Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow was unveiled earlier this month. Developed by Maze Theory collaborating with Eidos Montreal, the title was announced with a trailer that featured narration from original Thief franchise protagonist Garrett. A new video released for the game reveals that this Garrett was voiced by the character’s original voice actor – Stephen Russell.
In the video, Russell spoke about the legacy of the Thief games, and how he has been living with the character in some shape or form for 30 years since he first auditioned for the role back in 1995 or 1996.
“We’ve had a long history together, and it is so delightful to be back with him again,” said Russel in the video, which you can check out below. “I’ve missed the old guy! He’s got such a great sense of humour and they have perfectly captured that in this new game.”
“For me, there’s something about the character that… I mean it was how I got my start in games! So I really owe a lot to this guy, and it’s a huge, huge pleasure to be back voicing Garrett again.”
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow features a brand new protagonist, Magpie. However, this character still has some strange relationship with Garrett, which even the former protagonist seems unaware of. The latest video ends with Garrett revealing that he thought he had died, and questioning who Magpie is.
The gameplay for Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow shown in its announcement trailer looks like the gameplay for the original first-person stealth games translated faithfully into VR. The game will have players make use of shadows as they creep around opulent mansions in search of their prize, all while making use of different tools like unique arrow types to, for example, snuff out the light of torches to make sneaking easier.
The title will also seemingly involve other aspects of the classic Thief titles, including the ability to sneak through the rooftops and dark alleys of a Gothic city while also pickpocketing guards to not only get their money, but sometimes even get keys to unique areas.
As for the story, while not too much has been revealed about the upcoming title so far, lead game designer Richard Bunn has confirmed that its events take place between the original trilogy and the reboot from 2014, which was simply titled Thief. As such, the Orwellian level of surveillance from the older titles will still seemingly be present in Thief VR.
“Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow takes place between the original trilogy and the 2014 reboot,” said Bunn, describing the upcoming game, “centuries before the latter. The City is fractured, ruled by fear and surveillance, under the thumb of Baron Northcrest and his obsession with forbidden knowledge. The Keepers are gone, but their secrets linger in hidden glyphs and relics.”
The original Thief trilogy, as well as the reboot from 2014, are still playable on modern systems today. While the reboot can also be played on modern consoles thanks to its release on PS4 and Xbox One, the original trilogy is only playable on PC.
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow, on the other hand, is slated for release on PC VR, PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest 2, 3, and 3S.
