Eidos Announces Thief 4

An anonymous reader tips news that Eidos Montreal has confirmed recent speculation by announcing the development of a new Thief game. They've set up a website, but the project is still in its early stages, and details are scarce. In an interview with IncGamers, Eidos' Stéphane D'Astous said, "We're keeping our ear very close to the ground. As you may have noticed, we now have a forum up and running for Thief 4, and I said to my guys 'I really want to have a forum at the very early stages,' because I want people to have a medium with which they can express their wishes, their expectations, and what they would like and not like to happen with the next Thief. Obviously we've started work, but it's always very important for the developers to be close to the community. We're listening to these people because they are very hardcore fans, and we want to bring the Thief 4 franchise to a new level, so the challenges are huge!"

Comments

Thiaf?

[RyanFenton]

Thi4f? As in "Thiaf"? Doesn't seem like a good first impression.

Ryan Fenton

Re:Thiaf?

[cjfs]

Thi4f? As in "Thiaf"? Doesn't seem like a good first impression.

Shh. They're just figuring out the replacing letters with numbers. Next comes the realization that the numbers are supposed to look something like the letters. That's followed by the realization that nobody does that anymore, except in mockery.

So we should be back to normal titles once they hit step three around 2020.

Re-make Thief 2

[the_raptor]

All they have to do for huge success if make it nearly exactly like Thief 2. I loved Thief 3 but the lack of huge sprawling levels with many hidden passage ways really hurt the game.

As to the story I hope they make it a prequel or otherwise not have Garret as the main character. The whole Thief mythos was pretty much played out at the end of Thief 3 and a continuation would just feel tacked on (Thief 1 & 2 heavily explored the Pagans and the Hammerites, Thief 3 basically removed the Keepers).

If they want inspiration

[RsG]

Look to Thief 2. 3 was something of a letdown; 1 was still a new idea (and therefor somewhat unrefined). 2 was easily the zenith of the series to date.

What was missing from 3? Large open levels, multiple solutions to each problem, and the varied mission objectives. Thief 3 at least got the sneak, stab and sap aspect of the game right, to its credit, and they included the requisite gadgets and arrows. As long as these things remain for 4, the game will be, at a minimum, adequate; done right it can be something more.

One of the things all three games got right was story. Atmosphere, character, plot and background are the series strong points, so they need a decent writer on staff (one familiar with the previous games). For the best of the series atmosphere, look to the Shaleridge Cradle section in Thief 3.

Final detail. Garret, whatever else he is, is one of the game's selling points. There is something to be said for a cynical misanthropic kleptomaniac with a bludgeoning tool and bills to pay. Keep those aspects of his character, and you'll go far; the last thing anyone wants to see is the writers trying to turn him into anything "better" than he is.

Re:If they want inspiration

[dunkelfalke]

And that is also one of the main reason why Deus Ex 2 sucked. They basically made the game for the console only and just added the PC executable. The result: tiny levels, dumbed down story, dumbed down weapon system, awful graphics.

Guess what? It was the same game studio, the same developer team and the same publisher. No wonder the mistakes were the same.

Re:If they want inspiration

[Plekto]

And that is also one of the main reason why Deus Ex 2 sucked. They basically made the game for the console only and just added the PC executable. The result: tiny levels, dumbed down story, dumbed down weapon system, awful graphics.

They need to either make it for the PC first and a dumbed-down version for the 360 or they need to just ignore the XBox entirely.

The problem is that they think that adding support for it will be easy, but the problem is that the controller, graphics, and many other aspects of the game are just not possible on a console. Not without crippling the PC game. Some companies get it right, though, and add features to the PC version. Rockstar is good about this, for instance(GTA 4 is much cleaner and smoother on the PC), but EA... I'm not seeing much hope here.

Plus, PC gamers are a fickle crowd. If it doesn't have at least the graphical quality and scale of FarCry 2, well, forget about it entirely, because that's pretty much the lower limit now for quality and storyline.

Thief

[DreamsAreOkToo]

Fantastic! I love Thief, it's my favorite video game of all time.

However... they ended the series. Not only that, but they kind of butchered their whole attempt at Thief 3. If they want a good new game...

*Item scarcity. 1 & 2 never gave you 30 fire arrows to play with...
*Uninterrupted whole levels. 1 & 2 never had loading zones within a level.
*Complete outdoor areas. 1 & 2 were not set up like dungeons. They were *real* buildings.
*Rooftops.

I could say more, but I'll spare you. :)

Re:Thief

[sammyF70]

that was a ~problem~ ??
I thought the fact that you were a wimp in hand to hand non-stealthy combat was the main point of the game. Otherwise you could just have played Splinter Cell. This might have solved your second problem with the Thief Serie too : there were too many ways to finish the levels.

Keep the hero a wimp, make the levels as ~open~ as can be with multiple entrances and no forced way of finishing a level or pass an obstacle (see the latest Tomb Raider or Prince of Perversia installments for how NOT to do it), don't include a sidekick, especially if that sidekick is supposed to save you everytime you might have died (hell.. ALLOW for failure. you know, the old "YOU'RE DEAD, GAME OVER" concept that seems to be vanishing out of most games lately), and you'll have a great game on your hands.

Re:Thief

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure they are a lot tougher once they are aware of you. They have armor, weapons and expertise. You only have a dagger/club and dark cloth. None of that counts when stabbed in the back. All of that counts when fighting face to face.

And actually fighting a single enemy really was no problem. They were just to slow to be dangerous. Only in numbers it is hard to have an eye on everyone.

When I read the first part of your post I thought the problem you are refering to is that these guards are actually too easy to defeat. I thought 3 was kind of boring because it was just too easy to club almost every guard down. It took the thrill out of being a thief. The first part of the series was better here, because there were more enemies that could not be defeated that easily. Like more zombies and those insect things. In 3 it was almost only about how to club the next guard down.

The Cradle is still the best setting ever. I never played a game or a movie that was even half as scary.

Producing for consoles will dumb it down

[zaibazu]

The originality of the first 2 Thief titles will never be possible when the game is dunbed down for the console generation.
Just look at Bioshock which was supposed to be the spiritual successor of the beloved System Shock series.
Another victim of the consoles is Deus Ex 2 which I consider a sibling title of Thief 3, same studio, same problems due to console restraints.