Better Red than Undead

Better Red than Undead was the original game concept which ultimately lead to Thief: The Dark Project.

In an 2013 Interview, Marc LeBlanc, chief programmer for Thief, stated that: "Originally [Thief] started as a concept called Better Red than Undead." Based on the concept by Ken Levine, It would have been an over-the-top action game set in Russia during the middle of the American-Soviet Cold War. The player is as an American agent sent over there to wipe out the zombie menace. As undead in this universe are immune to bullets, the protagonist must hack them up with swords instead.

The project was deemed "too quirky" and hard to market, and so the project was scrapped. However, they decided to retain the sword-fighting method and revamp the idea instead as the predecessor to Thief known as Dark Camelot.

Notes

• Ken Levine was credited for 'Initial design & story concepts' on Thief and left Looking Glass around middle of 1997.
• Marc LeBlanc was credited for Dark Object System, Act/React game systems, UI, and 'juggling' on Thief and Engine Programmer on Thief 2.
• Parts which have carried into the final game are the sword-fighting (much lesser in Thief) and the Zombies.