Thief is a slippery game. When it finally revealed itself, the results were impressive, although I found cause for concern in the City’s lack of character and the potentially staged nature of several encounters. Then there was news of disturbances during development, not altogether surprising considering the length of the job and the size of the team. It was when Nathan played the game and reported back that hope sputtered like the torches in Bafford’s mansion. Today, I’m as surprised as could be that a trailer, with no in-game footage, has restored some confidence and interest. The depiction of class warfare is far from subtle, but there are images reminiscent of the earlier games’ cutscenes, and the City looks recognisably magnificent. Also, release may not be as far off as I’d suspected.

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