If there’s one factor this metropolis’s taught me, you may put a value on something. Secrets and techniques, reputations… a life. And belief? If it’s important to ask, you may’t afford it. However then I suppose none of that issues once you’re me. In spite of everything… when did I ever pay for something?
Welcome to a different yr of TA Playlist! January is a time of latest beginnings, the place many people take the chance to look at our earlier yr and search for methods to enhance our lives, minimize out dangerous habits, or reinvent ourselves. Video video games do that every so often as effectively, dusting off an outdated franchise and remaking or reimagining it for a brand new viewers. That’s why we determined to make January a “New Beginnings” month for the TA Playlist ballot, following a suggestion by MorseyBaby and fleshed out by a number of different customers within the TA Playlist Sport Suggestion Thread.
Our 4 nominees included DmC: Satan Could Cry, King’s Quest, and Shadow Warrior, however one recreation snuck out to an early lead and stole the victory. The winner of the January 2024 TA Playlist ballot was the stealth-action reboot Thief.
The Thief franchise bought its begin again in 1998 with the PC launch of Thief: The Darkish Shadows, which was developed by Wanting Glass Studios and printed by Eidos Interactive. Following the exploits of a grasp thief named Garrett, The Darkish Shadows pioneered using first-person perspective in a stealth recreation, in addition to utilizing dynamic mild and darkness as integral recreation mechanics. The Darkish Shadows obtained important popularity of its open ranges, which gave the participant freedom to decide on learn how to method missions and discover the sport’s world, one thing which all subsequent entries within the sequence have tried to emulate.
Flipy Fliperson stated:
I beloved this recreation. I completed it a few years in the past, then determined to stack the 360 model. I beloved attempting to sneak round and steal the whole lot not bolted down.
The Darkish Shadows was adopted by Thief II: The Steel Age for PC in 2000, which stayed fairly near the mechanics of the unique. Wanting Glass Studios shut down a few months after the discharge of The Steel Age, so Eidos turned over the following entry, 2004’s Thief: Lethal Shadows, to Ion Storm, the studio most famously accountable for the primary two video games within the Deus Ex franchise. Lethal Shadows was critically praised however not as extremely rated as the primary two entries for the sequence, and it failed to fulfill monetary targets, resulting in the cancellation of the deliberate Thief 4.
Quick ahead greater than 5 years, to 2009. Ion Storm had additionally been shut down, leaving Eidos (now a subsidiary of Sq. Enix) with a languishing IP and no studio hooked up to it. Relatively than carrying on with one other sequel, it was determined that the time was proper for a reboot of the franchise, and pre-production of a brand new Thief 4 began at Eidos Montreal, a comparatively new studio that was on the time engaged on its first launch, a bit recreation known as Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Ten years after Lethal Shadows, the long-awaited fourth entry within the franchise was launched – now merely known as “Thief.”
deathbwithu stated:
Once I first performed this recreation again when it launched, I actually did not get pleasure from all of it that a lot. Then I performed it once more just lately to get the completion and located myself having fun with it greater than I assumed I’d. It may be bland at occasions, however it’s uncommon lately to get a full on stealth recreation.
The 2014 recreation is about in a Victorian/steampunk period, a number of hundred years after the unique trilogy, with a brand new Garrett (presumably a descendant or reincarnation of the primary character from the earlier video games) assembly up with fellow thief and former protégé Erin to start out their subsequent job. They’ve been employed to steal a mysterious gem from the manor of Baron Northcrest, the tyrannical ruler of the Metropolis. Following Erin by means of the streets and over the rooftops, you study the fundamentals of motion and sneaking and likewise study that Erin is a bit reckless in comparison with Garrett, who prefers to ghost by means of an space and never kill guards until it’s completely obligatory.
![](https://imgur.com/OjTbdXd.jpg)
Garrett and Erin attain their vacation spot, and, observing by means of a skylight, they see the Baron himself with a number of robed and hooded figures performing an arcane ritual utilizing the very object they had been despatched to pilfer. Garrett instantly calls off the job, deciding that the payoff will not be well worth the threat, however Erin will not be prepared to surrender. The 2 thieves scuffle on the rooftop, with Erin inadvertently crashing by means of the skylight simply because the ritual under is accomplished, taking pictures a column of blue power up into the sky. Garrett tries to save lots of Erin, however she falls immediately into the beam of sunshine, whereas Garrett crashes to the ground and blacks out.
Garrett awakens to search out {that a} yr has handed, and far has modified within the Metropolis. A plague known as “the Gloom” is spreading among the many inhabitants, and the Metropolis Guards are imposing a merciless lockdown to regulate the unfold of the illness. The Queen of Beggars believes that the Baron’s failed ritual has unleashed a horrible energy upon the Metropolis, an unnatural power often called the Primal, and that Garrett may have a task to play in setting issues proper.
At first, Garrett needs nothing to do with the politics of the Metropolis, however he nonetheless has to make a residing, and after fulfilling his subsequent couple of contracts for a person named Orion, Garrett finds himself embroiled with an underground resistance motion whereas being hunted by the cruel Thief-Taker Common. What’s extra, Erin didn’t truly die that night time, as a substitute absorbing all the Primal energy unleashed throughout the ritual. Now Garrett should use his expertise to cease the assorted factions who wish to use the facility of the Primal for their very own ends if he hopes to save lots of Erin… and the Metropolis.
The Noto stated:
This recreation is quite a bit tighter than individuals give it credit score for. I actually am having fun with it. […] Simply completed the marketing campaign. Truthfully had a blast with this. I shortly bought into the groove, performed this on the Collection X, and I’ve no actual complaints besides among the interactables had been a ache within the ass. Like turning valves typically felt actually easy and different occasions very uneven and no actual feeling as if I used to be doing something in another way. Completely happy that the TA Playlist inspired me to return to this.
![](https://ip.trueachievements.com/remote/dlassets-ssl.xboxlive.com/public/content/b1b518b3-6d41-4676-9e5a-6c8a69e9b1d6/2750d3c0-8ad2-4b94-8a48-b37cd7a4b56f/92951358-d18b-47c2-abe8-f581c6fba8c4.png?width=900)
Thief is a kind of video games that didn’t hit the mark with critics again when it first launched, incomes a Metacritic rating of simply 69/100 for the Xbox One model, however regardless of the lackluster evaluations, it appears to have discovered favor with a sure viewers over time.
bennjjee stated:
I actually preferred this recreation. Glorious stealth gameplay and replayability of missions. I sense it is bought a foul rep which is a bit unfair. Oh, and the island mission scared the bejeesus out of me!
ShortyTheShort stated:
By no means understood the hate for Thief. It is drenched in ambiance and the world has a sense of loneliness that may additionally really feel fairly creepy at occasions. I can perceive the criticism with the traversal being awkward typically nevertheless it’s undoubtedly a recreation that rewards gamers who’re joyful to be affected person and take their time with the degrees.
One of many risks of rebooting a cult traditional sequence like Thief is that the brand new builders need to stroll a effective line between nostalgia and innovation. It may be an actual problem to strike the correct steadiness between sticking with the outdated formulation that labored so effectively, and bringing one thing new to the desk to introduce an outdated sequence to a contemporary viewers. Lots of the criticisms for Thief appeared to fall within the “inferior to the originals” class, together with these point-by-point critiques (we had a number of good long-form posts this month, so I’ve edited these a bit, however be at liberty to take a look at the boards for the complete posts):
FlopsyTheRabbit stated:
So, I’ve completed the sport now on the conventional problem. It is very strong, and nonetheless feels fairly fashionable contemplating it’s 10 years outdated now. I did not like the town free roam, simply felt like a drawn out approach to get from A to B, however apart from that it is a respectable 7-8/10 recreation. In case you’ve by no means performed the earlier video games, you may have a good time. However… As a veteran of the sequence it does not get anyplace near the heights of earlier video games. This largely comes right down to the extent design, together with few different niggles.
Firstly the construction – earlier video games weren’t afraid to drop you in an enormous, linked atmosphere that you could possibly discover at will. You may simply go straight for the target, or look in each nook and cranny, however most significantly in lots of circumstances this was all one single space. In distinction the extent design of Thief 2014 is a really linear ‘string of pearls’ kind format. You get a little bit of freedom inside every pearl, however in the end you are progressing in an total linear style from one to the following,
Secondly, TDP particularly wasn’t afraid to immediately change up the foundations and experiment. The maps the place you are in a big city constructing are effective, however I am all the time drawn to ranges that are a bit unusual and supernatural [or] ranges the place you go in with one expectation however need to adapt shortly […]. I had a little bit of hope that mission 7 is likely to be one thing like that once I noticed the ruined hammerite cathedral, however sadly that facet was by no means actually explored and it turned out to be probably the most linear of all of them. […]
I missed the non-compulsory targets [and] the scribbled maps that mirrored how a lot intel Garrett was in a position to get in regards to the goal, however I can perceive they could have been irritating for contemporary gamers.
The sound design did not really feel proper both. Within the earlier video games, you needed to pay very shut consideration to what sort of floor you had been strolling on. Marble and flagstones made rather more noise than wooden and grass, and the guards had been very attuned to this. You even bought particular moss arrows to create patches of quieter footing. It did not appear to matter in any respect on this recreation. Guards appear to primarily depend on imaginative and prescient, and whereas they will undoubtedly hear you if you happen to run round, you may creep round all you want on any floor they usually’ll by no means hear you. I even knocked over bottles subsequent to them on a few events, once more no response.
I want that they had ditched the town space and as a substitute put in a few further ranges that had been extra open, and a bit extra experimental. What you get as a substitute is a fairly linear recreation with not a lot variation in tone.
Spa1h stated:
Thief is an efficient recreation; the gameplay is easy, and the extent design is attention-grabbing. For my part, it does not absolutely dwell as much as the legacy of “The Darkish Challenge/The Steel Age.” I performed these first 2 video games as a child, and I did not absolutely perceive them as a result of I used to be too younger and will solely handle to beat the primary 3 ranges, however the freedom of selection and the immersion was unmatched at the moment. (which I confirmed for myself many, a few years later)
Thief is nice in lots of facets, however there’s nothing excellent. If you’re searching for freedom in task-based stealth video games, go for the fashionable Hitman video games. In case you search for high stealth gameplay, go for the Splinter Cell sequence. In case you like parkouring over roofs, go for Mirrors Edge or Dying Mild.
The plot and particularly the setting didn’t persuade me as a result of for instance it is by no means absolutely defined why Garret’s metropolis is run right down to that time, or what are/had been the motives of the guards and the antagonists to rework a metropolis into a spot worse than hell […] Possibly Bethesda, Rockstar and Ubisoft did such a superb job in creating compelling linked worlds and ranges that, now once I have a look at Thief I am amazed how not thought by means of the whole lot is.
Generally, the sport tries to trace at solutions to raised questions, however once I considered it extra, it even raised extra questions. So I concluded it’s best not to consider it and simply benefit from the themed trip that’s introduced.
Additionally, the guard-AI is lacking finesse, and Garret seems to be very cringy in comparison with most different characters within the recreation. The sound mixing is super-bad, which is an actual pity because the dialogues are effectively written. Do not play with out subtitles, otherwise you miss out on many issues.
In order that was various criticism, nonetheless nothing of it’s a cause to not proceed enjoying the sport, and so I had an excellent time throughout the few hours I might spare for this recreation. All facets mixed, it is a very distinctive and entertaining recreation, additionally completely appropriate for achievement hunters and completionists.
![](https://ip.trueachievements.com/remote/www.trueachievements.com/customimages/065266.jpg?width=900)
These sentiments echo a whole lot of the harsher critic evaluations that greeted Thief upon launch, with many reviewers disenchanted that the sport didn’t dwell as much as the excessive expectations set by the unique trilogy, nevertheless it’s essential to do not forget that evaluations are subjective, so don’t allow them to put you off a recreation if you happen to suppose you’ll get pleasure from it.
Allgorhythm stated:
Solely ever bean dived the sport however I’m excited to start out this later this month, hopefully. Its evaluations had been disappointing to see however I am not gonna let that mitigate my expertise as I will possible benefit from the recreation greater than the evaluations state.
I believe you’ll. The 1998 Thief: The Darkish Challenge was such a groundbreaking recreation that I believe a whole lot of the evaluations confirmed their snobbery. Thief did not have the identical stature, nevertheless it was arguably the primary recreation that showcased the graphics prowess of the eighth gen consoles.
I’ve performed all of the Thief video games and reviewed Thief when it got here out on the Xbox One: Thief evaluations. I attempted to be balanced and likewise supplied some historic background of the sequence and the sister Deus Ex Collection.
Within the overview, I said: “Total Impressions—a superb recreation and one of many early stars of the next-gen library. I nonetheless think about this assertion legitimate. Furthermore, trying on the recreation virtually a decade later, I believe it has stood the check of time very effectively and doesn’t really feel dated as lots of the early Xbox One titles do.
Thief got here out in February 2014, round three months after the launch of the Xbox One. As such, it straddled the road between the seventh and eighth era of consoles and was one of many first video games to obviously present the technological distinction between the 360 and the One. Given the character of the stealth mechanics, the colour palette for this recreation includes a whole lot of murky blues and grays, so the bump in graphical constancy on the newer consoles was noticeable.
Allgorhythm stated:
The 360 model was okay, however you may typically inform it was meant for a more moderen system.
Precisely proper. Mild and shadow performs such an essential function within the recreation that it may be thought to be a recreation mechanic. The Gen 8 GPUs had been excellent in that regard.
From a narrative perspective, the sport’s ambiance and atmosphere advantages from the shading and textures of the brand new graphics playing cards. The flickering flames of the fires mirrored off glistening streets units simply the correct tone for a thief transferring in regards to the shadows.
Many stealth-action video games at the very least provide the choice of stepping into weapons blazing once you’re bored with all of the sneaking round, however that’s not the case with Thief… sticking to these shadows is important for fulfillment. In case you’re noticed and need to enter fight, you’ll be hard-pressed to combat towards the Metropolis Guards, and your only option is usually to run and conceal (or simply reload your checkpoint).
Allgorhythm stated:
I performed this the yr it launched in 2014. 27/37 cheevos will not be too dangerous, recreation could be very troublesome on larger difficulties because the ratios counsel.
In case you interact in fight, the sport turns into very troublesome on larger difficulties. Particular person enemies outmatch Garrett and are, due to this fact, extraordinarily problematic in teams. Nevertheless, if one adopts a stealth-only approach–combat isn’t required within the recreation and there is just one occasion the place fight is simpler than stealth; the sport turns into solely barely tougher on Grasp problem.
In reality, a number of of the sport’s achievements are tied to being as stealthily as potential, with situations like “Full a chapter with out alerting anybody” and “End the sport with no single kill or knockout.” Whereas that actually appeals to a sure viewers, that style isn’t for everybody…
Slayer Reigning stated:
Did not a lot look after it, however once more not one a lot for stealth anyway.
LilGurgi stated:
Stealth missions have all the time been my arch nemesis so a recreation that mainly a complete stealth mission….not gonna occur. hehe
![](https://ip.trueachievements.com/remote/download-ssl.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80253510803/1033/screenlg14.jpg?width=900)
And even for some who aren’t against the stealth style generally, the restrictions positioned on the participant on this recreation had been an issue.
ComicKaze23 stated:
Kinda over video games with difficulty-based achievements or no-kill ones. Apparently I performed it in some unspecified time in the future as a result of it was free with Gold. A kind of video games that I might gladly delete from my profile.
Included on this group is common TA Playlister TymanTheLong, who had some nice ideas on the character of achievements proscribing the fashion of gameplay in video games like these:
TymanTheLong stated:
Sadly I don’t suppose it’s my type of recreation. I simply didn’t ever fall into and benefit from the gameplay loop, both because of impatience or simply not discovering it that enjoyable. […] A part of that is achievements very clearly telling me that I’ve failed if I do issues like kill a guard or turn out to be found and combat my means out. There’s an enormous quantity of gameplay mechanics that assist this and a few are cool as heck, I wish to do them however once I do the sport tells me perhaps I’m not enjoying it proper.
The worst instance of this in my private gaming expertise is Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The sport provides me a bunch of cool issues, together with Storm after which tells me I’m flawed to make use of them. I performed that recreation prefer it demanded, all stealthy, desperately searching for batteries so I might use them for just one factor: camouflage mode to sneak by one more group I couldn’t discover away round. I completed it the best way it demanded after which by no means went again to play it my means, all of the enjoyable had been sucked proper out.
And perhaps that’s my fault for letting achievements dictate the best way I performed. In a method it actually was, however in one other the sport actually felt prefer it was pushing me. […] I really feel the identical pressure in Thief. I don’t want to say the sport is dangerous or flawed for this dynamic. Maybe many players actually get pleasure from this. That’s effective with me. A recreation can simply not be a recreation for me whereas nonetheless being a terrific and even excellent recreation for others.
What Thief does make me consider, but once more, although, is the idea of designing a recreation with a whole lot of gameplay choices that the sport pushes the “purest” participant to by no means use. There’s one thing attention-grabbing there, is it a nod to capitalism that they should promote their recreation additionally to those that wish to simply rampage by means of killing the whole lot or one thing else? Why design programs you don’t need the participant to make use of? […]
Anyway, Thief isn’t my recreation, and I really feel a bit disenchanted based mostly on expectations once I purchased it. However I do suppose it’s in all probability an essential recreation and a franchise that’s earned a minor if merited point out in gaming historical past.
Provided that Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Thief had been successive initiatives from Eidos Montreal, it’s maybe not a shock that the gameplay and achievements had some noticeable similarities. The comparisons minimize each methods, with some, like Tyman, mentioning the frequent negatives between the 2 video games whereas others heaped reward on each franchises.
RumbleFish10 stated:
Would like to see extra from this sequence. Thief and Deus Ex are gold, and sadly a bit under-appreciated lately. Goes to indicate how exhausting it’s to make a superb stealth recreation.
Allgorhythm stated:
It has been some time since I performed (and stacked) Thief however I actually loved it, I performed it after it was as patched because it ever bought.
This recreation sits at a time when video games felt they wanted to be open world to remain related, and it’s exhausting for video games like Thief and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided to be open world with out an enormous discount in what makes them particular.
Very true. THIEF, particularly, depends on its compact maze of intricate passages. Regardless of the small geographic space of the Metropolis and the chapters, gamers commented on how mystifying it was to search out their means from level A to level B. Virtually all the time, there’s multiple path to take, and discovering the shortest, least dangerous route is a large benefit.
One of many functions of the TA Playlist is to debate the sport intimately and provide methods and strategies on how greatest to method among the tougher achievements. That’s in all probability by no means been more true than it was this month. You might have seen that I’ve already used a number of quotes from common Playlist contributor Allgorhythm on this article, and that’s as a result of, as the author of the TA Walkthrough for Thief, he was posting ceaselessly all through the month in assist of the sport and providing useful hints and suggestions. In reality, Allgorhythm accounted for twenty-four.5% of the overall posts throughout each the Spoiler and Spoiler-Free threads in January, which have to be a TA Playlist report!
Allgorhythm stated:
Studying the above (and after scanning the walkthrough, thanks for that, btw!) makes me marvel: is it really useful to start out on the very best problem, primarily for completion functions? Or is it additionally essentially the most fulfilling method?
I imagine it’s the most fulfilling method. By doing a playthrough concentrating solely on the story as introduced within the 8 chapters, you get uninterrupted satisfaction from the narrative. In case you’re not an achievement hunter, you have completed the sport and may congratulate your self on a job effectively accomplished.
If you’re an achievement hunter, you may then do your second playthrough on the problem of your selecting. That is the exploration playthrough. The Metropolis could be very expansive and there is a lot to see and do–side jobs, secret locations, frequent and unusual loot, and many others. Moreover, since you know the way the chapters play out, you may examine them extra completely and examine the secrets and techniques they maintain.
Take a look at all of Allgorhythm’s suggestions, together with what customized problem settings to make use of to make sure you don’t fail among the recreation’s missable achievements, within the boards!
Piemanns Bakery stated:
I’m actually having fun with my playthrough on Thief, which was a recreation I seemed into enjoying some time in the past because it was free with GwG, nevertheless it felt overwhelming particularly the customized problem achievements. Due to the constructive suggestions on the walkthrough, I’ve given it a go, and man, to start with, thanks a lot, Allgorhythm, for the element and time you took on it! The storyline is nice, gameplay is nice, I actually look ahead to the second playthrough so I can discover a bit extra with out the priority of being noticed throughout the customized problem playthrough. I simply completed chapter 5, and that chapter bought my coronary heart pounding throughout the part with the freaks within the asylum basement. Wanted my brown pants! Discovering a recreation like for this reason I look ahead to the TA Playlist every month!
![](https://imgur.com/j1oKrAP.jpg)
Throughout the month of January, we had 504 tracked players enjoying together with the TA Playlist recreation, together with 314 who began it for the primary time and 23 who went on to finish the sport’s 37 achievements. In whole, the TA group unlocked 2,973 achievements in Thief and Thief (Xbox 360) throughout January, for a complete of 51,080 Gamerscore and 200,042 TrueAchievement Rating.
The Drop, from the Xbox One model, was by far essentially the most unlocked achievement throughout January, with 279 tracked players incomes the achievement for finishing the prologue. On the different finish of the spectrum, we had a four-way tie for the least unlocked achievement of the month, with A Ethical Victory (no kills or knockouts), Clear Headed (don’t use the main target skill), Onerous Occasions (end the sport on Grasp problem), and One thing to Show (customized problem of 700 factors or extra), all from the Xbox 360 model, every being unlocked thrice.
These achievements all have ratios of 5.00 and above (within the 360 model, at the very least), however apparently, they’re not the highest-ratio achievements within the recreation. That honor goes to ”Finders Keepers,” which boasts a 6.93 ratio within the Xbox 360 model and a whopping 7.57 ratio within the Xbox One model.
We now have 13 Shout-Outs for January, though that listing solely encompasses 10 completely different players, since UpliftGecko, TheNeonShadow97, and LLTC1807 all managed to finish each variations of the sport throughout the month. UpliftGecko will get a particular shout-out for additionally clocking the quickest time, simply 42 hours and 19 minutes from the primary achievement to final of their second run-through on the Xbox 360 model.
Time is operating out to take part within the February 2024 TA Playlist recreation, Rise of the Tomb Raider. Both unlock an achievement within the recreation earlier than midnight UTC on March 1 or drop by the Spoiler-Free and Spoiler Dialogue Threads to inform us about your adventures as Lara Croft within the Siberian wilderness. And don’t neglect to come back again in March for the sci-fi month featured recreation, Cyberpunk 2077. See you subsequent month!