Thief: Deadly Shadows Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I should preface this review by coming right out and admitting that I am a new Thief, not having played either of the earlier titles in the franchise.Sure, I had heard all the hype, the various glowing reviews and ravings of die-hard fans, but something kept me away.Not this time, feeling hungry for a new game, I saw that Thief: Deadly Shadows hit the store(s), and decided to take a chance.I'm quite happy to report that I'm entirely glad that I did.
I did have some concerns at first.For the first few minutes of play, I found myself thinking that it should have been a rental instead of a purchase.But I played on, gradually getting drawn deeper into the plot, into the city, and into the joy of slipping quietly in where you haven't been invited, and plucking some valuable trinket off a table, from inside a chest, or even off the very person of an unfortunate homeowner or passerby.But this isn't what really got me into the game.How smart my victims were did.Sure, I was a little over-confident at first.I'd boldly sneak around behind marks wandering through their own homes, I'd skulk in the shadows, or creep slowly and quietly behind them, lifting items that caught my eye as I went.But this person lives here, and when they pass through a room and a candlestick is gone, or a chair is slightly out of place from when you less cautious than you should have been and bumped into it, or when a door has been left ajar - they realize it.And they often realize they aren't alone.So you could imagine my surprise, not yet having an appreciation for the depth of AI, when my helpless victim became decidedly non-helpless, and started actively searching for me.But I'm Garrett the Thief, and when backed into a corner, I can put up a fight.So when the owner found me after I knocked a barrel on its side trying to quickly duck into a nearby shadow, and when he drew a weapon with the intent to cause me harm, I quickly dispatched him with my dagger.He was in the light, I was in the shadow, he knew roughly where I was, but I still had the advantage.I stood over my victim, enjoying the moment when I heard a scream.The scuffle had alerted someone else in the house who came rushing in, and upon seeing me standing over the body, shot straight out of the house.She hadn't just fled through, she had gone to get the town guards.So imagine my surprise as I'm casually walking towards the open door to leave, and in burst two guards with weapons drawn.They came right at me, and while I put up a good fight, they took me down.The last thing I saw was the `terrified' woman standing in her doorway again, watching the guards beat me down.
I really enjoyed Splinter Cell, and SC: Pandora Tomorrow.I think it was how much I enjoyed those that led me to finally give Thief a shot.But one thing always bugged me about those titles, as terrific as they are and were.Your enemies had the attention span and short-term memory of mentally disabled goldfish.If two terrorists are in one room together, and you snatch one up and drag him away, the other never notices that he's suddenly alone.Leave doors open, move things, do anything but show yourself or leave a corpse around, and they have no clue anything is amiss.Not so here.Guards have areas of responsibility.And when one is no longer at his post because you've clobbered him over the head with your trusty blackjack, and dumped him unconscious behind some bushes, his captain who may well be wandering around and checking up on his men will notice, and he'll investigate.
The game is outstanding, I am really enjoying it.I'm nearly done, and I've already decided that I will be playing it through again.There's so much to do beyond the main storyline, that there's really no way to get into all the little side plots and scenarios, no way to hit every house and business in your first go.Graphically the game is quite good.Not jaw-droppingly impressive, I would have liked to have seen this in 720p and widescreen, but still a solid visual presentation.The Dolby Digital sound is terrific.The depth of play, and the AI, are really what give this title legs though.
This game, in my opinion, is worth a purchase.Unless of course the idea of sneaking around just bores you to tears.If you're looking for a hack'n'slash, this isn't it.If you're looking for an intriguing storyline, exciting action, and even a few moments where you literally jump at your own shadow, then this is going to be a good time for you.Why 4 out of 5?I would have liked to have seen at least a minimal tie-in to XBLive.Not online play perhaps, given the scope of the game, but maybe expansion and bonus content (new missions, new equipment, etc.) that could have been added over time.I think that really would have gone a long way to put this title over the top in terms of re-playability.Also, I've been trapped (bug) inside or against objects a few too many times.An annoyance, and perhaps a minor one, but a piece of the puzzle when I had to decide upon a rating.To be fair, if we could give fractions of stars in our ratings, I'd give this as high a 4 as possible.
The cover art says it best."Tension-fueled stealth, variety of gameplay, advanced AI, dynamic lighting and shadow system."Yes, yes, yes, and yes.Pick this one up, you'll be glad you did.

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Product Description:
Thief: Deadly Shadows takes you into the strange world of Garrett, master thief. Rarely seen, never caught, he just wants to make a living. He's drawn into a Web of events that will destroy the world, unless he applies his trade for more than just wealth. Dynamic lighting system for realistic, dynamic shadows that enhance stealth gaming

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