With the titles Deus Ex and Thief in their portfolios, I couldn't resist trying out Thick as Thieves, which returns the player to classic shadowy theft.
Having spent quite some time sneaking through the roofs and avoiding guards in this game, I can say that there is definitely some fun to be found here. However, the ghosts of the past clearly haunt this project, and now I would like to share with you my honest take on what exactly you will be getting.
The Stealth: Nostalgia Trip
In case everything works properly, this game will bring to mind Dishonored and Thief for sure. The gameplay loop of hiding in shadows, following guards' movements, and manipulating the environment with gadgets is incredibly enjoyable.
The arsenal you have here consists of some pretty cool gadgets that allow you to break the line of sight by throwing a Smoke Bomb or to activate the switches without being seen thanks to the Pickpocket Fairy. Maps, in turn, respond to your previous break-ins by blocking some of the vents or gates that you previously used. The dynamic security system forces you to think about your actions and find new solutions each time. Doing this game in the online co-op mode is a real blast as you can coordinate with your friend on your takedown or distraction techniques to create some hilarious situations.
The Ghost of the Past
But the more you dig into this game, the clearer it gets that Thick as Thieves is nothing but the butchered leftovers of some other huge project. Being originally designed as a PvPvE extraction game, it was forced to become a regular co-op game in the middle of its development.
This sudden change left lots of weird and meaningless features that were supposed to belong to some other game. You are presented with calling cards and footstep trackers that are completely useless in a PvPvE setting; there is also the XP bar that grows and grows and some boring cosmetic items, which you need to grind for as if it were a battle pass in some live service game. Everything seems incredibly padded here since you will have to go through some ridiculous grind in order to unlock the second character to play in co-op mode with.
The Content Problem
And probably the biggest problem that holds this game back is the fact that there is simply too little of it. There are only two maps in the game. This is not an error. Yes, you are reading that right—the game features two maps to explore and replay. There are 16 contracts with 16 different scenarios for you, but they are spread on these two maps, which makes your exploration extremely repetitive.
Although you have the dynamic guard patrols and blocked pathways to make things somewhat varied, soon you will memorize the layout of these two maps and lose the feeling of danger. Moreover, you are losing the tension of the heist while running through the same corridors dozens of times. Speaking of the tension, the AI system needs a bit of an update since the ability of the ghost guards to chase you around the walls looks cool but the whole point of running through the map without being seen falls to pieces if you manage to hide from the regular guards just by sprinting away.
The Verdict
Normally, I am quite tough on the games that hide the lack of content behind repetitive grinding, but in the case of Thick as Thieves, it's better to give some context. For starters, Thick as Thieves is available for just $5.
That means you are paying just for a cup of coffee for the game that allows you to enjoy an incredibly atmospheric and mechanically solid proof of concept for a few hours. Yes, this game is undercooked. It is the skeleton of the game that should have been something bigger and better. But the bones are still fun to play with.
If you are an avid stealth fan and are looking for a budget-friendly short co-op game, Thick as Thieves deserves your attention. Just do not expect any 40-hour immersive sim experience here.
Final Score: 70 / 100