The origins and crimes of gentleman thief Arsene Lupin will be witnessed and played through by gamers later this year thanks to developer Blazing Griffin.
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The Arsene Lupin- Once a Thief reveal
Ever wanted to steal valuable objects in style while also acting as a total gentleman, complete with a tuxedo and a top hat? If so, publisher Microids and developer Blazing Griffin have got you covered with the latter’s latest and upcoming game.
They’ve released a reveal trailer for Arsene Lupin – Once a Thief, which will involve players becoming one of, if not the, most well-known gentleman thieves in all of fiction. The trailer itself doesn’t show off any gameplay, but it does say that we’ll get to witness the origin story of Lupin and how he became a gentleman thief.
More information comes courtesy of a Microids blog post and the game’s Steam page. Both explain that the game’s story will allow players to witness “the early life, loves and crimes” of the titular thief and let them play through Lupin’s tales, such as “The Arrest of Arsene Lupin” and “Herlock Sholmes Arrives Too Late.” Yes, Herlock Sholmes, not Sherlock Holmes. Lupin will tell of his exploits to Maurice Leblanc, the real-life creator of the Lupin, as they both sit at a campfire. These stories will involve “colorful characters” and Lupin will inject his own flair for drama as he retells them to Leblanc.
As for gameplay, Arsene Lupin – Once a Thief will be an adventure/puzzle game. Players will be exploring environments, disguising themselves, solving puzzles, staying ahead of the law and even playing as Detective Ganimard. In the source material, Ganimard is the arch-enemy of Lupin and his gameplay will involve looking at things from his perspective as you gather evidence, create timelines, interrogate some suspects, and put everything together to find and catch Lupin. The game’s graphics will be similar to that of an illustrated storybook.
Oh, and if you’re wondering: yes, some YouTube comments for the trailer reference Persona 5’s Joker and his Persona, Arsene. Because Joker is also a Phantom Thief who steals from the palaces of morally corrupt adults, so why not?
Arsene Lupin – Once a Thief will be sneaking itself onto all major consoles and PCs and is slated for a 2024 release.
Who is Arsene Lupin?
Arsene Lupin originated from the mind of Maurice Leblanc and debuted more than a century ago (1905, specifically) in the short story “The Arrest of Arsene Lupin.” Besides a whole lot of stories Leblanc penned about his iconic creation, Lupin’s popped up in various other media across the decades, including a Netflix series that involves Arsene’s stories inspiring the main character to become a thief.
Lupin is a gentleman thief, a character archetype that is recognized for being well-mannered and sophisticated, adhering to a code of honor they have and stealing not from anyone, but usually rich individuals. These characters usually enjoy stealing things because it’s fun to do so and most gentleman thieves/lady thieves are already pretty wealthy. Hey, if there’s zero danger when you’re trying to steal something, why are you even stealing it in the first place?
If you’re wondering why one of Lupin’s stories involves a character with the goofy name of Herlock Sholmes, there’s an explanation for that. Leblanc wrote a story called ”Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late,” which saw Britain’s best detective and the gentleman thief encountering one another. Problems arose when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the guy who created Sherlock Holmes, didn’t like that his OC (original character) was inserted into another author’s work. To make sure there wouldn’t be legal trouble, Sherlock’s name was changed to Herlock Sholmes.
