With its unbreaking first-person perspective, light and shadow system, intriguing AI innovations, suite of supernatural powers and overpowering ambience, what I saw of Dishonored evoked the very title that was the genesis of the stealth genre and Sneaky Bastards itself: Thief.

But this was Thief on speed.

“That was the original intention,” says Colantonio.

“We actually met with Doug Church early on,” adds Smith. “He’s a friend of ours. We brought him by the studio and we talked a lot with him about stealth systems before we really got rolling. One of the things Doug said, which was exactly what we were thinking already, was, ‘If I had a way to make Thief fast… I might do that. Like, you’re less-seen if you sprint.’ That kind of thing.”

In making stealth fast, Dishonored already looks like it succeeds. And it does so without making stealth dumb.​