What stealth elements are there in Tomb Raider

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As I was playing in the Summit Forest level (which has a 'Hitman' kind of vibe to it), trying to take down enemies as stealthily as possible, this got me thinking: How do the stealth elements of the game work and how does the enemy AI detect the player?

Specifically, I would like to know:

  • Do the sounds you make matter? (from gunfire, walking on different types of floor, or through water, knocking over objects or bumping wind chimes)
    • Will walking instead of running lessen sound and likelihood of detection?
    • Are some guns or weapons 'quieter' than others? Does the bow and arrow, and a silenced pistol have the same or different noise levels?
  • Does sight or light levels matter? Will having a lit torch make you easier to detect? Can I lurk in the shadows? Sneak behind people? Hide behind objects? Being on a different level (a floor up or down)?
  • Once you're spotted, is hiding effective, or will the enemies instantly and constantly know where you're hiding?
    • Do enemies alert each other when of them has spotted you?
    • Will enemies be alerted when they come across a body you killed? How does this change their behavior and their likelihood of detecting you?
  • Any enemies with unique behavior when it comes to player detection?
  • Does difficulty matter?

Best Answer

I'll try to answer your questions based on my experience with the game.

  • Walking/running and different types of floor don't matter. Not sure about water though, but I don't think it would matter. Changing arrow from normal to flaming also doesn't matter (not sure about if they can see, but a guard didn't hear it yesterday when I accidentally switched arrows behind his back). I also managed to knock some objects quit near enemies and they didn't notice. However, gunfire matters, they will hear you and immediately know where you are. Also, hanging salvage boxes that you can ignite draw attention when they drop on the ground (this happened to me yesterday).
  • As for lightning and sneaking, the game seems to be pretty forgiving about those. As long as you don't run directly in front of enemies, they don't appear to notice you. Stay in cover if they walk your way. Sneaking on people is easy for as long as they look different direction (it's even possible partially from the side, although that's risky), but the sound of your movement doesn't attract attention.
  • if you are revealed, I didn't find a way how to get back into stealth mode. They are pretty much after you and won't stop until they see your corpse.
  • enemies alert each other when they spot you or when you injure them; they start yelling for help. One of the game tips says that you can see in survival instincts view which enemy will get help (should be marked red), but I never saw it working.
  • if enemies find a body, they will move in to investigate and then stay alert and search the immediate area, but they will remain oblivious to you. No idea what happens then sorry, maybe they'll go about their business shortly (can anyone confirm that?).
  • I believe there are areas where it is not possible to sneak around, they will detect you as soon as you enter which triggers gunfight. You will know it because enemies will shout "That's her, kill her!" In other areas you can sneak in, eavesdrop on conversations and try to remove the opposition silently.
  • I only played on Normal difficulty so far, cannot say if difficulty changes something

Additional tips:

  • Bow is silent, I use this for stealth kills. One headshot kills most enemies (you get a diamond-shaped headshot-crosshair), but there are enemies with armour that cannot be one-head-shot or at least I couldn't do it (even with fully charged headshot). They can probably be killed with melee sneak attack, I didn't try it yet.
  • Silenced weapons are also quiet enough for when the guards are not too close to your position
  • You must one-shot the enemies silently otherwise they start yelling for help. If you can sneak behind an enemy, use melee attack to kill them silently.

As for the Summit Forest, you can kill all guards silently there, just make sure to wait until the initial conversation ends. After a few first guards are taken care of, you can assume position in the trees, observe their patrol paths and kill them from up there. Good hunting.

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