Thief: The Dark Project is a really interesting case for me.
On one hand, it offers one of the most thoughtful and well designed stealth experiences the medium has to offer, completely putting most other takes on the genre to shame nearly thirty years later. This is something particularly shocking to me, considering Thief apparently wasn't even supposed to be a stealth game for most of its development.
And... it kind of shows. The full blown supernatural levels of Thief are the biggest sticking point for a lot of people, me included. Levels like the infamous Down in the Bonehoard are very interesting conceptually, but in practice feel mechanically incongruent an a way that can really drag down the overall experience for me. It's safe to say I don't really like these levels, but the way they work in tandem with Thief's overall tone is so well executed that I could never see myself ever outright disliking them.
Thief is extremely dark, brooding, and aggressively late 90's. And when I say that, I mean in the most sincere and endearing way possible. Stuff like the opening cutscene and Stephen Russel's portrayal of Garrett have this angst to them that does an outstanding job at setting the mood for the rest of the game. That combined with the fascinating setting and killer ambient tracks elevate this game to something that me and many others will look back on fondly for more than just it's revolutionary take on the stealth genre.
When Thief puts its best foot forward, it strikes me as one of the most immersive and standout games that I've played this year, but it doesn't really play things straightforward. A decision that despite being for better or worse, resulted in a game that was able to steal my heart in spite of it all.
On one hand, it offers one of the most thoughtful and well designed stealth experiences the medium has to offer, completely putting most other takes on the genre to shame nearly thirty years later. This is something particularly shocking to me, considering Thief apparently wasn't even supposed to be a stealth game for most of its development.
And... it kind of shows. The full blown supernatural levels of Thief are the biggest sticking point for a lot of people, me included. Levels like the infamous Down in the Bonehoard are very interesting conceptually, but in practice feel mechanically incongruent an a way that can really drag down the overall experience for me. It's safe to say I don't really like these levels, but the way they work in tandem with Thief's overall tone is so well executed that I could never see myself ever outright disliking them.
Thief is extremely dark, brooding, and aggressively late 90's. And when I say that, I mean in the most sincere and endearing way possible. Stuff like the opening cutscene and Stephen Russel's portrayal of Garrett have this angst to them that does an outstanding job at setting the mood for the rest of the game. That combined with the fascinating setting and killer ambient tracks elevate this game to something that me and many others will look back on fondly for more than just it's revolutionary take on the stealth genre.
When Thief puts its best foot forward, it strikes me as one of the most immersive and standout games that I've played this year, but it doesn't really play things straightforward. A decision that despite being for better or worse, resulted in a game that was able to steal my heart in spite of it all.
gruel
3 months ago