You have to be very aware of your surroundings in this game, making sure you close doors and drawers, that you’re very quiet when around animals, and that you find a way to get to the next area without being seen. Torches have to be extinguished, candles should be doused, and bodies should be hidden if you end up having to kill someone. And it’s going to happen. The world is crawling with an obscene amount of law enforcement. There are very few places in the streets where a guard isn’t standing around doing nothing. And honestly, the process of getting past them is the only thinking you’ll have to do in Thief.
As you progress through the game, the things you steal will earn you gold, and thus enable you to buy upgrades for Garrett. You can upgrade almost every facet of his skills, including his Focus skill, which reminds me of Corvo’s ability to see through walls to spot enemies in Dishonored. There are a few other comparisons I could make between the two games, but I’ll stop at that one. Focus also helps Garrett to pick locks and solve other small puzzles. Though they’re not really that hard to begin with.
Thief is a game of stealth and thievery, and not much else. At all. The backstory is bland, the monologue is dry, and there really is no challenge once you figure out how to avoid being seen. It’s fun while it lasts, if playing sneaking around is your thing, but I can’t see myself playing this game again. There is simply nothing to bring me back.
