Now Playing: Deadly Shadows

Is Deadly Shadows a worthy entry into the Thief franchise? Definitely! Is it as good as the previous games? Nope! So let’s look at the negatives first. The levels of Deadly Shadows are very small and linear compared to the first two games, with few opportunities to approach missions in a variety of ways. They are still, overall, well designed and varied in content and location, but the size is an issue, especially when they are broken down into even smaller areas punctuated with irritatingly frequent loading screens.

What else? No rope/vine arrows! Climbing gloves seem to be provided as an alternative but are just plain rubbish. Length / challenge – Deadly Shadows is shorter than the previous games and feels less challenging. Okay, so what did I like about it? Well, as with the previous titles, the world, atmosphere, music, sound and VA is all top notch.

The story isn’t quite as good as the previous games, and the ending is a bit rubbish, but it does the job okay. I also loved the chance to actually explore the City between missions, finding side jobs and loot, and visiting fences and shops as I travel.

So yeah, if you liked Thief 1 & 2 you’ll definitely get a kick out of Deadly Shadows, even though it doesn't quite match up to them.

6/10