History SoMuchForStealth / VideoGames

%%* ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'': This is pretty much every player's reaction if stealth fails since SWAT are now on their way.%%This isn't YMMV.

* ''Franchise/DeusEx'':

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Zorua and Zoroark can take on the appearance of other Pokémon in your party. And it can really work when battling another person... until you use an attack that the Pokémon they're disguised as can't learn. The illusion also fades the moment they're hit by an enemy.

* In ''VideoGame/CodeNameSTEAM'', if any agents get noticed by the aliens, they'll inform the others that they've been spotted. John Henry even says the trope name at times.
* In ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', guards are often overly sensitive to sounds you make, even when the situation doesn't call for it. If there are footstep sounds from the bathroom, somehow they immediately know it's you and not a civilian worker or another guard tending to their business. It seems even more glaring given that they ''don't'' notice many things which ''are'' highly suspicious, [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy like huge crates mysteriously moving around while they're not looking and their colleagues not showing up on their patrol]].
** Even worse in the original ''VideoGame/DeusEx'', really. Make audible metallic clunks as you [[AirVentPassageway sneak through vents]]? Okay. Drop a cardboard pack of cigarettes from a crouching postion two rooms away? "What was that noise?"

* ''[[VideoGame/ExtrapowerStarResistance EXTRAPOWER Star Resistance]]'': Maris-sama sent Nemuri to stealthily observe the Dark Force invasion of the Shakun Star and report back. Unfortunately for Maris-sama, shoot'em up mechanics don't lend well to stealth and Nemuri is eager to go on the attack, so permission to drop stealth is "officially" given as early as the Stage 1 boss.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', the Gullwings dress like Leblanc goons and sneak into Chateau Leblanc to take back what was stolen from them. They get as far as having Yuna massage Leblanc disguised as a goon and even finding out the trick to get into the basement. They enter and then, over the comm... '''''"This is Brother! How's it going?"''''' Rikku shouts at him to shut up, that it's a covert operation. They are, of course, immediately discovered by one of Leblanc's two right-hand men, Ormi, forced into a battle, and then have to navigate a series of traps that are now activated.
* In ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', Anthuria runs away from a group of suitors with the help of the Captain, Lyria, and Vyrn. When the four of them decided to hide in a narrow space between two walls, the captain's hand accidentally tickles Anthuria. The Erune's sudden orgasms then gave away their presence to the suitors.
* Said word-for-word by Barney Calhoun in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. He announces that your group will have to sneak through the Overwatch Nexus, a pre-war public service building to take down the Suppression Device (a Combine Dark Energy Mortar) - then, as soon as he opens a door, a camera spots you.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}''[='s=] mission "Uprising", after you have just taken out a few Brutes and met with some more Elites, several drop pods crash into the ground, giving the Arbiter reinforcements. One of your more Genre Savvy comrades remarks "So much for a stealthy advance".
* The stealth part in Stage 5 of ''VideoGame/HardCorpsUprising'' is optional. You can choose to go through the stealth part of the stage guns blazing.
* Can happen in ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' when Shelby's trying to sneak up on a robber. If you fail a QuickTimeEvent, Shelby will step on some potato chips and alert the robber.
* In ''The Hobbit'' for the [=PS2=], when Bilbo has to sneak past the trolls to save the dwarves, stepping on dry twigs alerts the trolls to his presence.

* In the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' Kasumi DLC, you can accidentally set off the alarm clock while searching Hock's bedroom for DNA. The guards come running, [[DevelopersForesight but only if you snuck in instead of faking security clearance.]]

* Can happen in the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' games, if you're not careful, from the singing sand in ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' to twigs on the ground in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' - notably, a lot of cases of this are deliberate traps on the part of the group you're infiltrating.
* The NoGearLevel of ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', where an armorless Samus is forced to infiltrate the Space Pirate Mothership, operates like this. You have one chance, and only one chance, to get through stealthily, and being spotted or tripping an alarm even once permanently puts the pirates on alert and sends them actively looking for you. It is [[NintendoHard extremely difficult]] to pull off a successful stealth run, as it requires lightning-fast reflexes, wall jumping, and planning ahead to pull off, but thankfully just charging through while being pursued by Pirates is fairly easy (albeit not nearly as satisfying).
* Happens so often to Faith in ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge'' that sneaking is more like waiting to be spotted.
* In the Proto Mark 13 Dimensional Border in ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'', after defeating the initial group of Black Circle guards, Zera tells you to move forward, but quietly. The security door opens, you run through, only to run smack into a set of eight more. "Darn, busted!" notes Cluu.
* This is pretty much every player's reaction in ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'' if stealth fails since SWAT are now on their way.
* In the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, Zorua and Zoroark have the ability to take on the appearance of other Pokémon in your party. And it can really work when battling another person... Until you use an attack that the Pokémon they're disguised as can't learn. The illusion also fades the moment they're hit by an enemy.

* Scorch of ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando'' will occasionally say this after an explosive charge is detonated.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' series, you can be given away if you move across surfaces made of metal, stone or anything else which makes a noise when you walk on it. It isn't an instant giveaway though: one sound may make a guard suspicious, two will make him start looking around. Remain hidden and quiet and the guard will eventually conclude [[ItsProbablyNothing "Just rats."]] and return to patrol.
* The Genesis game ''Videogame/ToeJamAndEarl'': When you tiptoe past a sleeping enemy you would [[IllTimedSneeze occasionally sneeze and awaken it]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' forces you to do this at some point - you'll always be spotted when you enter an area with the enemies unaware.
* Due to the procedurally-generated nature of maps in ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' an unlucky Tenno might hack open a vault door only to find a guard on the other side who happened to be looking right your way when you entered and have to taken them out before they can run to a console and trigger the alarms.
** Worse if it is a security drone as those can trigger an alarm instantly upon seeing you.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' to prevent stealth runs (a party consisting entirely of druids and rogues using stealth to avoid all enemies but the bosses) certain enemies are fairly arbitrarily given the ability to see through stealth. Some bosses will also alert a huge portion of the dungeon when attacked, or at least call in back-up that is likely to also drawn in other mooks that were skipped.

* The Genesis game ''Videogame/ToeJamAndEarl'': when you tiptoe past a sleeping enemy you would [[SneezeOfDoom occasionally sneeze and awaken it]].

* ''VideoGame/XCOM2'': It's not uncommon for an ADVENT patrol to walk into a position where they flank the cover of one of your concealed soldiers, which is an automatic reveal.