Thief Gold Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The best game I have ever played. Period. The best for adventurers, the best for strategists, the best for action gamers. If you have not purchased THIEF yet, go with THIEF GOLD, as it includes three extra (and fantastic) levels at no extra charge. If you already purchased the original, don'tworry--you get a $10 rebate in it for already buying it previously, PLUS a$10 rebate off the future release of THIEF II! Going completely against thetired idea of running-around-in-mazes-blasting-things which has alreadybeen run into the ground, THIEF requires stealth, care and strategy,requiring you to stay in the shadows, move quietly and carefully, pickingoff enemies without being discovered. No, it's NOT as easy or boring as itsounds. THIEF is so immersive and involving, so guaranteed to get yourblood pumping through you to the point where your face will turn beet red,that it has single-handedly made my fellow game fans, once they discoveredit, take former favorite games like UNREAL and QUAKE and either toss theminto the garbage or hock them at their local used software store. It's thatgood. Forget new releases like OMIKRON, THIEF delivers in a way that noother title does, so amazingly well that you will swear you are actuallyTHERE. It's just about worth the purchase of a PC alone just to play it.The must-have for anyone with a 3D acceleration card.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Thief Gold

Product Description:
Follow this first-person role playing game through updated missions and new levels: Thieves Guild--Garrett has heard that the Downwind Thieves Guild has pulled off a daring heist, stealing Lord Randall's sapphire vase. However, they are now squabbling among themselves about how to share the loot. Garrett decides to go in and steal it himself. He intends to break in through a gambling den they operate called the Overlord's Fancy. Mages Guild--In the ruined city, the Keeper Chapel revealed that the Mages Tower was the hiding place for the Talisman of Air. Garrett breaks into the tower to steal it. The talisman is being held in the central tower of the Mages Towers and is secured by spells. To free it, Garret has to get one master Mage from each of the towers to stand on a particular pedestal and touch his ring to a symbol. Garrett must find his way to the central library, unlock its doors with items found in the towers, and then unlock the door to the Talisman Room to get the talisman. Songs of the Caverns--Garrett searches for the Talisman of Water, which is hidden in an underground cavern deep below the city. However, he soon learns that someone else has already stolen it, and his only clues as to who it is come from the ravings of a lunatic hermit.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Thief Gold now ?

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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Thief: Deadly Shadows

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

Want to read more honest consumer review about Thief: Deadly Shadows now ?

Thief Gold (small box version) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This game is one of the original stealth action games. It is entertaining and completely immersive. If you like first-person shoot-em-up games... don't play Thief. Well, do play Thief, because it's great, but it's a completely different experience.

Don't come to Thief hoping to go slashing merrily towards your goal. Oftentimes slashing your way towards any goal is a sure-fire way to fail a mission. (It's called Thief, not Murderer) The levels set out challenges that have to be met with subtlety and innovation, which, personally, is more satisfying to me. It's not quite as interactive as Thief 3, where you can change the environment to snare enemies, but, as the game that started it all, it is just as entertaining.

The levels in Thief Gold give you a variety of goals, and there are multiple strategies for playing. This game spawned its own following with different kinds of players, and a community of fans which is still operating today. This game is simply a lot of fun, and the Gold version gives you even more levels and challenges.

As far as the ages that this game is appropriate for, I'd say that the level is fairly mature. It's not too gory, just because the graphics are old, but this doesn't take away from the experience, and you still have to deal with zombies, blood splatters, and cinematics which are animated well, and with a distinctive style not seen in modern games. (someone referenced the eye-popping scene, it's not too graphic, and doesn't show much, but it could be disturbing for young-uns)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Thief Gold (small box version)

Product Description:
From the manufacturer: "Journey through the night...as Garrett, a master thief, cloaked in the darkness of a sinister medieval realm where shadows are your only ally, trust is not an option, and confrontations can bring grim results. Thief Gold takes you beyond the smash stealth hit 'Thief: The Dark Project' with three new levels. Steal from the Downwind thieves in The Thieves' Guild, enter a ruined city in The Mage's Guild, and go in search of the stolen Talisman of Air guided by the ravings of a lunatic hermit in The Songs of the Caverns.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Thief Gold (small box version) now ?

Thief 3: Deadly Shadows Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First thoughts on Thief III, which I played for about 3 hours last night.
Fun, but not quite as fun (so far) as the first two. On my system, it's a little laggy, but that's probably because my video card is about middle/low end, as far as their specs go (NVidia 5500 FX) and I don't have the money to upgrade to the top of the line vid cards they want.Graphics are not as fabulous as I've heard, but again, I've got a middle of the road vid card, and I can live with it.
I dove right in without reading the manual, so of course, the re-mapped weapons keys came as an unpleasant surprise.I had gotten so used to hitting '4' to get my water arrows in the first two games, but that's '8' now.They also swapped the blackjack and sword (dagger) keys, so I kept pulling out the dagger instead of the blackjack.And honestly, I don't miss the sword, but then I never used it in the first two except to cut down wall-hangings.I never kill guards, and only the occasional spiders.But, these key mappings can be easily changed, so I'm not complaining too much.
Pros/Interesting positive changes:
The training mission rocks for getting you up to speed quickly.It explains all the buttons, and many of the changes between this and the first two games in terms of actions and dynamics.
The dynamic lighting is nice.You can now extinguish candles and other lights (but, strangely, not torches) by walking up to them and 'using' them.
I haven't tried out the third-person mode yet."First-person" is not what people traditionally think of as first-person in games - it's just like the camera is mounted on Garrett's forehead.I like it, as it lends a little bit more realism to things - you can look down and see his feet, turn and see his arms.It takes a little getting used to, but I like it.
Garrett seems to comment a lot more in this game too.If you pick up an item and try to put it down in a spot where it won't fit, he'll say "uh-uh".He'll make little quips about locations like he did in the first two, but it seems like there's more of those.
Lock-picking is a lot more involved and a lot of fun so far.
There are pieces of loot that are special - they're worth more than regular loot, and are often figured into the objectives.Loot glint is actually helpful, although I can understand the complaints that it makes things too easy.But at the same time, they made loot and non-loot look a lot more alike in this game, and they still managed to hide some loot in out of the way places where you can't see the glint from normal eye-level.
The City mode is a lot of fun.I already ransacked Garrett's landlord's apartment.Just a word of advice - don't blackjack someone in the middle of the street in front of three witnesses. (*whistle*I hit the wrong button, so sue me.I was trying to pick his pocket)
With a few notable exceptions (see below), the physics are a lot more realistic. Almost everything Garrett touches can be moved - he can knock over chairs, knock swords out of sword racks, push large tables and crates, knock cups and plates onto the floor.On normal difficulty, the guards will come if they hear the noise, but they don't seem to notice things being out of place.I imagine on the higher difficulties, they'll start investigating.
Everyone complains about there not being any swimming and the substitutions of climbing gloves for rope arrows.I haven't missed either so far.The loading zones are mildly annoying, but not too bad - they kind of sub-divide missions into smaller chunks.I really didn't mind them too much.
Nitpicks/Little funny issues:
The bright blue "use" highlight is annoying.I can deal, but it's still annoying.
I miss the briefing movies.There are cutscenes, but when you enter a mission, Garrett just reads the text while it's on the screen.No pretty movies.
The physics of the unconscious/dead bodies is really funny.I blackjacked a guy and he bent over backwards in a position that probably should have left him paralyzed.It's now possible for Garrett to trip over the bodies and make noise.No longer possible to "stack" bodies in quite the same amusing way as the original, although that's probably for the best. (No more setting it up like the servants were messing around....)
I managed to make a guard kill himself - I blackjacked him while he was carrying a torch, and he fell on the torch and died.
There's not really an option to quietly set things down either, which is somewhat annoying.(Maybe there is, but I just couldn't find it?)I picked up a cup up from a table without realizing it wasn't loot (still getting used to the loot glint vs. the bright blue "use" highlight.), and when I hit the button for drop - he literally dropped it, it rolled off the table, clanged onto the floor, and attracted a nearby guard.
Overall: Fun, so far.I still prefer the first two, but then I'm only one mission into this one.It felt like Thief, though, which was the most important thing to me.More later!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Thief 3: Deadly Shadows

Product Description:
Welcome to the Ultimate Stealth Experience!Product InformationYou are Garrett a Master Thief rarely seen but never caught. Movingsilently through the shadows you are able to sneak past any guard pick anylock break into the most ingeniously secured residences. Stealing fromthe wealthy is all in a night's work.In this intense thriller of murderous conspiracy you must use your stealthtactics to uncover a sinister secret that lies within the city walls. Willyour skills be enough to save the dying city can you survive betrayalassassins and war in the labyrinth of city streets?Product FeaturesTension-fuelled stealth as enemies see and hear track evidence searchfor intruders give chase and fight to the end.A variety of gameplay - Break and Enter Steal Combat Ambush andAssassinate.A huge arsenal of Thieves' Tools at your disposal: Mechanical Eye FlashBombs Fire Arrows Wall Climbing Gloves to name but a few.Fully supported 1st and 3rd person perspective - it's your choice!Darkness is your weapon; conceal your presence sneak silently past guardsand strike from the shadows.Windows RequirementsWindows 2000 XP Vista1.5GHz processor256 MB of RAM3 GB Hard Disk spaceSupported graphics chipsets: ATi – Radeon 8500 Radeon 9 Series (90009200 9600 9800); nVidia – GeForce 3Ti Series GeForce 4Ti SeriesGeForce FX Series GeForce 6 Series. Graphics card must support Pixel Shader1.1. Unsupported graphics chipsets: nVidia – GeForce 4MX (460 440 420)GeForce 4 GO Quadro FX GO nForce 2 nForce 3DirectX 9.0b compatibleSound Card (minimum); EAX Advanced HDsupported – requires Sound Blaster Audigy range of Sound CardsDVD-ROM drive

Get 26% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Thief 3: Deadly Shadows now ?

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Windows version of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is infected with Starforce, which besides potentially wrecking your Windows installation, can also physically destroy optical drives (and also may not work with newer hardware or operating systems).

Because of the infection, pick up one of the console versions of the game if you're interested.Obviously the graphics won't be as good, but they're still fine.Another alternative will be to play it through Gametap's rental service, when it shows up on there.

The game itself is a solid entry in the stealth action genre.Worth playing if you're a fan of the genre.

Note that as of today, this is the ONLY version infected with Starforce.Earlier and later entires in the series do NOT have Starforce, just this one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

Product Description:
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory takes you back into the shadowy world of Sam Fisher, a special agent on the front lines of the information war.

Get 26% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory now ?