Saturday, May 24, 2008
at
11:32 AM
|
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Looking Glass
Genre: Fantasy Action Adventure
Release Date: Feb 29, 2000
ESRB: MATURE
ESRB Descriptors: Animated Violence, Animated Blood
Description
Like Thief: The Dark Project, Thief II: The Metal Age uses the mechanics of a first-person shooter to make a game that's more about inaction than action. You won't find yourself running through hallways shooting everything that moves. Instead, you'll find yourself hiding in alcoves, listening intently for the slightest indication that you've been detected. The sneaking premise of Thief was only one of its best features; the game's excellent story and generally good mission design helped to make it one of 1998's best games. And in some ways, Thief II is even better. The mission design is more consistent, and some of the missions are among the best in any action game to date. But the story is a bit disappointing compared with the complex plot of Thief, and the game itself lacks the surprises of the original. Yet if Thief II has a real shortcoming, it's that the game is too similar to Thief. But that similarity isn't necessarily a problem, considering how good Thief was. It's clear that Thief II was put together with the intent of getting the game done as quickly as possible. That's not to say the game was rushed or is incomplete, but only that it reuses a number of Thief's elements. For instance, certain parts of the game's structure are almost entirely the same, from the mission-briefing screens to the "mission complete" and "mission failed" movies. But the quality of Thief II's mission design more than compensates for this recycling. A few of the missions borrow heavily from Thief, and a few are predictable. There are some moments in Thief II when you'll see potential twists in the mission from the very beginning if you're familiar with Thief. But otherwise, the mission design is superb: The designers have gone to great lengths to emphasize the thieving element of gameplay, so you'll spend less time searching through monster-infested caverns and more time in high-security buildings. You'll rob banks, burglarize storage warehouses, infiltrate secured mansions filled with secret passages, and even sneak around high-society parties. Thief II's 16 missions are longer and more involving than the first game's, and the locations are often enormous, but unfortunately, the accompanying loading times are longer as a result. In the game's best mission, Life of the Party, you must sneak across the rooftops of a city, break into a high-security building, gather information and loot, and then sneak back across the city again. The mission is filled with funny moments, and you'll overhear all manner of conversations during the course of the heist, such as two sets of guards shouting insults across the rooftops about one another's employers. Looking Glass has done a remarkable job of making the city seem alive, as almost every mission contains conversations to eavesdrop on and people going about their business who are unaware of your presence. The only element that slightly weakens the otherwise excellent ambiance is the occasionally poor voice acting. The highly detailed missions are likely what make Thief II's story seem weak in comparison with the original's. In the first Thief, the missions served the story. But the opposite is true of the sequel. The hero Garrett is once more called upon to put an end to a great evil, and he once again seems reluctant to do so. With the exception of the epilogue, Garrett does little but remain his roguish, wisecracking self the entire time. Garrett's an interesting character, and it's a shame that Thief II doesn't do more to develop him.
>>>Download<<<
Posted by
Shou-sama
0 comments:
Post a Comment