The mixture of genres seems incongruous, and yet: for Spector, the future ofimmersive sim will be multiplayer. More precisely, this “ new natural stage » for the format has its place in a world now largely initiated to the principles of paper role-playing, with all that it implies of emergent narration and interaction with other companions in misfortune. It is indeed this particular dynamic that Thick as Thieves aims to recreate by pitting amateur thieves against each other. In each game, loot will be collected in an open playing area; all means are good to achieve one's ends, both pure violence and diplomacy, with NPCs capable of giving valuable information in exchange for a few coins, for example. Spector also wants “ broaden approaches with other humans in different ways » by offering the possibility of allying or not with the neighboring player under the guise of a fruitful partnership – or for a last minute betrayal.
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When we arrive in town
A letter of intent with inspirations from yesteryear – the resemblance to Dark Project: The Thieves Guild is not insignificant, since its director Greg LoPiccolo is one of the Looking Glass veterans who joined OtherSide. But the studio does not forget to align its economic model with current trends. While accepting the legitimate apprehensions of the public regarding the game-service formula, CEO Paul Nerath nevertheless remains convinced of the possibility of bringing “ real value » to the project over time, with a modest launch « some explorable neighborhoods » before adding new game cards later.
Thick as Thieves is the second game currently in production at OtherSide Entertainment. In November 2022, the studio unveiled a first artwork for another multi project of the same ilk, but focused on a science fiction universe, apparently titled Argos: Riders on the Storm according to the portfolio available on the official website… Without any mention of the industrial accident Underworld Ascendant, to date one of the only two games marketed by the studio since its creation in 2013. Still in Spector news, the remaster of his platformer Epic Mickey Rebrushed is still expected for sometime in 2024 on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC consoles.
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