New details have emerged for the upcoming stealth action title Thief 4 thanks to a recent closed door E3 showing. An Eido Montreal community manager has taken to the Thief forums to reveal his hands-on experience, detailing several new features making their way to the next-gen title.

Of the biggest change is confirmation that health and focus won’t auto-regenerate, pushing you towards a dependance on consumables. Thief will also include the ability to toggle pieces of the HUD, dogs will apparently be in the game and that the title will be "extremely atmospheric" according to the post. Other details include(list via VG247):

Lockpicking will change depending on whether or not you use focus. Garret will be able to steal anywhere in the gameworld.

The game will support both a mini-map and a full map.

You can finish a complete playthrough using only stealth. Guards line-of-sight will depend on where they’re facing, meaning if two guards are standing face-to-face to each other than their vision will be blocked behind the other.

Focus will play a key role in the game. For example using it while lockpicking will enable Garret to see the inside as opposed to just seeing outside.

Garret can use a climbing tool called the ‘claw’ to reach higher places which are otherwise inaccessible, and also save himself while falling down.

Those interested in how exactly stealth will work, Eidos Montreal’s community manager revealed that the game’s stealth is "partially shadow-based (and much more comprehensive than a simple binary system), and most of the vertical vantage points were cloaked in shadow."

Guards are also able to look up, making it more difficult to abuse the high vantage points. According to the post their vision cone is "actually really realistic and linked to their eyes. For example, if two guards are facing each other talking they cannot see what is behind the other because they are blocking each other's views."

The full Q&A can be found over here which reveals a number of interesting mechanics that will definitely be interesting to see in action. Thief will be available for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sometime during 2014.

Of the biggest change is confirmation that health and focus won’t auto-regenerate

The previous games didn't have regenning health, and focus is new. :P

focus can be turned off

Aye I just meant that it's not a big change, unless it's being compared to other games.

Focus looks kind of interesting. I'm no longer such a fan of limited resources though.

A less than positive take on the AI and QTEs from a playtester here - http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/06/17/thief-eidos-words-vs-my-e3-playthrough/

Regenerating health, how lame. That is so anti-Thief.

Half the fun was running in to a guard who got a good blow in and still finishing the mission on a paltry level of health.

They don't have regenerating health dais. ^

Oh I see, I misread it.

The rock paper shotgun writeup is a bit disappointing, might be stuff they can fix before release though?