![]() The missions where you break into a large estate to steal valuables are perhaps best representative of the general stealth gameplay loop that inspired so many future titles and what Thief is likely best remembered for, but one thing I was completely surprised by when playing was that those missions encompass only about half the game, maybe less. Keep in mind, Garrett is exceptional as a thief, and it’s not likely anyone playing this game could ever actually pull off the kind of heists in each mission, but the sense of being alone in a large, unfamiliar complex where being spotted could easily mean your death borders on survival horror territory at times and the confusing navigation and slow, deliberate feeling of the controls plays a big part of engaging you in the situation. I’ve played plenty of first-person action games since that use similar elements and other stealth series like Splinter Cell have utilized many of these basic gameplay functions, but this is about as far back in time I can think of where it all comes together to create an experience that feels so palpable. It cultivates a relatable sense of awareness between oneself and the environment that really was quite rare for first-person titles in the early-to-mid nineties. In Thief, combat is clunky and a bit strenuous, each footstep needs to be kept track of, light and sound can either help or hinder you depending on how you use them, and the sprawling manors and catacombs you investigate means every minute, you’re having to stop and check your cheap hand-drawn map for some sense of guidance towards an object or person of undisclosed location. While mowing down enemies in Half-Life and Duke Nukem 3D is plenty of fun, there’s an inevitable disconnect between the player and the avatar when the protagonist can just cut through enemies and keep moving in a blaze of nonstop action. While seamless first-person action-adventures centered on storytelling and varied environmental design weren’t necessarily uncommon and highly acclaimed and influential titles such as 1994’s System Shock and even Half-Life (which was released just a couple weeks before Thief) set pretty high standards in creating engaging 3D first-person experiences, I can’t think of a single game prior that captures a sense of truly “being” in the shoes of the protagonist as Thief. Considering that so many of the revered classic first-person action titles before 1998 emphasized combat and generally loud approaches to situations, Thief must have been pretty unique to audiences back in the late 90s.
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