It’s that kind of moment, emergent yet natural, that really defines Thief as an experience more than simply a series of missions in an FPS. Admittedly, it did make Garrett sound a bit like he’d gone thieving in metal clogs, and his ‘moss arrows’ should probably have been replaced with a nice pair of slippers or something, but that’s easily forgotten when you’re fleeing from guards, shooting a rope arrow out of a crypt, clambering up and belting for the exit before they can get back upstairs. In 1998, it was a huge step forward.Įven basic footsteps contributed to the feel, with different materials underfoot echoing with different sounds. Their banter as you hid in the shadows gave them a sense of history that we now take for granted in games like Dishonored (did that guy ever get his own squad after what happened last night?). Every tool had its purpose and its limits, with success coming from mastering them all and escaping.īy being able to focus their AI on handling a stealthy character, rather than a jack-of-all-trades, Looking Glass could make even a basic guard feel like part of the world, rather than just another enemy.
The sword, designed to be good enough to let you handle the occasional screw-up, but not go in swinging. Garrett’s trusty bow for instance was unlike any other weapon at the time-its feel, its sounds, the thunk of its arrows all carefully and lovingly made to feel both satisfying to use, and a worthy weapon of choice for a master thief.
Looking Glass could make even a basic guard feel like part of the world, rather than just another enemy.Īgain though, so much of this rested on Thief developer Looking Glass Studios being able to focus on specifics. Now we really got to experience the City firsthand, with guards and other overheard characters now regularly piping up with their stories, and the original game’s approach to difficulty-not just additional enemies, but challenges like stealing a certain amount of treasure and the previously mentioned no killing rule-making for incredibly replayable missions. Those maps were were built to be even more non-linear and open than the first game's. The sequel's maps took the series to a whole new level, with new tools like a clockwork eye that could be used to scout terrain, and maps designed around concepts rather than story first (the story then largely written around them, not that it mattered). Thief II: The Metal Age didn’t remove the fantasy elements entirely, but it did wisely double-down on the other side, with Garrett now facing the steam-powered horrors of a genocidal Mechanist and generally sticking to the civilised parts of the city-raiding a party, robbing a bank, kidnapping and eavesdropping, and sabotaging the villain at every turn. If Thief has a problem, it’s that occasionally it loses confidence in itself, with fantasy elements like the undead and giant spiders sitting awkwardly next to the more steampunk city up top, and with a plot involving magic and paganism that quickly veers away from the pure satisfaction of breaking and entering. He is, after all, a thief rather than a murderer, and good enough at it never to need such a crutch. On higher difficulty levels, you even face Garrett’s pride as a bonus challenge-he won’t kill, not out of squeamishness, but professionalism. A blackjack to the back of a guard’s head is a guaranteed takedown, but alert, they’ll call in backup and easily take you down. Garrett may be godlike in the shadows, but he’s a mediocre swordsman. It gives you the tools and experience of a master criminal, but only so long as you’re willing to play the role. You get the tools to sneak around if you want, but you also get a sack of guns and explosives, super-powers to break the rules of the world, and levels and enemies built to allow you to explore them. Many games, including successors like Deus Ex and Dishonored, are fundamentally built on playing things your way. There had been stealth games before, but little that took things to this degree-to make the shadows your armour and patience your best friend.ĭespite all this, if there’s one thing that defines Thief, it’s in the title.
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