THIEF

Thief is an upcoming action-adventure stealth video game developed by Eidos Montreal and published by Square Enix. It is a reboot of the Thief series of stealth video games,of which it is the fourth game. It is expected to release in 2014 for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One platforms.^\ The game was initially announced in 2009 under the working title of Thief 4, but only came to be officially revealed in March 2013 through that month's issue of Game Informer.

Gameplay

Players control Garrett, a master thief, as he intends to steal from the rich. Similar to previous games in the series, players must use stealth in order to overcome challenges, while violence is left as a minimally effective last resort. Gameplay is choice-driven, with players having a number of possible paths and approaches in a given level. Players may use the environment to their advantage, as well as pickpocket characters. As Garrett attempts to steal in levels, guards and other non-player characters (if they are aware of his presence) will try to flush him out and kill him. Different NPCs may use different means to find him, and the game's artificial intelligence will be aware of the level design, and therefore, know of potential hiding spots. Players may enter a "Focus" mode, which provides several advantages. It enhances Garrett's vision, highlighting pipes that can be climbed, or candles that can be put out to make the area darker. Focus can also slow down time, so that Garrett is able to steal more effectively while pickpocketing. Garrett can use Focus to push enemies or perform debilitating attacks. Focus can be further upgraded over the course of the game. Garrett carries a blackjack, used to knock guards unconscious; a collapsible, compound bow, which can be used for both combat and non-lethal purposes such as distracting guards; and a claw, which can be used to grapple. Players may use money to purchase supplies and equipment at the end of missions.

Plot

Thief is set in a fictional world inspired by Victorian and steampunk aesthetics. Garrett, a master thief who has been away from his hometown for a long time, returns to it, a city named 'The City', and finds it ruled over by a tyrant called 'The Baron'. While The City is infested by a plague, the rich continue to live in good fortune, and Garrett intends to exploit the situation at his favor.

Development

Thief was initially announced in 2009 under the working title Thief 4, after rumours of its development. Developed at Eidos Montreal, the game was handled by a team other than the one that made Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The development team was initially kept small, and the game remained in concept phase for a long time. During this, numerous experimental design changes were proposed, such as having a third person perspective, having a new protagonist, or environmental clambering similar to the Assassin's Creed series of games. D'Astous was quoted on the main page as stating Thief 4 was currently in early development: "We're in the early development stages for Thief 4, but this is an incredibly ambitious project and a very exciting one. It's too early for us to offer any specific game details. Right now, we are focused on recruiting the very best talent to join the core team at the studio and help us make what we believe will be one of the most exciting games on the market." After some gossip that several major members of Eidos Montréal left their jobs, the general manager of the studio, Stephane D'Astous, countered these claims by saying, "We will be able to be a little more communicative later on, hopefully before the year's end. Right now, Thief is our priority and we're putting everything behind it to make sure it's as successful as our first game". In January 2013, Neogaf found LinkedIn files that indicated network programmers were working on the project. Eidos Montreal was expanded in 2010 with a separate team for multiplayer development, and when MP producer Joe Khoury was asked if they would also work on their next project, Thief 4, he did not deny or confirm. Although the game was initially expected for seventh-generation consoles, it was switched to eighth-generation consoles during development. This was confirmed when in March 2013, the game was officially unveiled and announced to be released on the PC, PlayStation 4 and "other next-gen consoles." Based upon initial press release photos Phil Savage of PC Gamer made some comparisons to Dishonored, stating "It all looks a bit Dishonored, which is apt, given that Dishonored looked a bit Thief."Eidos announced that the veteran voice actor Stephen Russell has been replaced by actor Romano Orzari for the role of the main protagonist in the series, Garrett. In a statement, Eidos explained their decision. "We made the decision to record our actor's voices and their movement at the same time using a full performance capture technique. The actor playing Garrett needed to be able to perform his own stunts. Garrett's a really athletic guy. We could have pasted Stephen's voice on top of the actions and stunts of someone else, but this wouldn't appear natural." However, this decision has angered fans of the series who initiated an online petition demanding Eidos Montreal to bring back Stephen Russell as lead voice actor.