Sometimes I hate playing the hero. Maybe that’s why I liked
Thief: The Dark Project so much.

How many times do we end up playing
the knight in shining armor, the determined journalist, or even the ace detective?
Every once in a while, what you really want is to be is the outlaw, the scoundrel,
the definitive anti-hero. To hell with saving the world and rescuing the
damsel in distress, I want to see what’s in it for me.

Here’s your chance.
In Looking Glass Studio’s brilliantly conceived game, you play Garrett, the master
thief. Remember when Indiana Jones fought bravely just so some ancient relic could
be put in its proper place in a museum? Well, you want that same relic, but you
have no intentions of putting it up for display.

Story

Years
ago, when Garrett was just a young punk on the streets, he picked the wrong pocket–that
being of one of the mysterious “Keepers.” Instead of punishing the boy,
the Keeper was impressed with Garrett’s skills and recruited him to be one of
their own. The story of Thief really begins years later, just as Garrett
has broken free of the Keepers. Fed up with their secret agendas and cryptic ways,
you (as Garrett) decide to head out on your own and put your thieving skills to
good use. Its seems the city is full of rich lords and barons who have a bit too
much wealth on their hands. There’s enough to go around for everyone, right?

Quickly,
your path takes some strange twists and turns. After taking a few jobs through
your fence Cutty, some peculiar benefactors hire you to obtain a bizarre and ancient
artifact, and your expeditions switch to a more supernatural and macabre setting.
The risks are greater, but then again, so are the rewards. Making your life very
interesting throughout your excursions is a radical and overly pious faction known
as the Hammerites. Above all, they believe righteous persons are guided by a being
known only as “The Builder” and that an evil essence named “The
Trickster” will one day return to wreak havoc on your land. They also prove
to be a hilarious bunch as they wander around and babble their religious sayings.

Don’t forget your old “friends,” the Keepers–they love to get
involved and try to bend you to their will and influence your path. After all,
you were one of their brightest students. All these forces playing against each
other throughout the game makes for a rather intriguing scenario, and it even
seems a bit political at times.

Environment

Looking Glass designed
the “Dark Engine” specifically for this game and went on to use it in
another one of their big hits, System Shock 2. The engine is fully 3D and
real-time, and you move about your missions in much the same way that you would
in a game of Quake or Unreal. This is quite deceptive, however,
and you’ll quickly learn that this adventure is quite the opposite of your usual
shoot-’em-up.

The setting in Thief is a dark and devious one. Garrett’s
world is a little gloomy and dismal but still extremely interesting and detailed.
Think of a medieval backdrop, combined with the beginning of the industrial age.
Looking Glass has done a great job and created some beautiful scenes and absorbing
landscapes. To accompany all of this, you’ll quickly be enveloped by the strange
and eerie ambient noise all around you.

Sound plays a major role in Thief.
During your excursions, you’ll be able to pick up clues from guards conversing
on the streets. You’ll also hear them whistle or clear their throat as they walk
around on patrol, cluing you in as to where they are located. Garrett himself
will chime in once in a while, with a funny quip or observation on his current
predicament.

You’ll need to watch where you step, literally. The guards
have an extremely keen sense of hearing, and if you go running over wooden and
tiled floors, you’ll quickly alert the battalion. Instead, stick to the stone
floors and carpets, and use your moss arrows sparingly to soften the ground on
loud areas.

Gameplay

The concept of Thief is so unique
and contrary to most other 3D games, you’ll be amazed. They key here is stealth
and agility. If you’re hoping to kick some butt, please look elsewhere. You can
(and sometimes are required to) go through an entire level without ever hurting
or killing anyone.

The shadows are your friends. The less you are visible
the better, and the fewer confrontations you engage in, the higher your chances
for success. If you run at guards with your sword unveiled, well, let’s just say
that I hope you save often. Garrett’s real forte is the art of not being seen,
sneaking by his enemies, and leaving without a trace.

To help, you have
some nifty equipment at your disposal. You are outfitted with a bow that draws
some rather unorthodox arrows, which include water arrows for dousing torches
(thus creating dark areas), gas arrows for knocking out enemies, and rope arrows
to get to those hard-to-reach areas. Eventually you’ll learn that when you’re
really in a pinch, blackjacking someone from behind is one of the best ways to
clear the way. Just make sure you move that unconscious body before the next watch
arrives.

Whether you are creeping around a noble’s mansion, foraging through
an ancient crypt, or invading the Hammerites’ prison, you can only come to one
conclusion–the levels in Thief are pure genius. Complex and innovative,
they serve a dual purpose of defining Garrett’s world and creating interesting
individual scenarios. The levels themselves are huge–most will take you several
hours to navigate with many hidden areas and alternate routes.

Thief has
a mission structure that works perfectly, like chapters in a novel. One of the
highlights of the game is the briefing you receive before starting each mission.
The voice used for Garrett’s narration is awesome, and you really begin to believe
Garrett is a living, breathing person. In fact, you’ll be anxious to finish a
level so you can hear the subsequent intro. There are also a few cutscenes to
move the story along, which are very well-done. One in particular will leave your
jaw dropping.

There are no puzzles per se in Thief, but you receive
multiple objectives that require completion before moving on. Do yourself a favor
and get the most out of this game–play on expert. Unlike other games that simply
make the enemies harder on higher skill levels, you instead receive additional
objectives and more things to do. Over the duration of the entire game, I’d say
this expands the length of your gaming experience by as much as 20 percent.

Finale

Looking
Glass has quite a history of creating great games, but they really have outdone
themselves here. It’s hard to find any fault when you have a fantastic story,
unique gameplay, and good graphics and sound to back it up. It’s difficult to
even categorize it in any known genre. There will be people who try to convince
you it’s too slow-moving and the graphics are only average, but so be it. While
they’re complaining, I’ll be creeping through the shadows, finding new ways to
sneak into some baron’s castle and lift his prized possessions.

Final
Grade: A+

If you liked Thief: The Dark Project:
Watch:
Thief (James Caan, 1981)
Read: Robin of Sherwood
Play: Thief 2: The Metal Age

Note: If you are buying
Thief: The Dark Project for the first time, look for the Gold version.
It contains three extra missions interspersed between the original twelve.

System
Requirements: P166
32 MB RAM
Win95

3D accelerator recommended