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| Thief 3: Deadly Shadows | 
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| From: Eidos Interactive
Category: Video Games
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $10.49
You Save: $9.50 (48%)
New (12) Used (8) from $7.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  80 reviews
Sales Rank: 8206
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows Xp
ESRB: Mature
Media: CD-ROM
Number Of Items: 1
Age: 17 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8 x 6 x 1
MPN: 788687100243
Model: STHI3PUS00
UPC: 788687100243
EAN: 0788687100243
ASIN: B0001AN1GY
Release Date: May 25, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Jewel case or software is still shrink wrapped.
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| Customer Reviews:
Very Solid July 19, 2005
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Thief 3 was a very solid, very enjoyable experience. When compared to the other two existing Thief games I think most fans would agree that it is much better than The Dark Project but not quite as good as The Metal Age, however it was an excellent conclusion to the trilogy and wraps things up very nicely.
Most people have commented on all the technical aspects of the game so I'll try and keep this review about the game itself.
The first two things that really jumped out at me when playing this game were the incredible graphics and the increased amount of dialogue by in game characters. Rag doll physics doesn't work like a charm, considering most blackjacked opponents kind of curl up into an odd donut shape, but it really doesn't take away from the game at all. There are tons of one-liners that guards mutter to themselves while patrolling which is very entertaining.
The plot of the game is excellent, and wraps up the trilogy nicely. However I was kind of let down by the portrayal of the Keepers: they weren't nearly as bad-assed as I had imagined prior to playing this game. The same goes for Garrett. The hammers are around, as are the pagans, and it was a nice touch to be able to ally with these factions and receive the occasional "how are thee, Garrett?" from a hammer guard every now and then.
Being a Thief purist, I tried every mission on expert if for no other reason than to compare to prior Thief games. One departure from the others is that on expert, Garrett is allowed to kill people, which I found a bit unsettling. In fact, it seems that this Thief game has a lot more emphasis on violence than the other 2 games and it is a lot easier to fight in Deadly Shadows than the prior 2 games.
However, though it is easier to fight it is also easier to not have to. On basically every setting guards give you a lot more "slack" in terms of becoming suspicious. Jumping on tile and running through bright light almost in front of them merely elicits a "Is someone there? Must have been just the rats. I hate rats." On the same note, it is also much easier to get away from guards as well. Flashbombs emit what looks like a mini nuclear explosion which blinds all guards within reasonable distance for long enough to easily get away.
Missions now require a certain percentage of loot to be stolen as well as at least one "special loot item" per mission. However this never really becomes a pain, as many of the missions are laid out so that you can steal at least 65-70% of the loot without going out of your way. (40% is required on normal, 70% on hard, 90% on expert).
I guess since this is a Thief game they felt obligated to put some form of non-human opponent in the game for you to steal from. Though many of the non-human elements are very entertaining in some of their dialogue ("kill and crush and kill and grind and kill and destroy" is among my favorite lines), they are basically the same as your human opponents.
Overall I enjoyed playing this game very much. Though it was a bit easy and a bit short, it was a great conclusion to the series. And I must say the ending cut scene is very, very cool to people who have played the first two Thief games.
A great wrap up to the franchise. June 4, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I own all three Thief games, and I love them all. "Thief: Deadly Shadows" is a fine ending to the trilogy. It ties up all the loose ends from the other games. It is very scary and exciting. It has an awesome plot (the best of the three), tons of mystery, and some cool, new tricks.
If you liked "Thief: " and "Thief 2: the Metal Age," you will like "Thief: Deadly Shadows."
The only disappointment is that levels had to be sized to X-box limitations. So instead of a sprawling world of discovery (like the roof top level in Thief 2), you get fairly large levels with a "blue mist" that lets you move into another area on the map.
But if you don't mind that so much, then it is a typically great Thief game.
Note: if you are not familiar with Thief 1 and 2, you will still enjoy this game. It has its own storyline and objectives, and it is complete. But you will not fully understand some of the meanings of things that reference events of the first games.
Another Note: thieving is about sneaking, being quiet, invisible. This is not a fighting game--this is a sneaking game. So if you want to see a lot of fighting, try a war game. That being said, Thief 3 has more fighting than the other two games, because there are no restrictions on fighting when you are at the expert difficulty level.
Anyway, I highly recommend "Thief: Deadly Shadows."
Great...but not quite superb June 3, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
My review has been delayed because I really had been very busy with school to even sit down and spare 2-3 hrs for playing. In addition, the ATI Radeon 9200 SE card I had had such low-frame rates that I gave up playing after solving the SUNKEN CITADEL. Anyway, I recently bought a 9800 PRO, and the results-frame rates, resolutions, loading times, etc. were much better and pleasing, and with the available time on my hands, I am on the verge of completing the game.
The game on its own stands out from its predecessors. Truly, one doesn't need to play the first two games, but the "historical significance" of the series is so spellbinding and concrete, that the first two games do require a spin in your PC's. Garret is the same person we knew- cynical, sarcastic, and self-serving. He just happens to live in a town that's half as majestic and sprawling as the city in the previous two games. That's a much accepted compromise for all the brilliant textures, dynamic lighting, and much improved A.I. (when compared to Thief 1 and 2) in this package. The A.I. is definitely well improved, but not perfect. No longer can you blackjack guards with weapons drawn or those who've been flash-bombed (however, what I found frustrating is the fact that one can't bop a guard who's sitting). Try bopping them from their sides, and you're easy meat for their swords. Now that Garret's arsenal has no swords, a one-on-one melee is strictly not advisable. In addition, guards now react realistically to torches being put out, or fellow guards being bopped (if they happen to face them). Some old glitches like the guards giving up investigation pretty quickly, and resuming their lackadaisical patrol patterns- easy meat for Garret's blackjack, still exist and need some improvement.
Weapon keys were indeed switched, but I am so used to the first two games, I decided to organize the way I liked them (water-4, blackjack-2, dagger-1, and so on). Water arrows, gas arrows, and fire arrows are much cheaper and the ability to play an open-ended game in the city, allows Garrett to restock his arsenal in the midst of the mission by selling his loot. This was one aspect I really loved in the game, however, there are pre-set limits as to how much each of the weapons Garret can carry (which pretty much eliminates over-enthusiasm in stocking up water arrows that Thief fans respect and love). Loot is aplenty as innocent citizens of the city provide moolah in the form of purses, jewelery, and other items for Garret's picking, and in a way supplementing his loot picked during missions.
Creep factor is definitely better on this package, with unearthly voices hissing and creeping up on you, for which a 5.1 speaker set with an Audigy soundcard is absolutely essential. The mission to the "Shalebridge Cradle" gave me the creeps and it took me 9 hrs of playing time to complete, simply because of the claustrophic desolation you are forced in and the writhing zombies you are forced to contend with. Not that there are many of these freaks in the level, it's the ghostly voices that sneak up on you in various decibel levels that unnerve you. The game itself is worth for this particular level.
The bad parts?
1. No rope or vine arrows, and instead the climbing gloves that come at 2000 g's a pair are hardly used in a city in which the biggest building in merely 3-4 stories high.
2. There are no interesting and chilling cutscenes which introduced the next mission, and instead we have a blue screen with writing, accompanied by Stephen Russell's (Garret's voice) narration of the same (indicating the sacrifice made for the game's improved graphics).
3.Loot is now rather easy to find or rather too easy to find, considering the user can see it glinting a good distance away. However, it is understandable considering how other useless items look like valuables and can also be "picked up" by Garret.
4. Poor rag-doll physics on victims who are bopped by Garret. At times they behave like invertebrates, bending over backwards (literally) upon being clubbed. This is something that could use some fixing if there is another gem to the series.
Besides a few obvious complaints, Thief :Deadly Shadows doesn't fail to satisfy the taffer within us and fans who have eagerly waited for it. While the conclusion to the game (as suggested by various walkthroughs) doesn't indicate whether there'd be a 4th in the series, we can always hope to see a continually improving product.
 Beauty! January 1, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I recently finished playing this masterpiece, and I'm still rueful about it. I absolutely loved it, I always knew I would anyway being a die hard fan of Garrett.
So what I found in this game: the price sure was an issue for me when it first came out, but they weren't stereotype about it this time, the screenshots were an actual part of the game. I don't blame Eidos and ION Storm for making this game not so easy to purchase. These graphics come at a great cost, and plus you get what you pay for, including the make up for the extra slight expense for the graphics card and the like.
This game's got a bit of a give and take in it. The sword; vine and rope arrows; scouting orbs; flares; invisible potions and burricks have been removed but a dagger replaces the sword; climbing gloves make up for the old vine and rope arrows; and there are flasks of oil and holy water as far as inventory and tools are concerned. The game's also got extra features: shadows and change of perspective which enables first and third person viewing. The physics are precise. Bodies actually roll if thrown down a flight of stairs and objects crash to the ground if you go bumping into them, though I do slightly doubt the ragdoll physics (It makes you feel you're in a yoga class). Lockpicking's now a little more complicated and it's got more of a realistic feel to it unlike its prequels where you just switched between the triangluar toothed pick and the square toothed pick. This time though, the mouse is needed to control the picks until it "jabs" the "sweetspot" of the lock.
Deadly Shadows is now a little more open instead of the usual "one mission leads to another" technique. This time, the game offers sidequests and Garrett is now free to roam the City, looting and selling to his fences. The City's also divided into four places- South Quarter (Garrett's residence), The Docks, Auldale, and Old Quarter; and eventually all areas are accessible depending on your progress throughout the levels.
Also, this time Garrett's got a Faction Status. He can ally with the Hammerites and the Pagans through doing these sidequests or they'll continue to be hostile to you and won't allow you to enter their territory (Hammerite Cathedrals, Pagan woods and the like), which in a way will make the game more stealthy.
The atmosphere is still as detailed and realistic especially this one level which stands out the most in my mind- Robbing the Cradle. Garrett still retains his signature cynical voice played by Stephen Russell and continues to bring out the dark and dismal feel to the game.
I really recommend this game, it still lives up to its prequels but its more improvised this time.
Awesome game for any Thief fanatic December 15, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I loved Thief and Thief 2. I liked the graphics - while behind the times, they had a beauty to them that was sometimes breathtaking (especially some of the fan-missions). When I heard 3 was coming I spent every day reading and re-reading everything on it I could.
I bought the game the same day Amazon put it up for pre-order and I was so excited when it got to my house I took the day off work to play it!
Well, sometimes things aren't always what you'd hoped for. The game was more difficult to get used to then the other two - the guards are more responsive and you can't knock them out from in front or the side or if they are aware of you. Some parts are easier too - you can "melt" into a wall and someone can walk right past you and not see you. If you creep along or crouch, you make no noise, not even on metal.
The visual are awesome, far beyond Thief 2, especially the musuem - wow! (and be so careful when playing the Shalebridge Cradle - stock up on fire arrows and flashbombs)
The story kind of plays the same as the last one, but still has tricks and turns. No changes (beyond some of your goals) keeps the game from being all that replayable, but I've played through it three or four times.
If you liked or loved the Thief series, you'll be happy with this one...besides, my computer won't play Thief 2 anymore anyway...
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