Thief: Deadly Shadows Preview

Thief: Deadly Shadows marks the return of the “granddaddy of stealth games”.  Once again, you, the player, will take on the role of Garrett, master thief and all around antihero.  Not much has changed for old Garrett, he’s still stealing, and he’d still just as soon be left to his pursuits of gaining wealth of others, but as anyone who’s familiar with the Thief franchise, that just isn’t going to happen.  The Keepers, one of three main factions in this medieval world, and a group with which Garrett has some history, have come to him with the hopes of enlisting his help in denying a dark prophecy that they have foretold from coming to fruition.  Since this is a preview, I will not go into the details of the story, but suffice it to say, the developers (Ion Storm) have crafted a very compelling and interesting story that is brilliantly interwoven into the gameplay.  This is of note, since they have done it so well and differently from most games.  Wherein most games, you are the passive viewer of the story, in Thief: Deadly Shadows, Ion Storm has gone to great lengths in creating the sense that you are in fact in control of the story, as the story seemingly unfolds amidst your actions.

While playing Deadly Shadows, you are presented with the option to play either from a third or a first person perspective, which is a god send for the growing legion of players like myself who find themselves at the porcelain throne after having played first person games without the Dramamine.  No matter your perspective choice, the game is imminently playable and intuitive, no small feat in and of itself.  For veterans of the Thief universe, the gameplay is still all about lurking unseen in the shadows as you try to go about your business, but the stealth mechanic has been ratcheted up several notches.  Taking a page from the Splinter Cell playbook, the game presents you with some of the most dynamic lighting and shadow effects this side of reality, for you to lurk within.  Moonlight and torches are the most common light sources you’ll find in the game, and the constant duel of light and shadow is breathtaking, especially when you come across torch carrying guards.

Also similar to Splinter Cell is the art of hiding the victims of your handiwork, but it’s a whole new monster in Thief.  While you’ll still have to hunt out the deepest, darkest of shadows and most out of the way corners to stow away bodies, you’ll now have to deal with cleaning up your mess, lest bloodstains alert more enemies.  Yep, that’s right, kill someone and you not only have to hide the body, but you also must clean the bloodstains.  Murder is messy and if you don’t want to alert anyone else to your presence, then you’d best take the time to clean up.  Surprisingly, or maybe not, this mechanic goes a long way towards creating tension so thick you can almost taste it.  You’ve got to constantly analyze so many factors as you go along such as, “If I kill this guy, will I have time to hide him and clean up before someone else comes along?  Or, should I just try to knock him out and risk him seeing me and alerting friends?”  The game keeps you constantly thinking strategizing.

Another factor in which you must deal with is sound.  Nothing new in and of itself in the stealth genre, Deadly Shadows takes it a step further.  Ion Storm has created a sound system, which takes into consideration the environment in which you find yourself, as well as the material with which the environment is created.  Startle a guard in a wide-open hallway and sound is going to travel for miles, however kill a guard in a stone room, closed off by a large wooden door, and you can pretty much have your way without alerting others.  Absolutely brilliant!

Light and sound aren’t the only factors at play in deciding whether Garrett succeeds or fails.  Garrett comes equipped with his trusty short bow and a whole slew of different arrows for different situations, including a “noisemaker” arrow with which he can use to divert attention from himself.  He’s also got his trusty blackjack for cracking skulls, as well as smoke and flash grenades for aiding in his safe escape.

Graphically, the game is absolutely gorgeous.  The architecture of the buildings is simply astounding.  You’ll find yourself just stopping to take a look around to admire the view.  The graphics also feature an impressive array of textures, further highlighted (pun intended) by the game’s lighting.  The graphics go a long way towards creating the illusion of a living, breathing world, which when combined with the game’s stellar sound and sound “physics” produces a game that could quite possible feature the most immersive environments yet.

In closing, with the popularity of such games as Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid, Thief: Deadly Shadows is poised to be a run away hit.  It was the first of the so-called “stealth” genre and these other games may have furthered the dynamics of the genre, but Garrett has not sat idly by, reemerging with a game that just might sneak away with the title of best stealth game ever.  It’s all here, graphics, sound, story, and most importantly gameplay, that the only thing that could seemingly stop it is Garrett himself stealing the code before the final game is pressed.