Thief: the game that launched the stealth genre. Or was that Metal Gear Solid? Both games came out at roughly the same time, and arguments have since ensued. If you’re more of an avid PC gamer, you’re more likely to say Thief, and MGS for those of you who owned the Playstation. Though, games like Splinter Cell that have followed are more akin to Thief than the Metal Gear Solid series, emphasizing realism (not so much in the case of Thief with its more fantastical game world), and the weakness of the character. On the other hand, Snake, Raiden and company tend to lean towards action-adventure and less realistic plots involving such things as giant mecha. At the time of its release, Thief was a revolutionary game. It was a first person shooter that emphasized avoiding violence, quite different from the standard run and gun games of the time. Like most of the stealth games to follow, Garret is best sticking to shadows. Unlike some of those, he wasn’t really capable of taking enemies head on. Sam Fisher is no one man army, but he can kick some ass in a jam. Instead, Garret uses a small variety of gadgets, in addition to his small selection of weapons, to help keep him silent and hidden, like water arrows for extinguishing torches, or moss arrows to soften footsteps on hard floors. Gone are the rope arrows, this time replaced with gauntlets. Frankly, they don’t have much use outside of a few areas. This time around, Garret has some of the similar tools, but has picked up some moves. Lock picks now work similar to those in Splinter Cell, using one of the thumbstick (on the Xbox controller) or the mouse (with the PC) to find the “sweet spot”. Doing so will allow access to the next tumbler. Locks have varying degrees of difficulty in how many tumblers, usually ranging from about 2-3 to 6 or so for the more difficult locks. The other move borrowed from Splinter Cell is that Garret has the ability now to put his back up against the wall. When doing so, moving from side to side will allow you to move Garret around while keeping flat against the wall. There’s also now a third person mode you can select from if you prefer to play like in Splinter Cell. The first person view is default. The third person perspective doesn’t really add anything to the game, but it might be more comfortable with those who are used to looking at their character while playing. As a sequel, this game succeeds in a way that Ion Storm’s Deus Ex: Invisible War didn’t. For the most part, though there are some changes cosmetically, this game still largely feels like Thief. There’s the detractors who decry some of the more “arcade” like elements to this game, namely the aforementioned blue mist, selectable objects glowing blue instead of merely being brighter than other objects, and finding runes that allow access into new areas. While there have always been fantastical elements to the game, such as magic and odd creatures and zombies, the Thief series has always leaned a little more to the side of realism. You’ll also find this game is a lot easier than the previous entries (also unintentionally so, as the first copies of the game had a bug that would default all settings to normal despite what setting the player chose when starting a mission. There’s been a patch for the PC version, but there appears to be none for the Xbox version at the time of this writing). Even on Normal, the first two Thief games could be brutal. Thief III is perhaps more accessible to the average game in that regard. The Thief series takes place in a fictional steampunk setting known as “The City”. Like with Deus Ex: Invisible War, Ion Storm uses a large hub like setting. The difference is in how this hub is used to separate sections of the city from which you can launch various missions. One complaint about the city made by fans is the size. The opening level of Thief II: The Metal Age had a large city that took quite awhile to traverse, hopping from rooftop to rooftop. Here, while the level sizes have increased since Ion Storm was better able to implement the technology used in Deus Ex, the areas are still a little on the small side. Like Invisible War, you’ll also come across confirmation messages when moving from one area to another in game. This also happens in larger levels, where difference sections of the building(s) are lopped off and in between, a blue-purple cloud of mist hangs. There are three factions important to the game: the Keepers, who watch over the city, and of whom Garret was once a member, the Hammers, who operate the factories in the city, and the Pagans, who are, well, pagans. In the previous games, you worked for these factions, and you’ll be working for one or more (trying to avoid spoilers), while also working independently. The missions start off with various types of looting, but quickly tie in to the main story. You’ll also have a chance to build up faction points with the Hammers and Pagans in a couple of side quests, though there’s not a lot of payoff when these quests are complete. Compared to the previous Thief games, these missions are fairly short and the levels small. In general, there’s a major item you’ll be looking for, and a percentage of loot based on mission difficulty. Loot can be taken to various shops in game to sell. There are also various shops where you can buy equipment for the next mission. The most powerful mission in the game, which is also the creepiest, is one where you visit a former insane asylum and orphanage. Without going into much detail, some folks might find the content a little disturbing, but there’s a somewhat touching payoff in the end when you beat the mission. On other missions, some of the odd creatures and zombies make another return. Fans of the first two games will probably enjoy the Museum mission the most, which is filled with more enemies and is more on par with the previous games in terms of level size and difficulty. As you go throughout the game, you’ll also find you have to avoid enemies in the streets in between missions. Guards on the streets will be on the lookout for the master thief (more so if you get caught pocketing the pedestrians walking by), and later faction enemies will also attempt to kill you on sight. They’re not impossible to get around, and they add some interesting challenge and depth to the game in between going on missions. Taking on the final boss, or rather avoiding it, also takes place throughout the major city. The enemy AI is a mixed bag. While the enemies are not exactly smart, the complexity of behavior should be admired to some extent. Enemies will cycle through about three or four levels of alertness from being completely unaware to actively searching, to being able to find you. The AI is a bit more improved compared to the previous games, though, this perhaps makes them a bit easier to defeat or avoid. There’s also an odd quirk with enemies and lock picking. Sure, it’s probably not that loud of an action, but even enemies standing within a few feet of you won’t notice the jostling with the lock pick unless you also happen to be in the light. Generally, you have to avoid making a sound, but the game could have been a little more interesting if guards also had to be avoided in this case. Blackjacking also appears to have some programmed assistance. In other games, this was a skill that had to be learned to do it well. In Thief: Deadly Shadows, it’s quite easy. When using the blackjack, it lines up just right enough that you almost always get a knockout on any guard or human enemy. This isn’t a huge deal, as it still takes a little skill to go unnoticed and get behind the guard, but this has been commented on enough in the online community amongst fans of the series to mention here. Overall, this is an excellent game, if a little on the easy side. If you play on the PC version, there are player made add-ons that increase the difficulty of playing to about the level of the first two Thief games. This game is not without its quirks, and those who are used to playing these types of stealth games might not find it challenging enough. Still, it’s great to see another entry in what’s been an excellent series. At about $15-25, this game is worth picking up for fans of the previous games, or fans of the stealth genre who wanted to see one of the games that started it all but found the previous two games inaccessible or overly difficult. (If they found them at all, both unfortunately did not sell that well, which led to sinking Looking Glass, an excellent and innovative game company behind this and other games like System Shock 1 and 2.)
Finally! They come out with a game where you can steal stuff and kill people and monsters. And heres another good, bad, and ugly review. Good: The graphics are awesome, you can pickpocket people easily (better than Mo... Read Full Review
When i got Thief III, i'd never tried the previous two. It was a completely new thing to me which i happened to buy because it was cheap. And i have to say, it was one of the best decisions ive ever made. From just play... Read Full Review
