Boss Rush Banter: When Given the Option, Do You Prefer Stealth or Direct Combat?

I’m an act-now-think-later type of person, and as you can imagine, it’s not always the best tactic in life. I take the same approach in video games with guns blazing and taking enemies head on. The concept of stealth never occurred to me until recent gaming years (I missed the train on Metal Gear Solid). When I played The Last of Us (Parts I and II) and Ghost of Tsushima, I realized stealth was an effective mechanic that required a lot of patience and practice on my part. So, this made me curious. When a video game gives you the option between stealth and combat, which method do you favor?

Lots of larger, modern games allow for player choice on how to approach enemy situations. Stealth allows you to get by enemy camps and take foes down one by one, but other times head-on combat is simply faster and more fun. The Last of Us Part I and II are perfect examples of how you can chose either; however, the difficulty levels and types of enemies encourage stealth. This game taught me that running into a situation with a firearm could result in me getting swarmed by Runners and Clickers. In fact, I died frequently until I inhaled deeply and took my time. My patience paid off as I transitioned to a more stealthy approach. Although it took longer, it was easier to pick off enemies one by one with a shiv or bow and arrow.

*Photo Credit:* Naughty Dog via Game Pressure

Ghost of Tsushima is another great example, and the option between combat or stealth is woven into the narrative. An honorable samurai would always face a foe in battle and looked down upon a thief’s way of working in the shadows. However, the mongols invasion of Tsushima put Jin Sakai in a predicament where he had to resort to “ghost”-like tactics in order to save the island and his Uncle. Although it was fun to engage in showdowns with Mongols that I meet in the open world, I leaned heavily on stealth when I reached Mongol camps. It was controlled, smooth, and I was less likely to die.

*Photo Credit:* Sucker Punch via Solid Stealth

After playing several games that encourage and reward stealth, I have switched teams and rely on that method any chance I get. How about you? When given the choice, do you prefer to either sneak by/silently take down enemies or would you rather embrace the swarm and fight them head on? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.

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The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, LeRon, Stephanie, Edward, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk their week in games, entertainment, and more while also bringing topics for conversation, answer listener and community questions, and cover major news and events happening in the video game industry. Watch The Boss Rush Podcast live on Wednesday Nights on Twitch at 8:30PM ET / 5:30PM PT or on Friday mornings at 7AM ET on YouTube and podcast services everywhere. Thanks for listening! You can also get this episode one week early on Patreon.