Thief II: The Metal Age

Thief II is what I believe to be one of the greatest games ever made (and I've played a lot...). However, it is not your usual experience. In this game they have taken everything from the prequel and improved it. They have removed such annoying elements such as undead (with a really scary exception), and instead focused on more variation in missions.

And since finding all the money on the same level is almost impossible and given three rather different difficulties, Thief II has a great replay value. At least three times, which is more than most games today.

While graphics may not be top-notch anymore (and they weren't when it came, either), it does not negatively effect the game-play. Sounds are wonderful, especially the dialouges and small-talk between the NPCs and the whistling guards. Music is unfortunately very background, and is very seldom special. This does not matter that much, though, since the player will be so into the game that he/she will have a hard time quitting (at least I had...).

All in all, buy it if you can and like sneaking games. It's not very hard to find cheap, at least not where I live, but even for a higher price it is definitely worth it. I payed full price when I got it, since it was new by the time, and that is not something I regret. One of the top-five PC games of all time!

Thief is a totally unique playing experience and the only game to keep me captivated, not just for months, but for years! I have tried newer games, enjoyed them to a certain extent, but always find them lacking in the end. None of them can match the immersiveness of Thief II:TMA or Thief TDP (Thief 1).

Even though both Thief games have been out for a number of years, there is a huge fanbase still playing the original games as well as the hundreds of Fan Missions that are available, with new ones being produced each week. Many of them have surpassed the original game missions in both quality and game play.

If you haven't tried it, then what are you waiting for!

like stealth? love the darkness? then get thief and thief 2!! no other games have ever kept me in such suspense, action, and excitement as these two have! the gameplay rules, the story rules, the graphics are outstanding, the sound rules, and Garrett is one of my favorite video game characters!! this is short, but the bottom line is, get these games!!!!!

In the already established conflict of progress and nature, the former won and the latter is in steady decline. The City(still the setting, which, along with several area revisits, allows us to see the change said victory has wrought) has gone from a theocracy(who needs strict rules when the threat is gone?) to a police state, under the corruptible rule of Sheriff Truart. Hammerites remain, but are out of power. The Keepers watch carefully as the "cousin" of aforementioned order, the Mechanists, gain influence. Under the leadership of Father Karras, they manufacture and sell the technological wonders of industrialism. The other major faction, the Pagans, are all but gone. With this imbalance(this continues the stimulating exploration of universal themes, with no judgment, merely bringing up pros and cons alike of different ways of doing things), something horrible may soon happen… of course, Garrett(Russell, speaking in a hushed, secretive, in-control voice) doesn't care about any of this. Until he's targeted, and has to unravel a conspiracy to ensure the one thing he truly cares about... his own neck.

In most ways, this is like the original – hence it accurately being called "essentially an add-on". You move between shadows, hiding out of the light, and always aware of the surface you're on(stone is noisy, wood less so, carpet is completely silent) as well as how fast you move across it. You and NPCs alike can tell where each other are based on the sound that travels(they'll cough, or say something to make it clear if they're aware of you, or downright spotted you), and sight. The here-upgraded Dark Engine has accurate(somewhat; this was the first attempt at it) physics, meaning anything can be picked up, thrown, etc. Graphics remain the weak point(even with the few glitches), though the attention to detail of it, and the audio, are what make this such an atmosphere-laden, immersive experience. Piecing together what is going on is done mainly via the quotes from sacred texts usually found in pre-mission briefings(making great use of silhouettes both to maintain the mood and somewhat to hide visual limitations), notes/books and overheard conversations, rather than relying on the narrow perspective of the protagonist – he isn't interested. Let me be blunt here, his unflinching amorality is definitely part of his appeal.

They listened to feedback; this is what the audience wanted. Switching world-building for story starting sooner and being more intricate, nearly eliminating undead and supernatural encounters, and placing you almost exclusively in urban locations, this is the all-stealth title that it should be - you are never forced to truly reveal yourself(you may even be able to ghost it... depending on your skill, you choose the circumstances of encounters, whether to harm or only knock out, and whether to leave everything untouched). Levels are varied, vast(necessary to allow for the increased complexity of them, the map now highlights where you are, and shows where you've been), with multiple paths(shortcuts are discovered, along with risk, and reward, as you explore), non-linear in layout and approach, ranging from a bank, several mansions, dockside warehouses and the woods. You frame, steal, tail, case and more. After the period was established, we get an adventure within it, where expectations are played with. Twists and clever writing abound, credible, fleshed out and focused.

With three difficulty settings(determining how many objectives you have to complete; this tends to ask you to infiltrate, accomplish something, and get safely back out), this will challenge everyone, and, with respect(I don't always feel like this kind of experience, either) it is not for the impatient, action-demanding or casual gamers(to put it another way: those who don't actually want a sneaking VG). It took me 40 and a half hours to complete, as a bit of a perfectionist... without finding everything, however. Given all there is to find, this is fairly replayable. The easy to use interface remains - played an FPS? You can sit right down and play this. It is your playground, to do what you will - provided, of course, that you stay on top of things, and earn the freedom(of where to go, what to do, etc.). As long as you accomplish what you're out to do, it's very open. Unfortunately, certain issues have not been fixed. You can't tell if an object will be picked up or added to the inventory. At times, you get stuck in surroundings, sometimes even requiring loading to proceed. And you still aren't ensured quietly disengaging from ladders or ropes.

In addition to humans, you now also have to deal with electronic foes. Sentries, cameras and robot guards(with a furnace on their back, which you can use to your advantage), all dangerous, hard to deal with and tense like you wouldn't believe. Adorned with the face of Helios as carved in marble, they will investigate anything they think is off. Your manufactured eye allows you to zoom at any time(similar to when the bow is at its strongest), as well as engage Scouting Orbs - a slightly bouncy ball(throw it over a wall, or down from up above) that, once landed, you look through, and can turn 360 degrees, for as long as you want - to gather intel, take note of patrol paths, etc. You can even pick it up and reuse it, as much as you want! New potions include Invisibility(!) and Slow Fall, the latter allowing you to survive far drops. We also get the much-needed Flare, that you can hold or toss, and will last you some seconds. You can affect your surroundings as far as getting past enemies unseen, such as by using special arrows - Water to douse a torch, Moss to grant something to walk on that won't give you away, etc.

There is a lot of disturbing content and some bloody violence in this. I recommend this to any fan of steampunk and games that reward planning and taking care with everything you do in a game. 8/10

Even after almost three years, Thief: The Dark Project remains my favourite game of all time. Thief II: The Metal Age, while not as good in terms of the plot, or of the characters, is still an excellent game and comes highly recommended.

In my (quite extensive) knowledge of FP computer games, no other game comes close to recreating the tense atmosphere. Just you wait until you get to the "Haunted Library" in the levels "Casing the Joint" and "Masks" - you'll see what I mean!!! :)

The Dark Engine (on which the game is based) may look slightly dated now compared to newer games, but it has some fantastic features. The best of which is the sound-propogation. Thief II (as with the original) relies heavily on situational awareness, and the Dark Engine pulls it off superbly - just by listening, you can tell exactly where the enemy is, whether just around the corner or walking around on the floor above. Add to this the Environmental Audio effects and I can guarantee that you'll not sleep for a week!!!

On the whole, I preferred the undead from the original game to the new mechanical monsters in this game as an adversary, but none-the-less, Thief II is an excellent game with a huge fan base.

If you haven't bought this game yet, buy it now. It'll get you into practice for the third game in the series, under construction by Ion Storm Austin (of Deus Ex fame), and is currently estimated to be released in the Autumn of 2002 (but I personally think it may be a little later!)