Thief (working title) (XBX, PC)
Hamburglar’s got nothing on this one.
By Libe Goad

Shadows and lighting have turned into a telltale sign of a game’s graphical prowess, but the Thief series was one of the first titles to utilized light and dark as an essential gameplay element.

These days, sneaking around in the shadows of a game is almost as common as smashing wooden crates for power-ups. But when Eidos announced the return of Thief III (or Thief, the working title), we were elated to see the classic series hadn't been trampled by a multiplying herd of stealth-based predecessors.

In Thief, you will sneak around the City as Garrett, master burglar. Seems like Garrett has grown tired of his usual looting and partnered with the Keepers, a clandestine outfit that supplies prophetic Glyphs he needs to avert the approaching Dark Age. In the spirit of Robin Hood, Garrett must sneak through castles, prisons, cathedrals, museums and past meaty guards, thugs and monsters to capture the City’s oldest treasures—all of which will supposedly help disprove the prophecies and keep an era of darkness at bay.

Along the way, expect several plot twists and turns, which will make for a compelling backdrop to the game’s new graphical and gameplay improvements. In essence, the gameplay will be instantly recognizable to anyone who played the other games. Garrett must still sneak around undetected in the shadows—even the slightest noise can raise the guard’s suspicion. He will still use various arrows to take out guards and lights, along with an updated arsenal that includes lock picks, flashbombs, and wall-climbing gloves, among others.

In terms of AI, expect the guards to see and hear in a more realistic manner. There will be varying levels of alert, some of which can be triggered if they notice lights going out or if one of their guard compadres goes missing. Developer ION Storm has also added numerous lines of real-time dialogue, which Garrett can overhear or interrupt if he arouses suspicion. Other characters will also have fully animated lip-synching and facial expression; all items designed to take the game to a more realistic level.

Also look for first-person body awareness, which will allow you to see Garrett’s hands and feet while performing various activities—all in the name of more realistic gameplay.

Since the title will be released for both Xbox and PC, the controls will be simplified so you will be able to execute all of your moves on a console controller. The interface will see several improvements as well, all in the name of further simplification.

From what we saw at E3, this action-adventure looks like a worthy extension of the Thief series. The new lighting and animations look impressive; the improved gameplay adds another dimension to the innovative game series.

Once the game’s official name is decided—Thief III or Thief or That Thief Stole My Pants—it’ll be worth a gander when it’s released Fall 2003.