Thief: The Dark Project was a special game for many reasons. It was the first game to ever use light and sound as its central mechanic, asking the player to move slowly instead of blasting through a level like they had with games like Quake or Doom. Described as a “first person sneaker”, the game also represents the start of my deep and enduring love for the stealth genre. Nightdive has taken this game under its wing to give it a rebuild for modern PCs and consoles, while preserving the game’s original heart and soul. I went hands-on with Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, and I’m happy to report that the game is preserved, heart and soul, and that fans of the original will be happy to hear the dulcet tones of Stephen L. Russell as Garrett once more. Ready your water arrows; let’s talk about what you can expect when this game ships later this year.
Rebuilt from Thief Gold (which includes the three extra missions, expanded story, and additional foes), and using Nightdive’s KEX Engine, the game features fully upgraded textures, models, and animations, but it’s not a rebuild. This is the Thief you remember, with doors that open towards you and everything else that made it kinda wonky. That said, it was easily the premier immersive sim for its time, and it’s now functional on modern platforms. Yes, on PC there are mods and such that can dramatically transform the game if you’re inclined, but if you’re not into the modding scene, or playing on consoles, this brings a lot of substantial upgrades.
First and foremost, the game now features modern controls that function on a controller or a mouse and keyboard. It plays in 4K at 120fps, allows you to select any mission you wish (though it’s not clear if you need to have played them first) but also has a hidden surprise – built-in support for fan campaigns, at least for PC players. It’s unclear on how far you can take that, or if it’s just fan levels, but it’s great that Nightdive has enabled this, as it allows folks to play the amazing fan missions that have appeared in recent years.
Part of the signature upgrades to controls is the addition of a weapon and item wheel. Gone are the clunky menus, replaced by a selection wheel that allows you to rapidly switch weapons and tools to ensure you’re never caught trying to switch. The addition of rumble also has an additive effect to things like drawing a bow or picking a lock.
Though I didn’t get to see it for myself, the team also assured me that the cutscenes are being upgraded. The team at Eidos and Nightdive both understand what this game means to not only players, but also to immersive sims in general. Eidos Montréal GM Patrice Baig was quoted as saying “Few games have had an impact as enduring as Thief… this remaster ensures a new generation can experience it”, with Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick describing the project as having “Preserved the tension and intelligence of the original while enhancing it for modern players.” High praise indeed, but well earned.
The level we got to play as a demonstration was the initial training level. Garrett is tasked with a handful of simple objectives, and then granted an unlimited amount of ways to accomplish them. Infiltrate Lord Bafford’s Manor, retrieve his prized scepter, and escape with more than $1000 in loot, or at least that’s the normal difficulty objective set. Immediately it was obvious that the team had spent a great deal of time ensuring that the level layout was painstakingly preserved while upgrading all of the textures. It’s on par with what the team has done for games like System Shock 2 25th Anniversary Remaster – something that made me breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s been a while since I’ve played this level, but it all came back to me quickly. I was soon using light and shadow to keep my light gem dark, carefully navigating the quieter surfaces, and carefully navigating the metal ones to dispatch Lord Bafford’s guards. Pickpocketing, grabbing up loot, and dousing torches all came flooding back. Apparently nobody had finished the level during SGF, but I made it “further than almost everyone,” which I can certainly appreciate.
The demo did precisely what I hoped it would – made me want to access that part of my brain that holds all my Keeper training once more, setting out to loot, pickpocket, and infiltrate The Haunted Cathedral and The Mage Towers once more.
Thief: The Dark Project Remastered is headed our way this winter on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and 5, Switch 1 and 2, and PC. Don’t be a taffer and stay tuned here at GamingTrend.com for all the rest of our SGF 2026 coverage – we’ve got plenty coming your way.
