Garrett Stole My Heart
Thief 3: Deadly Shadows is easily one of my favourite games. I take an immediate liking towards atmospheric titles with unlikely heroes and engrossing stories, and this is no exception.
As the series' protagonist, Garrett, you are a master thief. This is a great starting point: your primary duties involve sneaking around at night, pilfering valuable items that can be sold to a fence whilst completing story objectives for one of Thief's primary factions (the zealous Hammerites, the bookish Keepers or the mystical Pagans). The game thrives on Garrett's status as an outsider; he works ostensibly for himself, with all the laconic humour of the disillusioned, but eventually becomes involved in a plot which will strongly implicate him in the goings on of the city.
The setting is Thief 3's strongest suit: it is, simply put, incredible. Whilst by today's standards it might seem a little amateur, the environmental shadows and lighting are immersive. The sound design has not aged at all: its core is deep and resnonant. Garrett is put to a number of unique locations throughout the tale (told through stylish cutscenes), from areas as mundane as a manor to an ancient underground cavern, a pirate's hideout and even an abandoned insane asylum (Shalebridge Cradle, the game's master stroke). Outside of missions, Garrett is at liberty to explore the claustophobic but detailed City, which is labyrinthine and gothic in its execution.
The aesthetic reminds one of a gothic fairy-tale, peppered with enough humour and derring-do (I'll just take this precious amulet whilst you stave off the apocalypse, etc) to prevent it from becoming too depressing and actually make the story and its characters more meaningful. And, as an action title (nominally), and a first-person sneaker at that, it is always exciting, always tense.
All-in-all, one of my favourites. A few areas feel unpolished, and the physics system is draconian, but the story and setting are transcendent. Perfect if you like slow-burn stories but like a little immediacy in the gameplay.
