As much as the latest tech, like Unreal Engine 5, can deliver more realistic visuals, I always have a stronger impression when developers push against that trend in favour of something more stylised. Back in 2012, Dishonored stood out with its oil painting-inspired aesthetic, even though one might assume dark and gritty realism would better suit the oppressive and plague-ridden setting of Dunwall. For that reason, it still looks terrific today compared to other games from that era, and its influence can still be felt, including Thick As Thieves, the latest twist on the immersive sim from Otherside Entertainment, headed up by the genre's pioneer, Warren Spector.
Indeed, from when the game was first announced at The Game Awards in 2024 – initially with the pitch of being a PvPvE multiplayer – it's hard not to make those comparisons. Like Dishonored, there's a painterly and exaggerated style to Thick As Thieves' character designs, while Edinburgh was also a city that inspired its setting. Art director Matt Moore is, of course, conscious of those comparisons but is also keen to draw the distinctions between the two.
