Thief: Deadly Shadows

The Thief series has been one which has traditionally had a relatively small group of followers, albeit dedicated ones, largely due to the series' unusual take on the stealth-genre; a first person perspective. While Thief 3 allows players the choice of first or third person at any given time (with the exception of a few tight crawlspaces) it still offers a very unique look into the life of a medieval-like thief, arguably the most enjoyable one to date.

Traditional Thief fans have aroused some controversy over the choice to allow a third person view perspective, but I'm inclined to say that it actually makes the game more accessible to the general public. While I can understand where that mentality comes from (having been a huge Deus Ex fan who was disappointed with the changes made to the second instalment), as a gamer who had dabbled only once or twice in the world of Thief 2 it made the game experience significantly more rewarding for me. First person certainly has its advantages, yet at the same time makes many aspects of the game significantly harder and more foreign than most of us are used to, especially with games like MGS2 and Splinter Cell being so popular. Combine the more accessible perspective with some amazing graphics, great sound and awesome story-driven (and unique) gameplay and you've got a winning formula.

Thief 3 sets you once again in the role of Master Thief Garrett, who tends to inexplicably uncovers plots which require his uniqueЕ talents, often things so minor as saving the world from the forces of evil and the like. The series' third instalment finds the Keepers (a mystical society who often harness the powers that be in their quests) requiring Garrett's help yet again, and during his time spent under their watch you'll encounter two main (and warring) factions, the Hammers and the Pagans (the former worshipping the Builder, the latter the Trickster, you do the math). The Hammers are all about technological advances and absolute faith and honesty, whereas the Pagans seem to have a more down and dirty view of the world, despising technology and using magic and deceit to aid their cause. Throughout the game you'll be able to accept missions for the Hammers and/or Pagans, and while you can often satisfy both factions by completing varying tasks (thusly increasing your standing with them), you must also occasionally choose between one or the other. If you've played Deus Ex 2 you can really feel the similarities between the games, yet Thief presents what is perhaps a more memorable experience.

As Garrett you'll have a wide array of weapons and gadgets at your disposal, including (but not limited to) water (for extinguishing fires and washing up blood spills) arrows, fire arrows, moss (to make your steps that much quieter as well as for choking foes) arrows, flashbombs, mines, Holy Water, and even climbing gloves which allow you to scale sheer vertical surfaces made of certain substances like stone. Throw a hugely dynamic lighting system and (I think) some normal mapping in the mix and you have an incredibly versatile and good looking game. Light is as much your enemy as the City Watch, and can be dealt with in many of the same manners Ц candles can be pinched out, torches and small fires extinguished, and while your enemies will most often notice a light source which has gone out, they can't usually see well enough in the dark to do much about it.

Sounds alert the enemy as well as your shadow and plain visibility, and things like moved objects or doors left open will incur some level of suspicion as well. The enemy isn't exactly comprised of a bunch of geniuses, but they're smart enough and fit well within the parameters of the game. They'll typically search for you for a set length of time, searching lit areas and shadowed ones as best they can. They respond to movement, so staying still and crouching or wall hugging will become your friends very quickly. Once you acquire the climbing gloves evading enemies becomes significantly more fun, almost to the point where running in front of a guard, booking it around the corner and then climbing up a wall (preceding a stealth attack from behind) are almost worth the load times you'll have to endure to do it right the second time. Almost.

My main gripe with Thief 3 actually is the loading and saving times, which is truthfully a good thing, since it isn't a main gameplay issue. It is annoying and breaks up the flow of the game a bit too much perhaps, but worse has been endured and at least you get to look at some cool art and read random tips and story snippets while you wait. It does have some other flaws (go figure, it must be a game on a production schedule) but nothing major and certainly nothing to keep my extreme enjoyment of the game down and out.

The game's set up somewhat like a Final Fantasy RPG in that there's a "world map" to explore, only it's the city Garrett resides in. You can go in many buildings, find items throughout, buy and sell items at the black market stores and pawn shops, and even pick-pocket or mug the random passers-by. The City Guard is constantly on the lookout for you though, so discretion needs to be used in your break-and-enters, thieving and movements from one area of the (rather large) city to the other. There are docks, the old and south quarters, the Stonemarket, Stonemarket proper, sewers, the Keeper, Hammer and Pagan hideouts and of course the numerous mission locations (such as a ghost ship, underground hideouts, a monastery or a mansion) and they all combine to create one rather large and thriving night-time environment. While you can't access all areas of the city at first, as you do you'll be introduced to new abilities and items, giving the game a somewhat linear progression in some ways despite the open-ended gameplay that allows you to influence your standings with the factions as well as how much loot you acquire (and from where).

The game could probably be completely relatively quickly if you were really in a hurry to fly through all the missions, but the experience is really enhanced by exploring the city (and robbing the same poor city dwellers night after night, since as cruel as that may sound, it's also kind of entertaining in a guilty sort of way) and even experiencing some of theЕ unique dialogue developed for the game ("Taff" and "Taffer" would seem to be the curses of choice throughout the city). You don't necessarily need all the cash and loot available to you, since you can find items throughout the city as well as purchasing them, but it occurs to me that part of the Thief experience should beЕ well, thieving, and since the developers decide to give you that option, it might as well be explored.

The variety of gameplay is also pretty impressive Ц while the missions objects all typically consist of "infiltrate here, steal this, and escape there" they do change on the fly throughout and you generally can either get away with killing everyone, knocking everyone unconscious, or not even touching or being seen by a single foe. By the time you've acquired the fire arrows and enough cash, you can actually feasibly go through an entire levels smoking everyone you see, though it obviously takes away from the atmosphere and real feeling of being a thief that the game imparts upon you.