Game Review: Thief | Starburst Magazine

The latest in a long line of classic series reboots from SquareEnix, Thief sees the return of Garrett to his home town after his departure years ago. Ravaged by a plague and on the verge of open class war, the situation is more volatile than ever. The perfect environment for any opportunist seeking to make his personal fortune.

[curtis92]

Okay... maybe I'm just losing it. But I cannot fathom the negativity this game is garnering. I'm 10 hours in and I absolutely love it. Maybe they're playing it with all of the modern day assists on but playing it on master with custom settings... it's a trip. I'm having a blast so far. Unless things just take a horrific turn then these scores blow my mind. I hate that they may keep people who were otherwise interested in this game from checking it out.

[Am_Ryder]

I totally agree.

People are so overly, insanely harsh on this game, it's just f***ing absurd. It seems to be confirmation bias generated from the lukewarm reception it garnered critically at E3 last year.

I'm also about ten, maybe twelve hours in, and while it does have problems that hold it off the #1 pedestal, it's a really good game.

[Austacker]

It's not that good at all

It's not insanity to be critical about it either, because if you've played the original games you'll know the heritage from which this game stems - and it's radical departure from it.

The game has a number of flaws concerning AI, Sound and other technical issues but aside from that, the gameplay is all over the place, going from classic 'use the shadows' style gameplay to frantic action sequences which totally ruin the immersion experience.

It's a game that's clearly trying to appeal to everyone and all it does is alienate those who are after the classic thief experience.

To top it off, the plot is weak, cliche and outright tedious as the game runs on rails for the most part, a massive departure from almost everything that made the franchise popular in the first instance.

It's a 'decent' game unto itself, but those who are faithful to the franchise will be undoubtedly disappointed.

[Christopher]

Don't let the fact that others have a different opinion from your own change how you feel about the game.

And, in like, criticizing the opinions of others because you feel differently seems as if you want others to think the way you do.

I enjoyed Alpha Protocol for what it is, but I understood all the middling reviews. I feel the same with Thief. I'm enjoying it for what it is, but I completely understand the reviews, especially in comparison to former SE games of a similar nature.

[curtis92]

@austacker "if you've played the original games you'll know the heritage from which this game stems - and it's radical departure from it."

I played the original. This seems to be the cliche thing to claim about reboots or old classics revisted. I've yet to hear anyone give a rational explanation to this claim, though. This by all means IS still a stay-in-the-shadows experience. Saying it's about frantic action sequences tells me not only have you not played this game, but that you've only apparently seen a trailer. This Thief feels more close to the original than DX:HR did to the original Deus Ex.

[starchild]

@ Curtis92

The hate this game is getting is coming mainly from two types of people: those that don't like or understand pure stealth games, and those who have an attitude of entitlement and think Thief should be exactly like the older games in the series.

Like you, I am a big fan of the previous Thief games. But I am not one of those whiny, entitled, hipster gamers who bashes each new game in a series for supposedly being a sellout. People did the same thing with Deadly Shadows, yet it was still a fantastic game.

Such an attitude is bizarre to me. It honestly seems that they would rather have no Thief game at all if they can't get one that does exactly what they think a Thief game should do.

The new Thief is still 85 or 90% the same as the older Thief games anyway. I personally think some of the ways it differs from past games is for the better. The swoop mechanic, for example, is great. It really improves the stealth experience without fundamentally changing the game.

Now, there are a few missteps as well. I think the rope arrow should still stick to any wooden surface and not just to certain beams, for example. But all in all this is a Thief game and pretty much what I expected from a modern re-imagining or reboot.

It baffles me that any fan of any game series can have such an attitude of entitlement that they would turn up their nose at a new game in a franchise they love simply because it isn't 100% what they wanted, rather than enjoy it for what it is and be happy that they even made a new game in that franchise.

[starchild]

I know what you mean. I don't understand it. The inconsistency from some reviewers is what bothers me the most. It basically makes reviews pointless.

Things that are nitpicked in one game are completely overlooked in another. And I'm getting tired of the typical retreat to the defense of "well it's all subjective and people are entitled to their opinions". Well, yeah, people are entitled to any stupid thing they want to believe, but it doesn't mean that that opinion is rational or sensible.

Moreover, if it's all "subjective" then what value does a review honestly have? If the review is so entirely personal and wrapped up in that person's bias and individual emotional baggage then how is it of any value to any other person? It would be as meaningless as somebody saying "I love apples" on the internet.

I believe reviews can and should be more than that.

[listenkids]

Had more fun with the side missions than half of the main story line missions, nevertheless had a good time playing it. Yeah, it has some hiccups with AI and the likes but it's pretty solid (on PS4) to my experience.

[porkChop]

From what I've played so far I'd give it at least a solid 8. I really just don't understand the insane amount of hate this game has been getting.

[MadLad]

It's a solid release.
Most major publications gave it a fairly good score. It's the smaller sites that are beating this, in my opinion, undeserved dead horse.
Who am I to question what they do though?

[ufo8mycat]

Wow this game is getting unnecessary harsh treatment.

The game isn't perfect but goodness gracious 5/10?

Are we playing the same game here?