Legendary Phantom Thief Arsene Lupin Plots Stylish Heist on PS5, PS4

Arsene Lupin: Once a Thief puts players in the well-tailored shoes of the legendary gentleman thief himself. The investigative adventure game will be available on PS5 and PS4 sometime in 2024, retelling some of the cunning criminals' most infamous heists.

Once a Thief examines enduring Leblanc tales like The Arrest of Arsene Lupin (1905) and Herlock Sholmes Arrives Too Late (1906) from new perspectives, featuring an art style reminiscent of book illustrations. Players will traverse many settings, solve puzzles, adopt disguises, and purloin priceless things.

If you didn't know, Arsene Lupin’s legend is part of the inspiration for many things in Persona 5, and it goes much further than just Joker's initial summon. He is the quintessential gentleman thief (also known as a phantom thief or gentleman burglar), an archetype that would become a stock character in fiction. An expert criminal and master of disguise, the gentleman thief typically follows a code, like stealing priceless artefacts away from wealthy owners who don't appreciate their artistic value. They do it for the love of the game and will often leave calling cards to taunt their police pursuers, advertising their crimes ahead of time for extra style points.

Before copyright law was what it is today, Leblanc would blatantly include Arthur Conan Doyle's immortal investigator (and perfect foil for Lupin), Sherlock Holmes, in his stories, ultimately naming this character "Herlock Sholmes" in later books. More than a century later, Capcom would include a character bearing this same name in its Ace Attorney series in tribute to Leblanc's work.

What do you think of Arsene Lupin: Once a Thief? Are you a fan of adventure games? Do you long for a life full of high-profile escapades? Leave your calling card in the commenters section below.