First of all, is it as good as it's predessesors IMO? No. There are several little, and I stress the LITTLE, things that I don't like which have been previously stated like loading screens, lack of rope arrows, getting stuck in the environment, loot glint, novelty, etc. It did seem to be have lost something from the originals. However, I don't think that they retract enough from the gameplay to make it unenjoyable. The story continues with Garret, still voiced by Stephen Russell, as he continues to steal from the rich... and give to himself. He may be the protagonist, but he's also an anti-hero. He is a thief after all. Despite his intriguing personality and selfish attitutde, he always ends up being involved in a world-saving plot, and thus shows us that even taffers can be life-savers. This game seems to gravitate a little more back to TDP in that it goes back to it's fantasy roots as opposed the the metal age shown in TMA. It pulls it off quite well, while keeping it's dark steampunk environment. Most of the same factions make an appearance again: The pagans, the hammerites, and the keepers. This time they seem to go into more detail with these factions, and you will see all of them throughout the game. They have added a faction meter, which some people dislike. It didn't hinder gameplay for me personally. I also greatly enjoyed pitting them against each other. Sometimes I created small-scale battles! The plot, climax, and over-all story was very well done. The new antagonist was highly entertaining, and all of the secondary characters fit the story well. Every mission seems to contribute to the main storyline in even if in a small way. Although the load scenes do get annoying, I greatly appreciated the addition of the street areas (quarters) where you can do side-quests and enjoy pickpocketing the citizens, guards, and other factions between missions. I hope that they continue to implement and improve this idea in Thief 4. Most importantly, the ambient environment is back. They did a great job on the music, and I still had many hold-your-breath moments as I traversed the different levels. Shalebridge Cradle=(shudder). Playing at the hardest difficulty is where the game shines the most. Not harming the innocent, finding as much obvious and hidden loot as possible, and not being seen at all is the most rewarding. All in all, I thought it was a great game. Many Thief fans don't give it the credit it deserves. I give it 4/5 stars due to the afore-mentioned hiccups that it suffers from, but it didn't by any means ruin the gameplay for me. Definately my favorite stealth game series ever.
I never had a chance to play the stronghold series when they first came out, but I had always wanted to try them out. I decided to skip the first one and play this Crusader version. So far I'm pleased with my purchase. This game seems like a combination of several other games such as Lords Of The Realm II, Ceasar 3, and Age Of Empires to name a few. Start with low... everything, then build your castle, stockpiles, and army, and conquer your enemy. One notable difference is at how much of a disadvantage you are in at the first of each level. There are a few different gametypes (make sure you start with the tutorial). I'm doing the 50-level campaign and the first level was a sinch, but every level gets much more difficult. The same stategies don't always work so you have to be innovative, nor are you placed in the same situation every level. Whether it be more enemies, less resources, or a myriad of other things, the game will definately test your ability to micro-manage. The characters can have some repetitive, cheesy sayings that get old fast, but the music fits the game, and the sound effects, (especially when an army charges) is good. Graphics are just fine, and I had no problems installing it, nor running the game. There is almost no storyline involved other than destroy your enemies, but I didn't buy this game for it's story. A great game to play if you enjoy starting as the underdog (severe understatement), and coming out as the top dog. I recommend it.
When the demo of this came out, I was a young teenager, playing on a computer with really low stats. I almost couldn't even run the game. Load screens took an average of 7-10 minutes, and my fps was horrendous. Nevertheless, I sunk about 40 hours into the demo. After I got a little money I was able to buy the full original (not gold) version and sunk in over another hundred hours. It was the best game I had ever played. My brother and I reminisced often about the "old thief game" and how we would like to play it again. Also enjoy talking about the new Thief 4 game coming soon. Now, over a decade later, I was ecstatical to see that these games are still available. My computer runs them with no problems. Only problem is I can't see the intro movies, but the cut scenes work fine. As for the game I believe that music creates environment. Yes the graphics are old, but this game proves that the story/environment trumps graphics every time. This game just has an eerie feel to it. You are the only one you can rely on, and the setting is very hostile. The voice-overs are well done, and the enemies are smarter than your average "I will search for you for 20 seconds after finding a body and give up."; Last night I had a guard spot me and he grabbed some buddies and I spent 10 minutes hiding in the shadows before they gave up. To get the best experience out of this game I recommend playing it on a harder difficulty, and not attacking anybody, nor letting anyone see you. If you try the jump out of the shadows approach and yell "Have at thee!" You very likely will end up on the worst end of the fight, plus it takes the hold-your-breath the guard is right next to you experience. TDP may not be my favorite game anymore, but it is close to the top. It is my favorite stealth game however. It beats out other greats like Tenchu, Hitman, and Deus Ex in my opinion. On top of all that, it's only 10 bucks. Look on ebay and compare prices for TDP gold and you will see that you are saving quite a bit. Thanks to GOG for having this game on their lists, and making it function for current computers. I have yet to play Thief 2, but I purchased it also. Thief Deadly Shadows was also great fun, and I hope to see it on this site as well. Can't wait to see if Thief 4 comes out this year! Overall I give the game 5/5 stars of sneaksie fun. Over a decade old and still fun today. Downloaded it last night and played for 5 hours. Highly recommend it.
