Dishonored vs Hitman vs Deus Ex: Stealth Showdown
Metal Gear Solid was the first ‘stealth-em-up’ I ever played way back in
the PS1 era. With its pretty (for the time) visuals, great story, epic boss
battles and many innovations it gave the genre a special place in my
affections.
Fast forward to the current gen, and stealth games have become a staple
of the games industry, with many titles incorporating aspects to at least some
degree.
I decided to compare these three games in particular because although
they all offer you the chance to forgo the stealth route and go in guns blazing,
the sneaky way is always much more satisfying.
In Dishonoured you play Corvo, who is trying to save a little girl.
In Hitman, you play Agent 47, who is trying to save a little girl.
In Deus Ex, you play Jensen, who is basically a glorified security
guard. (He has no time for little girls).
The reason I simplified the plot so much is because I want to focus on
the actual stealth aspects of the game, rather than the story.
Agent 47 in: Hitman: Absolution
The first thing I noticed about 47 was that he’s incredibly slow. I
guess this mimics the slow, methodical movements of a professional hitman, but
at times it feels clunky and isn’t very intuitive.
On the harder difficulties 47 can’t take more than a couple of shots and
this adds to the tension, as one wrong move can get you killed at any given
time.
When compared to the free-running Corvo and the stealth-enhanced Jensen,
Agent 47 isn’t as flashy but uses subterfuge well.
Changing clothes can be infuriating at times, (as the PS3 version
glitches when you get changed and reload) but planning a kill after a few hours
and pulling it off gave me an immense feeling of satisfaction.
There weren’t many memorable bosses, but the mission with the scarecrow
costume in the massive field really showed off the best qualities of this game
as a stealth-em-up.
Stalking the shock-factor nuns one by one and dispatching them silently
(whilst ignoring the guards) was epic and so much better than the time it takes
to get the wrestling costume and press a few buttons in a quick time event in
the boss battle I was actually looking forward to.
That was honestly one of the worst boss battles ever. It makes 47 feel
even more removed from you as the player.
Confined areas and too many enemies can make it infuriating to play at
times, as well as having no save/reload feature which can lead to doing many
parts of a level again, and again, and again…
Despite this, Agent 47 is a stealth icon and some parts of the game were
really enjoyable. I wouldn’t want to change the core mechanics too much otherwise
it wouldn’t be Hitman, but the game needs more freedom when it comes to level
design.
Corvo in: Dishonored
Corvo is the opposite of 47 in many ways. He’s fluid and fast and can
disappear to the rafters in the blink of an eye, while 47 would be slowly
plodding away, taking numerous small arms fire to the spine.
The ethereal or demonic (depending on your view) powers Corvo comes to possess
makes a stealth run very fun to undertake.
Seeing through walls are a normal perk in this genre, but possession and
blink in particular give the game another layer, as going for a no-kills
stealth run can leave you limited at times in other games.
The levels are pretty varied with multiple points of entry into most
places but it’s very spacious in comparison to Hitman’s tension-ridden, claustrophobic
corridors.
Despite not being as intense as Hitman, some levels such as the infamous
ball have great charm and are incredibly fun to play and replay, especially as
there is more room for error thanks to Corvo’s arsenal.
The crossbow and sleep dart combination is satisfying as you patrol the
skies like a Batman/Robin Hood hybrid, and added perks like agility can help
you find even quieter ways to your destination.
The setting lends well to stealth and the worlds reaction to you (with
plague rats and comments) made me strive not to be seen.
Who wants to be the ‘great assassin’ who shoots fourteen guards, who in
turn can’t protect the population who get eaten by rats, sometimes before your
very eyes?
Not me, and it gave me an added incentive to pacify the guards, and hide
their bodies’ way up in the rafters, away from the rats and the plague, free to
patrol another day.
Dishonored is a good new edition to the genre and the stealth side of
the game was very well done, and obviously focused on a lot during development.
Adam Jensen in: Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Jensen is a bit of a mix of the two characters, in that he’s less fluid
then Corvo but nowhere near as rigid as 47.
With the series staple grate/hatch ‘hidden’ somewhere in every building,
solving the conspiracy is possible without killing anyone (except bosses).
I think this option reflects Jensen’s character well. Hitman is
obviously prone to killing. It’s in his job description, while Corvo is on a
revenge mission, and is armed with a blade from the outset.
Getting though the whole game without setting of an alarm or being seen
was pretty hard but getting the ‘foxiest of the hounds’ achievement/trophy actually
felt like an achievement.
This game was obviously made for stealth based gameplay, as taking on
enemies in numbers usually results in being flanked and dying, and there isn’t
an abundance of ammunition at the start.
Upgrading Jensen makes the gameplay more rewarding even though points
will probably be spent on hacking if stealth is your game type.
I really enjoyed Deus Ex, finding different routes with the jump
augment, breaking into random apartments and shooting hoops.
I guess all three of these games have strong stealth based gameplay but
for me the fluidity and consequences of your gameplay make dishonored the best
stealth game I’ve played in the past year.
Deus Ex was really good and if you haven’t played it I would strongly recommend
it.
Hitman was close to being a great game, but ended up being pretty
average in my opinion.
NB. I haven’t played AC3 yet, in case you’re wondering why it wasn’t on
the list.
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