Review by: Jim Richmond
Published: June 18, 2004

Companies come and go; that’s just the way of business. However, when a video game house that produced groundbreaking classics gets shuttered, it feels more like a death in the family than another day at the office. Such was the case in early 2000 when Looking Glass Studios closed its doors and took the hope of a much anticipated second sequel to the Thief series with it. Fortunately, developer Ion Storm picked up the license rights to this cornerstone of the stealth genre and began working feverishly on giving Garrett another chance to prowl the streets. Thief: Deadly Shadows has finally made it to a store near you, so steal off to a quiet spot and read our review before deciding wether or not to rob your piggy bank for a copy.

As in previous outings, Deadly Shadows lets you slip into the jaded hide of Garrett, a master thief who lives his life in the shadows. In the city where Garrett lives, crime and corruption are the norm, the wealthy prey on the poor, and magic and machinery manage an uneasy coexistence. Attempting to keep the fabric of the town from unraveling are the Keepers, a secretive organization that pulls the strings of society and trained Garrett as a youth. According to the Keepers’ books of glyph prophesies, a Dark Age is speeding toward the city, and Garrett’s name is at the center of it all. When the Keepers turn to Garrett to help solve the riddle of the upcoming era, he reluctantly agrees to work with them once again to uncover the town’s darkest secrets.

As someone who thought a lot of the first two Thief games, I wondered what the change of developers would do to my beloved series. Happily, the core principals that made Thief a legend are wholly intact, but there have been a few changes. For starters, after completing the first two missions (essentially, what’s offered in the downloadable demo), Deadly Shadows breaks away from the linear mission structure of previous outings. Between engagements, Garrett can wander through his hometown, a borough comprised of five primary sections, and has opportunities to “liberate{ loot from houses and businesses, fence ill-gotten gain, buy weapons and items, and complete tasks that require his special touch for some extra coin.

Being that Deadly Shadows is a stealth-oriented title, Garret can’t boldly wander the city without causing a stir any more than he can sing show tunes when he breaks into a noble’s home. While he has never been caught, the authorities have their suspicions about Garrett, so when he’s out, he has to stick to the shadows and keep an eye open for the City Watch, who will attack him on sight. In certain sections of the town, Garrett’s picture is displayed in crime posters, so he must also keep from being seen by civilians, who will run immediately to alert the guards.