Splinter Cell designer Clint Hocking explains that advanced modern lighting techniques, including ray-tracing and ambient occlusion, have made stealth games harder to design because realistic lighting is more difficult for players to read compared to older baked lighting systems. Hocking notes that while realistic lighting benefits overall visual fidelity, stealth games require intentional aesthetic lighting design similar to theatrical lighting, which requires developers to balance realism with gameplay clarity.
I disagree with this assessment. I can't remember which of the three it was, but one of the early games had a light meter Sam wore to tell, and with today's games is the ability to have the enemy respond based on just now much shadow there is (rather than simply in shadow or not). In the current Hitman games, 47 is seen by NPCs in the mirror. The article even points at these examples.
It's also worth noting that stealth doesn't necessarily mean darkness. Again, the Hitman WOA trilogy shows just how well stealth in the light of day can work.
So I don't see how modern gaming lighting presents any challenge not already faced and beaten by game developers and game players.
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Splinter Cell designer Clint Hocking explains that advanced modern lighting techniques, including ray-tracing and ambient occlusion, have made stealth games harder to design because realistic lighting is more difficult for players to read compared to older baked lighting systems. Hocking notes that while realistic lighting benefits overall visual fidelity, stealth games require intentional aesthetic lighting design similar to theatrical lighting, which requires developers to balance realism with gameplay clarity.
I disagree with this assessment. I can't remember which of the three it was, but one of the early games had a light meter Sam wore to tell, and with today's games is the ability to have the enemy respond based on just now much shadow there is (rather than simply in shadow or not). In the current Hitman games, 47 is seen by NPCs in the mirror. The article even points at these examples.
It's also worth noting that stealth doesn't necessarily mean darkness. Again, the Hitman WOA trilogy shows just how well stealth in the light of day can work.
So I don't see how modern gaming lighting presents any challenge not already faced and beaten by game developers and game players.