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Thief 2 is an excellent, engaging, atmospheric game. You play as Garrett, a master thief drawn into a conspiracy that threatens his world. The story is great, with better pacing than Thief 1 and a more menacing antagonist. The level design, overall, is also of a greater quality in Thief 2, featuring larger, more expansive environments. The supernatural elements of Thief have been toned down a lot in its sequel.

As a result, I think Thief 2 lacks the creepy, tense atmosphere of the original, especially during the later levels. I was also a little disappointed at how few of the levels are primarily about, well, theft. Garrett takes on an almost ‘secret agent’ type role over the course of the game, and stealing gold and trinkets becomes the secondary objective in many of the missions. I also didn’t find the mechanical creations as threatening as the ghosts, zombies or creatures of Thief 1. Like Thief 1, the final mission is also rather lacklustre.

But these issues are largely just personal niggles, and it’s still an amazing title. It combines great gameplay, sound, story, VA and music to create something quite unique and special. All that’s left now is to play Deadly Shadows to round off the trilogy.

8/10