Thief confirmed for next-gen consoles

Thief 4, now simply renamed "Thief," is coming to next-gen platforms and PC sometime in 2014.

29

Thief 4, now simply titled "Thief," has been confirmed as a next-gen title. Square Enix is planning to release the game for PC, PlayStation 4, and "other next-gen platforms" (i.e. Microsoft's box) sometime in 2014.

The confirmation comes from GameInformer, as the game is the magazine's next cover story. Garrett is back in the lead role, sneaking about a Gothic-styled industrial city known simply as "the City." The metropolis is suffering from a plague and ruled by a tyrant called the Baron.

We had heard rumors that the game was making the jump to next-gen consoles, but this is finally confirmation of the scuttlebutt. More details are sure to come now that the announcement is official.

Update - Eidos Montreal has also issued a press release regarding the announcement. "We're handling a precious gemstone with Thief," Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D'Astous said. "Fans remember the original games very fondly and we want to preserve that essence which we have excellent experience of doing at Eidos Montreal, whilst also introducing Thief to a brand new, next-generation, audience. Our goal is to deliver the fantasy of being Garrett, the master thief, and we're building this game around that core experience."

Update 2 - GameInformer is starting to hit digital subscribers, shedding a few more details on Garrett's adventure. This game is being treated as a reboot, and is said to tone down the magical elements. Garrett will have a multifaceted and upgradable "Focus" ability to highlight climbing spots or drawers that hold valuables, or in combat to find weak points or chain attacks. Finally, the guard AI is aiming to be smarter than your average stealth game, as guards will be familiar with stage layouts and check around hiding spots. Check out the full issue for more details.

Editor-In-Chief
From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 5, 2013 8:45 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Thief confirmed for next-gen consoles.

    Thief 4, now simply renamed "Thief," is coming to next-gen platforms and PC sometime in 2014.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 9:06 AM

      Please be awesome, please be awesome, please be awesome...

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 9:13 AM

      First DX:HR, now this... Square Enix sure knows how to get on my good side.

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 10:50 AM

        System Shock 3 and I will jump on this bandwagon.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 10:04 AM

      The new font is great and dropping the idiotic 4 naming is a good start.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 10:18 AM

      Whoa, whoa, whoa, it's not named Thi4f anymore? Bummer

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 10:20 AM

      YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 10:54 AM

      Doesn't this sound just like Dishonored?

      sneaking about a Gothic-styled industrial city known simply as "the City." The metropolis is suffering from a plague and ruled by a tyrant called the Baron.

      Okay, it's not exactly the same, but still? And I know Dishonored felt very theif-esque. But I was just expecting Theif to have something a little... more... unique of a story? I have high hopes for this game!

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 10:55 AM

        That's hardly a story, it's just notes on the setting.

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 11:29 AM

        Dishonored was born out of Thief and Deus Ex.

        And yes the premise and setting of this Thief sounds like Dishonored, only because it pretty much sounds like the premise and setting for the Theif games which, as just started, Dishonored was born out of.

        It's like saying the Warhammer art style looks too similar to Warcrafts.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 12:33 PM

          If the plague is a central story element then not really.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 2:56 PM

          I just thought with a reboot they'd do more than rehash the original story and art style. I'm looking for more from them. I feel like Dishonored did a better job of reinvigiorating the story than Thief itself.

          Although, I think Dishonored made it too easy to kill and dominate via that path. I think Theif should try instead to inspire and reward the player more by going stealthy.

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 12:44 PM

        I think if anything Dishonored borrowed heavily from the Thief mythology and gameplay elements. That being said I don't care because they are both fantastic games.

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 1:53 PM

        In the original Thief, the disease was a sideshow used as the explanation for the quarantined city sections + undead, and there was no tyrant figure but rather the decadence and tyranny of aristocracy in general. Aesthetically, Thief 1 was more Gothic, Thief 2 Victorian steampunk - there was never a gothic-styled industrial city.

        If this is a reboot, they're changing a lot of things.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 1:58 PM

          Yes, but be careful reading too much into the words used. This is from the publisher, but filtered through GameInformer, who may or may not have the most accurate description.

          Also the old quarter wasn't a plague; it might be related to what they're discussing, but it might not.

          • reply
            March 5, 2013 2:13 PM

            ...You do the skeptic thing with real news, what are you doing it to gaming news for? These story titbits, yeah I'm gonna take their word for it till something more definitive comes out.

            Outbreak, plague, what's the difference?

            As far as I'm concerned, the weirdest thing about this announcement is the composite bow he's got. Anachronistic much Garrett?

            • reply
              March 5, 2013 2:25 PM

              Did you see them forging a real one in the dev video? Looked interesting, at least.

              As far as anachronistic, well, that doesn't really matter to me at all given the fact that he's got a fucking mechanical eye that can also act as a receiver for a remote camera, there are fairly intelligent steam powered robots, and pagan gods running around, all at the same time.

              • reply
                March 5, 2013 2:41 PM

                I can roll with things that have never been real. Modern compound bow that exist in tandem with OG bows, yeah. That takes me right out of the fiction.

                It won't be as good as the olds, but hopefully it'll be good enough like DXHR.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 10:55 AM

      OOOHHHH YEAAAAAA

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 11:30 AM

      So are they getting Stephen Russell back to do Garrett's voice?

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 3:47 PM

        More importantly, are they brining back Randy Smith to design the thing? (No, no they are not)

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 11:43 AM

      I hope you get to meet and save "The Girl", and steal "The Treasure". Really original naming there guys.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 11:48 AM

      Aaaaaand... Sony just sold a PS4.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 12:45 PM

      I'm a little worried that they are going to play it safe in all the wrong ways. The fact that they're bringing back the original setting and (especially) Garrett, and the technically impressive but sort of by-the-numbers photorealism look of the leaked screenshots... hmm.

      Mostly I just hope that their design avoids the trends that are rolling all big-budget open-world games into a giant undifferentiated mass. A constant stream of busywork and checklists isn't a good substitute for letting the player examine the situation and develop their own short- and medium-term goals.

      They took a pretty good shot at Deus Ex, so, fingers crossed!

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 1:40 PM

        Good points raised.

        I kinda agree with the asthetics. It's uninspired, bland, for something so unique as Thief.

        As for the open world issue: Thief, like SS2/DX, is an immersive sim, and not an ordinary open world game like skyrim. In an immersive sim game examining the situation is kindava given. "Developing their own short/med goals" however was never a part of immersive sim, that's more akin to sandbox title.



      • reply
        March 5, 2013 2:26 PM

        Thief games should always be in The City, but bringing back Garrett pisses me off, since it's not a remake of The Dark Project, as he already has the mechanical eye.

        Also, they should bring back the weird particle fountain street lamps.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 3:22 PM

          [deleted]

          • reply
            March 5, 2013 3:46 PM

            Yeah, okay it's more of a mild disappointment than anything actually approaching anger, but... they finished his arc. Move on. But yes, if they must have Garrett, they must also have Stephen Russell.

            The bit where they mention Garrett is a scary guy though, that makes me sad, as he wasn't originally. Hell, it was implied women found him to be fairly attractive, and that he... got around.

            Still, I guess, reboots gotta reboot.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 12:59 PM

      Hope they do a stellar job like DX:HR.

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 3:49 PM

        DX:HR was easily in my Top 3 Deus Ex video games.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 7:17 PM

          It's easily the best Deus Ex prequel.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 1:22 PM

      Hey another 'lets drop the number' modern sequel

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 2:03 PM

        Better than Thi4f or whatever it was going to be called

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 1:52 PM

      If it's mostly a 1st-person game like those leaked screenshots, then serious respect to this company (even though I didn't like the recent Deus Ex). If it is 3rd person, then I'm just hoping more inspiration is taken from Batman rather than the crappy series that is Assassin's Creed.

      The screens remind me of Dishonored a little, which is a good thing.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 3:25 PM

      related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZJ5C06Sj8s 2010 February podcast of Irrational Games, Ken Levine, Dorian Hart, Robb Waters and some of the designers and artists from Irrational talk about Thief, a very interesting insight behind the scenes of the legendary game.

      Found this quite interesting

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 4:42 PM

      [deleted]

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 4:54 PM

        Weak spots and... chain attacks!? What the fucking shit? Seriously? Reboot or not, fuck that shit. The bow is a tool, the sword/dagger is last line of defense against the undead.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 5:18 PM

          Thief: Akrham The City? Eh. I can at least hope like with DXHR they have a "Just give me Thief" difficulty mimicking Expert in the previous games, death of a sentient equals failure.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 7:15 PM

          Giant Enemy Crab. Massive Damage. 999 USD.

        • reply
          March 5, 2013 8:03 PM

          [deleted]

      • reply
        March 5, 2013 6:10 PM

        aw man

        I mean nothing wrong with the Platonic ideal concept of Chain Attacks but aw man come on now

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 6:03 PM

      :/

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 6:42 PM

      It'll be consolized. My enthusiasm is vastly tempered until we learn a LOT more about it.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 6:59 PM

      RPS has screenshots: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/05/thief-4-screenshots/

      I'll remain mildly excited. Deus Ex: HR was a really solid game, if not particularly memorable. I am a little worried at how long this game has taken. It's been rumored to have been in the works for years now. Not sure what's taking so long... hopefully it means they are taking their sweet time.

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 7:32 PM

      Awesome!

    • reply
      March 5, 2013 7:57 PM

      It's called Thief comma? Did someone steal the next word? :-S

      • reply
        March 6, 2013 2:46 AM

        Commas go inside quotation marks.

        • reply
          March 6, 2013 6:55 PM

          wtf you Americans like discarding logic when it comes to anything that makes sense

    • reply
      March 6, 2013 6:11 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      March 6, 2013 6:49 AM

      This is great news!

Hello, Meet Lola