This Thief game has third- person climbing sections. It makes minor use of quick time events. It has ‘Focus mode’, which gifts master thief Garrett with limited time-slowing combat abilities. It has context-sensitive controls that mean you can only jump when the game says you can jump.
Eidos weren’t showing anything of it, but did confirm that The City would act as an openly explorable hub, connecting Garrett’s missions, offering side quests and allowing you to commit ‘generic burglary’ against its inhabitants.
When Garrett arrives at the manor the city outside is rioting, and the house’s guards are on high alert. The political machinations of the city concern you only in as much as they provide a distraction during which you can sneak inside and steal a diamond, the Heart of the Lion.
“Any Thief fan with any self-respect will be aware of the surface type. But technically, if you just crouch most of the time, you won’t have to.” Surface types are used to carve routes through the levels; one path might be grassy and in the light, while another has metallic flooring but is in the dark. “It’s a level of mastery on top. If you’re careful you can get through it, but you won’t win speedruns without it.” That emphasis on mastery is great news for anyone who loved replaying the original Thief games, perfecting each mission.
The mansion is large, with multiple methods to enter and paths through the building, and plenty of tools and freedom, but the moments where the pacing shifts aim to make you feel powerful by forcing you through a single viable path.
