Thief™ 2: The Metal Age

Master Thief Garrett is back in this fantastic sequel that improves on the original in every way. Having foiled the Trickster's plot during the events of the original game, Garrett hopes to return to thieving in peace, but there's a new sheriff in town and he seems to have a personal vendetta against the thief. Reluctantly, Garrett is pulled into a plot involving the Pagans, the Keepers, and the Mechanists, an upstart sect of Hammerites led by the enigmatic Karras, that could forever change the face of The City. Thief II has never been a pretty game, even at its original time of release, but it does use an improved version of the Dark Engine (which was used in the first game), doubling the colour depth, increasing the model polygon count, and adding coloured lighting as well as environmental effects like fog. Gameplay, as well, has been improved from the original Thief. You'll encounter 15 unique missions with varied (and occasionally secret) objectives (though a few missions share near-identical maps) that weave a gripping tale. Non-player character AI has been improved, with guards being more attentive to their surroundings, and with somewhat better pathfinding in all characters. Thankfully, the emphasis on undead and creature combat from the first game has been greatly diminished, with most fights being completely optional, giving you the option of doing what Garrett does best: being sneaky and stealing to your heart's content. Thief II: The Metal Age is not without its flaws, but its qualities more than make up for them and in all aspects it is a worthy follow-up to the original Thief and is easily recommended to both fans of that game, and of stealth games in general.

Thief 2 is my favorite in the series, and also my personal all-time favorite game. It looks and plays almost identical to the first game, but it's longer, and more confident in its stealth gameplay. There are far fewer monsters and other such baddies, and a bigger focus on sneaking and thievery. Casing joints, stealing and planting evidence, a bank heist, and more await you in this classic. But make sure you play the first game before tackling this one! Players are expected to be familiar with events from the first game, and Thief 2 will be far more enjoyable with that background. There is likely a split among fans between those who prefer the first game and those who prefer this one. The two games do have a difference in tone; the first has certain missions that are absolutely terrifying, filled with strange undead creatures that will keep you cowering in the shadows in fear. The second does not have as many moments like that, but instead has a more over-arching creepiness to it. The new robotic enemies do not inspire the same fear in and of themselves, but as the plot progresses and more is learned about them, one realizes that there's something far scarier going on than the monsters from the first game. Or at least, I thought so. If there is one criticism I can lay on Thief 2, it's that the early missions aren't very cohesive. The plot proper doesn't start until several missions in, with the early ones focusing on day-to-day work as a thief. This is cool, actually, but the missions have little or no connection to one another. Garrett will explain that he needs to pull off a heist to earn some much-needed cash, but when the mission is over there's no closure, no information about what happened next. Just an abrupt jump to the next mission. Once the plot starts in earnest, though, the missions chain together nicely. Overall a minor complaint, but something players will notice when they start the game. Regardless, both Thief and Thief 2 are required playing. They're fantastic. More than just inventing stealth gameplay that works amazingly well, they're also steeped in atmosphere, set in an interesting and mysterious world that will draw you in unlike any other game I've played. Both games also feature the best sound design I've seen (heard?) in any game, ever. Don't let the dated graphics dissuade you from trying these out, they're absolutely amazing games.

I have played and replayed Thief and Thief II many times over the years. Running them on modern equipment was always difficult and involved many tricks to get them to run, but it was always worth the effort. Thanks, GOG team, for taking the two best games I have ever played and making them work flawlessly again. Of the two, Thief II is the finer game -- Looking Glass Studios kept the best aspects of Thief: The Dark Project and added new abilities and refinements that made Thief II a masterpiece. If you've played Thief II before, you know you are in for a rich and pulse-pounding experience. If you've never played the Thief series before, I envy you. You are about to discover the richest and most compelling gameworld you've ever entered. Stepping into the shoes of the world-weary and gifted Garrett is as close as I've come to forgetting I was playing a game while I was playing a game -- yes, it is that good. Enjoy.

I missed out on the original Theif but picked this one up at time of release. A complex and stunning world awaits you, full of suspense and excitement. For those of you that haven't played this yet, this is not a nostalgia tinted game (as so many on GoG are), this still plays as well today as it ever did. The price is a touch high for my liking - as you can still get the disc versions to work with little effort - but well worth diving into if you've got the coin.