Top 10 Stealth Elements in Games That Make No Sense

Stealth games are a genre of video game in which players are tasked with using stealth, rather than brute force, to overcome challenges. Players must get through areas undetected and use a variety of silent means, like putting enemies to sleep with a tranquilizer dart, choking them until they pass out, or in some cases simply stabbing them quietly in the back.

Players remain undetected by hiding, using disguises, or using noise to distract enemies away from their position. In many games, players are rewarded for greater levels of stealth and for employing non-lethal tactics.

We're big fans of stealth games here at Gameranx, but we also know they're pretty flawed at times. Games in the genre remain some of our favourite titles to play, but sometimes it can be fun to poke fun at all the weird and nonsensical elements that make their way into stealth games. 

What's your favourite stealth game and what's the stupidest things you've ever seen in one? If you think we missed any nonsensical stealth game concepts, feel free to sound off in the comments.

We've all been there, you sneak into a hostile camp and there are two enemy grunts talking by a fire. You take one out and the other either just stands there or keeps talking as if nothing has happened.  

Many games allow you to peak around the corner or over a ledge to see the enemy, who conveniently never notices your arm sticking out or your hands as you move along a ledge. The bad guys need better goons, or at least more observant ones. 

We all remember those times you follow a guard and change direction as they do to stay out of their line of sight but of course, they don't notice, because aside from limited vision they're also apparently deaf, nor can feel your character standing right behind them. 

Skyrim is particularly notorious for some of its stealth flaws, such as shooting an arrow through a guard's head. The other guard will notice and be on alert for a short time, before deciding it's "just the wind". Really? 

Many games also feature guards who don't think it's odd that the other guards they've been seeing following a set patrol for the last hour have suddenly disappeared and don't bother to investigate or raise the alarm. 

Everyone knows Metal Gear Solid's cardboard box trick, which no one ever thinks is a bit odd. Hideo Kojima’s games are better at most at overcoming the shortcomings of the stealth genre, but this remains a persistent ability within these games which frankly makes zero sense. 

Disguises don't often work as well as they should in stealth games. Sometimes you'll dress up to infiltrate an enemy base but spend too long around a guard and they'll freak out, exposing you, or you’ll be under a tight timer before everyone suddenly notices who you are.

There are always those guards who you might throw a bottle or a brick at for instance, it bounces off them, and they go to investigate where the brick landed, not where it came from. Because that makes total sense. 

Connected to many of these concepts are forgetful guards, who investigate the death of one of their colleagues for a few seconds before deciding that you must be gone and resuming their regular patrols. The Batman Arkham games handle this very well, by making guards more nervous as you take out more of them. 

The number one stealth game trend that doesn't make sense is cool kill animations for 'loud' hits, especially when the game penalises you for not killing them stealthily.