Thief 2 prototype appears in yet another leak

pcgamer.com:

While not quite on the same scale as Grand Theft Auto 6(opens in new tab) or Diablo 4(opens in new tab), another recent video game leak has provided an intriguing insight into one of the PC's most critically acclaimed games. Over the weekend, an unfinished prototype of Thief 2: The Metal Age(opens in new tab) appeared on the Internet.

The prototype is dated November 4, 1999, which is roughly five months before the game launched in March 2000. It was shared on Twitter by Arkane Studios level designer (and mega Thief-fan) Romain Barrilliot, stating «It is, as you can imagine, an absolute treasure trove.»

Something pretty big happened today. A prototype of Thief 2: The Metal Age, dated Nov 4, 1999 was released on the Internet. It is, as you imagine, an absolute treasure trove so let's dig in, shall we? pic.twitter.com/kZWXcyM2HbSeptember 18, 2022

Barrilliot then provides an in-depth breakdown of what is included in the prototype. Every level featured in the final game is available to play in the prototype version, but their stages of completion vary wildly. Some, like the fifth level «Eavesdropping» and the final level «Sabotage at Soulforge» are barely started, while others, such as the game's famous bank heist, are on the cusp of being finished.

Feature-wise, the prototype doesn't diverge radically from the final version, but Barrilliot notes a few interesting differences. For example, he points out the second mission «Shipping and Receiving» had two buildings to explore in the retail version, but the prototype includes a third building that was ultimately cut. Barrilliot also notes that the police station from Framed «looks nothing like what's in the final version in terms of texturing». Some missions also have different