Thief producer on being more stealthy than Dishonored
Modern stealth action games typically give the player a choice: do you play aggressively, leaving a wake of bodies behind–or do you play silently, avoiding confrontation whenever possible? Last year’s Dishonored was celebrated for its ability to adapt to playstyle. However, what’s Thief’s approach?
Stephane Roy, senior producer on the game, says the game is meant to be played in a more thoughtful, less aggressive way. “It’s always from the thief’s point of view,” he told us. “If you’re aggressive like a soldier, you’re going to die because the mechanics don’t want to see you going into the light.”
Thief
When asked about the player that wants to play commando-style, Roy said that “it’s going to be frustrating for the player.” He gave an example of a recent playtest, one that had a Call of Duty fan trying his luck at the game. “Full of arrows, making headshots–he wasn’t really enjoying the game,” Roy admitted.
Roy says that a key difference between Thief and Dishonored is that the gameplay mechanics sway players away from killing in Thief, while Dishonored uses narrative. “Personally, I think it’s easier to play aggressive than full stealth in Dishonored,” Roy said. “Thief is much more about stealing and not killing.”
Steven Gallagher, narrative director of the game, also chimed in, pointing out that Garrett’s weapon is intentionally crafted to steer players away from running-and-gunning. “You can’t panic with a bow and arrow,” he pointed out. “But you can do aggressive stealth.”
To coincide with our interview, Square Enix also offered three minutes of new gameplay footage. Take a look:
