Return of the Thief (Thief 3 (PC))

Member Name: existtoinspire

Product:	Thief 3 (PC)
Date:	29/09/07 (288 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: graphics, thief, missions, stealth

Disadvantages: all about stealing, sometimes too dark, some NPCs are irritating

Thief: The Dark Project was the first stealth-based game I ever played and it really proved that stealth can have an important role in a game. This was the game which made me more interested in stealth games and also towards Hitman and the others. But for me, Thief was a little more interesting as it was set in a different and may be better background and with a more interesting character and plot. The beginning of the Thief series may be the one thing which made 1998 an interesting year for the gamers. The third game of the series seems to have revolutionized the game even more.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/2003
Intel Pentium IV 1.5 Ghz processor or AMD equivalent
256 MB of System RAM or higher
64mb 3D Video w/ PS 1.1
DirectX 9.0 sound card
EAX / Dolby Digital Sound Card recommended
3.0 GB of minimum hard drive space plus additional space for save games
4x CD ROM / DVD ROM Drive
Keyboard and Mouse

RETURN OF THE GUILD MASTER
The master thief Garret makes the much needed return in this game and this time with some new looks and a better-looking world. Garrett is not only a master thief but also doesn't have anything to do with the other thieves or people which means that the player will be alone in this game. The player can also choose to wander around the city when not going through a mission. But the guards and the other thieves may not like a master thief roaming around the city. Garrett has to go through the dark corners of the city and remain undetected. But the thief also has his own unique ways of getting through the opponents.

The game will have a number of quests having some objectives, most of them will be to steal something from somewhere, and there will also be extra objectives and also some restrictions like we should not kill some one and we will also be having some notes which will help us in the mission. As long as the player does not engage much of the opponents, especially moe than oe at a time, the game is going to be very easy. Stealth also plays a major role in this game because the guards can come at you as a group or even one guard can be sometimes hard to take care of, as Garrett doesn't have that much of a defence ad has got very less health points.

THE GREATNESS OF A THIEF
The game does look great in the graphics department. The thief doesn't look too handsome, but he has been designed well, with one eye being a mechanical one and he seems to be more athletic in this game. He also has some scars and also seems to have got a bit thinner. The environment looks too good especially when we are in certain missions, and as most part of the game is dark and the player would also prefer dark areas as a thief, there is not much to complain about the large number of dark areas in the game. The sounds are also impressive as we can hear most of the people talking and this can even give us some clue for our mission. We can also listen to the foot steps of guard and the other characters so that we can hide or launch an attack on them undetected. The cutscenes are just fine.

The game allows both first person and third person camera views, but most of the time third person may be more useful. There are four difficulty levels to choose from, and not only the enemies and their strength increases, but we will also have to get more loot and also will have mroe restrictions. The difficulty playing these types of games will be even more once we get detected atleast once by some one. Not only the defence is low, the one-hit kill weapons just does not exist in this game unless we attack from the darkness and do the stealth kill. The city is a good place to check your skills. Stealing and pickpocketing can be better with some practice in the city while you are doing some free roaming as the guards there may not be as good as the ones in missions.

THE MASTER OF WEAPONS
Garrett may not belong to the modern age, but he has got a very interesting weponry. He has a mechanical eye which allows him to zoom in and out of objects, as well as a climbing glove which helps him to climb to those higher areas in the absence of a ladder. There is also the dagger which can kill the opponents in one shot if he is unaware, and the blackjack which can make them unconsious and this one is effective only when the opponent is unaware and got his back turned. Moving slowly and through the shadows always helps. As there are sometimes switches for the lights and candles can be turned off too, this won't be too hard. The blackjacks are most effective when we are not supposed to kill in some missions. The enemy AI is also good, especially at the higher levels.

There are also some explosive mines, gas grenades and flash bombs. The best thing comes in the form of the bow and arrow as there are fire, water, gas, moss, and noise maker arrows in the game. The fire arrows can set things on fire and and also finish off the undead who are only afraid of holy water if there is no fire. The water arrow allows us to exinguish those burning torches which stand in our way keeping the darkness away. We will have to use this one more frequently in the game. The gas arrows release some kind of gas and lets you get away fast. The moss arrow will provide you with a surface which makes very less sound, and it is very useful in noisy surfaces. The noise maker arrows are effective in distracting the guards and will be most helpful when we have to go through multiple enemies with no shadows to hide. Some items can be also effective when thrown, but only upto an extent.

The tutorial will teach most of these things in detail including lockpicking which may look boring, but is actually one of the easiest things in the game. These stealth-based games seems to getting better every time, as we have seen in Blood Money and also in the Deadly Shadows itself. I would say that Thief 3 is a worthy sequel and for the people who are new to the Thief series, it may take some time to learn, but it is really worth it. Unlike Hitman, the Thief Garrett is not a killer eve if some people may play this game like psychopaths. Garrett is one of the most interesting characters to be in a PC game, and this game really deserves more than it has managed to get. The other game from Ion Storm, Deus Ex: Invisible War looks more like a game of the past as we compare it to this one.

THANKS FOR READING THE REVIEW :-)

Summary: The best stealth-based game