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0 Fans who enjoyed the original 2018 game can now get their hands on Thief Simulator 2, developed by CookieDev and Ultimate Games S.A. and published by PlayWay S.A. Thief Simulator 2 is an open-world simulation game and available right now on Steam for £16.75 or bundled together with the first game for £33.50.
What a Steal!
Thief Simulator 2 will have the player planning robberies and heists, tracking a target’s movements and learning new skills to burgle efficiently. Featuring three difficulties (easy, normal and hard), Thief Simulator 2 allows the player to choose Story Mode or Free Mode. Beginning Story Mode, the player receives a phone call warning them that ‘They are coming for you’. You must evade assassins and get back to your hideout. Here, the game begins, and you start to learn the basics of burglary.
Gameplay
In your hideout (which you can later decorate and customise), the player has a computer with access to several websites, all of which help you sell your ill-gotten goods and obtain more. Rob Tips is a website where you get intel on different buildings and houses. The tips will tell you approximately how much the items within the building are worth and information on whether there are cameras and alarms.
Blackbay is a website where you can sell stolen goods and usually offers you more money than the Pawn Shop. A green envelope symbol will appear next to an item’s name that’s in demand, which means you can sell it for a higher price on Blackbay. Crazy Joe’s Pawnshop is another place where you sell your items. While Blackbay usually offers more money for items, sometimes Crazy Joe’s will display an item he wants in the window. If you acquire the item and sell it to him, he will pay you triple the usual price. The player has to wisely choose who they sell their items to receive the maximum payout.
The Skill Tree & Special Points
Thief Simulator 2 features a skill tree with blue and purple boxes. The purple skills are bought with Special Points, while blue boxes require Skill Points. The player earns a Skill Point whenever they level up. However, Special Points are from Special Items with a purple symbol next to them. Upgrading the skill tree allows the player to learn and improve various skills that make your robberies easier and more efficient. The first skill you will learn is the ‘Marking’ skill. The Marking skill highlights a person and tells you their schedule so you plan your robbery better.
Staying Undetected
After gathering intel on a household or building, scouting the area and marking them, it’s time to attempt a burglary. Players will see colour-coded outlines of the people inside highlighted through the walls, which indicates what they are doing. Blue means the person is asleep, green means they have left the premises, red means they are doing something on the premises, such as watching TV, and grey is a blank period where they aren’t doing anything. If you have to wait a long time for the tenant to leave their house, you can always wait to accelerate the in-game time in your car.
Using this, the player can navigate the house cautiously and safely to avoid detection. It is best to close cupboards and doors as the tenants will get suspicious if they see them and phone the police. I wish you could interact with doors while holding large items, as having to drop the item to open and close every door often got me caught. Luckily, you don’t have to do it all alone. You can hire an Associate who helps lockpick, mark tenants, or carry heavy items to your car, at the cost of $100.
Whoop Whoop, It’s The Sound Of The Police!
Even the sneakiest thief will still attract the attention of the police eventually. There are three tiers of wanted level, rated in stars. One star of notoriety has a single police officer arrive. Two stars have two officers arrive, and three stars have two officers and a police helicopter. Your only option for evading them is to run or hide from the law until they give up their search. Dumpsters are great hiding spots, provided the police don’t see you climb into it. If they do, some red text will alert the player that ‘this hiding spot is compromised’.
The Open-World Map
There’s a whole open world to explore in Thief Simulator 2. With your trusted (and possibly stolen) car by your side, you can cruise around to find your next activity. Outside of scouting new buildings and houses to rob, lockboxes dotted around the map. These lockboxes require a specific lock-picking level to open them. Upon completing the lock-picking mini-game, players earn random items they can sell for extra cash.
If you’re feeling lost, the colour-coded icons have your back. Highlighted info in the world displays with a blue lightbulb. Goals are purple stars, while missions are yellow diamonds. You can also take on Thief Contracts, which assign you to steal specific items from chosen targets. Item usually respawns between 2-5 days, while rarer, more expensive objects take longer.
Graphics & Audio
The textures, lighting and overall graphics look good. They seem to have improved since the first game in 2018. The textures throughout the open world and the shininess of things such as crowbars and cars look great. However, the character models still look slightly odd and slightly dated. Audio-wise, the quality overall is good, and sounds appropriately crisp and clear. A small touch I enjoy is the car radio, as it’s nice to break up the quiet in the game.
Final Thoughts
Thief Simulator 2 is a great improvement on the first instalment. I enjoyed playing the story missions and scoping out houses and found it fun to run from the police station. I love the lockpicking mini-game. It’s easy and fun to do. I also love that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously, leading to plenty of comical moments true to any good simulator game. For simulator lovers, fans of the first game, or a player who loves stealthy games, this game is for you.
I award Thief Simulator 2 the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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