It seems like Eidos Montreal's Thief reboot has been embattled since day one. Parrying fan disapproval, with a hopeful counter-or-two - and the occasional lunatic's lunge— this sure-footed franchise faces the mother of all struggles where expectation is concerned.

Despite shying away from swordplay, this fourth Thief title isn't afraid to make cuts, and plenty of them. The latest victim of Garrett's seldom-swung sword is the game's controversial Quick-time Events - press-to-win button prompts more pre-school than empowering.

Speaking in a recent Q&A session, studio spokesperson Valerie Bourdeau announced the move as part of a wider effort to cull negative feedback, telling readers:

"there were very few instances of QTEs in the game […] However, given the strong reactions it evoked in the press and the community, it was an easy decision to do away with them entirely. So we're not doing it. No quick time."

The player-friendly purge also extends to potential swimming sections - a typically tedious diversion that Eidos Montreal is thankfully avoiding here. Other elements that came up for discussion included the game's new 'Hardcore' and 'Iron Man' modes.  Rather than place Garrett in a Pro Wrestling ring or up against Tony Stark — as these names would seem to suggest — both modes actually affect difficulty.

The former category allows players to customize their experience, - not unlike Halo's own suite of skull multipliers - including the options to die upon being spotted, disable specific abilities and work without the use of a HUD. The latter mode penalizes every death with a return trip to the menu screen - also known as perma-death - in a challenge handcrafted for the absolute best Thief players.

As the 8th generation of home consoles begins, it's interesting to note the continuation (and cancellation) of certain themes. Player power, of the kind that changed Mass Effect 3's ending, and prompted Thief's own cuts — appears to be on the rise, while Quick-time Events are finally, thankfully on their way out. Unlike Ryse: Ron of Rome's E3 build, Thief's suite of QTE's could hardly have been described as ever-present or even all-that annoying. However, with so little time remaining until the game goes gold - around January of 2014 - it'll be interesting to see just how the developers rework these color-coded elements.

Will player power lead less gaming aggravation, or tamer, more compromised efforts from developers? Is the concept of Quick-time Events underdeveloped or simply underwhelming? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out all of the latest Thief screenshots, right here on Game Rant.

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Thief is set for release on February 25, 2014, across North America and February 28 throughout Europe. The title is currently being developed for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4 and Xbox One platforms.

Follow Sam on Twitter @GamingGoo.

Source: Eurogamer, Eidos Montreal Blog