Looking Glass Studios released Thief: The Dark Project, revolutionizing stealth gameplay in the nineties. Its unique approach inspired a multitude of franchises while the series remained dormant. This is in parallel with the advent of OtherSide Entertainment, as it’s composed of those who shepherded PC gaming toward innovation. When OtherSide Entertainment unveiled Thick As Thieves at the Game Awards, I was interested, but it came with a catch. This was going to be a free-for-all extraction heist where the fastest reaps the rewards.
While it’s something different, especially in the extraction genre, it was also getting saturated. Ahead of its launch, it was decided to change Thick As Thieves into a co-op stealth game. It’s honestly for the best, as it helps it stand out while harkening back to the founders’ legacy. Thick As Thieves, while fun, as there are familiar elements to explore, there are still some issues leftover from its extraction heist past.
Now Arriving at: Kilcairn
In the height of the Industrial Revolution, Kilcairn is full of rich and wealthy denizens as they party all night. This allows an opening for the Thieves’ Guild to steal beneath their feet as they send the very best. Each thief specializes in their own feats, bringing different skills to the table and pursuing contracts via telegram. The threats ahead are not only human or mechanical, as the citizens of Kilcairn also dabble in the paranormal. So each thief must undergo the initiation process to become aware before stealing from the rich.
Through the two available levels, Loading is breathtaking for its twentieth-century aesthetic. Each building is massive, not just on the outside, but on the inside as well, with multiple vantage points. There are many ways to enter and exit a building, and memorizing the layout becomes second nature. While the exterior looks imposing, the interior uses the same structure and layout, varying only at the point of interest. This also affects traps, since layouts remain the same and there’s no way to turn them off.
Preparing for the Next Heist
Once the intro wraps, Tristain recruits and assists the upcoming thief through the brief tutorial level. This teaches how to seek clues, use each thief’s utility, and sneak around to steal. It’s a pretty simple onboarding process: stealing a diamond, and all there is to do is avoid any incoming threat. Like Thief, there’s a light indicator at the bottom-center of the screen, instead of the source. Some Constables walk around and patrol; they’re everywhere as the turrets cover every corner. Additionally, there are Hauntstables that react to sound and deal damage in close proximity; getting caught by one guarantees failure.
However, the way contracts are handled in-game feels disconnected overall, as it’s a remainder of the previous concept. There are level-based missions that are random, and there are story-based contracts given by the guild. The only way to exit the level is to complete both objectives, which feels too forced and, as a result, makes heists feel longer to complete. Even when there are hints scattered across the level, they’re not helpful when they’re prioritizing the missions instead. It feels unclear with the direction of the game progression, as major contracts lock away important upgrades.
In between sneaking and heisting is the safe house, granted by the Thieves’ Guild after a valiant effort. This is where heists are planned, and contracts are achieved from the special 0451 line. Loot also becomes a decoration, scattered across the hideout, and feels rewarding to watch the thief’s developing career. Collecting loot feels good, especially after outpacing a Constable, but after filling the pockets, it begins to make noise. Finding vaults is the means of setting aside funds and saving them in the stash. This simple action alone makes up for the game’s current shortcomings, as the core gameplay is simple and familiar, rewarding curiosity rather than stifling it.
The Spider Crawls and the Chameleon Hides
The Spider is the default character at the start of the game; her kit focuses on enhanced mobility. Her grappling hook lets her mantle onto high places, allowing for easy escapes, and she also has smoke grenades to easily sneak around. Further along in her progression, she can use fairies to pickpocket constables and interact with light switches from a distance. So far, she’s great at stealth but isn’t as physical, and she doesn’t have any offensive kits. The lack of a blackjack makes encounters hard, as Constables can hear from a large distance at times, and stealth takedowns are the only means of combat.
Meanwhile, there’s The Chameleon, whose kit relies more on subdefuge and blending in between guards with his mask. As much as I would like to write about him, he’s rather inaccessible at the moment. Tied back to the progression issues with the contracts, Chameleon is only unlocked after completing the eighth contract, which feels hard to reach. There were additional characters featured in the announcement trailer as well, but given the change in direction, The Hood whose largely a Garret stand-in, isn’t the focus anymore. Additionally, given the co-op component, it would be reasonable to have Chameleon available, but in the end, it’s just two Spiders at the start of the game.
The Thieves are Back in Business
Stepping forth into the Thieves’ Guild gives a sense of familiarity for a time that’s long gone in PC gaming. Where core design rewarded curiosity in every corner, and it’s back in Thick As Thieves. There’s a lot to look forward to in Thick As Thieves, given its solid foundation, but its previous iteration holds it back.
The reduced scope does more harm than good, as it delays the promised four-hour runtime. With design decisions like the hints, lack of combat, and the progression system, along with restricting the other playable characters through progression. It’s these sudden decisions that changed what could’ve been a fun afternoon into an overnight nightmare, as there are issues among the shadows.
Disclaimer: Megabit Publishing provided a PC (Steam) copy of Thick As Thieves for review purposes.
