Thief: Deadly Shadows

"Hey Garret, could you please sign this for me, I have a friend that is going crazy on me because I know you…" Those are the very words of your supplier in the Stone Market Proper District. Don't get me wrong I don't envy the man, but autographs, that is something I never expected to see in a medieval game about harsh living…

Welcome to the world of Thief 3, the game made by Eidos and developed by Ion Storm. This game is of the rare stealth game genre, that take you away from all the shoot-everything-on-sight games (don't get me wrong I don't hate those games, I just despise them).

Thief 3 Deadly shadows, offers you freedom right from the start, as you enter the game (after the introductory levels) you find yourself mingling with the city people which gives you the freedom to do what you like. With a lot of areas that you can access (side areas) where you can find notes and books to read that lead you to different side quests. Apart from that you always have your Keeper buddies that will give you some missions to finish. The missions will always be of the same type; steal this and steal that, after all that’s what a thief does (which occasionally would get boring, but the side quests, storyline and incidents in each area of a mission brings in new life). Depending on your factions you can use entrances and short cuts located in their areas. I suggest being friendly with both.

The game kicks off with two beginners missions, the first being a full tutorial for those that are still new to the trilogy, and the second just to train you and help you learn the ropes and what the game feels like later on. The first tutorial level takes you inside a little inn where you need to steal an object using a detailed step by step system where everything is thoroughly explained in the game. The only thing that might be bothering you around here are that these aren’t skippable for existing fans (though they might need the tutorial to get to learn about the new features like the picking a lock system).People that might replay the game after it ends, are also unable to skip the first two story missions despite not being essential to the storyline.

The game’s story revolves around the Keeper’s Prophecy of a Dark Age (another one) that will befall the city, and the only way to know any information about it, is through a book written with an ancient language that only Keeper Interpreter Caduca knows. Throughout the game you will be given scraps of information about this Dark Age, until you complete the first two primary missions which will then give you permission to enter the Keeper's Library. You will find many books and notes lying around for you to read and learn more about the Dark Age or the Keepers. As you start the game you will only have access to three areas out of 6 (They are in order South Quarter, Stone Market Plaza, Stone Market Proper, Old District, Audale and the Keepers compound). With the new missions you finish, specifically the first two you will then learn the secret of the Glyph (and technically become a Scriber yourself). The other areas will then be open to you through the Glyph doors. The story is well written and balanced, you are in for a good surprise at the end of the game, though, if I were you, I would start to watch your back while you can.

The people at Ion Storm have spent tireless nights to bring this game one step towards reality. With the new systems installed in this game, I have to tell you, that those guys and gals deserve a pat on the back and a couple of cheers. One of the new elements in the game is the Lock Picking system, Garret will use his lock pick to unlock doors and chests. Another new system is the Factions, with two main factions dwelling in every corner in the game. You will need some allies out there specially to aid you when you need it the most, and those are the Pagans, the Humans and Beasts that worship the Trickster god, and they are the group that uses nature's green creatures like trees to prosper in life, and the Hammer. The Humans (men only, don't know why) that worship The Builder god. Both factions are rivals to each other, and both have side quests everywhere for you to complete, but the catch is that you can only complete it for one of them and not both. Making a run back into the game the Water, Fire, and normal arrows along with the blackjack and the dagger, there is the moss arrow and the gas arrow even, which you shoot at opponents to knock them down immediately.

The game system has changed a little, instead of adding equipment before each mission from a window and being limited by how much weight you can carry, you now have several fences and suppliers throughout the different parts of the city. Each of them sells a unique item that the others don't have. Money is your only worry as there are almost no limitations on the equipment you can bring with you to any level (after all arrows aren't that heavy, are they?). Each fence buys two of the three types of loots you find (being Gems, Art Work and Artifacts) and each of the suppliers will only sell one of the four elemental arrows (which are Gas, Fire, Water, Moss). You are required to get to know which fence buys which items so you save a lot of running around and time.

The development team seemed to do a good job developing the graphics system; the new system is polished and renders great environments as well as details. More than once I stopped to admire the environment around me and how detailed it was, whether it is a cave, a mansion or the city.

The AI isn't that great, it isn't disappointing, but surely it can be better. I watched more than once when a guard carefully stated "I must be imagining things, there is definitely no one here" and that is when he saw me under a light with my gem fully illuminated. Other than that the system works fine, more than once I saw opponents circle around obstacles and use different routes to get to me when I was discovered. If they had made a little more effort on the AI, the game would be more real than it is now, but all in all the AI system is ok but it shows how humans made it with those flaws.

For fans of the series, don't miss this one, it is the best of them and with new elements added, you will enjoy yourself a lot, and replaying wouldn't be that boring anymore since you will find more than one way to get things done. With the side quests you can take a break every now and then. For those that are new to the series, you don't have to play the first two to get the hang of it, the first two levels are more than enough for you to know how things are done, and the story depends on the other games but you could understand what is going on quickly (though knowing the other releases would be better). This game is a must have for those that like to play a game that offer something more than shoot-everything-you-see type of games, definitely something that can fall in the category as Splinter Cell and Max Payne (when it was a good game at that time).