Thief: The Dark Project

The Good
Thief puts you the shoes (though you can never see them) of Garrett. He's a cynical guy, and all he wants to do is earn enough to keep himself alive... and well off. Set in an industrially developing world, there is this medievel meets modernization atmosphere. It makes for some very interesting sneaking. And sneak you will. Garret isn't exactly built to be in GQ (Guardsmen's Quatrerly). You DO have a sword, in case you get caught, but you will seldom survive two such encounters. Thus you rely on your trusty blackjack and bow. The blackjack comes in very handily for getting rid of that guard that keeps roaming the halls. One shot to the back of the head is all it takes. Of course you have to get behind him without giving yourself away. Should you want to dispatch them from a distance, the bow is very useful. Or, should you not want to kill anyone (which is mandatory in the harder settings), you can shoot an arrow into the corner over there. The guard will investigate the sound, leaving you to sneak past him. You can also get several useful arrows that have nothing to do with killing. The moss arrow can carpet a noisy floor so you can cross unheard. The noisemaker arrow does a better job of distracting your enemies than a simple broadhead. The rope arrow can get you to higher ground. And water arrows can extinguish those pesky torches.
Sound plays an important part in this game, as it can (and usually does) save your life. You can hear guards walking the halls so you can avoid them, or even pick up bits of information if you catch some of a conversation. This is the thinking man's Quake.

The Bad
Thief can be very difficult, even on the easiest setting. Charging into a room blindly makes for a lot of reloads. Even if you are careful, there are many mistakes that can be made.

The Bottom Line
If you are tired of running around shooting at anything that moves, you should try this game. You will still be afraid of things moving in the shadows (though most of the time it will be you), and now you have to be afraid of things you hear in the shadows as well, but this gives the game the appropriate atmosphere. Happy Filching.