Eidos Montreal has confirmed its upcoming cross-gen stealth title Thief will leverage various features unique to the DualShock 4.
Speaking with PlayStation Blog, producer Stephane Roy revealed the DualShock 4’s light bar, touch pad, and motion control features will each be implemented into the experience.
“For the DualShock 4, we use the light bar to reflect the light gem in the in-game UI, which indicates if [protagonist] Garrett is in the shadows or not,” Roy said. “Additionally, the touch pad allows for better menu navigation and makes for a more intuitive way to perform various actions, like navigating the map or selecting weapons.”
Roy went on to explain how motion control will work in-game and offer greater control over the PlayStation 3’s SIXAXIS feature:
“The best example of [the DualShock’s 4 improvements] is the motion control, which is way more precise than before. You can use it to adjust your aiming with the bow and the level of accuracy we get with it is really impressive.”
Motion controls were largely underutilized by Sony this generation, though PlayStation Vita titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Killzone: Mercenary were potential steps in the right direction, when thinking about this gameplay element. The key for developers will be offering intuitive mechanics that don’t feel tacked on or shoehorned into the gameplay experience. No doubt Eidos Montreal will be hoping the DualShock 4’s refined motion detection will make this a possibility for Sony’s next-gen console.
Thief launches on February 25 in North America and February 28 in Europe for both PS3 and PS4.
How to do feel about Thief’s recently announced features? Will motion controls affect your purchasing decisions down the line? Sound off in the comments below.