Thief: Gold

The Good
I first recall playing ‘Thief: The Dark Project’ over the winter holidays my senior year in high school. I was so enthralled with this revolutionary game and played it so obsessively that I think Santa Claus was peeking over my shoulder at 3:00 am Christmas Eve watching me play. You have to realize that in 1998, games like ‘Quake’ and ‘Half-Life’ were the standard of the day. While they were good games, they were dreadfully linear and focused on a run-and-gun approach which could wear one’s nerves after awhile. Not so with T: TDP. Never before had I seen such well-written mythology and atmosphere in an FPS, or any other game for that matter. The “steampunk” environment was also highly intriguing; a mixture of 16th century Europe, Industrial Revolution-era England, and the American art-deco/film noir era…very strange. It’s a game I feel will be more appreciated in the future than it is now for its radical aura.

Needless to say I was ecstatic when I learned that in late ’99 the game would be reissued with the three missing levels, which couldn’t be finished in time for release. Thief Gold for the most part it is in fact the same, but much longer than the original version, and in my eyes, more complete and logical in regards to plot. Some of the niggling bugs were fixed, and the levels from the original were renovated and retooled to fit the story as it was originally envisioned. A perfect game in almost every way.

The Bad
In terms of voice acting, plot, and level design, I have no complaints whatsoever; perfect in every respect. However, the Dark Engine, which drives the game, is highly prone to bugs that can sometimes be debilitating to the game play. There were more times than I wish to remember where I got hung up on a staircase and was forced to do a quick load. There were also times where the NPCs would get stuck in similar predicaments (which could oftentimes work to your advantage). Also, the graphics were fairly dated even by ’98-’99 standards (256 textures…yes you heard me correctly), and this unfortunately turned many people away.

The Bottom Line
I say with absolute authority that this is one of the best game in history, PC or console, and my #1 game of all time (right alongside its sequel). And since it’s now priced at only $9.99, you have no excuse not to pick it up…taffer.