Thief Simulator Review

Thief Simulator is a stealth game that puts you in the role of a thief as you find targets, break into houses, steal the loot, and try to avoid the cops.

The game follows many of the regular stealth hallmarks. You crouch to make less noise and move more slowly. The AI has line of sight (though you won’t just find people inside the house, there will be people around the neighborhood who can spot suspicious behavior and call the cops as well). Staying away from the light makes you more difficult to see and you can hide in boxes and behind shelves if you need to wait out some heat. All the stealth mechanics are well executed and result in a satisfying experience.

There are additional mechanics as well. You must stake out houses and learn its inhabitants’ schedule in order to learn the ideal time to break in. You can also spend your money to buy information and tips on houses you want to knock over to learn weak points or valuable items they may have. You can also find specific jobs for houses to knock over on the in-game computer or lists of items people are interested in buying. Other loot you collect you can take to the pawn shop to sell.

Extra touches make the world feel more believable and real: the fact that you can actually visit the pawnshop at which you sell your ill-gotten gains or how you actually have a warehouse where you can store items and where you return between jobs. All the actions you take at these locations could easily have been handled by menu screens, but their existence allows you to feel more thoroughly as if you are inhabiting the role; which is just what you want from a simulator game.

The houses are located in suburban neighborhoods and come in various sizes and complexity. As you proceed through Thief Simulator, you can knock over larger houses with more advanced security and more expensive loot. You may start out by nicking toasters but you’ll eventually find yourself stealing elegant paintings and expensive jewelry. After each job, you need to get in your car and drive away in order to complete your escape. The driving is a little clunky but you can get the hang of it fairly easily and it is a nice touch to include it in the game.

You can also use the money you earn from your jobs to buy more advanced gear that will allow you to bypass the more advanced security. In addition, your thief levels up, allowing you to unlock more skills. This gives the game a great sense of progression, though it does mean you hit a patch somewhere about the middle where it feels like you have to grind in order to be able to proceed. The good thing is the houses are all a little different from each other, so you won’t be knocking over the same place twice.

The game does have some rather long loading times, especially when you first select your profile and are waiting for the game to start. The game looks nice and you can switch seamlessly between controller or keyboard and mouse with little difficulty.

Thief Simulator satisfyingly captures both the simulator and the thief side of its title. The stealth mechanics are well implemented and there are some truly challenging houses in the game if you don’t mind working your way up to them.  It’s easy to learn the basics and feels good once you master them sufficiently to pull off a tough job. If you enjoy stealth games, it’s well worth checking out.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.