Thief Reviews
A shambling, mediocre mess.
Thief is a great return for the classic series. Thanks to its open-ended missions and the big amount of customization options, not to mention the great visuals, it can delight fans old and new alike. While it has a few problems with platforming and some erratic enemy AI, it still manages to deliver a memorable stealth experience.
Garrett is a wonderful character, and the city and plot of Thief hold all kinds of potential, the game looks gorgeous on the PlayStation 4 and is mechanically very tight, but all of that potential is dampened by the developer's somewhat overzealous desire to dictate just how the game should be played.
There's tense, creative stealth action to be had in Thief's fun-but-flawed triumph over technical flubs, wasted narrative potential, and cringeworthy dialogue.
For where it falls short, it far more often had me crouched in a shadow, heart racing, waiting for the perfect moment to dart past a guard's routine. It may be the fourth best Thief game, but it's a damned fine game in its own rights.
Longevity is added by a huge amount of collectibles, from trinkets and rare treasures to documents and newspapers, but if you fancy leaving the story behind for a while you can enter the challenge maps and test yourself against the world in online leaderboards. There's an array of challenges (both timed and otherwise) that will test your skills and earn you bragging rights if you know how to use the shadows right.
The makings of an absolutely fantastic game are evident here, and fans of the genre will love what's being offered. However, there are just too many flaws at launch to really recommend Thief to a wider audience.
Despite some of Thief's annoyances, the game is rich in detail and hard to put down. Needless to say, this is one convict I won't be locking up any time soon.
Thief's sneaking challenges are highly rewarding when you ghost through the world undetected, but will send you to the loading screen repeatedly if you're not careful
Thief is an inconsistent game that has just as many failings as it does successes. Fans of the stealth genre will find a lot to like here, but a number of poor design decisions keep it from reaching the heights of its predecessors.
Thief feels like a game that couldn't even get the basics right, let alone offer anything new and interesting. It will almost certainly be a let down for fans of the series, and new comers will likely expect much more from such a respected series and developer.
If you're looking for a solid stealth option—with a truly intimidating set of customizations for difficulty—then Thief is a solid buy during this current drought in the new console generation
Great in places, but never quite lives up to its potential. A competent sequel let down by inconsistency.
Actively unpleasant to play, embarrassingly buggy, and wholly devoid of any personality, Eidos Montreal's Thief reboot certainly isn't the worthy continuation fans waited almost a decade for.
Thief maintains the strengths of its stealth-centric predecessors and offers plenty in the way of actual thievery, but don't expect any fun, new gameplay mechanics or an enchanting story in this reboot.
Thief is a great escape for those of you who yearn for more stealth experiences, but it doesn't really offer up anything exciting. The story and characters are somewhat forgettable, most of the missions are straightforward, and the locales tend to blend together after a while. Having said that, there's a lot of potential here if you dig deep down into the game's ingenious difficulty sliders and challenge modes. In that sense, Thief succeeds as a bold stealth game, despite its bruises.
Some might be able to look past Thief's shortcomings and instead only focus on the moments of brilliance. However, I imagine long-time Thief fans hoping for Garrett's grand return might be somewhat disappointed.
Thief has good stealth going for it, but everything connecting its few relatively open scenarios is a mess.
At one point Garrett once again risks his life to steal more riches. His friend and employer, a ruddy faced scoundrel named Basso, says, "Garrett, no one is paying you to do this." Expressionless, Garrett turns to Basso, blankly retorts "it's who I am", and runs off into a night as inert and emotionless as the game itself.
Overall, Thief is a great play. The script flaws, while annoying, are forgivable in light of the many hours of quality gameplay. It's not perfect but it's an enjoyable challenge that will go down as one of the better gaming experiences of 2014.