I like playing games with lethal playthroughs a lot too, but non-lethal just makes you feel great. I wish we got more stealth games that didn't even include any killing options at all.
Last time playing Mankind Divided, it was probably 60% non-lethal because it felt cleaner and quieter psychologically. It wasn't a pacifist run, so I picked and chose based on the area and enemies. If the baddies were really evil, I'd go Stabby McStab. Police and random guards usually get smacked silly. Don't non-lethal takedowns give more XP in the last two Deus Ex games?
Non-lethal, because I feel like I get more of a reward that way.
Although a friend of mine told me Splinter Cell: Blacklist rewards you for any style of play, so maybe I need to give that a shot.
I like playing games with lethal playthroughs a lot too, but non-lethal just makes you feel great. I wish we got more stealth games that didn't even include any killing options at all.
If non lethal is mechanically equal or superior, I will do that. But often non lethal just means enemy will wake up or can't otherwise be taken down permanently. Then I will resort to lethal because that's just annoying.
I went non-lethal and sneaked my way through the final level in Last of Us.
But the game was rigged in that you had to shoot two people in the end no matter what.
To my credit I shot the doctor in the foot but he still died (from the shock or something).
In general: non-lethal, with a ghost/no-trace run where possible.Typically feels the most satisfying for me. Lethal runs are fun in the shot term, but end up feeling a bit empty. Although for something like a ninja game or TLOU I get pretty murderous if any one presents a threat. For MGS games, no tranqs outside of bosses, feels less satisfying than lethal to me. Just gadgets and CQC for non-lethal runs.
I always do it dependent on my feelings towards the person, their actions, their affiliations etc. I hate games that punish me or reward me too much for playing one way or the other. It's why while I loved Dishonored, I was always strongly put off by how it limited my game-play options to fit certain narratives/rewards.