Blackjack on the horizon

[Tigranes]

You are all savages for not telling me this sooner.

 

According to a teasing ad in the latest issue of Edge Magazine, it looks like Eidos Montreal might finally be ready to officially announce Thief 4 next Monday.

 

Eidos Montreal hasn't been very good at keeping secrets. having revealed last year that their next "AAA" title after Deus Ex 3 was a game from an established franchise that began with the letter "T". Now an advertisement in the latest issue of Edge Magazine teases the studio's next project being announced on May 11th, listing accolades such as Gamespy's "Hall of Fame" and Gamespot's "Greatest Games of All Time" and "Ten Best Heroes in Gaming." Inquisitive Gamespot forum goers did some searching, and determined that only one series fit all three bills - Thief.

 

There really is only one game they could be announcing, but we're going to leave this as a rumor until we receive any sort of official collaboration. We've contacted Eidos Montreal for comment, only to receive a not-unexpected no comment response.

 

Thanks for your interest, but unfortunately for now you will have to wait on the 11th of May.

 

Stay tuned next week for the official announcement. You might want to start practicing your surprised look in the mirror.

 

 

Excites me way more than New Vegas, to be honest, just because there hasn't been a good stealth game in years. Don't get me started about the retarded joke that is Assassin's Creed.

[HoonDing]

Finally some good news these days!

[Morgoth]

Coming not from LGS, I fear the worst.

[Hell Kitty]

Assassin's Creed is a completely different type of stealth to the Thief/Splinter Cell approach. I'm currently replaying it, and once you get to the actual assassinations I think it's pretty fun scouting and planning both your approach and escape.

 

Anyway, the development of Thief 4 has been a pretty poorly kept secret, and I hope once they make the official announcement we get some juicy details, as opposed to the teaser they released for DX3.

Edited May 5, 2009 by Hell Kitty

[Morgoth]

I hope they keep the steampunky-medieval setting, even though it isn't "in".

[Hell Kitty]

Thief was always pretty light on the steampunkiness.

[Tigranes]

Assassin's Creed is a completely different type of stealth to the Thief/Splinter Cell approach. I'm currently replaying it, and once you get to the actual assassinations I think it's pretty fun scouting and planning both your approach and escape.

 

Anyway, the development of Thief 4 has been a pretty poorly kept secret, and I hope once they make the official announcement we get some juicy details, as opposed to the teaser they released for DX3.

 

I quickly appreciated that I shouldn't treat it as another Thief, but I was so disappointed by the fact that you've got this beautiful looking, amazingly populated, live-looking city... and you can't talk to anyone, go into any buildings, steal anything, find any real info, anything... you just engage in a couple of repetitive minigames filled with Sims-like icons until you can finally assassinate. And the assassinations were great fun (if you ignore the stupid phase-out-into-sci-fi-vacuum-and-listen-to-long-rant bit). If the rest of the game was prepared and free-form like the assassinations it would have been great.

 

One thing I'd really love to see is a subtle improvement to guard behaviour. You've got great patrolling and LOS-based reactions / raising the alarm system already, with those timeless quips, but doing things like guards noticing things that are missing and going off to investigate (which you can use to your advantage), etc would make it amazing.

 

I was quite happy with Deadly Shadows so I have good feelings here.

[Hell Kitty]

I didn't mind DS, but it was a pretty huge disappointment for me. Like DX:IW it was clunky and kinda ugly with tiny levels.

[Promethean]

Assassin's Creed is a completely different type of stealth to the Thief/Splinter Cell approach. I'm currently replaying it, and once you get to the actual assassinations I think it's pretty fun scouting and planning both your approach and escape.

 

Anyway, the development of Thief 4 has been a pretty poorly kept secret, and I hope once they make the official announcement we get some juicy details, as opposed to the teaser they released for DX3.

 

You know except for the horrible combat, utter repetition of events leading up to the assassination, the ****ing ridiculous beggars, and the 5 minute long speech you receive from the victim as he is dying. And we threw in some retarded sci fi too. Have fun.

 

[Hell Kitty]

The combat is loads of fun. I don't know why people have such a problem with the sci fi stuff. Thankfully, though, how much I enjoy a game isn't dependent on how many people whine about it on the internet, so yeah, I will have fun!

[Tigranes]

I agree the combat is fun. The sci fi - I don't actually mind the fact that it's silly, but the fact that it completely destroys the pace of the game (just when you're having fun you're whipped out) and it's ALL unskippable. There is NOTHING to do when the doctor is rambling so you have to wait, you have to use the Animus to start and quit every time, you have forced interludes where you... go to sleep, etc.

 

Certainly there's things in that game that have great appeal and it's one of those games I really WANT to enjoy, but I really think that was an amateur mistake.

 

However, if you're not interested in discussing this and just want to have fun, that's fine too.

 

Anyone wanna bet on a modern-day Thief 4 where Garrett has a gun and theres a government conspiracy regarding a secret religious object passed down by the Hammerites through the ages...?

[cronicler]

Currently re-playing Thief 3. I think I am going to miss the old Thief a lot if the rumors that T4 will take place in modern times is true. Sure the 3rd's game play area was too small in some places and the city levels had too many restrictions of free movement after getting the gloves and I was really needing a damn rope here and there but overall I really like the 3rd.

 

Maybe a bit more sandbox options (and for "insert the deity of choice's name here" sake, someone fix the picking up/putting down actions and tie the climb function to a different key than jump. Not to mention refine the physics that can go ape now and then) while keeping the reactive AI and detailed level designs would.

 

Its kind of sad but funny really... As the forerunners in good game play, the Valve is saying that Reactive AI's is the future to make believable and good NPCs, While we had 3 games that refined Reactive AI to a real point in the past and were forgotten...

 

Edit: The pessimist in me is fearing Thief Raider: Modern Age tbh....

Edited May 5, 2009 by cronicler

[Hell Kitty]

the fact that it completely destroys the pace of the game (just when you're having fun you're whipped out) and it's ALL unskippable. There is NOTHING to do when the doctor is rambling so you have to wait, you have to use the Animus to start and quit every time, you have forced interludes where you... go to sleep, etc.

 

An unskippable cutscene, even a slightly interactive one, is still an unskippable cutscene, and AC is pretty much the worst there is at that. I was going to say this is the most annoying thing about the game, but least I can do something else during those scenes (like switch the monitor over to PC and post on internet forums) but what has frustrated me the most is when doing those "saving people from gang of bullies" tasks, and when you complete them and the camera locks on to the person while they ramble on and then for a second you regain control of the camera and then you lose it again so the camera can focus on the group of monks or vigilantes or whoever and oh god it makes me want to punch someone.

 

I agree that the investigative portion of the game can be tedious, but I enjoy the combat and just running around the cities too much for it to get to me. Plus, I didn't have the same expectations you did (being able to enter buildings, dialogue with NPCs, thievery), so that probably helps.

 

Anyone wanna bet on a modern-day Thief 4 where Garrett has a gun and theres a government conspiracy regarding a secret religious object passed down by the Hammerites through the ages...?

 

I guess right now I'm most interested in finding out just what the game is going to be. The Dark Project in a modern setting that ISA was working on before they closed? A sequel in which we play the girl from the end of DS all grown up with Garrett as mentor? A reimagining of the series? Whatever it is I hope they put back the Victorian stylin' of 2 that ISA took out of 3.

 

Did you ever see that old concept pic of modern day Garrett? People freaked out that he had a gun, which I thought was odd considering Garrett carries a bow. Kinda like when people moaned about having a dagger in DS claiming it went against the character, the same character that carried a sword.

Edited May 5, 2009 by Hell Kitty

[Wrath of Dagon]

Thief needs the ability to run from rooftop to rooftop, that would make it perfect, not that I expect much from the new studio.

[Slowtrain]

Really? Modern times? Wow, that's kind of disappointing. I loved the setting of 1 and 2. Also, I guess no bow and sword or massive hammers.

 

Jeez, take away all those things and it doesn't even feel like Thief.

[Morgoth]

It will probably use the Tomb Raider engine, therefor it's gonna suck for that reason alone anyway.

[Maria Caliban]

Tigranes,

 

We didn

Edited May 5, 2009 by Maria Caliban

[Wrath of Dagon]

No one's said yet it'll be in modern setting, I would bet it won't be.

[Musopticon?]

Probably not, this is a resurrection of a profit making franchise after all. They're going to take a very conservative approach when it comes to the atmosphere and general gameplay, I bet.

 

Kinda wish they'd hire Emil though, he was easily my fave of the lot, along with Null.

[Morgoth]

That got me thinking.... What's Randy Smith up to? Isn't he working with Steven Spielberg on a game? I wanna know!

[Slowtrain]

No one's said yet it'll be in modern setting, I would bet it won't be.

 

 

If you are correct, Wrath, I will be most happy.

[Purkake]

Looking forward to the regenerating health, cover based combat system and quick-time events.

 

Are there any other franchises that could be dug up and reanimated for the new brave console world? What about Daikatana?

Edited May 5, 2009 by Purkake

[Slowtrain]

Looking forward to the regenerating health,

 

 

no plz

[Morgoth]

I just vomited a little bit, but I was luckily able to swellow it swiftly again.

[Purkake]

I'm just trying to bring a little reality here. It could totally be a Thief II-level masterpiece, but then again it might not...

 

Just hold out for Planescape 2 - Revenge of TNO