Set in a dark and dreary world “Thief” grants us control over a moody loner protagonist- Garrett. An old and beloved series “Thief” began in 1998 with the title “Thief: The Dark Project” and has always been known for its sneaking( a main stay for a character whose only source of income is theft). This release doesn’t lack for making the player feel and think like a thief. You constantly find yourself wondering if its worth sneaking (possibly killing) guards and civilians to get to petty treasures. And I do mean petty treasures. I’ve heard from others and seen it myself that “Thief” makes Garrett seem more like a klepto(grabbing everything valuable insight) rather than a discerning master thief. The fighting in this game also leaves much to be desired, with a shoddy club as your only means of close combat defense you find yourself pretty much on deaths doorstep if you are spotted and cannot escape quickly. The bow mechanics are well done and remind one of “Skyrim”, however they cannot be utilized in close combat pretty much at all. One could argue that this is to encourage the gamer to choose non confrontational means of progress and there are achievements available for different play styles(ghost, opportunist, and predator). The story revolves around Garrett and a young out of control named Erin. Needless to say young Erin decides she is better than Gerrett at pretty much everything and finds a desperate need to prove it- leading to disastrous results for them and the city. While the character of Garrett at times comes off likable and snarky I at least found Erin to be nothing but an annoyance who really only got what she deserved(perhaps that makes me a monster). While the game can be both fun and a challenge with various puzzles and side quests ultimately this reviewer found it near to impossible to play. With over 20 years of gaming experience in all manner of FPS and Horror games I found I could not play the game without taking dramamine (seasickness meds) and opening every window I could. This of course affected my game play and made the game at times much harder than it was ever meant to be. Be forewarned if you have ever had an issue with nausea and gaming this game will be a problem(though this and Mirrors Edge are the only games to ever induce this in me).
I’d give “Thief” a 3.5 out of 5 for the Xboxone- a fun ride at times- if you’ve got a rock for a stomach.