It’s a sad fact that a few of the most classic franchises of golden-age PC gaming (i.e. after the heyday of early consoles and before the 360 and PS3 ate its lunch) have been neglected and even abused. Thief is one of them — after the first two critically-acclaimed games, a lukewarm third was released alongside a similarly watered-down Deus Ex 2.
But now both these great games appear to be getting the attention they deserve: with Deus Ex: Human Revolution finishing production (and looking great), it’s time for the team at Eidos Montreal to turn their efforts toward Thief 4.
The switch is reported by Eurogamer, who quotes people in the office saying how weird it is to be switching gears, but who also express optimism regarding the new team (though why wouldn’t they?).
Chances are that they’ll be grinding away at producing a demo for an E3 debut; nothing is known about the game other than that it exists, although this screenshot may be of an early build, and suggests a 3rd-person viewpoint and slightly more modern setting.
My guess? They’ll be positioning it as an answer to the hugely successful Assassin’s Creed franchise, perhaps by emulating its strengths but pushing hard at its weaknesses. Just don’t mess this one up, Eidos.