If you need a good way to get folk to sit and take notice of your videogame (and have national media kicking up a storm) all you have to do is feature something extremely violent or overtly sexua, which is exactly what Eidos Montreal has done with the new Thief reboot.
The ‘Mature’ ESRB rating was revealed today confirming the violent nature of the stealth-based action game, which will include corpses covered in blood and the chance to kill enemies with knives and swords.
“This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a thief attempting to defeat a conspiracy. Players sneak around guards and civilians in order to break into various buildings and steal items. Players sometimes use a blackjack to knock guards out. Throughout the game, characters use knives and swords to kill other human enemies. Blood splatter effects occur during battle. Corpses are frequently depicted, sometimes lying in pools of blood.”
Stepping things up a notch in terms of controversy, Eidos has also decided to spice things up with a bit of nudity and sex with the revelation that players will be able to explore a brothel and spy on people engaging in sexual activity.
“During the course of the game, players can roam through a brothel environment in which several prostitutes are depicted topless. The central character has the ability to spy on couples engaging in sexual activity (topless characters); suggestive moaning and dialogue can also be heard. Some settings depict opium vats or characters under the influence of the drug. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” can be heard in the dialogue".
We don’t mean to sound like prudes, but do games really need to take things to this level in order to make an impact? Well, we have to admit, we can’t wait to see. Thief 4 is due for release on February 28, 2014 on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.