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When you really boil it down, the life of a game reviewer and that of a thief really share many similarities. Through their respective profession, both end up amassing quite the collection of goods – some quite valuable, others not so. Both a thief and a game reviewer are often envied for their procurement of various objects, though few understand that these ‘free’ things still require work to acquire. Much like a thief, game reviewers often try to divert your attention from what they are doing – in this case, presenting a thin analogy in order to introduce a review. Perhaps my time with Thief: Deadly Shadows has rubbed off on me, or perhaps I’m a hack. Either way, this doesn’t change the fact that the latest entry in the Thief series is one of the most enjoyable titles I’ve played this year. Up until this installment, the Thief series has been strictly limited to the realm of personal computers. Many feared that the console debut of the series would be needlessly simplified for mainstream gamers, and many saw the addition of a third person camera to signify this simplification. Thankfully, Thief: Deadly Shadows retains the traditional first person view as well, allowing players to alternate between the two camera systems at any time. In that same regard, the rest of the game remains true to the series. In no shape or form was the franchise drastically altered or simplified for the console audience.
As the master thief Garrett, players begin the game by embarking on a simple training mission, one that both sets up the story and teaches new players the gameplay mechanics of the series. The goal, of course, is to pilfer the most loot possible and meet specific thieving goals while avoiding capture, and preferably, detection. At first, the open-ended nature of Thief: Deadly Shadows can seem overwhelming. Armed with a specific goal and a vague idea of how to accomplish it, the player must search the surrounding areas for hints of what to do next. This is where the excellent game design comes into play. Through exploration, players discover clues, often in the form of written notes, suggesting where to go and what to do. These carefully worded hints merely give a general idea of the puzzle and not the solution. For example, a diary early in the game details a switch hidden near a desk. This entry only describes the general location of the switch, and thus you are left searching the immediate area for anything of note. Furthermore, there are multiple ways to approach various situations. One mission requires players to steal an object from a high priest. If one were to ring the church’s bell, he would leave his room, leaving his precious object ripe for the picking. I personally found it easier to sneak in the high priest’s room and clobber him into unconsciousness, but the fact that I wasn’t limited to one solution shows just how much freedom the player is given. Much like in Grand Theft Auto or Deus Ex: Invisible War, the player in Thief: Deadly Shadows isn’t magically transported to the next area upon completion of a mission. Instead, you’ll find yourself back in the city, where you can embark upon the next mission or sell some loot for money. With that money, new gadgets and items can be purchased, offering even more ways to deal with a situation. While traveling in the city, various citizens can be overheard discussing recent events. This not only adds to the immersion, but also serves to keep them occupied while sneaky players pickpocket them. There is no such thing as a technically perfect game, and Thief: Deadly Shadows is no exception. The physics engine is occasionally inaccurate, such as when an unconscious soldier falls to the ground in an unrealistic position. The A.I. can be a little spotty at times, and the framerate occasionally stutters. Thankfully, these are minor issues and do not aversely affect the game, though they do tend to detract from the immersion. Be warned that there is a major bug that does aversely affect the game, but only if you intend to play on the Expert difficulty level. Upon loading a game saved on the Expert difficulty level, enemy A.I. reverts to Normal levels. Though PC gamers can download a patch to fix the issue, it remains unseen at this time as to how Ion Storm plans to resolve this bug in the Xbox version. While most gamers will be content to play through Thief: Deadly Shadows on Normal, those who are looking for the most challenging gameplay experience will be best served with the PC version. In the end, what really impressed me about Thief: Deadly Shadows was its exquisite attention to detail in all regards. From the graphics to the sound to the level design, every aspect of Thief: Deadly Shadows seems lovingly crafted by those who genuinely cared about what they were doing, and the finished product accurately reflects this. Easily one of the best games released this summer, Thief: Deadly Shadows is definitely worth playing through.
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