I'm noticing--at least in the buildup to the release of Eidos Montreal's Thief reboot--that people are remembering this series as being brutally hardcore. Granted, it wasn't easy--titular thief Garrett lived up to his name, focusing on stealth and traversal, being able to escape a tight situation or hide from pursuers rather than fighting his way out--but it wasn't Dark Souls difficult. There was always another path to take, always an option. While this new reboot of Thief offers plenty of new features to ease in less-experienced or skilled gamers, it lives up to its roots by giving longtime burglars the option of a much more hardcore experience.
Thief throws you right into the story, with Garrett forced to take a job with the unscrupulous Erin, a former partner-in-crime who kills without mercy instead of being a ghost like her mentor. The job goes horribly wrong, and Erin perishes, partially because of Garrett's words and actions. A year later, Garrett goes back on the prowl, in a city that's overrun with disease and tyranny (and the two might very well be related) to save the one thing that matters most to him: himself.
So yeah, Garrett's kind of a dick, and that's part of what makes the game fun--you get a lot of his wry observations of people and their actions, and it's always mean-bordering-on-funny, and while the story will occasionally dip into the realm of the supernatural, you're always constantly reminded that Garrett is very much a normal human. Do you see a jump that you can just barely make? It's not really a good idea to try it, you might fall and die. Think you can take three guards at once in a fight? I wouldn't try it, they have swords. Garrett's very human frailty (and lack of regenerating health) give a pretty stiff challenge all-around.
It's nice to have a game where you have a lot to do, and not just in the form of missions. While you're running across the rooftops heading to your next objective (and you can individually turn off specific HUD items like objective markers, your mini-map, or health bar for added challenge), if you see something shiny in a window, chances are you can find a way in and snatch it. Lining Garrett's bottomless pockets is really most of the fun of Thief, relieving unfaithful husbands and cruel jewellers of their belongings and putting them to a better cause: building up Garrett's arsenal so he can rob more efficiently.
Stolen treasure can be sold back to earn tools like wirecutters (which can disable traps) or a wrench (which can open up new passageways), or buy consumables like arrows and health items. Early in the game, you're granted an ability called Focus, which lets you scope out an area and points out items of interest, or cabinets and drawers that can be opened. Unfortunately, Focus is kind of a broken ability--while The Last of Us' Listen Mode would give hints about an area and the enemies within, Focus can completely show all the important parts of a room. Even in combat, Focus highlights an enemy's weak points so you can take him down faster. Upgrading Focus through earned experience only makes it more overpowered, with handprints magically pointing out which hiding spots hold the most treasure. Focus is an ability that will be helpful for gamers who are only along for the story, but experienced Thief players will probably try not to use it very much.
Another of the game's core mechanics is the Swoop, a quick dash that can either allow you to close distance or let you slip back into the shadows. Swooping is a lot like rolling in a Zelda game--it quickly takes over as your main means of travel, you can never run out of it, and it's too versatile to not use because it's silent, and it's faster than walking. The fact that Garrett doesn't immediately walk off ledges (he peers over them, and you decide whether to drop down or not) means you can literally Swoop all over the place with almost no penalty. Helpful? Yes, especially in situations where you have to dart from one shadow to another. Broken? Totally, because like I said, there are no penalties to this maneuver.
One of the cooler things about Thief is the way you're graded on your performance at the end of each level, and the challenges you've completed in each area, such as putting out a set number of torches or stealing a certain amount of treasure. I did find it irritating, though, that it only told me this at the end of a level--for instance, I'd put out nine torches when I was supposed to put out ten, and now I have to go all the way back and replay the level just to put out torches. The grade you receive in each level doesn't rate you as "good" or "bad," per se, but really just tells you about your playstyle: are you a ghost, leaving no trace and stealing wallets right from people's pockets in broad daylight? Are you an opportunist who uses the environment to his advantage? The game is flexible, and wants to encourage you to go about thieving the way you think is best.
The haunted, dying metropolis known only as The City is a very creepy and atmospheric place, full of treasure to pocket and sob stories to listen to. In a way, it's almost too bleak--even playing this on a pretty badass performance-spec PC, there isn't much color to the game, and aside from the prologue, everything kind of blends together visually, even with the game's exceptional level of detail. I understand that this isn't really going to be Katamari Damacy levels of color, but it would be nice to play a non-monochrome next-gen-quality game. Another small note: the game rewards delicacy and care, so there are many times that you'll find yourself gingerly moving your mouse (or tilting an analog stick) along the edge of a painting to look for a switch, or adjusting tumblers in a lock you're picking. Don't rush--the click of a missed tumbler is as loud as a gunshot to alert guards' ears. You're always on-guard in Thief, and the game is better for it.
Thief follows in the footsteps of Tomb Raider and Strider in terms of solid, if somewhat imperfect reboots. Challenging platforming, great level design, and the constant drive to do just a little bit better all work together to bring back the feeling of the original games... mostly. Even with the game's flexibility in letting you play the game exactly the way you want to, it still has a few sometimes-mandatory features that make it a little too forgiving. It still doesn't take away from what's important: Garrett's back, but you might want to consider giving him a little cash this time, because Thief is worth it.
REVIEW ROUNDUP
+ Smart, challenging platforming and puzzles, with multiple ways to and from your objectives
+ Flexible HUD setup lets you play the game with as much or as little on-screen information as you want
+ Lots to do, even more to steal--this is a fairly lengthy game that still encourages thoroughness and replay
+/- Grim and atmospheric visuals can be kind of boring, when you really get down to it
- Swoop and Focus can bring down the challenge, making it almost too easy sometimes
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