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- Thief is one of the few IPs that, despite being old, offers a great stealth experience.
- This series took stealth gameplay to the next level thanks to a subtle and nuanced approach to mechanics.
- A remake that uses the original game’s design philosophy could do wonders for stealth gaming today.
Many might think that Kojima was the one who introduced the stealth genre to gaming, but he wasn’t. Sega was the first one to release 005, an arcade game. This game wasn’t really revolutionary, which is why many people aren’t aware that Sega created this genre.
Later, Hideo Kojima introduced stealth in the Metal Gear series, becoming known as the father of the genre. Despite Kojima’s influence, this genre has remained quite niche. Even within the niche genre, one series that is often ignored is Thief.
Why it matters: All entries in the Theif series are enjoyable, but the first two games stand above most of the gaming industry’s work.
The Big Dogs Of The Genre
There are many unknown gems in the stealth genre. The Metal Gear Solid series is well-known among the fandom, but there are also others like the Hitman series, Assassin’s Creed series, and the Splinter Cell series.
The iconic Assassin’s Creed IP had basic but enjoyable stealth mechanics. Kojima is known for the Metal Gear Series, and his ability to portray stealth gameplay is incredible in its own right. Perhaps his influence is exactly why gems like Thief are often neglected by the fans.
The Thief games are so good that I would love for everyone to explore them. The whole series is currently available at a massive discount, so it is time to give it a try. Even if these titles are old, I am certain stealth enthusiasts will find the gameplay quite enjoyable.
Let’s break down exactly what the franchise does so well down below.
Thief Was Unparalleled In Its Design
One great thing about this series is that you are not a hero, a trained soldier, or an assassin. You are just a top-tier thief who prides himself on never being caught. You are basically an ordinary albeit very smart human being.
This adds a real sense of tension to the experience. Find yourself caught, and there’s no real easy way out. Thief doesn’t make you a killing machine, so being caught will, more often than not, result in death.
Moreover, the level design is equally compelling. The series doesn’t rely on markers and hand-holding to assist the player. Even the provided maps are often incomplete or outdated, adding to the story-telling.
Take, for instance, one level where Garret breaks into a mansion. As a master thief, he goes in with a well-put map to prepare for the mission. However, another mission sees Garret heading into a cave, so the map reflects this transition.
At this point, his map is haphazard and incomplete, leaving the player to explore and discover the cave for themself. Similarly, the gameplay was always a strong suit of the IP.
Garret’s arsenal complemented his status as an ordinary human, so his tools were almost always centered around avoiding conflict. Water arrows put out light sources, while moss arrows made footsteps quieter. The other tools worked in a similar way to add depth to the experience.
In many ways, Thief is still better than the modern stealth genre. It forces the player to engage with the level design, gameplay, and world in a way that hardly any games even try to do.
It’s a shame, then, that this series seems to have been forgotten about. Even the 2014 reboot seemed to ignore the best parts of the original titles, replacing their strengths with more streamlined gameplay found in most AAA releases.
Thief Needs A Remake
I would love it if this franchise were to receive a remake. Thief has a special place in my heart and still blows me away, even in 2024. It stands out as one of the few works of art that were truly timeless.
In my opinion, a modern Thief reboot built on the foundations of the original games could do wonders for the stealth genre as a whole.
At a time when gaming has become easier than ever, and developers instantly resort to hand-holding players through an experience, this series would challenge the norms and traditions. Perhaps the gaming industry is not ready for such a departure from the tried-and-true formula just yet.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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