Game Informer reveals next-gen game cover story - Thief

[HellsJester]

Inform me how I misplayed, then.

I was supah dupah sneaky, knocked people out, climbed through vents, possessed rats and fish, and warped around so many times I'd make the new Infamous character blush. I also did the little side-objective things, like not hurting some chick's uncle and... what else? Bringing some woman into a chamber to send her off on a boat with her pervert sex-slave master? I forget. I just found the world so bland and dull.

Did you try comboing powers? Did you try seeing all the cool ways you can kill people? If you just play the game lethal free and only use your powers for transportation and the such then you are going to have a boring time.

[Forcedme]

Yes, I mixed it up for myself. It still just didn't click. Keep in mind what I wrote in my edit, though (you might have missed it).

One thing I'd like to say on the nature of "variety" in these sorts of games, though. I hate how some developers make a painfully short game and use the excuse of having so many options of going about something being the justification for its small size or short range. Dishonored gave you lots of choices, yes; but it leads to the same destination, doesn't it? You're still in the same rooms, halls, venues, rooftops, aren't you? Sneaking past someone versus jumping down on his head and stabbing him in the neck versus whooshing past him with blink versus poisoning his body (I think there was a power where you made them go berserk... I could be confusing this with another game) doesn't change the experience all that much.

I think that was one thing I noticed with Dishonored. PLENTY of variety, none of it being interesting, and all contained within the same tiny box.

But again--just my opinion. I really hope the new Thief takes no influence from it.

[Blacksite]

Details on Square Enix and Eidos Montreal’s today-announced Thief reboot have come out of the latest issue of Game Informer.

The first-person stealth game sees the return of series hero Garrett, who is designed by the game’s director Nicolas Cantin. Eidos Montreal is being vague about how faithful to the Thief lore the new game will remain, and is toning down many of the series’ magical elements.

Gameplay Demo

Game Informer was shown a lengthy gameplay demo of Thief.

The sequence opens with series hero Garrett returning to his hometown after a long absence, only to find a “city of melting prosperity,” according to the mag. The iron-fisted Baron now controls the city, and crushes its citizens through militarized watch. Only the elite are awarded with good fortune.

Garrett, motivated by the thrill of stealing something that others can’t, does not care for heroism. He sees the oppressive ruling as an opportunity to make money. He finds his way into the Stonemarket district in the back of a covered wagon, and watches the bodies of plague victims pile up in the street corners. Guards, meanwhile, are settling small civil disputes with force. And wealthy men stroll by with their own guards.

Two guards are speaking about a wealthy man named Theodore Eastwick, a principle architect, who was commissioned by Baron to build many of the city’s Gothic structures. According to the guards, Eastwick is at the House of Blossoms, an underground pleasure house on the other side of the city built to serve the elite.

At midnight, the gates to the house close, and Garrett makes his way in. He crouches behind crates, and a dark tint on the screen highlights his safety. He throws a bottle to distract the guards, and then climbs up a pipe on the side of the building. He moves across the roofs, bounds over merchant tables and under wagons, and dives through a nearby building window. Meanwhile, Eastwick is seen passing through the secret entrance to the House of Blossoms.

Garrett moves forward and enters the pleasure house undetected. The area is rich with patrons and scantily clad women who saunter by and flirt with men. Xiao Xiao, a transvestite, is seen greeting guests. Eastwick moves forward and Garrett loses him in the crowd. Xiao Xiao, meanwhile, notes that there is more security than usual, and says that anyone with anything of value can store it in his office strongbox. Garrett, being a thief, wants to get his hands on whatever’s inside.

Using Xiao Xiao’s logbook, Garrett can determine where Eastwick has gone. In this case: which bedroom Eastwick’s entered. But first, the strongbox, which Garrett can open via a lock-picking mini-game. But before he’s able to unlock it, Xiao Xiao enters the office. Garrett quickly rolls into a darkened corner and away from sight, leaving Xiao Xiao clueless to the attempted theft.

Xiao Xiao leaves, and Garrett opens the strongbox to find a jewel-encrusted heirloom. Garrett can’t quite leave yet, as Xiao Xiao is just outside the room, talking to one of his girls. But a hidden passageway grants Garrett his leave.

Using the pleasure house’s network of back doors, Garrett is eventually able to find Eastwick’s room. He enters and steals a medallion, and then uses his Focus ability, showing him a mysterious blue energy-glowing symbol written on the wall, which corresponds to one of the runes written on the medallion. Garrett turns a band of the medallion to line up with the rune with an arrow, causing the medallion to glow with a similar blue energy. Four adjacent rooms show four more symbols that line up. After the last symbol is locked, the medallion spins. Eastwick soon notices he’s been robbed and calls for help. And Xiao Xiao orders his guards to search everywhere.

The guards are searching as Garrett heads to one of the pleasure house’s back rooms. Earlier, he heard two service girls talking about the tragedy that followed after the ventilation system was accidentally overflowed with opium. With that in mind, he dumps the house’s stock of opium into the vents, sending everyone throughout the House of Blossoms into a deep sleep. Garrett, meanwhile, needs to keep his breath held and move quick.

But guards soon circle Garrett, who retreats into the opium fog and uses his bow to fire an arrow at a statue hanging above a door frame. The statue falls and crushes two guards, but another pins Garrett to the wall. Garrett then enters Focus mode, grabs the guard’s arm, jerks it behind his shoulder, and sends the guard crashing to the floor. When he’s finally free, Garrett grapples onto a nearby vent and heads down into the city sewers.

Artificial Intelligence

Garrett isn’t a fighter, so fighting against four or more guards in hand-to-hand combat won’t fair well for him. Guards and non-player characters are aware of a level’s design, and know where one might try to hide. Guards also understand the topography of the level and which areas could prove useful for hiding. Different NPCs will look for Garrett in different ways.

Mechanics

A navigation beacon will tell players where to go, but the development team wants players to explore environments as they see fit. There are multiple entrances and exits for each room, and multiple options available for a stealth approach.

The Focus mechanic mentioned earlier has many uses, such as highlighting interactive objects like climbable pipes or candles. Garret can also pickpocket enemies, and use Focus mode to slow down time and swipe up to three times as many items. Or, he can use Focus mode to show a number of attack areas on enemies, and select a point (such as the chest), to do a quick push and buy him more time to dash into the shadows. These points can be strung together to perform a more debilitating attack, too.

A Fingerprints system will give players hints on which drawers are best to look in. Every drawer can be accessed.

At the end of each mission, Garrett can spend money to upgrade his equipment. Throughout the game’s levels, various artifacts, which can be used to decorate Garrett’s hideout, are spread out for players to find.

Tools

Thief has various tools Garret can access:

Blackjack: Can be used when sneaking up behind guards to knock them out.
Bow: A powerful weapon that can also be used outside of combat. For example, fire an arrow at a bottle in another room to lure away a guard.
Claw: Can be used to grapple certain points.
Specialty Arrows: Each has a different use. A dry-ice arrow can be used to snuff flames from far away. A smoke-starter arrow can create a distraction.

Thief is due out for PlayStation 4, PC, and other next-gen platforms in 2014.

Thanks, NeoGAF.

via Gematsu.

[HellsJester]

Yes, I mixed it up for myself. It still just didn't click. Keep in mind what I wrote in my edit, though (you might have missed it).

One thing I'd like to say on the nature of "variety" in these sorts of games, though. I hate how some developers make a painfully short game and use the excuse of having so many options of going about something being the justification for its small size or short range. Dishonored gave you lots of choices, yes; but it leads to the same destination, doesn't it? You're still in the same rooms, halls, venues, rooftops, aren't you? Sneaking past someone versus jumping down on his head and stabbing him in the neck versus whooshing past him with blink versus poisoning his body (I think there was a power where you made them go berserk... I could be confusing this with another game) doesn't change the experience all that much.

I think that was one thing I noticed with Dishonored. PLENTY of variety, none of it being interesting, and all contained within the same tiny box.

But again--just my opinion. I really hope the new Thief takes no influence from it.

Im sorry you didnt enjoy such a great game but whatever.
There are plenty of great games i dont like as well so i wont blame you.

[Forcedme]

I must say I was in the minority like you. I felt I had to force myself to finish Dishonored. It was a cool game but it didn't keep me interested all the way through. I liked the gameplay but it didn't grasp me like most games. I would give it an 8/10 or so. It's been a while since I played Thief so I'm looking forward to this one.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T FINISHED DISHONORED, READ AHEAD AT YOUR OWN PERIL GOD DIGGITY DAMN I WARNED YOU!

I actually quit about halfway (two thirds of the way?) through. Once you were betrayed by the two general guys and woke up a captive/ally of that one guy who was supposed to have as much if not greater power than you, I was like: "Okay, this still isn't fun, I'm done."

I think I embarked on the first mission with him... I remember being in a sunken city that had a sort of green tint to its background, walking around it for a bit, stopping on a sudden, and turning off the game. I had no desire to turn it back on, so returned it to Redbox and never looked back.

[Blacksite]

Oh, forget it.

[ps3freak18]

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T FINISHED DISHONORED, READ AHEAD AT YOUR OWN PERIL GOD DIGGITY DAMN I WARNED YOU!

I actually quit about halfway (two thirds of the way?) through. Once you were betrayed by the two general guys and woke up a captive/ally of that one guy who was supposed to have as much if not greater power than you, I was like: "Okay, this still isn't fun, I'm done."

I think I embarked on the first mission with him... I remember being in a sunken city that had a sort of green tint to its background, walking around it for a bit, stopping on a sudden, and turning off the game. I had no desire to turn it back on, so returned it to Redbox and never looked back.

About when the game started losing it's charm on me as well. I don't know what happened. It just wasn't near as fun as it was when I started. I can't iterate enough the game was good so I don't fault it. I enjoyed playing it but only to an extent. It was a very odd game for me. Usually games like that I try to find something in it to justify why I didn't want to keep playing it. But this one I really couldn't. I guess I could have been in a gaming funk. I get those from time to time. When no games really keep me interested for more than an hour or so.

Ok. So who is excited for Thief?!

I hope they will release the gameplay video of this demo. I have a hard time reading what happens in a demo. I know it will be justified so much better than in text.

[DarkVincent07]

Ok. So who is excited for Thief?!

I hope they will release the gameplay video of this demo. I have a hard time reading what happens in a demo. I know it will be justified so much better than in text.

I'm keen.

Never actually played a Thief game before, I've been meaning to get Deadly Shadows on xbox for ages. I'll definitely try it out before this comes out.

Whatever platform its on, day 1

[ps3freak18]

I'm keen.

Never actually played a Thief game before, I've been meaning to get Deadly Shadows on xbox for ages. I'll definitely try it out before this comes out.

Whatever platform its on, day 1

I remember playing the first one on PC. I didn't play but for a couple hours but I do remember the game being really cool. That's one reason why I'm hoping this is more of a reboot. I did see that they are wanting to take some of the magical aspects out. Don't know if that will affect the charm of the game compared to previous games. But I am excited.

[HellsJester]

I played a Thief game once. Every damn key on the keyboard was a game function so i quit after an hour lol.

[Lefein]

I think people who are expecting there to be this monstrous gap between late gen PS3 games compared to first gen PS4 games are in for a rude awakening. Go back and pick up a copy of Genji, Madden '06 or most of those launch titles for PS3 and tell me exactly how insanely awesome they were compared to PS2 titles.

It's not the system holding developers back but their actual asset departments. The way games are designed and code is implemented is going to have to transition to next-gen. In the meantime, be glad that such a highly venerated and much-loved title is on its way. It can certainly be said with no uncertainty that the quality of games being announced this year are head and shoulders above any console launch I have EVER seen.. and I've been gaming since the Atari 2600.

There's also plenty of time for optimization, which is where anyone in the development world would tell you is where a game really starts to look polished.

[ps3freak18]

I think people who are expecting there to be this monstrous gap between late gen PS3 games compared to first gen PS4 games are in for a rude awakening. Go back and pick up a copy of Genji, Madden '06 or most of those launch titles for PS3 and tell me exactly how insanely awesome they were compared to PS2 titles.

It's not the system holding developers back but their actual asset departments. The way games are designed and code is implemented is going to have to transition to next-gen. In the meantime, be glad that such a highly venerated and much-loved title is on its way. It can certainly be said with no uncertainty that the quality of games being announced this year are head and shoulders above any console launch I have EVER seen.. and I've been gaming since the Atari 2600.

There's also plenty of time for optimization, which is where anyone in the development world would tell you is where a game really starts to look polished.

Yeah I don't expect to see big jumps for the first year except from 1st party. They work closely with their respective company so they are at an advantage. The time of massive jumps like 16bit to 32bit to 64bit to 128bit are in the past. The tech just can't completely blow the other out of the water like before.

[Serinous]

I think people who are expecting there to be this monstrous gap between late gen PS3 games compared to first gen PS4 games are in for a rude awakening. Go back and pick up a copy of Genji, Madden '06 or most of those launch titles for PS3 and tell me exactly how insanely awesome they were compared to PS2 titles.

Agreed... We'll definitely see a bigger gap on first-party titles though.

[Kakihara_Anjo]

As long as they get the stealth system right. Dishonored's was pretty bad. I played on highest difficulty, and was still a cakewalk. The guards AI was just awful.

[jlippone]

I really hope they will honor the basic gameplay of Thief series and make it no kill on higher difficulty levels.
Also, keep scripting away from gameplay and no 'boss fights' which you have to actually fight.

[Bigdoggy]

I think the jump between the PS3 and PS4 are going to be pretty damn big. What surprises me is the lack of knowledge that gamers are getting and this unrealistic expectations between consoles, almost like they just started gaming but a lot of these gamers are also old school gamers. Now that's what shocks me it's almost like the knowledge factor is going backwards rather than forward. o.O

[ndMedica]

Read the issue today - game looks awesome, and the graphics look out of this world.

[DeadCrow]

Can't wait for it! Loved Thief since the beginning!