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| Thief | |
|---|---|
 Logo used in the first three games | |
| Genre(s) | Stealth,Immersive sim |
| Developer(s) | Looking Glass Studios (1998–2000) Ion Storm (2004) Eidos-Montréal (2014–present) |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive (1998–2004) Square Enix (2014–2022) CDE Entertainment (2022–) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,Xbox,Xbox 360,Xbox One |
| First release | Thief: The Dark Project December 1, 1998 |
| Latest release | Thief February 25, 2014 |
Thief is a series ofstealthvideo games in which the player takes the role ofGarrett, a master thief in afantasysteampunk world resembling a cross between theLate Middle Ages and theVictorian era, with more advanced technologies interspersed.[1]
The series consists ofThief: The Dark Project (1998),Thief II: The Metal Age (2000),Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004) andThief (2014). An expanded version ofThief: The Dark Project, titledThief Gold, was released in 1999 and features three extramaps and a number ofbug fixes.Looking Glass Studios developed bothThe Dark Project andThe Metal Age. After the studio had gone out of business in 2000, many former employees moved toIon Storm and began developing the third part of the series,Deadly Shadows.Eidos-Montréal was subsequently given the reins forThief. TheThief series has been well-received by critics.
Set mainly in a first-person perspective within a 3D environment, the main gameplay tactic of theThief series is to avoid fights, stealthily traverse the environment to complete specific objectives and instead sneak around the enemies or discreetly subdue them, without raising too much noise or suspicion. TheThief games are sometimes described as either a "first-person sneaker", "sneak-em-up" or a "first-person looter" to emphasize this difference. Classification of the game has been slow coming, as three-dimensional stealth games, such asTom Clancy's Splinter Cell andAssassin's Creed, only became more common years after the firstThief. Another innovation employed extensively byThief is the careful use of sound effects as an integral part of gameplay. Sound cues not only tell the player of other characters in the vicinity, but also indicate how much noise Garrett makes when moving about an area. Too much noise can alert nearby guards, who will grow suspicious and come looking for intruders. There are a variety of tactics to avoid being heard, however, such as walking gently, steering clear of noisy pavement, or usingmoss arrows to create a carpet that muffles the sound of footsteps. In a similar vein, using light and dark became one of the most important strategies. A gauge at the bottom of the screen (called the 'Light Gem') indicates how visible the protagonist is. Entering deeper shadows or ducking makes the character less likely to be noticed. Walking about increases the risk of being spotted, and having a sword or bow drawn makes him very conspicuous in the game. The astute player is constantly keeping an eye on areas of light or shadow, guard patrol routes, and the type of terrain they are walking on, in case a hiding place is needed in a hurry. A light source, such as a torch orgas lamp, can be doused with a Water Arrow, creating an area of darkness in which the player may hide. Electrically powered lights, in all games, may simply be shut off by using a nearby switch or button; however, if no light switch is available, the electrical light will not turn off by simply shooting a Water Arrow at it. InThief: Deadly Shadows, the player can simply 'pinch out' a lit candle by pressing the use button on it. A guard or any civilian may notice if a light source has been put out, likewise if something valuable has been stolen.
Another large component of the gameplay inThief, along with the stealth, is exploration. In most missions, especially in the first twoThief games, players can freely explore the game environment without much hindrance. Players are also free to experiment with their approach towards the AI. They may choose to neutralize all the AI-controlled guards using a variety of methods. These methods include using a player-equippedblackjack to quietly incapacitate enemies without killing them, a sword, used in direct combat which can kill enemies, or broadhead arrows, used to discreetly kill enemies from a long distance. Other special arrows, such as water arrows, rope arrows and moss arrows are also available to use. The player may also choose to avoid any confrontation with the AI altogether. "Ghosting" is a play style by which one attempts to complete all objectives in each mission without leaving a trace and without being seen or heard.
| 1998 | Thief: The Dark Project |
|---|---|
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | Thief II: The Metal Age |
| 2001–2003 | |
| 2004 | Thief: Deadly Shadows |
| 2005–2013 | |
| 2014 | Thief |
| Game | Metacritic |
|---|---|
| Thief: The Dark Project | (PC) 92/100[2] |
| Thief II: The Metal Age | (PC) 87/100[3] |
| Thief: Deadly Shadows | (PC) 85/100[4] (Xbox) 82/100[5] |
| Thief | (PC) 70/100[6] (PS4) 67/100[7] (XONE) 69/100[8] |
Thief: The Dark Project was released byLooking Glass Studios in late 1998 and powered by their own in-house developedDark Engine. A re-release ofThief: The Dark Project entitledThief Gold fixed various bugs and added three new levels (mostly derived from, but not identical to, content that was planned for the original game but cut for budget or time constraints) which contributed significantly to the existing plot. The package also contains bonus content such as the DromEdDark Engine editor, a behind-the-scenes "making of" video, and a desktop theme designed forWindows 98. Looking Glass was working on a similar re-release ofThief II: The Metal Age, provisionally entitledThief II Gold, at the time they went out of business in 2000.[9]
Looking Glass Studios released the sequel toThief in early 2000. Utilizing the same Dark Engine that powered the originalThief,Thief II had an almost identical look and feel, with at some points differences in architecture and technology caused by the events of the first game, and only minor graphic and programming improvements, such as colored lighting. The basic gameplay was also fundamentally similar to the originalThief, but many new elements had been added, including technological gadgets such as a remote eye camera. Other changes include an increase in the number ofAI behaviors. Responding to criticism of the originalThief that more time was spent on combat than actually living up to the title of the game, the missions inThief II were designed much more around typical thief-like behavior, and much of the game is spent robbing the rich denizens of the City rather than battling monsters. In fact, the player encounters almost none of the monsters from the originalThief except for burrick (dinosaur-like creatures) heads mounted as trophies in some of the mansions, and a few zombies, undead and ghostly apparitions. The designers stated that, unlike the originalThief, where levels were developed to suit the plot, inThief II levels were designed first and making the plot work with them was somewhat of a retrofit. A re-release ofThief II: The Metal Age entitledThief II Gold was a game in development byLooking Glass Studios before the company closed down in 2000.[9] It is believed to have been an expansion toThief II similar toThief Gold.
A major departure from the first two games in the series,Thief: Deadly Shadows was developed byIon Storm rather thanLooking Glass Studios (albeit with many of the same people). The game was powered by theUnreal-basedDeus Ex: Invisible War engine. Unlike the original two games, the thirdThief was developed simultaneously forWindows and theXbox. Because of all these factors,Thief: Deadly Shadows was different (and vastly updated) from the first two games in the series in both appearance and gameplay. One of the game's major new features was the ability to explore the City. While previous games sent Garrett straight from mission to mission,Thief: Deadly Shadows allows him to walk the City streets between missions, where he can steal from passersby, spy on the townspeople's daily lives, and search for sidequests in addition to major story missions. Unlike sandbox games such asGrand Theft Auto III, the city is not one large continuousmap, but rather several small neighborhood maps connected by load zones (similar toPostal 2). The game also introduced an ability to switch between first- and third-person views, and to flatten against walls. In addition, the lighting engine was updated to accommodate moving shadows and light sources, which dynamically affected where the player could hide, an innovation originally precluded by the more technically limited Dark Engine. Smaller improvements were made to AI behavior, allowing for guards who noted when items went missing from their field of view or when doors were left open, along with an overhauled sound-propagation mechanic.
Thief is the fourth game in theThief series, developed byEidos-Montréal and published bySquare Enix. Since early 2008, several rumors had been circulating regarding a fourthThief game, which was allegedly under development. Eidos-Montréal's General Manager Stéphane D'Astous commented in an interview forDeus Ex: Human Revolution that confirmation of the company's second "AAA title", which its website states "begins with the letter 'T'", would occur "over the next year" or so.[10] The game was unveiled on May 11, 2009, originally titled asThief 4.[11]
The universe ofThief is adark fantasy setting and is centered mostly on a dense, sprawling metropolitan complex known only as "The City", which has some resemblance to 18th/19th century London, but with an altogether more Medieval culture, reflected in the architecture, style of dress, semi-feudal social structure, and a lack of firearms but widespread use of magic. It is a steampunk metropolis constantly being fought over by a corrupt aristocracy, an order of religious fanatics and a horde of vengeful woodland beings, all under the eye of a secret organization. The world is highly superstitious and does have a noticeable problem with the supernatural and the undead are very common. Technology is unnaturally varied in a way that they have access to electricity and use it for light and industry but nothing else. The method of how electricity is generated is unknown as well, electricity was common 50 years before Garret was born but the steam boiler was only invented shortly before the events of Thief 2.Thief takes place hundreds of years after the original games, possibly with a heavier emphasis on the identity of "The City".[12] Garrett works with the underground economy of the City, making a lucrative living for himself. Occasionally Garrett would leave the confines of the City and rob mansions, prisons, or graveyards.
The following are recurring characters. Information on non-recurring characters may be found inThief: The Dark Project,Thief II andThief: Deadly Shadows.
Garrett is theprotagonist of the series. Introduced inThief: The Dark Project, he was trained by the Keepers in secret so that he could join them; instead, Garrett used those skills to become a master thief. The 2014rebootThief introduced an reimagining of Garrett, with motivations and a personality that differ from those of the original. Garrett is played by voice actorStephen Russell in the first three games and is played byRomano Orzari in the 2014 reboot.
Ken Levine, when working onThe Dark Project's story, wanted the game's world to feel familiar to fantasy fans, but also to have afilm noir aesthetic. In keeping with this, Levine came up with a character named "Palmer": aprivate detective hired to do a job by a beautiful woman. Feeling that there was a lack of anti-heroes in gaming at the time, Levine took inspiration from films from the 1970's such asBlade Runner andChinatown, keeping the protagonist a character with a failed past "living on the outs of society". As the character evolved into Garrett, he wanted to see how "dark" the character could be, taking whatever job was offered to him, includingassassination. However, this was toned down after objections from other developers, which frustrated Levine, though he later admitted he felt it was the right direction to take the character.[13] Garrett's character design itself was carried over from a previous Looking Glass Studios project,Dark Camelot. Developed by Marc Lizotte and Rob Waters, it was originally more "armory andExcalibur-looking", but as development progressed they changed his look to fit the fantasy setting and "into something meaner and leaner".[14]
A reimagining of the character appears in the 2014 reboot.Randy Smith, a designer on the original trilogy, suggested to the studio of creating a new character instead of using Garrett:[15]
I was like, "Why don't you guys just make your own character? If you really want to expand this franchise, show us a different person who's similar to Garrett in this world, but has their own characteristics. Just give him a different name." That would have been interesting to me, to explore more of the world.
The character was well received by critics. In 1999,GameSpot included him on the list of top ten heroes in gaming, stating how "over the course of his adventures, Garrett emerges from under themisanthropic facade as a character with a noble heart, whose immoral ways are reluctantly justified by an immoral talent that's well suited to his immoral world".[citation needed] GameSpot also chose him as one of the 64 contenders in the 2009 user poll "All Time Greatest Video Game Hero".[16] In 2010,GamesTM listed him among the greatest ever game characters, commenting that "few main characters are as cynical and mysterious as Garrett" and adding that "it's Garrett's unique skills and upbringing that make him such a fascinating character".[17] In 2011,Empire ranked him as the 29th greatest video-game character, calling him to "a medievalHan Solo type" and adding that it is "hissardonic amorality that shines through most of all, ensuring Garrett a place as one of gaming's most appealing anti-heroes".[18] In 2008,PC Zone ranked him as PC gaming's ninth best character for his "wonderful" situational sarcasm, calling him a "medievalSam Fisher of sorts" and contrasting him withMarcus Fenix (who was ranked as ninth worst).[19] That same year, Garrett got an honorable mention on the list of the bestXbox Heroes by360 Magazine along with a comment that Garrett "was highly unfortunate not to make the final 50" in the user poll.[20]
In 2012,IGN featured him among gaming's most notorious anti-heroes, calling him "a true badass andanti-hero, combining a ruthless exterior with an unshakeable sense of honor".[21]GameSpy's Mike Sharkey called Garrett a noticeable omission from the 2011Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition's top 50 video-game characters.[22] Also in 2012,GamesRadar ranked this "not exactlyRobin Hood" as 35th "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, also calling him "a pioneer of sorts, paving the way for the myriad other thieves and assassins of our time".[citation needed] In a 2021 list published byPC Gamer staff, Garrett is ranked among the most iconic characters in PC gaming.[23]
Viktoria (voiced byTerri Brosius) is awood nymph in the series. She was a primary antagonist during the events ofThe Dark Project, being the one to remove Garrett's eye. However, she and her followers become allies for Garrett's war on the Mechanists duringMetal Age. Initially there is little trust on Garrett's part, but over time she is able to gain Garrett's respect, loyalty and, uncharacteristically of the cynical thief, care. The two gradually grow closer over the course of working together, even to the point of Garrett being willing to defend her directly by rushing to her aid upon her ill-fated assault on Soulforge, and being noticeably upset when he is unable to save her. It seems that this degree of respect and general sentiment on Garrett's part is only seen in his relationships with Viktoria and the Keeper Artemus.
The character was well received. In 2000, Viktoria was included inGameSpot's list of the ten best female characters according to readers' choice, with the staff commenting: "Viktoria didn't make our TenSpot, which was a shame. We editors apologize to those of you who lamented our oversight". It was also accompanied by a poll asking who should play Viktoria in the movie adaptation of theThief games (Catherine Zeta-Jones,Elizabeth Hurley,Salma Hayek orJennifer Lopez).[24] In 2007,Tom's Games included this "bad girl with charisma and style" on the list of the 50 greatest female characters in video game history, noting how she "evolves from a deceptive villain in the first game to a more benevolent companion to Garrett in the sequel, which ends her heroic, sacrificial death" and applauding her "hypnotic voice" provided by Brosius. Tom's Games stated she should be played in the live-action adaptation by "Naomi Watts, who's got the sexy voice, beauty and charisma for the part".[25] In 2013,Gameranx ranked her as the third-sexiest female game villain in history.[26]
With the release ofDromEd, a map editor for the first two games, an active community of fans began providing a wealth of home-grown missions for the first two games. Thousands of fan missions for these games have been created, some equally or more complex than the original game missions. These fan missions can be played by other fans using a loader.T3Ed, a map editor for the third gameDeadly Shadows, was released in February 2005 after a letter-writing campaign by fans. This allows fans to design their level with all the interactive objects seen in original missions, as well as place stealable loot and lighting, factors which drastically affect gameplay. HumanNPCs and creatures from all the various factions can be added into missions, and their behaviors (such as patrol routes) configured. Missions may be packaged and distributed to other players, who need a loader to play them.
In 2016, Straight Up Films acquired the film rights toThief with plans to develop a movie, Adam Mason and Simon Boyes to write the screenplay, Straight Up Films' President of Production Sandra Condito serving as executive producer along with Khalid Jones of Source Rock and Square Enix while Straight Up principalsMarisa Polvino and Kate Cohen to produce alongsideRoy Lee and Adrian Askarieh.[29]
In 2015, Adrian Askarieh, producer of theHitman films, stated that he hoped to oversee ashared universe ofSquare Enix films withJust Cause,Hitman,Tomb Raider,Deus Ex, andThief, but admitted that he does not have the rights toTomb Raider.[30] In May 2017, the Game Central reporters atMetro UK suggested that the shared universe was unlikely, pointing out that no progress had been made on anyJust Cause,Deus Ex norThief films.[31]
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