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Garrett, a master thief, navigates the shadowy streets of The City, driven by coin and self-preservation. He’s a ghost, unseen, unheard, and unbound by ideals. But when the city’s fate becomes intertwined with his own, Garrett is forced to confront a reality beyond stolen treasures.

Garrett in Thief

A Thief’s Arsenal and Challenges

Thief’s gameplay blends linear story missions with open-world exploration. In missions, players must decipher clues from conversations, letters, and even the architecture itself. These hints reveal paths, secrets, and ways to bypass guards and traps. For example, eavesdropping on an architect reveals a hidden escape route, allowing Garrett to infiltrate unnoticed.

Guards in Thief

Garrett’s specialized bow offers unique tools for a stealthy approach. Rope arrows grant access to higher vantage points, while water arrows extinguish torches, creating shrouds of darkness for maneuvering undetected. The developers cleverly crafted puzzles and scenarios that encourage players to think creatively and utilize Garrett’s tools effectively.

The open world allows for free-roaming exploration, from grimy slums to a gloomy harbor, offering numerous opportunities for thievery. Garrett’s keen eye spots unlatched windows, heavy purses, and other valuables ripe for the taking.

Exploring The City in Thief

Frustrations in the Shadows

Despite the engaging premise, Thief suffers from repetitive and frustrating elements. While minor individually, these issues accumulate and detract from the overall experience. One example is the recurring transition sequence of squeezing through a narrow passage blocked by a wooden beam, repeated over 20 times throughout the game. This lack of variety disrupts the flow and raises questions about the developer’s creativity.

Repetitive elements in Thief

The over-reliance on lockpicking through windows in The City further diminishes the open-world experience, making exploration tedious. This repetition overshadows the potential for dynamic gameplay and discourages exploration.

Lockpicking in Thief

A Story Untapped

Perhaps the most significant flaw is the poor execution of the narrative. While the initial setup is intriguing, the storytelling quickly falters. Short, low-quality cutscenes provide insufficient context and explanation, hindering the player’s investment in the story.

Garrett in The Keep

The Keep mission exemplifies this issue. The imposing tower promises challenging climbs, deadly traps, and hidden treasures. However, the mission concludes in a mere 15 minutes, devoid of the expected complexities. The narrative fails to explain crucial details, such as why Garrett’s friend was captured and how an injured person could escape the seemingly impenetrable tower.

The Keep in Thief

Furthermore, the multiple playstyles – Predator, Ghost, and Opportunist – are poorly implemented. Regardless of the chosen approach, the outcome remains predetermined, rendering the choice meaningless. The scoring system further confuses this issue, often misclassifying player actions.

Conclusion

Thief offers a compelling premise and engaging stealth mechanics, but its potential is ultimately undermined by repetitive gameplay, poor storytelling, and a flawed execution of its core concepts. The game’s intriguing world and the thrill of playing as a master thief are overshadowed by frustrating design choices and a lack of narrative depth.

Technical Specifications

• Developer: Eidos Montreal
• Publisher: Eidos Montreal
• Genre: Action
• Release Date: February 25, 2014
• Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3

Thief Cover Art