"Every once in a while, there's that one PC title that outshines all other entertainment; not only all other games, though most recent TV and movie offerings as well."

---from the review

-----------------

This game received the following awards:

-----------------

Sidebar :

-------------

No sidebar comments for this review... Yet. 

-----------------

Feel free to contribute. As always, review submissions are accepted!

------------------

Every once in a while, there's that one PC title that outshines all other entertainment; not only all other games, though most recent TV and movie offerings as well. These are the CD-ROMS that make me glad to be a fan. Thief 2 : The Metal Age was definitely one of those games!

This is a sequel to one of the best action adventures of recent years, Thief : The Dark Project. That game was unlike other trigger-happy, sugar-rushed quick-reflexes, shoot-everything-that-moves games, because it required you to think. Your goal was not merely to "shoot everything moving," though rather to complete your objectives with cunning: observe your enemy, hide in the shadows until the right moment, and plan your next move wisely...often completing your task, right underneath your opponents' noses. Instead of following the lead of a Schwarzenegger action film, Thief took its cue from a typical Robin Hood film; rob from the rich to give to...well, whomever. Along the way, you might even become a hero. The original game was enhanced during the '99 holidays with a Thief Gold edition, and it's still fervently recommended.

Each mission in Thief 2 has certain goals. Loading saved games reveals a screen of that mission's objectives, with the completed ones checkmarked; by the time the map loads, you know exactly where you saved that game, and what is left to be done. The result is great for those of us with little memory of every game save, with rarely any annoying feelings of beling "lost." A status screen at the end of each mission shows you what was (and was not) accomplished, including a record of what secrets you discovered. For the truly adventurous, every level includes as many as a dozen secrets (or more!), enhancing re-play value by more than a few notches.

As in most of the best game sequels, there are additional features as well. Not to let the cat out of the bag for the first game's story, though Garret lost one of his eyes, only to have it replaced in the sequel --"The Metal Age"-- with a mechanical one. This "bionic eye" feature lets you zoom in on action far ahead of you, to better view your surroundings. Later in the game, Garret discovers a small "Scouting Orb" (remote camera), which he can throw far ahead, to see even farther! Such orbs offer an amusing fish-eye lens, floor-height view of the action, as you remain safe in the shadows. What an awesome enhancement to the game!

Thief fans will love the return of favorite characters. The mysterious Keepers are back, and the prophesy alluded to in the original game is finally revealed. The first mission includes Basso the Boxman, whom you saved in the Expert Level of one of the first Thief 1 missions. People who asked "whatever became of..." about one of the prior game's villains, will be pleasantly surprised with yet another return appearance (though I'll leave that one a surprise for now). Voices are also identical to the ones used in the first game, which enhances continuity.

As for the story, it's a perfect blend of a classic Robin Hood tale, and modern sci-fi/fantasy. A new enemy, Sheriff Trewart, is up to no good, and is about to rid the city of...well, you! Helping the sherriff is a new group of religious zealot adversaries, called the Mechanists. These Mechs spend their time making mysterious machines that may not be as much of a "help" to society as implied. At the extreme least, they are made of steel, and cannot be attacked by regular weapons. Sometimes, a camera "eye" can be turned off by a nearby switch...sometimes not. On the other hand, most robots can be de-activated by shooting a well-placed water arrow into the furnace on their backs. However, you'll have to sneak behind them to do it; talk about unique challenges in stealth and cunning!

Adding to the difficulty level (and thrill of gameplay) is better AI. Doused torches cause big commotion in the more skittish guards and other passers by. A security alarm you turn off may be turned on again by a passing guard, if they suspect something is amis. Gas lamps you watered down can be re-lit by a nearby guard, making hiding in the shadows even more difficult. While no guard can re-activate a robot, their deactivations cause an even bigger commotion (my advice; only douse a robot's power sourse, when the robot is out of view of any guard).

As for the missions, there are 16 of them, each with their own level of unique challenge. In one mission, you are not to be noticed by anyone, and cannot even knock out a single guard or sentry. This entire mission must be walked in the shadows --what little there is of them-- and is one of the grittiest moments in the game. In a different mission, you must infiltrate a gigantic bank, complete with humongous steel vault and security cameras galore. One other mission has you entering a police station, and framing the Sheriff himself (why didn't Robin Hood think of that one...?). For people sick of the typical shoot-everything 3D title, this is incredible fun!

Gripes here are few, and unimportant. There has been some flak over the ending, though I personally liked it. After all, it isn't an open ending per se, and only leaves the door ajar for further games. It's also quite uplifting to hear from The Master Keeper (and close friend to Garret) that this is not the only prophesy; there is much more in store for Garret...provided, of course, that fans wish for another sequel to be made.

Count on it.

---Techtite