Recent reviews by Jonesy

It's probably worth addressing the biggest issue straight up; this isn't a very good Thief game. Compared to the original trilogy, some of the design choices are inexcusable. Even if this is a reboot, there are some things that simply should never have been added to a Thief game. I'm talking quicktime events, linear levels (complete with points of no return), boss fights, canned takedowns and various other things. The setting is also grittier in many ways, without the charm of the early games (which I sorely missed here). Even when it isn't compared to the original games, the flaws are still difficult to overlook.

But on its own merits, Thief isn't too bad a game. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it's still an enjoyable (albeit flawed) stealth experience. The basic gameplay is acceptable enough, and stealing loot is as fun as ever. Thief even welcomes some interesting ideas to the series; an expanded hub world, side quests (both in the form of jobs from Basso, and self-contained missions from Ector and Vittori), collectible loot items and customizable difficulty settings for those who like a more challenging stealth experience. Fans of the series will also appreciate that there are many nods to the previous games and existing lore, which vary in subtlety and significance.

Overall, if you want a true Thief experience, you're better off going back and playing one of the earlier games, or even giving The Dark Mod a go. If you're happy with a Thief-lite experience (or just a stealth one in general), you could do much worse than Thief. It's a bit of a mixed bag of good and bad design, but with the right mindset can still be enjoyed. I don't want to call it a disposable experience, but you really don't want to expect too much of it.

7 / 10