Thief is a multiplatform stealth-action video game developed by the Canadian studio Eidos Montreal and published by Square Enix / Eidos Interactive. The publisher in Russia and the CIS countries is “Novie Disk”. The release of Thief took place on February 25, 2014, on all major platforms.
Thief, authored by Eidos Montreal, is yet another game in the long list of so-called "reboots." Its story is not connected to the previous parts of "Thief" (Thief: The Dark Project, Thief II: The Metal Age, and Thief: Deadly Shadows), yet the game largely follows the tenets of Looking Glass Studios, the studio that initiated the long life of Thief.
As before, the main character is the famous thief named Garrett – a rather controversial figure not always fitting the title of a positive hero. No, Garrett is not a maniac or a mindless killer, but he is a thief to the core. To him, robbing a baron or depriving an elderly woman of her last piece of bread matters little. From this perspective, the protagonist remains true to his ideals – much to the delight of fans.
The setting of Thief is a dark medieval city (with a touch of Victorian architecture) known simply as The City. It doesn’t take long to realize that its inhabitants are far from happy. An unknown plague roams the filthy streets, from which there is almost no escape. The guards, controlled by Baron Northcrest – the local ruler – mistreat the citizens, complicating their already difficult lives. The rich indulge themselves in their grand mansions while the "bottom" people rummage through the trash trying to find something edible. The city, immersed in eternal fog, desperately needs a hero who could change the situation for the better. But will that hero be Garrett – the seasoned master-thief pursuing purely mercenary goals? Or will he, as before, continue to steal without paying any heed to the problems of the common folks? The answers to all these questions unfold as you progress through the Thief storyline, which boasts sharp narrative twists and surprising discoveries.
The developers strived to make the 2014 incarnation of "Thief" as similar as possible to the early games in the Thief universe, and it must be said, they succeeded. Thief is still the same simulator of a master thief’s dealings, quietly appropriating the valuables of people from various walks of life and ranks. The key word here is "quietly." Yes, the game does allow for open confrontation with enemies, but stealth mode remains paramount, no matter how you spin it. After all, it is much more interesting to explore the territory, study the paths of guards, hide in the shadows, and try not to make a sound than to rush at the enemy with a club ready. And Garrett does not have a large arsenal of weapons to ensure that we, the players, enjoy completing Thief in a "loud mode." The game is simply not about that.