Some more Stealth Game Musings. Do you take the Lethal or Non-Lethal path?

There's another aspect of stealth games that I didn't think of earlier.  In most stealth games you are given the option to use non-lethal methods to take down enemies (except bosses--who must die).  In Dishonored, Deus Ex:  Human Revolution, and in Bioshock:  Infinite "Burial at Sea" part 2 you can put the bad guys in ol' sleeper hold as opposed to simply shooting them in the face.  Why is this an option in stealth games but not an option in other games?

That got me thinking about the moral choices I make in games.  Typically when presented with the option to go non-lethal I will take that path.  Those poor guards--they just had the misfortune of being assigned to guard a specific area and cross paths with my Corvo or Adam or Elizabeth (which would mean poor splicers....which might morally be a little tougher choice to justify).  In Deus Ex you are even presented with weapons that are non-lethal or lethal.  Which do you choose?  Strategically going with lethal weapons is probably the better choice--most bosses require shooting and are immune to any stunning/knocking out options.

The rats in Dishonored make quick work of a corpse.

During my short replay of Dishonored I found myself knocking out guards and stashing their bodies in some closet or unseen corner.  Except for one specific guard.  I silently blinked down from a ledge right behind him and proceeded to knock him out.  There were several other guards patrolling the area and no way that I could reach the same ledge.  I decided to grab the body and jump down onto a pipe overlooking an alley populated by a group of ravenous rats.  But what do I do with the body?  Hmmm...those rats would definitely clear up that problem.  So while I specifically went to the trouble of knocking out the guard I unceremoniously dumped his body over the ledge and into the rat pile.  The rats proceeded to make quick work of the poor guard.  Afterward I felt kind of bad about that guard...what a horrible way to die--knocked out and tossed off a ledge to be eaten by a bunch of rats.  Very rarely do I think twice about the decisions I make--especially something so minor as the death of a guard.  This felt morally dubious because I had made the decision to knock out the guards rather than kill them.

Have you ever had a moment similar to this where you thought about the decision you had just made and it's moral implications?

Stealth Games and my Love/Hate Relationship with them.

There's something enjoyable about lurking in the shadows waiting to take out some stupidly inattentive guard.  That ability to be unseen gives players the feeling of superiority that their character is a master of elusiveness.  I revel in that sense for about...oh five minutes.  Then I just get irritated about having to sneak around when it's more than likely I'll be discovered and all the guards are going to come screaming into the room anyway.  Yeah, I'm not the best at stealthy games.  Lately, for some strange reason, I've been playing games that have required me to utilize those sneaking skills.  I enjoy the challenge of hiding and striking at opportune moments but I really lack the patience to be effective at it.

I decided to fully replay BioShock:  Infinite and all it's DLC including "Clash in the Clouds" which I hadn't even touched, but purchased as part of a season pass.  If you enjoy the combat in Infinite and want to compete with your friends you will probably enjoy it.  I thought it was alright--I enjoyed running around and shooting a bunch of stuff.  But what does that have to do with stealth....nothing, in truth.  After finishing the "Clash" DLC I moved on to the more story-based content in "Burial at Sea" parts one and two.  In part one you play as Booker so you get to go in guns blazing but in part two you play as Elizabeth.  Playing as Elizabeth is a nice change but requires you to flex those sneaking skills that you in no way use as Booker.  In order to be successful you cannot face enemies head-on and must knock them out from behind or use your crossbow to deal with them from afar.  I'm not the best at sneaking so I generally ended up sneaking around, being seen and then shooting foes with my crossbow sheerly out of panic.  It's kind of sad.

Waiting for the perfect moment to act....

This is what leads me to hate stealth games.  Most shooter type games reward you for killing foes and some will give you even greater rewards for being stealthy in your takedowns.  But what's the point in being stealthy when most conflicts end up in a shooting match anyway?  There's usually not a boss that requires you to use stealthy attacks to take them down.  At least not in any of the games I can think of.  I think of Deus Ex:  Human Revolution as a great example of this.  You can be stealthy or confront enemies head-on.  I'm sure most players opt for the stealthy approach.  Every single boss requires an in-your-face confrontation--all your sneaking winds up being for not.  Then you have to choose talents that either enhance your stealth abilities, which you will use to take down the majority of enemies, or take less stealthy, more combat ability talents that will benefit you more on boss fights.  It's sort of a lose-lose situation.

I also feel like playing shooters has trained me to opt for the "shoot you in the face" option so adding a stealthy portion just feels wrong.  I think it would be better if stealthy games had a better way to reward players for their sneakiness.  You don't get any loot if you sneak by the bad guys--but could you get a reward for avoiding conflict?  Most games aren't going to reward a player for avoiding a fight.  That's why I feel so weird about games with stealth aspects.  Maybe I'm just impatient, but sneaking just feels so oddly out of place.

I feel like I'm probably kind of weird in my stance on stealth games.  It seems like they're pretty popular.  I also took a bunch of cold medicine last night and feel weird.