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Thief Deadly Shadows

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    Thief Deadly Shadows

    So far, so good.

    The training level requires you to break into an Inn, search the reception area for the log-book in order to find the room number of the person you need to find (and thief a bag of loot from). As you sneak about the very helpful advice teaches you just about everything you need to know. The final room when you actually meet up with the guy is very tense, as he is sitting by a fire (thus the light is quite strong) and there is a guard roaming about. It's also cool because there is a bar area you can dive behind, which is always fun.

    This game plays and feels exactly like Thief 1 and 2. So far the levels have been well created and surprisingly have a large number of different routes which you have the choice to take. Though you have strict primary objectives that you must complete as the game wants you too, getting there is a fairly non-linear experience. Also looting goods to build up money is good. The guards all have their little sayings and chat with each other, and is often amusing.

    I've been in a few fights so far, and I've lost every one. Because the game is so dark Ion Storm have implemented a lovely 'zoom' feature that turns the brightness up and changes the game to black and white, but when moving fast or performing an action this turns off, and so fighting in the dark is very difficult.

    Lock-picking features heavily, and is similar to Splinter Cell. You have to twiddle the left stick until the pad rumbles, and then do this three times until the lock is undone. So far every lock has had the rumble in exactly the same place, which I guess shows that each is the same lock...hopefully later on there will be some differences.

    Framerate seems perfectly fine to me, as do the loading screens. Graphics are very similar to Deus Ex: IW, but slightly cleaner and in my opinion, the setting suits the technology better than in Invisible War. Along with the shadows, there is a really lovely effect when standing near a window. Well, it impressed me anyway

    The map will cause people problems because it doesn't tell you where you are at any time - just your starting point. Map reading skills are needed...

    I've encounted one fairly major bug so far unfortunately - the sound completely messed up. Rather than speaking or footsteps, I just got a load of clicks coming from the speaker. A reload of a save sorted that one out (saving\loading a game only takes a few seconds).

    Not got to the City part of the game yet, so can't say what that is like.

    I'm enjoying this loads, and fans of the original will also.

    #2
    Sounding good, one for the list I think. How well do the inventory/item and control systems work Pete, are they similar to DX:IW?

    Comment


      #3
      The controls are similar to DX, except when you pick something up it doesn't block the entire screen.

      I can't remember the inventory system in DX, but it is fine here. There are two slots for weapons which are always used up by the blackjack and dagger, plus six slots for different arrows. These are all handled with the black button to scroll through and the right trigger to use.
      On the white button, you can scroll through the different items - left trigger to use. There seems to only be six slots for items. So far I've only seen health and flashbangs (which are quite effective).

      By holding down either the B or W button, you can select an item a lot quicker by also using the stick.

      Comment


        #4
        There's a couple of tweaks and mods out that make the health bar and light meter less intrusive which can be found on the Eidos' forums.

        Initially I didn't think much of the game and passed it off as a poor man's Splinter Cell, but having spent a bit more time with the demo it's starting to grow on me. The guards AI can be quite convincing during battles with all the insults and grunting and even when they're looking for you. There's a few inconsistencies like being allowed to blow out some candles and yet not other identical looking one's, and it's a shame you can't crouch with your back against the wall.

        Other than that its a good game and the lighting on a 9800pro and catylyst's 4.4's is really something to behold.

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          #5
          I take it the tweaks won't work on the xbox version Besides, I don't really find them intrusive at all, especially as the health bar on appears when you are actually losing health...

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            #6
            Let us know when you hit the city, Pete. The most worrying thing I've heard was that the zones were very small, similar in size to DX2. As this is what ultimately snuffed out my flame for DX2, these tiny claustrophobic locations hemming me in with a nice fat loading screen on either side, stifling my will to explore, I'm interested to know how Thief compares.

            Can you get inside every building?

            Also, let us know what it's like when you shoot a flaming arrow into a puddle of oil just as an enemy is walking through.

            Comment


              #7
              Thief 3 is too similar to the previous Thief titles for my liking. It's basically a graphical update with some new levels (which is cool if that's all you want)

              The game isn't difficult - and sneaking passed ppl, or knocking them out, feels like a chore . 'I know i'm going to be able to get through this room, but can I be bothered spending 5 minutes doing it'

              Still, it's a Thief game through and through - and the gfx are very pretty (love the shadows) The city is quite neat too.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by H-Man
                Thief 3 is too similar to the previous Thief titles for my liking.
                To be honest, that sounds perfect, considering the main worry among NTSC-uk visitors and other forums was that it wouldn't be enough like previous Thief titles! Fears of a Deux Ex-style rejigging were abundant.

                I'm guessing that for Thief n00bs like me, who've never owned a PC, the Xbox version will be quite agreeable.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I've reached the City now, and it isn't all that bad to be honest. Sure, there are loading times that are slightly too long, but there is quite a lot of stuff to do within each section. I have an objective to reach within the City, but so far I've mostly ignored it (though this is partly because I'm lost). Each section isn't very large, but I can't say it is bothering me at the moment.

                  I've already sneaked about and found two other thieves planning an attack on a building, but I put a stop to that by stealing the map and so I can undertake the objective myself (not sure if that is a sub-mission or main one yet) and I've also raided the Police departments' (guards) building in one of the city areas, which I found quite amusing. Got quite a bit of loot out of that...

                  It's slightly disappointing that many of the buildings you cannot enter, however there is still some depth. There are merchants selling stuff on the street, and it was quite amusing to get them to turn around (by for examply throwing a loaf of bread at them) and quickly stealing everything and running off before they turned around again. "Hey, where'd everything go?". Muahaha.

                  Also completely unexpected was the jail, which I found myself in after getting a bit too cocky when stealing money off guards who are walking about. I screwed up in the jail and was killed by the guards, but it doesn't look too difficult to escape.

                  It's quite cool when a normal innocent spots you and runs off to find a guard, they have a little chat with each other. "I'm sure I saw him, he was over there!", "you better not be lieing to me!" etc. It doesn't quite work and is obviously heavily scripted, but it does a lot for the atmosphere.

                  The game is really enjoyable in my opinion, though this is because it is so similar to the Thief series. There are one or two odd things though, such as opening and closing doors is done so incredibly loudly, yet it doesn't alert anyone (even when they are in the same room). Same with lock-picking. Ok it isn't a major issue, but it does harm the atmosphere slightly. The blackjack seems to be fairly random - sometimes you take an enemy out without any problems, other times they just turn around and ask "what was that?". You can also open doors and pick up loot from a very long way away, which is a little bit disappointing also as it takes away some of the skill.

                  I'm only a few hours into it and have not even reached the third mission proper, but so far this is going well. I'm enjoying it more than I did Invisi War, which I just cannot get into no matter how many times I try.

                  The game works well on the Xbox pad, I've not bothered with the 3rd person view at all because the 1st person works so well.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I am VERY impressed with Thief 3. Everything such as the graphics, sounds, AI, scripting, missions and theif abilities scream of quality.

                    I'm only on the third mission but have spent a whole day exploring the city pick-pocketing people, breaking into houses, stealing valuables and completing subquests all within the central hub.

                    Graphically it's a marked improvement from DE:IW and given that the game is naturally dark the lighting effects are really shown off well. The sound also compliments the game very well too; the music is atmospheric and dialogue between NPCs is used to accelerate the story, It's also really fun to listen to guards grumble about how they hate their superiors as they walk past you in the shadows.

                    Only let-downs so far are that the clipping problems seen in DE:IW are still evident although not as noticable given the darkness and that loading times are quite long, this was eased slightly by *cough* ripping the game to the HD.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I had a look at this around a friends house last night .... whats the problem with the frame rate, its running less than 30 fps and then gets even slower when any fancy lighting is on screen... But then again it is the DE2 engine... and it shows.. Its laughable when you but it next to Splinter cells engine, and that aint anything special.

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                        #12
                        There is no framerate problem, it's just websites such as IGN have brainwashed you into thinking that anything below 60fps is unacceptable. Thief 3 is perfectly playable, and to be honest I've not noticed the framerate dropping at all.

                        But then, I don't care about silly things like that so don't go looking for it.

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                          #13
                          WTF!.. no framerate problems... hahahah.. are you been serious? Its a dog...

                          Sorry i dont read IGN, my thought on FPS is that i like to play a nice smooth and pleasent visual experience, and Thief ain't it.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Well I must have a different pair of eyes or something!

                            I honestly don't see the framerate dropping anywhere.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              The game seemed to be running @ 10fps for the most part, and even then seemed to drop a few frames when going into an area with heavy geometry or lighting effects.

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