OtherSide Leisure’s subsequent sport is a four-player PvPvE immersive sim, delivering an expertise that appears like a multiplayer tackle the Thief or Dishonored video games. The sport is named Thick As Thieves, and the primary trailer for it debuted throughout The Game Awards, showcasing the tense-looking aggressive heist sport in motion and the 4 totally different playable characters.
In Thick As Thieves, you play as certainly one of 4 totally different characters, every of whom focuses on a special playstyle and has their very own story. These thieves go on missions in a metropolis set in another historical past of early trendy northern UK the place know-how and magic coexist. Completely different factions management totally different components of town, and also you resolve which your thief aligns themselves with–despite being a multiplayer sport, Thick As Thieves continues to be a residing world that narratively responds to your selections.
“No two missions are ever the identical,” lead designer David McDonough stated throughout a preview occasion previous to The Game Awards. Otherside co-founder Warren Spector added that Thick As Thieves is designed to emulate the sensation of taking part in D&D, subverting the “sluggish” expertise typical of the style. He commented on how video games like Dishonored or Deus Ex usually see gamers reply to issues with methodical precision–Thick As Thieves is designed to push gamers to make these sorts of plans and selections at breakneck speeds.
As a fast be aware, Otherside Leisure was engaged on a D&D sport (Underworld Ascendant) previous to Wizards of the Coast canceling it in January 2023, however Spector did not say whether or not Thick As Thieves’ D&D inspirations have been born from that undertaking.
“This isn’t a sport you play and end,” Spector stated on the preview occasion. “We’re capturing the sensation of an ongoing [D&D] marketing campaign.” He added that, in contrast to D&D (which could be very a lot a struggle sport), Thick As Thieves is “essentially not about combating” regardless of fight and takedowns being part of it. Preventing off guards or different gamers is part of the gameplay loop, however a very proficient participant can get by means of a whole mission with out being observed or making any type of commotion.
In the course of the preview occasion, the press noticed an unique video of Thick As Thieves in motion, showcasing a mission practically from begin to end. The gameplay’s combination of know-how and magic seems to be a complete lot like Dishonored, and the cat-and-mouse dance between gamers all combating over the identical mission goal matches the depth of Deathloop throughout a Julianna invasion or Hood: Outlaws & Legends. In the course of the mission, we adopted a thief trying to steal an artifact from a mansion. Their preliminary makes an attempt to get in by means of the roof have been waylaid by one other participant, in order that they took to the sewers as an alternative, abandoning a entice to take down a 3rd participant who was following them.
As soon as contained in the mansion, I noticed the thief undergo all of the steps I usually would taking part in an immersive sim like Dishonored or Prey: discover the protected, uncover the protected is locked, monitor down the mixture by following environmental clues and dodging patrolling guards, get into the protected, and get out of dodge. Nevertheless, along with all that, the thief took additional steps to dissuade different gamers, like re-locking the protected after it had been opened to make it seem to be the prize was nonetheless there and double-checking behind desks or up within the rafters to make sure nobody was hiding. As soon as the prize was secured, the thief needed to make a mad sprint for the exit–the presenter talked about that this can be a second that some gamers inevitably look forward to, ambushing others who did the legwork for them.
I am a scaredy-cat who might hardly deal with a player-controlled Julianna in Deathloop, so I am unsure how effectively I am going to take care of one thing like Thick As Thieves, which options three different gamers all attempting to mess with my fastidiously laid plans, however I am nonetheless desperate to see extra of the sport. I am particularly intrigued by the narrative parts. How does this world react and evolve if it is a multiplayer sport? How does the story work?
There’s loads of time for Otherside Leisure to reply these questions, as Thick As Thieves will not hit the Xbox Collection X|S, PS5, and PC till 2026. The sport will characteristic cross-play assist at launch.