Thief™ Gold

This classic does work and does play correctly. I cannot fault it. It is as the builder intended...

Thief 1 and 2 are legendary games and (along with Metal Gear Solid) gave birth to the stealth genre of games. Thief 1 and 2 though are far superior with some of the most incredible technology developed in its time (and even still today) to provide the greatest stealth game experience. Still today, these games are essentially unmatched in the simulation capabilities, atmosphere, intricacy and gameplay uniqueness. Just legendary games through and through.

Thief is known as the blueprint for modern stealth games, which encourages sneaking around and discourages combat, having NPCs that react to light and sound. The Thief games are the inspiration behind one of my favorite games, Dishonored. If you're wondering what's the difference between Thief Gold and Thief: The Dark Project, Gold adds 3 additional levels not in TDP, so essentially this version is the superior one. It's also already came with a TFix patch, but a lite version. You play as charming thief Garrett, doing contracts and stealing stuff until his encounter with a mysterious noblewoman which made him to weirder jobs. For a game this old, you'd be surprised at how the gameplay doesn't differ much from modern stealth games. The stealth is just as fun as the newer ones. The atmosphere is the best thing about this franchise though. It's just so beautiful and unique, a medieval city that has both steampunk and fantasy elements. Like you'd also be exploring an ancient city as well as a bigger-on-the-inside surreal mansion, not just generic homes and alleys. My only complaint is that some missions are really maze-like and difficult to navigate, and require backtracking if you missed something mission related. The map isn't much help either, it's just displays a map of the area and doesn't show where you exactly are most of the time. But its not really a problem if you use a walkthrough, so best just do that and enjoy this masterpiece of stealth and atmosphere.

Thief: Gold (along with TMA) is definitely one of the best stealth games that you can play. The game has aged well (except for things such as graphics, but graphics don't define a game for me). Gameplay is immersive, voice acting of characters is silly but good and the story is interesting. The level design is good for the most part, however it is an improvement for sure in the sequel. Not to mention, unlike the Steam version you don't need to jump through any hoops to get it working properly.

Usually one of the first games you play as a gamer are the ones you are most fond of. This is not the case with Thief. I first played this in 2017 and it has stuck with me as my favorite game of all time. The smooth gameplay, the tangible and thick atmosphere, stealth gameplay that is unmatched to this day, and great story has combined in a wholly unique game that provides a unique experience I have never played before or since.