Question Of The Month Reader Responses: Issue #237

A few months ago we asked readers whether they approach deadly video game situations with stealth or guns blazing. Our readers overwhelmingly prefer stealth, but we heard from some trigger-happy gamers as well. Here are some of the responses.

Sneak King:

• When I have the choice between stealth and guns blazing, I usually go with stealth. It just feels so good to take out enemies one by one, and leaving with no one knowing I was there.
  
  Nick Ellsworth
• Whenever I play a game, I always opt for stealth. Anybody can go in guns a blazing or swords a slashing, but it takes true skill to go through an entire level of a game undetected.
  
  Gunner Moore
• I would have to go with stealth. Any idiot can run and gun, but there is no better satisfaction than taking out 10 bad guys in a matter of seconds with strategically place traps (Splinter Cell Conviction).
  
  Hayden Engeling   
• It's definitely more rewarding, satisfying, and suspenseful to take the stealth route. While blowing past my enemies with a formidable arsenal sounds enticing, going silent normally offers more of a challenge. It also usually allows you to take the moral path and only knock out enemies. I've always favored stealth because it mainly fits my play style and always seems like the wise course of action to take. All I need is a cardboard box and I'm good to go.
  
  Joey Thurmond
• When given the choice to go steal versus guns blazing, I always go stealth the first time around. Games like Splinter Cell, Metal Gear, Assassin's Creed, etc. have always been more fun to me when I can sneak in undetected, murder everyone in a given area, and escape without being noticed. Giving the player a chance to do one or the other is fantastic for replayability, especially when there are achievements for both play styles.  
  
  Alex Macon
• Stealth all the way. You get more XP and the satisfaction of being skilled at the game you're playing. Anyone can get caught, but if being a shadow takes time and effort, then I'm all about it.
  
  Brandon
• Would I rather be stealthy or guns blazing in a video game? Easy! I can loudly blunder into something in real life all the time. But only in a video game can I be Ultra Ninja McAwesome Spy. There's something highly satisfying about infiltrating a building of mooks and taking them all down, one by one. One woman army!
  
  Missy Bramble

Light 'Em Up:

• Guns blazing 9 times out of 10, for sure. Stealth can be an interesting change of pace and all, but then you actually have to try to stay hidden. What fun is that? If you go in guns blazing, you just need to be a good fighter. You have the weapons and the moves, so why not go in with your Master Sword in one hand, the Hylian shield in the other, and start kicking butt? If nothing else, you get to blow off some steam. Spending a few minutes hacking away at the enemies trying to turn you into fertilizer can do you some good.  
  
  Erin Fowler
• Always, always, guns blazing. In fact, it is the very reason I did not join the military.
  
  Chad Mitchell
• “Leeroy Jenkins!” Otherwise, why play video games? You can be cautious in real life. It's fun to be Leeroy sometimes!
  
  Carlo Orozco

Plan B:

• Given the choice between using stealth or being a berserker, I typically start with stealth. Then when my abysmal attempt fails I just kill everyone. Or I die. That happens a lot too.
  
   Brady Hollis
• I usually go for stealth, but I don't succeed at it. Once Iv'e been discovered, my guns start blazing (if I can stop freaking out first).  
  
  Evan Swierski

Conflicted Gamers:

• I'm a bit of a hypocrite in that I always claim to hate stealth games, and yet in games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Dishonored, I always take the stealthy, no-kill route. To be fair, the main reason is because I'm always happy to see a game give players the choice to not kill anyone. It gives me more respect for the protagonist as well as the developer.
  
  Dan Conlin
• When a game lets me choose between stealth or blazing guns, at first I usually go for stealth. Then I get seen and die about after about 30 seconds. Then I try guns blazing, and as you might have guessed, I die. Then I try stealth again, and right before I think that I'm found, I start with the guns blazing thing again. I usually just go between doing these things until I get lucky and don't die. So in short, I try both.
  
  Wyatt Suter

Getting Stealthy With Age:

• You know, 10 or 15 years ago, I was firmly a member of the "guns blazing" team. But, as I've gotten older, I've slowly switched to stealth. I think my level of patience has increased with time. I also now see completing a level in stealth mode as more of a challenge.
  
  Corey King

Say What?:

• Guns blazing. I don't have the patience for stealth, and I generally play games to work out aggression, not sneak around like an underpants gnome.
  
  Steve