Thief Simulator 2: engaging escapism despite technical flaws and subpar visuals

There are at least two tactics for burglary. Frequently, the strategy involves strolling through the neighborhood and observing the residents to understand their daily routines. Once we discover the best time to strike an NPC's house, we can easily break in using available tools or technology.

Alternatively, the second way is to take a more direct route. This involves barging in through the front door, grabbing all that can be dislodged, and making a hasty exit. Success, hopefully, without a cloud of tear gas in your face. Surprisingly, the second method seems more difficult to execute, but I won't delve into the specifics.

The loot, such as pans, guitars, and even cars, are sold haphazardly to raise funds for debt payment. Moreover, the act of thievery garners experience points, which can be exchanged for new skills. Consequently, our thief can run faster or making a higher profit from the loot.

Despite these dynamics, remember this is not a full-fledged RPG - the character's development system is highly limited and largely out of the player's control. I appreciate the simplicity of this system - frankly, if I wanted an advanced progression system, I'd opt for an RPG.

The title introduces a few new gameplay elements, such as using innovative gadgets. However, these new features are few and fundamentally, Thief Simulator 2 remains similar to its predecessor. The game's world - more than the gameplay - invites scrutiny.

As with the first installment, we find ourselves in residential settlements. Occasionally featuring a shop or a bank, the bulk of our dubious activities occur within homes, stealing everyday items like radios, pans, and shoes. This redundancy contributes to the similarity between the two installments.

Despite slight changes from the first installment, the series' charm remains intact: engrossing and straightforward gameplay . I relish the game's simplicity and avoidance of unnecessary complications. It's idyllic leisure for someone seeking a respite from a demanding day, without the need to delve into complex and emotional narratives.

While examining a counterpart - namely, PayDay 3 - I did mention that these games' allure lies in their distinctive escapism (most people don't typically engage in thievery). Thief Simulator 2, despite appearing relatively underdeveloped compared to a game like Starbreeze, still penetrates the psyche of a player who takes on the role of a thief. The unsettling feeling is palpable from the game's onset - the sight of one's hands clad in estimated black gloves is quite immersive.

Unfortunately, poor visual effects and pervasive technical issues are synonymous with Polish simulators; they should be considered genre markers rather than defects. Anyone anticipating this new thief-centric production to somehow evade these problems will find these expectations unmet.

The graphics are subpar, but still tolerable. More troubling are the outmoded character animations . Additionally, the NPCs' behaviors are often nonsensical: aimlessly running around houses, getting stuck in doors, and so forth. Other irritants include delayed texture loading and abnormally long loading times . I even experienced two crashes during level loading, which a reinstall managed to rectify.

I also found it odd that house residents vanish without a trace as soon as they exit their houses. This issue prevailed in the first episode and remains uncorrected in the sequel. What happens to these characters? Where do they go? Have they been kidnapped? I simply can't fathom why parading around with a crowbar on the street should result in police attention. Can't one merely hold a crowbar in public?

The issues and shortcomings I've outlined are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many others, but I'll keep them under wraps to keep the surprise element alive. To put it bluntly: being a thief is a dirty job from all aspects, including technologically .

In all honesty, I developed a fondness for the Polish simulator. My expectations were low, and what I found was a straightforward and engaging diversion for a few evenings. It's best experienced after sundown.

The game review was conducted on a PC. The copy for the review was supplied by the publisher.