Pyramid Review
Thief II: The Metal Age
Published by Eidos Interactive
Developed by Looking Glass Studios
System requirements: Windows 9X, Pentium II 266 processor, a 3D accelerator, 48 MB of RAM and 250 MB of hard drive space
$39.95
Have you ever imagined skulking through the shadows, waylaying an unsuspecting traveler and darting away with his heavy purse? Rather than risk a lengthy jail term, you should probably limit these dark impulses to role-playing games. However, that solution is problematic too. There has always been a certain amount of tension involved in role-playing a thief. Unless you are lucky enough to role-play with a group of thieves, you and your character are treated like second-class citizen by the more honest members of your group. Every time a gold piece comes up missing, you are accused of stealing it. Every time a deadly trap is suspected, you are sent in like a canary into a coal mine. Let's face it; the thief isn't really suited for group play. You could always slip away from the party for some nocturnal revenue generation, but this means the rest of the group is forced to sit around twiddling their thumbs while you have fun.
In December of 1998, Eidos Interactive gave all the potential thieves of the world an outlet for their larcenous impulses when they quietly released the critically acclaimed Thief: The Dark Project. They described the game as the world's only "first-person sneaker." The graphics were dated by the standards of the time, but the game play . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: April 14, 2000
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