14 DAY TRIAL // Eidos Montreal has talked a bit more about the new Thief game and how it emphasizes ingenuity and puzzle solving over violence, especially since it lets players complete tasks and explore the City without restrictions.
Thief games in the past focused almost completely on stealth, putting players in the sneaky shoes of Master Thief Garrett.
The new title wants to make the whole experience more accessible but, at the same time, it hasn't forgotten about stealth and freedom.
According to producer Joe Khoury, who talked with OXM, the challenge of getting through an area stealthily and without killing anyone is appealing to many players.
"I think if you look at the basic pillars of this game, I think people are very interested in playing a game where violence doesn't play a huge role, for example. There are ways to go about eliminating enemies, but it's not the core message we want to give out with this game."
Khoury emphasizes that the game wants its players to think about solutions to different challenges, from attaining goals and stealing objects, to exploring the city in an efficient and fast manner.
"I think for us it's very interesting that we're providing a game for people where for once we're saying OK, you need to analyze the situation you're in. Kind of like a big, big puzzle. We throw you into a situation, we say 'here are your risky areas, here are your safe areas, here's your reward. There's a reward here, a big jewel, but in order to reach that you need to go through this. What do you do?' Like with the first Thief - 'here's your opportunity, find your own way'."
Exploration of the City also allows players a high degree of freedom, so they can decide what routes to take and what tools to use.
"[We're not] necessarily spoon-feeding anything to the player, especially for the City - we highlight paths, we show you what to do, we give you the tools to navigate, but how you get there is your choice. And doing so without attracting attention, I think that's the core difference between Thief and other games today."
The new Thief is out in February for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One.