Thief Simulator Review

Some may argue that video games have a negative impact on this generation. I, for one, disagree with that accusation and believe that they can benefit those who play them with valuable lessons and morals. There is a bounty of life skills that you can learn from interactive entertainment that many times isn’t taught in schools. Like, for example, how to pick a lock. Or, how to assess the value of an object just by staring at it and even how to find a perfect hiding place to learn your neighbor’s daily routine… Ok, maybe this particular game is an exception to the whole morality thing. Thief Simulator promises to give you the thieving experience in all of its stolen glory, and it’s yours for the taking.

As you would expect from the name of the game, you’ll take up shady jobs, scout around neighborhoods, break into houses via a variety of methods, steal valuable items (including cars), and sneak around the darkest shadows of night, all while trying to avoid the cops, navigate around other corrupt shady characters, and try to stay alive as you upgrade your thieving skills and purchase expensive tools and gadgets to aid in your occupation. While the game is easy enough to jump in and start playing, as the missions progress they become more difficult, requiring plenty of patience and skill to pull off.

You start the game as a basic thief with a very limited skillset. You’ll be adept at crouching, breaking windows, and stealing pots and pans. While you are technically free to go and start breaking into anyone’s house you choose, you will need to advance in the story mode in order to unlock certain items and abilities that will allow you to successfully burgle high end locations. Story mode allows you to take on missions with new tasks usually requiring the use of a new tool or skill. You can also simply select a random mission to complete, which will often reward you with extra money.

Simply breaking into locations and stealing stuff is bound to get old rather quickly, but the developers did a great job keeping the missions varied and giving the player a sense of progression. To that end you’ll earn experience points and level up by acquiring items on your heists. You can then spend a skill point to learn new abilities, such as advanced lock picking or increased inventory. Different houses have varying degrees of defenses to them, and each one will require you to carefully examine them as well as the daily routine of the owners and neighbors. You want to get in and get out with as much stash as possible in the least possible amount of time.

You’ll even be able to drive around the neighborhood in your car, but it’s obvious the developers wanted to keep you concentrated on being a thief. To that end you’re not going to be able to just walk up to someone and crowbar him to death. This isn’t Grand Theft Auto – for better or worse. Other small issues keep the game from being perfect as well. The lack of music is a glaring problem, although it makes sense to want the player to hear all of the ambient sounds. As you break into the house some shady music does kick in, but it’s just not that compelling. There’s also no online multiplayer, which I think would have been fun to try and burglarize a house together with a friend. Otherwise the game doesn’t suffer from glitches or other technical issues and I had a great time practicing my thieving skills!

Jordan Brewer

Jordan is a gaming fanatic who grew up in a home of shovelware. Years of discounted drivel has molded this man, shaping him into the seeker of quality he is today.