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Forum: Games Topic: Thief v. Thief II started by: Malcolm Posted by Malcolm on May 20 2011,15:10
This non-shoot 'em up FPS Portal 2 talk has made me nostalgic for Thief, which was the first FPS I played where the objective wasn't blowing the fuck out of every other critter on the map. If you haven't grabbed it, grab it. It ought to cost next to nothing by now. It's a medieval backdrop punctuated by high notes of steampunk and enriched with a spot of gothic horror (part of the story arc revolves around you doing shyte in a haunted cathedral putting spirits to rest and such).I thought Thief was great, particularly if you went "expert" difficulty. That setting prevented you from killing any humans you came across (you could knock them unconscious for the level's duration, but it required you to get up close and personal). Then the second level comes up, you go into some catacombs, and you could kill burrowing reptilian quadrupeds and zombies. Later on, other supernatural/unnatural critters (even ghosts) could be killed with a few well-placed sword strokes. The number of humans you go up against towards the end dwindles considerably and you find yourself increasingly fighting ratmen, crabmen, giant spiders, and bipedal trees that spit swarms of insects at you. The "no kill" rule goes out the window and instead of a sneaky thief slinking in and out of shadows to grab shinies, you become more of a Riddick/assassin type, albeit without the dominating melee abilities and strength, whose job is to retrieve some ancient artifacts. A couple years later, Thief II : the Metal Age came out. It was everything the original was except way, way fewer non-humans to kill. I think the only critters it was legal to wipe out were the robots and burrowing reptiles. Whereas the first one seemed a bit worried the hack 'em up, shoot 'em up folk would be put off by overly stealthy gameplay, the second one goes hardcore stealth. I liked Thief II's tighter commitment to stealth, but one of the most fun things I did in Portal 2 was redirect a laser with a prism turning it into an impromptu energy weapon to blast other robots. So, for those who've played both, which one comes off as more fun? And just in general, is it more fun to toss in some combat in an FPS regardless of primary goals (puzzle solving a la Portal or sneaking + stealing a la Thief) or should a game stay pure? EDIT : Feel free to stop after Thief II. Thief III : Deadly Shadows was bugged to all hell and is easily the shittiest of the series. Pretend it doesn't exist. I hear Eidos has Thief IV in development, though. Posted by GORDON on May 20 2011,15:12
(Malcolm @ May 20 2011,18:10) QUOTE This non-shoot 'em up FPS Portal 2 talk has made me nostalgic for Thief, which was the first FPS I played where the objective wasn't blowing the fuck out of every other critter on the map. The Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay game was the first time I played that sort of thing. Posted by Malcolm on May 20 2011,15:14
(GORDON @ May 20 2011,17:12) QUOTE (Malcolm @ May 20 2011,18:10) QUOTE This non-shoot 'em up FPS Portal 2 talk has made me nostalgic for Thief, which was the first FPS I played where the objective wasn't blowing the fuck out of every other critter on the map. The Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay game was the first time I played that sort of thing. Riddick is a hyper-combative dude compared to Thief's protagonist. Garrett doesn't drop from twenty feet above and snap your neck. His health is a joke compared to most creatures. Butcher Bay did put me in a Thief state of mind, though. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 29 2014,19:44
Your chance to find out. Thief I-III on sale for $9.49.
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