'Thief' Pre-Orders Now Available, Come With Exclusive 'Bank Heist' Mission

Eidos Montreal's new "Thief" came has been kind of under wraps since erstwhile studio manager Stephane D'Astous peaced out for greener pastures earlier this summer, citing "irreconcilable" differences with publisher Square Enix. But when it rains, it pours: "Thief" is now available for pre-order (with an exclusive mission as bait) and a new interview with the PlayStation Blog sheds light on how it will use the DualShock 4's new hardware.

So, first things first: retailers are now accepting pre-orders for "Thief," which isn't due until next February. To entice you into a reservation, Eidos are offering an exclusive pre-order mission: in return for your interest-free loan, "Thief" protagonist will get the chance to steal the Star of Auldale from the high-security Stonemarket Bank.

The mission is, according to a post on the Eidos blog, an homage to the First City Bank and Trust mission from "Thief II: The Metal Age" and will feature new types of security measures in other parts of the game.

If you're planning on getting "Thief" for the PlayStation 4, you may be curious to know how Eidos Montreal is planning on incorporating the DualShock 4's unique hardware. In an interview with the PlayStation Blog (appropriately), producer Stephane Roy details some "Thief"'s features.

The light bar, for example, will glow or darken depending on whether or not Garret is hidden by shadows. When Garret is visible to enemy soldiers or sentries, the light bar will, uhh, light up; when he's not, it won't. A light gem in the game's on-screen UI serves the same role.

The DualShock's touchpad will be used for menu navigation and weapon selection, and it will also hold the map. The game's motion controls, which are "way more precise than before," says Roy, can be used to aim Garrett's composite bow.

Lastly, Eidos Montreal are particularly excited by the PS4's share functionality. So-called "immerssive sims" traditionally give players multiple options for any given scenario -- indeed, Eidos went out of its way to reassure players that "Thief" can be played non-violently. "We give a lot of freedom to the player, and we work really hard to create a systemic AI that will let the player find creative ways to play," explains Roy. "Sharing those moments will showcase how they solved various situations"

The rest of the interview covers stuff like "Thief"'s next-gen immersion -- an idea similarly put forth during the announcement of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game -- Garrett's character development, and new stealth mechanics.

[Eidos; PlayStation Blog]

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Joseph Leray is a freelance writer from Nashville. Follow him on Twitter