Thief Simulator 2 review

Not a complete rip-off.

Some games give you the option of being bad. But Thief Simulator 2 demands players to be immoral, as they steal anything of value from the game’s suburban sandbox. The recent PlayStation 5 port begins with an interactive tutorial that places you inside a small house. After your mobile phone buzzes, a mysterious voice on the other end states you have one minute before a group will enter the property and come looking for you.

What follows is a rather exasperating escape that attempts to teach the basics of larcenous stealth. Sure, the fundamentals of running, ducking, hiding, and turning off lights are all imparted. But expect a few disheartening mission restarts are you figure out the timing of each ability. But as a reward for passing a heavily scripted mini-heist, Thief Simulator 2 lets you loose in its open world. Here, you can follow a semi-scripted campaign or just steal shit in the game’s free mode.

The feeling of progression and autonomy are two of Thief Simulator 2’s best accomplishments. At first, you will feel like a bumbling amateur, as you use a crowbar to inelegantly pry open any locked doors. But persevere as a prowler, and you’ll be able to buy a better set of tools. From essentials like lock picks and glass cutters to more devices that let you hack computers, phones, and residential security systems, the game provides everything a budding burglar needs. There are even consumables such as meat to distract guard dogs.

And while Thief Simulator 2’s toolset is impressive, the game’s AI doesn’t always act convincingly. Make no mistake, Thief Simulator 2 is some of the best kind of Eurojank, showcasing an abundant amount of ambition but gameplay that falters in a mostly forgivable way. As such, NPCs follow a preset schedule, which you can track by monitoring their daily routine or installing a micro-camera to clandestinely watch their behaviors. But enter an occupied residence and there’s a chance the inhabitants will see through walls. That said, there’s satisfaction in pulling a heist undetected by closing doors and ensuring that nosy neighbors don’t get suspicious and call the police.

Running on Unity, Thief Simulator 2’s world is built from decent-looking assets and the framerate is thankfully steady. But animations can be lacking, so don’t expect the kind of smooth movement built around lavish motion capture sessions. Likewise, the voice acting from most NPCs is competent, although there are a few bits of dialog that are conspicuously amateurish.

Until a better urban burglary game comes to PlayStation 5, Thief Simulator 2 fulfills a neat little niche. Undoubtedly, there’s enjoyment is planning and executing your heists. But occasionally, the title can feel inorganic, as trial-and-error reveals the behaviors that can trip up your larcenous activities.

Thief Simulator 2 was played on PlayStation 5
with review code provided by the publisher.