Thief – Review

Thief first caught my eye some time ago, when the original trailer came forward advertising for the next-gen consoles. The graphics looked amazing! I was so intrigued by the Thief, I felt this game was a must-own for my next-gen game collection. Honestly, I can say I had no clue about the previous games in the series for Thief. The series goes way back to 1998 and the latest release is the fourth installment.

The player follows the path of Garret, a master thief in a place called “The City”; closely resembling that of 18th/19th century London. Garrett finds himself caught in a city full of conflict as an uprising emerges within. The Baron’s Watch spreads throughout the place, sending fear and obsession to the people. Revolution is sure to take place and Garrett must take action before the streets fill with blood.

When playing Thief, you will see several similarities to other titles such as; Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, and Assassin’s Creed. Through the first person, the player will control Garrett sneaking around “The City”. Over the years, Thief has been described as a “First Person Sneaker”. How you tackle each objective is totally up to your style of play. When sneaking around, you can lurk in the shadow undetected or take out the enemies swiftly and quietly. Garrett best performs working in the dark. There is a light orb indicator that tells the player when he is visible. Garrett has the ability to turn off light switches or use water arrows to smoldering fires, this way he can remain hidden. Along the way, tools and weapons can be unlocked to assist in the efforts. These can be obtained by stealing items from the fine citizens of “The City” and then basically pawning them for gold.

The overall feel of the game is smooth. Sneaking around and being stealthily is spot on. Out of the previously named titles similar to this game, I would have to say Thief was a step above the rest when it comes to stealth.

GRAPHICS

Simply amazing! The lighting for Thief is perfect. The differences in lit areas and then seeing them darkened after putting out the light was awesome. Aside from the great graphics in gameplay, the cinematic scenes are beautiful. If Thief is just a taste of what the next-gen consoles are capable of, we are in for some stellar graphics in the near future.

SOUND

The sound effects for Thief are unique. The game’s stealth environment is controlled by movements of sound, which causes enemies to notice you sneaking. There are so many different things that could possibly give Garrett away. Move too fast near a bird cage, the bird freaks out. Step on some broken glass, don’t think for a second the guards won’t notice. Tools can also be used to gain advantages as well. Just shoot a moss arrow on the ground and it creates a carpet-like surface to silence those noisy footsteps. The background music is suspenseful, adding a slightly uneasy feeling in your efforts to steal things not belonging to you.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Any person who prefers the single-player atmosphere instead of online multiplayer will defiantly enjoy playing Thief. With amazing graphics, suburb sound, and overall great gameplay, Thief ranks among the best in stealth games.

Pros

• Smooth controls
• Amazing graphics
• Unique sound effects

Cons

• Not completely realistic (Garrett would be noisy carrying all that stolen metal and jewels)