-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Game Informer: Thief (Eidos Montreal, PC/PS4/"Next-Gen", 2014) [Up: Mag Info In OP]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
They are probably in the magazine itself, and we don't allow scans of gaming magazines here.
this isn't Thief from the sound of things
if you want to make Dishonored's Creed, go ahead. Don't take an existing franchise though.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
How about we just dont ever remake any looking glass studios ever again
Hyperbole express departing from platform GAF.
I think Thief games aren't for you, this one game might though.
My biggest worry is that it'll be in third person perspective (or feature optional third person perspective), thus forcing the game to rely on a stealth system that's more about cheating by looking around corners or watching vision cones on a minimap than simply listening for enemies who are whistling as they walk down hallways or hoping you're in dark enough shadows.
The screenshots someone posted were mostly in first person.
Edit: I must also mention that they were removed because they're scans.
This does sound very interesting.
What Thief are you remembering? Garrett in the first 2 games could easily murder a single standard guard in combat.
The official annoucement press release stated first person perspective.
I always love when stuff like this is announced. You always have a complete overreaction no matter what because its not exactly like the old games.
This happened with Deus Ex, X-com, Hitman Absolution, Castlevania Lords of Shadow among many others and I thoughly enjoyed all of those games.
This happened with Deus Ex, X-com, Hitman Absolution, Castlevania Lords of Shadow among many others and I thoughly enjoyed all of those games.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Sigh, why do developers insist on developing their games around a core gameplay mechanic that essentially takes any of the skill, tension, etc out of the game?
Instinct, focus, blink, etc. All part of the same problem that results in dumbed down games that offer very little in the way of challenge. They claim that the game can be played without using them, but that often results in a game that becomes increasingly frustrating to play as it becomes patently obvious the level design, enemy encounters, etc are all developed around using that so called 'optional' feature.
Instinct, focus, blink, etc. All part of the same problem that results in dumbed down games that offer very little in the way of challenge. They claim that the game can be played without using them, but that often results in a game that becomes increasingly frustrating to play as it becomes patently obvious the level design, enemy encounters, etc are all developed around using that so called 'optional' feature.
SkylineRKR
Member
X-Com and Deus Ex were excellent comebacks, but I still think Hitman Absolution sucks.
I really enjoyed it. I didn't go into expecting Blood Money 2 but a good stealth game.
Beermeister
Banned
Not impressed.
maniac-kun
Member
Well XCOM has no replay value because its not randomized like the old games. And Deus Ex: HR had bad boss fights due to the outsourcing. Still love both games but they had issues.
Hah hah, very funny. I've loved stealth games for ages now. I'm just saying that making a part of your game shitty by design, just to snap the player on the nose for getting spotted /attempting to take out a guard is a bad way of doing it. You could for example have the game create heavier patrols, guards spawning near normally unguarded treasures, dock your pay for alerting the guards... Or maybe design the combat like that you could expand a resource to take out a single guard quickly, but if you screw up badly and get swamped by multiple guards you're out of luck.
Do You know why sandbox games are called 'sandbox'? I bet You do, so why are acting like You dont?
Look, i have nothing against pure stealth games, and if developer wants to make such game, its his choice. But dont try to downplay other devs just because they are more open minded about player personal gameplay.
Your main issue with Dishonored is that it isnt pure stealth game, which is good thing for most players, because they have the choice, however it can still be played [and it was tested for this kind of gameplay] completely stealthy (even without using powers).
You probably would be much happier with Dishonored if there would be special difficulty setting that disallows use of Blink, because You would think that game is designed around 'stealth only' in this mode, but dont You think thats just dumb?
Creating additional setting for something that any players can do by himself, is just dumb, its basically pointless, except for people who cares about achievement etc.
Z
ZombieFred
Unconfirmed Member
It still sounds like a true stealth and thief game to me, but I am getting the impression with this "semi-reboot" that elements that were common in the previous games (magic and the weird anomalies presented in that steam punk world) are going to be built up over the story with the little hints shown. The arsenal Garrett has sounds true to the previous work but modified to today that makes sense (instead of the arrow rope we now have a claw hook that we throw manually to climb) and it's still a heavy stealth game but has those modern elements (optional as suggested with the focus part) to broaden the style that the player might want. The design will most likely be a bit more faster paced than the previous titles but it does sound like you can take your time to plan and execute your goals. All in all it's looking promising already for bringing this classic back but it really is down to the actual level and game design that we need to see more before really seeing how depth the stealth can really be.
I'd imagine there would be a mode that would heavy limit the "focus" option too for players wanting to ghost all their way through out the given scenarios. That's the option I will take for sure.
I'd imagine there would be a mode that would heavy limit the "focus" option too for players wanting to ghost all their way through out the given scenarios. That's the option I will take for sure.
...mostly?
Thief doesn't make it shitty. It's pretty satisfying.
Thing is, you're on equal terms with everyone else, except some of them have things like armor. You don't, because you're a rogue. In other words, they do a lot more damage than you, the player, can, so you're pretty much fucked if facing more than one guy.
Fuck o--
--well hello. As long as you don't turn into some sort of hero, and as long as the militarized watch are as interesting as the Hammerites or something, it could be good? The setup's still pretty cliche.
See, I don't want to fight corrupt rich people who keep the poor down. I want to be a guy who isn't concerned with being a hero, and never, ever becomes the hero. I want this setting to color the world, not shape the plot, if that makes sense.
:O!
!Wait.
Rolls? In third person, I presume? FUCK
At first, I was like MEH, but then I remembered that looking for things in the original Thief is super easy most of the time, because of the lack of complexity of the models. If focus makes things as easy to see as they are in Thief, or handles it like Tomb Raider? Cool.
AWW YIS
The gameplay mechanics sound good too. Really starting to warm up to t--
FUCK.
BONEHOARD AND CRACLE ARE AWESOME, I LOVE MAGIC, DON'T RUIN IT YOU BASTARDS FUCK FUCK FUCK
IF THERE ARE NO ZOMBIES OR BURRICKS I WILL STAB EVERYONE
ebullientprism
Member
This sounds alright so far. Nothing too alarming.
People really shouldnt expect another proper Thief game. Thats just not gonna happen in today's climate. If you expect that you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Best you can hope for is that it doesnt get totally Conviction/Absolution-ed.
People really shouldnt expect another proper Thief game. Thats just not gonna happen in today's climate. If you expect that you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Best you can hope for is that it doesnt get totally Conviction/Absolution-ed.
It's pretty funny that if this was announced a few years ago we would have like a 30 page thread about this game by now but since we're so used to developers making the most brain dead games that try to appeal to everyone we really just dont give a shit anymore, no matter what big name is on the box.
I think we've been defeated. I really don't think you can take any genre and expect to be able to balance it for every type of player, espacailly in the stealth genre. Will developers ever realize this or do they have to all go out of buisness to figure this out? Your going to drive away the hardcore gamers and at the same time the casuals will give a whole fucking shit about playing a stealth game.
So good luck thinking that you can achieve 5-10 million sales by trying to appeal to everyone. It hardly ever works.
I think we've been defeated. I really don't think you can take any genre and expect to be able to balance it for every type of player, espacailly in the stealth genre. Will developers ever realize this or do they have to all go out of buisness to figure this out? Your going to drive away the hardcore gamers and at the same time the casuals will give a whole fucking shit about playing a stealth game.
So good luck thinking that you can achieve 5-10 million sales by trying to appeal to everyone. It hardly ever works.
Confidence Man
Member
Ugh. I guess it's just another overly forgiving power fantasy adventure. Pretty lame.
There are some third person screenshots, but I'm not sure if they're from gameplay or cutscenes.
I hated that zombie stuff on Thief 1 and I'm glad they toned it down on Thief 2
Z
ZombieFred
Unconfirmed Member
I have a suspicious feeling that the magic elements are going to be something that's a main plot point that is going to be build up/being used behind the scenes at first for this title than having it all thrown in your face like it was in the past. Magic is an important part of the Thief universe and if you look at Garretts eye in this title you can see it has some of those elements still (and why the focus mode can also make sense).
I went back and reread.
The navigation beacon worries me. If it's done like Dishonored, where it's on ALL THE TIME unless you turn it off, then it could be bad. If it's done like Tomb Raider, where you press a button every once in a while to get your bearings, it could be great.
I will be pleased if this is the case.
No, this is a PC game. It was never going to have 30 pages by now, simply because most of the gamers on GAF have never played Thief and still think that Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory or one of the Metal Gear Solids is the best stealth game of all time.
The navigation beacon worries me. If it's done like Dishonored, where it's on ALL THE TIME unless you turn it off, then it could be bad. If it's done like Tomb Raider, where you press a button every once in a while to get your bearings, it could be great.
I will be pleased if this is the case.
No, this is a PC game. It was never going to have 30 pages by now, simply because most of the gamers on GAF have never played Thief and still think that Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory or one of the Metal Gear Solids is the best stealth game of all time.
I understand the reason, why those element exists. The same reason why Garrett could fight one or two guards without dying. They exist to give player, who don't get the answers to a "puzzle", a chance to progress with the game: "If anything fails, you still can try to take the direct way.". If you give players this option, it should be only for limited use. Garrett can fight, let's say, three guards. After this he has not enough health to fight anymore. So the players has three "jokers" for a "puzzle". The same idea should be deploy to "Focus". You limit it, so that the player will only use it, if he is stuck with a "puzzle".
But the developers should really try to design a game, where the direct way and the use of "helper skills" are the exception. The rule should be teaching players how to solve those "puzzles", give them ways to be creative and have good level-, mission- and art-design, what hints the player to the "answer".
maniac-kun
Member
Well its a phase that will be over in some time (hopefuly sooner then later) when someone new enters the ring and shows them how its done right.
Yeah, that I agree with.
Again, a reasonable approach. You don't have armor, but you're nimble, so you can maybe dance around a single guard, but multiple guards will fuck you up. Plenty of ways to skin a cat.
â Narayan
Member
Hmm. I hope you can turn off the assistive functions.
I wonder how this "Focus" mechanic will work? Is Garrett going to have his Mechanist eye?
Is Stephen Russell returning to voice Garrett?
Oh well i'm not interested in it just because it's in first person.
After Dishonored, i'm not wasting money on another FP game (not full price, anyway).
That said, i'm a bit disappointed by its graphics, doesn't look all that impressive (and that's really the only thing i can comment on, since i'm not a Thief fan or anything like that).
After Dishonored, i'm not wasting money on another FP game (not full price, anyway).
That said, i'm a bit disappointed by its graphics, doesn't look all that impressive (and that's really the only thing i can comment on, since i'm not a Thief fan or anything like that).
As much as I'm excited for Thief 4, the Level Design will make or break this game for me. Eidos are no longer being held back by dated hardware and I want them to take advantage of the next-gen hardware to create sprawling, believable sandboxes with multiple points of entry and exit. I'm not bothered by Focus but level design should be main pillar of the game's overall design.
Also, dynamic light/dark detection system and good AI pretty please.
Also, dynamic light/dark detection system and good AI pretty please.
Please explain.
All these are points why MGR is not in the holy trinity of action games among other issues.
Blade Mode is at least unique to the game and something that hasn't been implemented before but I can do without all the QTEs in the game.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Deus EX HR had some great level design. Hopefully the same can be said with this game.
â Narayan
Member
Yeah, I noticed. Is it a Mechanist eye, though? If this is a reboot, I wonder how they're going to explain that.
Some parts on DE:HR are nicely designed. I feel that the game is pretty inconsistent in this regard, though. The final area is designed terribly, in my opinion.
The first person perspective is the ONLY acceptable viewpoint for a stealth-based game. Anything else is effectively cheating.
As you say, it is up to the game designers because by putting this game on next gen and PC they have a less of a excuse about the hardware.
Agree. And Focus mode sounds terrible to me. Like a way to add some of the Batman detective-ish elements.
Highlighting pipes to tell you where to go! When that fails a navigation beacon! Be able to look in every drawer you see! Fingerprint system so you don't get bored looking in empty drawers! Various artifacts scattered in the level! Decorate your hideout!
They're doing a safe, predicatable Thief sequel. It will probably do ok. I'd rather they combined Thief with a bit of Mirror's Edge. Make it about stealth and speed and no combat system for going one on one- if anything you should garrotte from the shadows.
First person perspective is really the best for any game that tries to be immersive. But doubly so for a Thief game.