Stealth Gameplay In Its Infancy
This was the first stealth game that I ever played. Thief moved too slowly for me, and even slower when you're carrying bodies around, which is frequently. I thought of Thief as more of a puzzle game, figuring out the way through without using direct combat. Direct combat is a nightmare and a last resort. As a thief, you're no good with a sword, but for some reason, you carry one around. The thief's other tools include a blackjack to silently knock out guards, and a bow. The thief carries a quiver of trick arrows, such as water arrows to douse torches from far away, or blunt arrows to knock someone out without killing them. Sometimes there are "no killing" restrictions placed on you. On level 3 or so, the game introduces zombies that become a time mechanic. They cannot be killed unless you use a holy water arrow, which are extremely rare. Zombies are just knocked down temporarily, not allowing the player the time necessary to think through the puzzle environment. You can buy arrows and gadgets in between levels, but there's no way to know what you'll need. You buy items with gold acquired from objects you steal along your way. Overall, the game was just not enjoyable to me, maybe to stealth aficionados, or fans of Thief II and III who want to complete their collection.
