#nightdive studios

I simply will not entertain the idea of giving my time to a game that would rather look a little bit prettier, maybe, if you really squint at it, than run decently on any machine that costs less than 1000 dollars. Triple A game companies wonder why they're losing market share, but to run the latest Doom game not only is it 70 fucking dollars up front, but you need a super expensive PC or the absolute latest of game consoles. Like at what point will gamers be over this shit? At what point do we insist the base cost of gaming not continue to skyrocket year after year for no real reason.

People complain about games made in unreal or unity looking the same but I can't tell 99% of games running with RTX apart. Is the shortcut really worth it when you end up sacrifice a major component of any games art style, the lighting, and making your game super inaccessible just because of the cost of being able to play to?

And don't hit me with "oh but as games get more graphically intense and larger they get more expensive to-"

Look at the fucking first week sales of games like Mewgenics. People don't care how conventionally good a game looks if it's fun to play. Look at the success and popularity of fucking Cruelty Squad, a game intentionally designed to be as retina violatingly ugly as possible ON PURPOSE, that people still absolutely love. The best selling game of all time is fucking Minecraft.

The only reason the price of developing triple A games has ballooned is because triple A studios want them to. They want their games to be more expensive because then they look more impressive to shareholders. They want their games to be seen as expensive premium products. And at this point I absolutely refuse to entertain it. Back when I had gamepass I played Doom TDA Abit, and honestly? Worst Doom game. It's slow as hell, not very challenging challenging (Doom 2016 is harder and as much as I love that game, that's not a good thing), the guns feel the least satisfying of the entire series (yes I'm including Doom 3), and they added 2010s shovelware ass VEHICLE SECTIONS to their fucking BOOMER SHOOTER.

You know wanna explore new games? Have you played Duke Nukem 3D? It's 5 bucks on Zoom-Platform (a totally DRM free game distributor full of classic PC games) and of you run it in eduke32 or build launcher, it plays like a dream. Still one of the best FPS games ever made. Because good games STAY GOOD. Good games remain extremely fun and enjoyable overtime. They don't magically get worse.

Give the Binding of Isaac a shot if you haven't already. It's my favorite game ever, Repentance is the greatest expansion any game has ever received (I will fucking DIE on that hill), and it's got hundreds of hours of content to sink your teeth into all with progression that feels very natural and remains fun the entire time. It's file size isn't even 10 gigabytes.

Try Fields of Mistria, Gunfire Reborn, Spiral Knights, anything Nightdive Studios have remastered, Selaco, Ion Fury (formerly known as Ion Maiden until they got sued by the band Iron Maiden), finally play subnautica for yourself after all these years watching YouTubers play it, try Bloodstained, my point is... There's SO MANY AMAZING GAMES YOU CAN SPEND YOUR MONEY ON. STOP GIVING TRIPLE A STUDIOS YOUR MONEY UNTIL THEY SHOW ANY OUNCE OF RESPECT FOR YOUR AS A CUSTOMER.

I don't even keep up with Triple A releases anymore. I do not care what EA, or Activision, or Sony, or Xbox, or Nintendo have next up on the docket. Not remotely. There's way to many dev studios who actually give a shit about their players for me to waste my time with the big name assholes nowadays.

Publisher Atari and developers Nightdive Studios and Eidos Montreal have announced Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, a modern revival of the 1998 classic from Looking Glass Studios. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG this winter.

“Thief didn’t just introduce stealth mechanics, it defined them,” said Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick in a press release. “With this remaster, we’ve preserved the tension and intelligence of the original while enhancing it for modern players, ensuring that its legacy continues to influence how stealth games are played today.”

Eidos Montreal general manager Patrice Baig added, “Few games have had an impact as enduring as Thief. It set a standard for immersion and atmospheric storytelling that still resonates today. This remaster ensures a new generation can experience what made it so influential, and we’re proud to see it treated with such care.”

Here is an overview of the game, via Atari:

About

Thief: The Dark Project Remastered is a modern revival of the groundbreaking 1998 classic from Looking Glass Studios that helped define the stealth genre. Remastered with Nightdive’s KEX Engine, the release includes Thief: The Dark Project and the additional missions, content and updates from the 1999 Thief Gold re-release. Considered an early foundation of “pure stealth” gameplay, Thief stood out in an era dominated by combat-heavy first-person games. Instead of open confrontation, it rewards a slower, more deliberate approach—using light and sound to stay hidden or misdirect enemies, and when required, ferocious moments of violence that stay hidden in the shadows. Described by its developers as a “first-person sneaker,” the title is widely regarded as the pioneering 3D stealth experience or “immersive sim.” Thief notably emphasizes player agency over scripted scenarios, giving players the freedom to navigate the world and tackle challenges in their own way, using the tools available to them to stay hidden. The NPCs in Thief are also responsive to the environment: instead of following routines, they interact with visual and auditory cues, react and investigate, and communicate with each other. In Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, players once again step into the boots of Garrett, an orphan rescued from the streets by the Keepers—a secretive, ancient order dedicated to maintaining balance in the world—and trained to become a Master Thief. Now an adult, the rebellious Garrett has left the order and now moves through a world of corruption and conspiracy, stealing from the wealthy for personal gain. Despite his cynical outlook and dark wit, as he uncovers hidden agendas among those grasping for power his instinct is to act for the greater good.

Key Features

Advanced NPC AI – A dynamic visibility system and sound simulation allows both players and enemies to detect movement realistically; NPCs will dynamically adapt to sounds the player makes, investigate, and even raising alarms

Keep to the Shadows – Experience one of the first games to use light and sound as core gameplay mechanics; use fire arrows to extinguish torches and moss arrows to dampen loud surfaces

Stealth-Based Combat – Strike unseen from the shadows using Garrett’s blackjack to incapacitate enemies from behind or specialized gas mines and arrows to take them down from range

Misdirection – Flashbombs will temporarily blind and disorient enemies and Noisemaker arrows will distract and draw away guards.

Tools of a Master Thief – amass a full array of specialized tools including lockpicks, remote cameras, and even rope arrows to access out-of-reach locations.

Thief: The Dark Project Remastered modernizes the original experience with material quality of life enhancements. As part of the remastering effort the artists at Nightdive have carefully updated and improved the graphic textures and models, as well as the cut scenes and animations. The team also updated the UI, adding a weapon and item wheel, and mission selector. Support was also added on PC for custom campaigns so that players can experience the many missions and campaigns created over the years by fans. From its use of light and shadow to its emphasis on player vulnerability and non-lethal playstyles, Thief: The Dark Project helped shape decades of stealth-focused design. Its influence can be seen across the genre, inspiring immersive, system-driven gameplay. The game was recognized at the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (2000) with a win for “Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development.” With Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, players can revisit—or experience for the first time—the title that made stealth not just a mechanic, but a philosophy.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

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Reveal Trailer