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Thief: Deadly Shadows

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.3 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 45 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 56 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Ion Storm

Genre(s): First-Person Action, Third-Person Action, Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: May 25, 2004

Summary

In Thief: Deadly Shadows, gamers once again take on the role of Garrett, a master thief. Garrett is rarely seen, never caught and capable of breaking into the most ingeniously secured places. Garrett steals from the wealthy and gives to himself, making his living in the dark and foreboding City. Preferring to be left alone to ply his trade, prophecies of an impending Dark Age dictate a different plan for the thief. In Garretts efforts to prevent this approaching Dark Age, he has inadvertently roused an ancient hidden evil. Without allies, Garrett finds himself standing alone between the City and the forces that would crush it. [Eidos Interactive]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Thief II: The Metal Age Thief: The Dark Project

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameSpot Guide

Also On The Web: Adrenaline Vault Preview Game Informer Preview GameSpot Preview GameSpy Interview GameSpy Preview GameSpy Preview IGN Hands-On Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Four Fat Chicks

I have never seen a game use light the way Deadly Shadows does, nor have I seen such realistic environments rendered on the fly. For those who can get it to work well on their systems, this is an astounding visual experience.

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100

Gaming Age

What really impressed me about Thief: Deadly Shadows was its exquisite attention to detail in all regards. From the graphics to the sound to the level design, every aspect of Thief: Deadly Shadows seems lovingly crafted by those who genuinely cared about what they were doing.

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100

GamePro

The true wonder of the game isn’t in normal mapping or Havok physics, but rather in the low-tech ways in which the game turns skulking in the dark into tons of fun. There’s still room in this business for loving craftsmanship and intelligent design, and Deadly Shadows has both.

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Australian GamePro

Exceptional level design and whet with atmosphere this will elate series faithful and deserves to attract all fans of stealth-based gaming.

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Game Chronicles

Ion Storm has definitely learned some important lessons from "Invisible War" and while there is still room for improvement, this is their best game, and certainly the best version of Thief yet.

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Gaming Illustrated

Casual gamers may not be bothered by the difficulty bug or AI glitches, but diehard Thief fans would be better off with the PC version, both for definitely available patches and the offhand possibility of future mod missions.

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Gamers Depot

We flat loved the wide open feel of the game, got a ton of enjoyment out of it, and really liked the look and feel of the game engine and the weapons and interaction interface.

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Computer Games Magazine

Console leftovers or not, Thief: Deadly Shadows is one of the best PC games of the year. [Aug 2004, p.62]

PC Format

Thief contains a level more terrifying than anything we've ever encountered before. [Aug 2004, p.76]

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Stuff

Carry out your finest work in shadowy places and dole out dagger lobotomies with little chance of being penalized. It's almost as good as being a U.S. president or Hall of Fame running back!

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Adrenaline Vault

Even though some of Ion’s design decisions, like the removal of the rope arrow and the inclusion of the third-person camera, will disappoint purists, it would be difficult for anyone to deny what a splendid experience this release is.

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Total Video Games

It's a surprisingly long game, with plenty to do away from the main story; Thief will consume you for months on end.

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GameZone

The AI has been greatly improved from its predecessors, requiring you to use even more thought to get around guards and other characters in the game.

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netjak

The glaring clipping error kept the game from true greatness, as did the minor glitches in the rag doll system and the difficulty modes.

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Worth Playing

Deadly Shadows has real problems with collision detection. I’ve found myself stuck in midair several times, when I accidentally slipped off a ledge and got caught between it and the building it was attached to.

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IGN

A stellar and mood-defining sound environment, excellent voice work, gorgeous lighting, and a slow-to-build but page-turning story fuel Deadly Shadows to great effect, and it's also fairly long and involved, although there is no multiplayer or modding tools to extend the life of the product.

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Gamer's Hell

The atmosphere is intact, the story is very nice, the graphics are well above par, the audio is very good, and the gameplay should be interesting both for new and old players. With a few more months of development this game would have been truly excellent.

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GameSpy

A terrific game. All of the stealth gameplay, intricate level design, Byzantine story branches, and delightfully larcenous action makes a welcome return in this edition. The godfather of stealth-action games is back. Unfortunately, while Thief: Deadly Shadows stands as an equal to any of the previous games in the series, it doesn't exceed them - nor does it move the franchise forward as much as it was obviously designed to do.

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1UP

The perfect antidote for people who think they've seen it all when it comes to the stealth genre.

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Computer and Video Games

The story is great, the tension is real and if you like copious adrenal activity then you won't go too far wrong.

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ActionTrip

The background story is great, the fantasy world is rich and enthralling, and the ability to explore the open-ended environment during intense and fun missions will certainly have you playing this one till you've finished it.

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VideoGamesLife

Not as good as either of the first two games...What it is, is a rather decent homage to the greatest stealth game ever made, which does a reasonable job of recapturing the ethos and style, and a great job of recapturing the gameplay of the game we all fell in love with.

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Play Magazine

This is a case where the synergy between compelling gameplay and environment design, enabled by great technology, is too important to compromise. [July 2004, p.74]

GameSpot

Features a memorable protagonist, a great setting, and some very interesting missions. It also happens to suffer from a variety of miscellaneous, minor flaws. These are unfortunate, since Thief: Deadly Shadows is great game, for the most part.

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Play.tm

T: DS is a very atmospheric game which has just one too many small faults to make its gameworld a compellingly believable one.

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AtomicGamer

Any fan of stealth games needs to pick this one up and try to look past the technical issues to the excellent gameplay and sense of style beneath.

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Game Over Online

Problems aside, Thief 3 is overwhelming salvaged by three of the cornerstones of the franchise, an engaging, well crafted plotline, solid premise and impressive sound values.

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RealGamer

The games sound by far outshines the graphics with everything from idle non playable character conversations to discreet footsteps pacing through the dark environments.

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FiringSquad

I've played Thief the third time now. It's time to elaborate and expand. The small touches implemented by the developers, like the City, factions and stores are mostly cosmetic, never taken advantage of fully.

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Boomtown

A taut, atmospheric and engrossing experience. The only real gripe is that The City sections become long-winded, lacking as they do the focus of the story missions and as a result make the game feel a little bloated.

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Times Online

It’s the creepy atmosphere and the easy-to-pick-up-but-tough-to-perfect gameplay that most impress, and there are enough quirks and twists to ensure that you will do your damnedest to complete this compelling title.

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G4 TV

The slow-burning story is fun, and the dedication to stealth results in game mechanics that easily surpass the competition. It's an essential purchase for anyone who values an atmosphere of great gameplay over body counts.

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Gamer.tv

Graphics so pretty, it's a genuine shame to turn out the lights... A great title. Witty, stylish, and entertaining.

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eToychest

This is not going to leave players breathless or have critics singing praises of innovation, but Thief: Deadly Shadows does the franchise proud by delivering a solid, worthwhile, and memorable game experience.

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GMR Magazine

Deadly Shadows sticks closely to the formula, albeit with a highly refined touch. [Aug 2004, p.101]

Computer Gaming World

Works so well in third-person mode that it makes you wonder why it wasn't offered earlier. [Sept 2004, p.70]

DailyGame

A good addition to the stealth genre, but Garrett would much rather run and hide than to stand and fight.

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Armchair Empire

Strangely, the game that I've played lately that Thief: Deadly Shadows reminds me of most is the cell-phone version of "Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow."

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GamerFeed

The difficulties and player skill involved vary the time greatly, but don't expect to finish it in less than 30 hours. For stealth junkies, Thief: Deadly Shadows is a pure, powdered-to-perfection, Grade-A addiction.

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Yahoo! Games

Without the guns, gadgets, and radars of modern-themed games, it's a much tenser experience, and the cunning level design and excellent sound effects really draw you into its world. The variable difficulty levels mean no one should get seriously stuck, but there's still plenty of challenge for those that want it.

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WHAM! Gaming

Longtime Thief fans who can overlook the game's handful of flaws will find Deadly Shadows a worthwhile continuation of the series, even though some sacrifices were made to bring it to the PC and Xbox platforms simultaneously.

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PC Gamer

Not everything it should've been, but sporadically brilliant and usually fun. [July 2004, p.56]

Game Informer

It's a decent play, but it didn't steal my heart the way that I had hoped. [July 2004, p.113]

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Edge Magazine

Series veterans may find there's no individual mission that can compare to past highlights like the nails-down-a-blackboard dread of Return To The Cathedral or the emergent possibilities of Life Of The Party, but they remain admirably clever pieces of level design. [July 2004, p.101]

XGP Gaming

The biggest fault I found in Deadly Shadows is the A.I. The guard’s awareness at one point can be very high, but then in other situations you’d think he was deaf.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 56 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Matt H gave it a10:
I have to say that, although not the longest of the trilogy, it had the most involved gameplay. I really enjoyed the more freedom that living in the world offered instead of the pre level purchasing in the originals. The graphics were incredible and the cradle level freaked me right out. Thanks for another great game!

Glenn S gave it a10:
I just love this game where you don't have to kill everybody. I like sneaking around. Another sneaky game is Splinter Cell, which I also enjoy very much. I noticed that many comment on light and shadow effect. This is all fine but, to me, all that matter is that its a good game to play. I mean, what's the point with all visual effects in a game, when it is perhaps boring to play?

ZuffuluZ T gave it a10:
The athmosphere in this game is absolutely incredible! I have never seen anything like it. (and I am playing PC games since 1992) Once you got started, there is really no way that you can put it away before you have finished it. Especially that level in the cradle was just stunning. The gameplay and atmosphere in there just cannot be described, because there is simply no other game that has anything likewise. I would even say that it is worth buying the game just to see that level - it's a MUST PLAY. The only weakness of the game is the ending, which I felt was a bit weird, but that is probably just me and I don't want to spoil anything, so you can find out yourself.

Reiver gave it a6:
A good game in the wrong engine and not enough polish. The games main feature: stealth, is sadly broken and as such the good story, great acting and strong ideas can't overcome the niggles that cause prolonged play to be a keyboard smashing pain. The game is now more about the light detecting crystal at the bottom of your screen than true sneaking and planning. I found myself constantly watching it as much as the enviroment since, often, the amount of light onscreen and how hidden I was did not correlate. Not that it matters much as the inconsistent AI will sometimes "detect" you motionless in the dark and othertimes miss you running infront of their nose waving a torch in their face and bellowing out rock anthems. "Oh,it must've been a rat". Where the Ai seems to have the most problems is when it's scripted. The NPCs will be told to start fighting each other by some Ai routine and their state of alertness raised to attack mode. Unfortunately that often results in them forgetting about killing each other and either homing in psychically on your hidey hole or beginning to search for you. If they do kill each other, even if you remain hidden, they'll begin looking for you. These bugs are 100% replicable and one in particular (a merman homing in on me) happened everytime no matter what i did. This lack of testing extends to the enviroment and the AI's pathing as well. I found myself stuck on objects far too often and other times had to make several (loud) jumps to get up or on to ledges only to find myself sliding off and unable to do anything but slowly fall. These aren't obscure locations. This is a largely linear game with little deviance from set paths. It just shows a lack of testing! The other area where the enviroment causes trouble is to those mindless AI drones. I dropped a book I'd swiped by mistake (due to the occasional difficulty in targeting loot, very annoying when you're trying to time a quick grab) next to a fireplace. The AI swerved it... And walked to a firey death. I've observed other NPCs throwing a wobbly and falling off platforms to their death without any intervention from me. Discovery of these bodies puts the AI into search mode and once again you're paying for the games bugs. At the end of each level you're given your mission stats. A perfect thief will glide through the level undetected leaving only empty shelves as a sign of his passing. No deaths, no knockouts and no alerted guards. For the reasons above this is impossible the AI stupidity means that even if you go through the level undetected you'll still not have perfect stats thanks to the dead bodies of the suicidal AI. So with no true incentive to play the game in the true Thief style you're cajoled into playing like an action game. there's no reason not to just knock the guard out or to run through the level grabbing everything with a train of guards at your back, you'll just ditch them at the next load point!

Amerialla A. gave it a9:
Very good, not just amazing graphics, but good level designs and use of lighting, as we're used to from the other Thief games. Definately my favourite of the series.

Jeroen S. gave it a10:
Best soundscapes ever!

Samtam90 gave it a9:
The concept of the city is handled in a great way, not to mention the AI is one of the best i've ever seen in a game and it retains all the old glorious features of the previous Thief games. And it manages to be even funnier.

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Thief: Deadly Shadows

Game Info

Summary

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