Thief Story Trailer Waxes Gutter-Poetic About The City

Here is another trailer for Thief, a game whose series-legendary City we still haven't seen much of despite an impending February release date. Oh hey, it says here that this clip is called "Stories from the City." Well then clearly, that must mean...!

[Watches trailer]

Nope, no gameplay footage of The City. Or gameplay, for that matter.

I guess the 2D cut-scene art is kind of neat, but yeesh, that voice acting. So very forced and stilted, like a simile involving a man on stilts to conclude this sentence. And the worst part? He's one of the game's most important characters.

"Basso, a former boxman (safe-cracker) turned fence, uses his vast connections to The City’s underworld to organize thieving jobs for Garrett. He owns an intelligent, but bad tempered magpie called Jenivere who delivers messages for him. Garrett might consider himself a loner, but Basso is the nearest thing he has to a friend - and whether he readily admits it or not; he rather likes the fellow."

So expect to hear and see plenty of the man - up to and including his urine.

I really hope this trailer isn't indicative of the tone Thief is trying to strike, though I'm not really sure what else is could be attempting to convey. It all just screams, "trying too hard" in a really uncomfortable, unappealing way. Again, the art looks magnificent - I hope that style sneaks into gameplay's grimy gutters - but the rest rings painfully hollow, like a man on stilts kicking a gong to conclude this post.