‘Thief’: Next Generation Remake Broken Down

Thief is getting a next generation remake for PlayStation 4, and here’s a rundown of what to expect.

Eidos’ stealth title Thief is the fourth in the series and a total reboot, taking queues from Assassins’ Creed and Metal Gear in its gameplay. The title character is Garrett, who must steal from the rich while avoiding detection, or risk getting hunted down in the name of the law.

In Thief, the city is on the verge of an unwilling industrial revolution, and master thief Garrett is out to ensure the wealth gets redistributed to his own pockets. This isn’t your typical hero at all. He pilfers caravans and pickpockets the people, knowing that those in power are doing the same, just more openly and behind a mask composed mostly of red tape.

Garrett’s tools are not the high-tech gadgets that you’re used to in Rainbow Six, or the genius-crafted wrist blades of Assassin’s Creed. His tools are simple. A bow, special arrows, and a claw device are basically the full arsenal here. The arrows are an odd mix with different and specific purposes. Water-tipped arrows are used to douse torches and candles, while blunt-tipped arrows simply make a distracting noise that draws guards away so you can play. There is a jagged-edged arrow whose use is not quite known yet, although it could be a simple attack weapon. Other than that, you basically dive in and out of shadows and scale walls to keep from being seen.

Focus is another special ability being used in the next generation remake of Thief, which basically slows time and gives you more control over your actions in a small amount of virtual time. Yup, bullet time from The Matrix is still making its rounds. It’s been featured in different kinds of games such as the Tony Hawk series and keeps finding its way back.

Thief will tempt you in every direction, as even though you may only be in someone’s home to take one thing, there are plenty of other opportunities to steal items of value and stashes of wealth.

Producer Stephane Roy says:

“The whole environment for us is a big playground. We have some hiding spots where Garrett can go into the shadows, but you’re never fully safe. We create some stress, some anticipation. But we also want to give a lot of opportunities to flee, to save your ass, catch your breath. There’s always an impact to your choice, but we try to give a lot of tools and places to hide, for Garrett to manage those situations.”

Are you excited about the next generation remake of Thief?