paranoia."    Thief Simulator "Become the best thief. Gather intel, steal things and sell them to buy hi-tech equipment. Do everything that a real thief does."    Budget Cuts 1 and 2 Stealth meets Portal, but as a VR game. Don't own a VR headset so it would be nice to hear some thoughts about this one.    The Occupation “The Occupation is a taut investigative simulation and stealth thriller. It’s infused with a realistic and multidimensional approach to mechanics, systems, and level design. This is a must-play for fans of Deus Ex and Dishonored.”    A Plague Tale: Innocence "Follow the grim tale of young Amicia and her little brother Hugo, in a heartrending journey through the darkest hours of history."    Ghost of Tsushima Open-world action adventure game where you can use stealth as well to take out your enemies.    Intravenous Hotline Miami meets Metal Gear meets Splinter Cell.    UnMetal "UnMetal is a 2D stealth action-adventure that pays homage to the classics with a healthy dose of humor and satire. You play as Jesse Fox, who is definitely NOT an elite commando, under arrest for a crime he didn't commit, and must escape a covert military base using his wits and fists". Steam link.    GTFO "GTFO is an extreme cooperative horror shooter that throws you from gripping suspense to explosive action in a heartbeat. Stealth, strategy, and teamwork are necessary to survive in your deadly, underground prison. Work together or die together."    Filcher "Filcher is a first-person 2.5D noir stealth game. As Sporey the master thief, break into guarded buildings to steal from the wealthy and corrupt, using only your senses, your wits, and a handful of tools and gadgets." Steam link.    ______________________________  NEWEST GAMES: Starless Top-down 2D game very clearly inspired by Alien Isolation. Steam link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvfmeofo5mo Stealth Kart What the gently caress is this. Steam link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcLj3hxGIxw Gloomwood Early access is like, out now. Thief + Bloodborne(?) + more guns. Made by the DUSK and ULTRAKILL devs. Steam link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueeav-rP4_E ______________________________ RELEASING SOON: Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief - 11 Oct, 2022 - Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows Actually a PS2 game that will be released on the west for the first time. Made by the original Tenchu and Way of the Samurai devs (Acquire). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgKuTMuwCTk SPECTRE - 2022???? A spiritual successor to the Spies vs Mercs multiplayer mode featured in the Splinter Cell games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd6IE8_p7KI Big Scary Owl fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Sep 12, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 00:45
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This looks like a cool thread and I like stealth games.
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Sep 6, 2022 01:25
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I need to finish thief one and two op thanks for the reminder.
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Sep 6, 2022 01:27
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Awesome thread. Bunch of stuff here I've never heard of. I'm reminded that I own a copy of Shadow Tactics and this would be a great time to get back to it! Heat Signature is a hell of a game Also holy poo poo GLOOMWOOD 
beer gas canister fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Sep 6, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 01:33
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Thief 1 and 2 hit it out of the park when it comes to atmosphere. Everyone should play them.
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Sep 6, 2022 01:34
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Mods please move this thread to Poker Is Totally Rigged so it's harder to find.
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Sep 6, 2022 01:35
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I am absolutely effulgent with effort material to share regarding stealth game design. I also suggest adding the excellent, if demanding, Filcher, a Thief-like, to the OP. I just recently finished playing through Thief 1 and 2 and the infamous 2014 soft reboot/sequel. I am also...trying...to play Thief 3. edit: I've also 100%ed the Hitman series up to the most recent entry, the Assassin's Creed series through Unity and watch_dogs 1 and 2, and played through many other games in the OP, and am a mild expert in the abortive, terrible stealth of Payday 2. Discendo Vox fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Sep 6, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 01:37
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I really liked Stealth Bastard. It's $1 now, and definitely worth a try at that price.
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Sep 6, 2022 01:41
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Discendo Vox posted:I am absolutely effulgent with effort material to share regarding stealth game design. I also suggest adding the excellent, if demanding, Filcher, a Thief-like, to the OP. I just recently finished playing through Thief 1 and 2 and the infamous 2014 soft reboot/sequel. I am also...trying...to play Thief 3. I am very, very interested in reading about stealth game design, would love to read that whenever you can post it. I completely forgot about Filcher and I was even browsing the steam stealth game tag, will add it to the OP. ultrafilter posted:I really liked Stealth Bastard. It's $1 now, and definitely worth a try at that price. Will add it to the OP as well. If anyone else has other games to add please post as well. edit: games added to the op Big Scary Owl fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Sep 6, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 01:45
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I'm glad you put Commandos in there. I see that they have HD re-releases and am tempted. But I haven't played them since the last millennium so idk how they hold up. Might report back.
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Sep 6, 2022 01:53
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Node posted:Thief 1 and 2 hit it out of the park when it comes to atmosphere. Everyone should play them. I honestly consider them more horror games than stealth games. They are incredibly creepy.
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Sep 6, 2022 02:03
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BaldDwarfOnPCP posted:I'm glad you put Commandos in there. I see that they have HD re-releases and am tempted. But I haven't played them since the last millennium so idk how they hold up. I've only really played the first, it holds up but still as ball-bustingly hard as I remember.
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Sep 6, 2022 02:09
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There's UnMetal which is basically SNES Metal Gear. It has a demo.ErrEff posted:This looks like a cool thread and I like stealth games.  Edit: I played the Gloomwood demo about a year ago and it was pretty neat. Had interesting atmospehre and you could sequence break with some basic creativity. itry fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Sep 6, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 02:31
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itry posted:There's UnMetal which is basically SNES Metal Gear. It has a demo. Added UnMetal to the OP thanks!
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Sep 6, 2022 04:11
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Cool thread, I am the worst stealth gamer but always appreciate a well-made stealth game that I can be awful at. Really enjoyed Invisible, Inc recently and will always be a Metal Gear fan.
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Sep 6, 2022 13:54
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Huh? What was that? I thought I saw a post
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Sep 6, 2022 15:28
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If I wasn't working, I'd have a LOT more words of love for Invisible Inc, but holy poo poo is it good. It's really good. I'll let Austin from Giant Bomb describe exactly how I feel about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJr8yI-q8AA
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Sep 6, 2022 15:44
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Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief looks awesome, I loved Tenchu always wondered why we didn't get more. I like the idea of being a thief with the same stealthy mechanics as Tenchu. I liked trying to find the hidden stuff in Tenchu, thievery good idea here.
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Sep 6, 2022 16:40
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I enjoy stealth games quite a bit but Invisible Inc never clicked for me. I must've put 20+ frustrated hours into it expecting to change my mind but it never worked.
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Sep 6, 2022 16:48
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beer gas canister posted:I enjoy stealth games quite a bit but Invisible Inc never clicked for me. I must've put 20+ frustrated hours into it expecting to change my mind but it never worked. I've heard similar things before (unless that was you in the Switch thread when it was released and I was blabbing on about it). I guess for some, it really doesn't work, and for others it's just wonderful. I'm thankful that it clicked with me.
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Sep 6, 2022 16:50
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With stuff like MGS or HITMAN, the map situation is sort of static - NPCs have their routines, and as long as they're not violated it all works in this comfortable and predictable way. The constant time pressure in Invisible Inc removes that predictability in a way that spoils it for me, I think.
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Sep 6, 2022 17:01
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RBA Starblade posted:Huh? What was that? I thought I saw a post Do you think you'll get your own squad after what happened last night?
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Sep 6, 2022 17:02
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So Gloomwood probably fits in here. I got super hyped for it after playing the demo which was pretty great and bought the early access release that came out yesterday. Sat down to play it earlier and I think what they've put out in early access is worse than the demo from a few years back in some ways. As it is now I can't really recommend it as someone who loves this style of game. I don't think it's the sort of game that's ideal for an early access piecemeal style release in any case but I figured I'd buy it anyway, play what's there now and then wait for the full release, I assumed what would be in the early access release would be a small chunk of the game but that chunk would be mostly finished with some rough bits maybe and the store page early access thing kind of implies that as well. The demo has a tutorial and then a bit in the city where you have to collect two different seals for a magic doorway which leads you into a couple different areas, one a "dungeony" type area with scripted, simple but effective scary setpieces in some sewers and the other the more usual Thief style stealth in a building kinda thing. It was pretty cool and I suspect it'll be in the full game once you get into the city. This early access release though, it's the opening/tutorial part of the demo that then goes into the early part of the game where you're trying to get into the city I think, about 2 hours. It's a game that's clearly going to try and reward exploration but in the early access version there's not much rewarding that exploration and in fact several little bits of levels are missing or inaccessible that have conversations prompting you to explore them. There's loads of money, jewels and such you can pickup in the game but nothing to spend it on or indication of what it would be for at all, for example. One bit really pissed me off and seems emblematic of the fact that playing the early access will compromise the experience somewhat, putting it in spoilers because in the full game I suspect it'll be a very cool bit. So you're sneaking around these cliffs with a pub visible on the cliffside, some goons you can eavesdrop on talk about how they have "something" in there that's scaring them, so you work your way round to it and get to the entrance, they give you a cool new folding shotgun and there's some goons looking at the door you can kill in the variety of ways you kill enemies in this game. Then you notice the inn has tape over the doors literally saying "under development" but there's a way into the basement where they try and do the "building tension" thing horror games will do where whatever the thing is, is stomping the floorboards above you and making noises. The game has very good sound and atmosphere in general I will say. Then you try and go up the stairs in the basement and it again says "under development" on the door to the main room. You just have to move on through another way and carry on to the end of what's there and ignore what seems like the big setpiece of that area. So like, it's a semi open world/thief kinda thing and you can go back to old areas it seems but going back to fight this thing if it's optional or whatever is different to having to sneak by it or avoid it or whatever if it's actually implemented. They've spunked the buildup for that on this not implemented thing already, I can't go back and do it now. Even if I restart the game when it properly releases I can't erase it from my memory or whatever. thebardyspoon fucked around with this message at 17:10 on Sep 6, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 17:07
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beer gas canister posted:With stuff like MGS or HITMAN, the map situation is sort of static - NPCs have their routines, and as long as they're not violated it all works in this comfortable and predictable way. The constant time pressure in Invisible Inc removes that predictability in a way that spoils it for me, I think. I'm of two minds about it, because I'm definitely prone to clinging to the "strategy" or "puzzle" stealth mindset where I'm always in full control and can make decisions with near-perfect information and minimal risk...even when it's not particularly fun. So a game that tries to subvert that isn't the worst idea. But the way Invisible Inc. does it...ehhh? 
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Sep 6, 2022 17:33
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John Murdoch posted:I'm of two minds about it, because I'm definitely prone to clinging to the "strategy" or "puzzle" stealth mindset where I'm always in full control and can make decisions with near-perfect information and minimal risk...even when it's not particularly fun. So a game that tries to subvert that isn't the worst idea. But the way Invisible Inc. does it...ehhh? But aside from the effect of the daemons, you DO have all of the immediate information. You don't know the layout yet, but you learn that as you go. The patrol pathing is always shown a turn in advance, so you do know where a given guard is headed. It's not perfect; it'd be nice to at least get a shaded out basic layout of a map beforehand, and you then have to fill out the rooms and get details that way. But other than that, there's very little randomness, unless I'm forgetting something.
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Sep 6, 2022 17:48
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Node posted:Thief 1 and 2 hit it out of the park when it comes to atmosphere. Everyone should play them. I was like halfway through thief 1 and forgot to finish it.
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Sep 6, 2022 17:49
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Just checking in to tell you great job, OP. Stealth games rule.
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Sep 6, 2022 18:34
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I miss Splinter Cell. Chaos Theory ruled.
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Sep 6, 2022 18:46
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:But aside from the effect of the daemons, you DO have all of the immediate information. You don't know the layout yet, but you learn that as you go. The patrol pathing is always shown a turn in advance, so you do know where a given guard is headed. I didn't really mean the information game, moreso the time pressure. Most stealth games don't put pressure on you to make the most efficient decisions possible. If I really want to methodically bonk out every last NPC in a Thief map and have the full run of the place, the game's not really gonna stop me. In Invisible Inc. the longer you gently caress around, the nastier things get. Plus the added complexity of guards not being permanently incapacitated. They're not bad ideas, they just hit me square in the gamer brain. John Murdoch fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Sep 6, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 18:52
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Megaman's Jockstrap posted:Just checking in to tell you great job, OP. Stealth games rule.  PunkBoy posted:I miss Splinter Cell. Chaos Theory ruled.  I actually really liked Blacklist as well, the way it rewards the Ghost playstyle is very nice, and I also enjoyed the level design quite a bit. I'm hopeful for the remake of the first game since apparently the OG team is working on it.
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Sep 6, 2022 18:54
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It's been a million years and I'm a weirdo but I thought Conviction was kinda cool, actually? Had some neat setpieces/levels, at least.
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Sep 6, 2022 18:55
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Big Scary Owl posted:I actually really liked Blacklist as well, the way it rewards the Ghost playstyle is very nice, and I also enjoyed the level design quite a bit. I'm hopeful for the remake of the first game since apparently the OG team is working on it. Oh, I keep on forgetting about Blacklist. I need to pick that up eventually. The remake having the original team sounds promising. I hope that turns out well.
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Sep 6, 2022 19:00
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Splinter Cell Blacklist has the tightest gameplay loop of the entire series. You can do lethal, non-lethal, stun, ghost, anything like that. It's marred by having an absolutely excruciatingly lovely story and characters, and the forced deviations from the actual creepin' to do poo poo like merk terrorists with an AC-130 and do lame impressions of Call of Duty. Yuck. The spies vs mercs gameplay is also substantially worse at lower levels than it was in Pandora Tomorrow/Chaos Theory. On that note, that reminds me OP: there's a spiritual successor to Spies vs Mercs called SPECTRE.https://store.steampowered.com/app/1531020/SPECTRE/ It's not out yet but the devs release regular progress videos, so despite its very low profile it is in active development. I played it at PAX West and it's shaping up pretty good, could honestly be something special. Megaman's Jockstrap fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Sep 6, 2022 |
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Sep 6, 2022 19:12
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Not exactly a stealth game but I feel like if we're stretching things to include Hitman, then Teardown belongs here. Its a game where you're basically doing missions to steal or destroy things in a destructible voxel world while avoiding alarms and cameras and ultimately pathing to get out before the cops arrive when you reach one you can't avoid .
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Sep 6, 2022 19:16
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Mgs3 is my favorite. I also like in RE4 when you can yell at Ashley to hide in dumpsters.
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Sep 6, 2022 19:23
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Megaman's Jockstrap posted:Splinter Cell Blacklist has the tightest gameplay loop of the entire series. You can do lethal, non-lethal, stun, ghost, anything like that. It's marred by having an absolutely excruciatingly lovely story and characters, and the forced deviations from the actual creepin' to do poo poo like merk terrorists with an AC-130 and do lame impressions of Call of Duty. Yuck. The spies vs mercs gameplay is also substantially worse at lower levels than it was in Pandora Tomorrow/Chaos Theory. Oh yeah SPECTRE I'll add it to the releasing soon(?) list. A Sometimes Food posted:Not exactly a stealth game but I feel like if we're stretching things to include Hitman, then Teardown belongs here. Its a game where you're basically doing missions to steal or destroy things in a destructible voxel world while avoiding alarms and cameras and ultimately pathing to get out before the cops arrive when you reach one you can't avoid . I remember seeing stuff about this game, it seemed cool.
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Sep 6, 2022 19:42
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John Murdoch posted:I didn't really mean the information game, moreso the time pressure. Most stealth games don't put pressure on you to make the most efficient decisions possible. If I really want to methodically bonk out every last NPC in a Thief map and have the full run of the place, the game's not really gonna stop me. In Invisible Inc. the longer you gently caress around, the nastier things get. Plus the added complexity of guards not being permanently incapacitated. They're not bad ideas, they just hit me square in the gamer brain. Ah, yeah, I can see that. I guess I never minded the time limit, especially at first because it starts off very generous.
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Sep 6, 2022 21:38
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Some tips for Invisible Inc: Money is XP. You need to be hitting 90% of the safes in each map. EMP packs will open any safe that doesn't have the Mag Locked property. Don't pick missions based on their reward, unless its to get a new team member. You want to complete as many missions as possible each day. Check every shop possible in the maps. Item availability is very RNG dependent, and you need to mitigate this risk by visiting many shops. Its better to have a bad version of an item you need, than to gamble on getting a good version later. Two ways to bypass high armor values are electroshock traps on doors, and the augment that AoE stuns when you cloak.
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Sep 6, 2022 23:12
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Don't forget Prey, the game that was supposed to be System Shock 3. It's the best game by Arkane, who are masters of the stealth genre. Very good sneaking vibes.
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Sep 7, 2022 03:24
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StoryTime posted:Don't forget Prey, the game that was supposed to be System Shock 3. It's the best game by Arkane, who are masters of the stealth genre. Very good sneaking vibes. I really should get around to playing Prey... I think it's been sitting in my Steam backlog staring at me, for around two years now...
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Sep 7, 2022 03:41
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