Thief™ Gold

I can't say enough about how great this game and its sequels are. Play this game in a dark room, crank up the sound, and prepare to be amazed. The graphics may be a bit dated but this game was never about graphics - its the sound and environment that really draws you in. Challenging, with a great story, world, and characters make this one of the best series of all time. The fact that I can still spend hours exploring all the nooks and crannies of every level 10+ years later says it all for me. Bring on Thief 4!

Thief was pretty revolutionary for stealth games - putting the player in a FPS position and eliminating many of the artificial display systems (radar, enemy state indicators) in favour of having to 'read' the lay of the land and determine enemy state by direct observation. Also, one of my favourite games ever. As one of the Splinter Cell team, this was the game that influenced our gameplay design the most, along with Deus Ex, a sort of spiritual successor in many ways. Open layouts, excellent AI and VO, amazing music - this should be on any game designer's must-play list even after all these years.

If you've never played Thief, then I somewhat envy you. I wish I could experience this series again for the first time. This series dared to try something different amidst a world of first person shooters, as they were all the rage in the late '90s and anything else done in first person was unthinkable. In fact, I originally found out about this series because I was an avid Quake player and PlanetQuake put up a review of this game on their site. That is how ingrained first person shooters were in the world of gamers. I was glad I gave this game a shot. The idea of "stealth" gaming was a new concept at that point. Splinter Cell wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye yet. But the real surprise was how good of a story the series had. Looking Glass Studios made a masterpiece, and followed it up with another winner (which I hope GOG gets someday too). There is indeed a reason why Yahtzee gave this game a glowing review in his zeropunctuation reviews, and considering most of his reviews are negative, that's saying something. Yes, the graphics are a bit dated. But, if you're on this site, I would assume that would be a minor concern for you. Trust me, you will not regret giving this game and series a try. Like I said, I envy you, the person who has not yet tried this game/series.

The first - and best - stealth-em-up game with an original setting, immersive atmosphere and an education in all round sneakiness. This has gameplay in spades which still stands tall today (one hell of an achievement for a 14 year old title). Legging it round the manor corridors after accidently jumping on an uncarpeted floor with the cries of "C'mere you taffer" from the portly guard who gives up the ghost after I take a dive into a stream in the garden outside, holding my breath underwater where I can't be seen, I take my revenge by tip-toeing after him, lurking in the shadows, crouching in doors, waiting motionless in archways while he continues on his patrol route, before stepping out and clubbing him on the back of the head with my blackjack, picking up his unconcious body and deposting it in the corner of a cellar concealing him in the shadows. I make my way back to the room upstairs to help myself to the prize. This is the drama of Thief. Unsurpassable.

When Thief first hit store shelves, I remember picking up my copy from the local store and installing this game for the first time in anticipation of what looked like a great game. Playing this game again years after it's original un-installation, brings back many fond memories of this stealthy classic. The game still plays fantastic and the atmospheric setting is steeped in a deep and dark story with a foreboding sense of mystery, with the urge of exploration that drives you forward to uncover the dark secrets of the Hammer. Skulking around the dark streets and hallways, I found myself physically leaning around corners on my chair, before I snapped back into reality that I actually need to press a keyboard button to execute that action. The atmosphere does pull you in and even makes you whisper just in case the hammer guards hear you. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a great classic, stealthy FPS, that brings back the meaning of what it is to be a well developed game.