Preview: Thief II

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by Peter Olafson

(IDG) -- Thief: The Dark Project urged gamers to walk softly and carry a lockpick. It was a genre unto itself -- the first person "sneaker" -- and Thief II: The Metal Age is shaping up as an even roomier, sportier sneaker with longer wear, deeper treads and more fancy stripes.

If you didn't play Thief and still equate "first person" with "first person shooter," you are in for a pleasant surprise. Thief is not Unreal Tournament.

You're not circling, shooting, grabbing, and running. You're moving slowly through the darkness, listening, waiting, and waiting some more for the moment when backs are turned. Typically, you don't seek out would-be opponents, but avoid them.

Thief II shows an even greater emphasis on stealth than its predecessor. While that was the heart and soul of the original game, it was a little tentative in committing to that conceit and included some straight-ahead action.

This time, "we're really trying to get away from combat," said associate producer Mike McHale.

As the master thief, Garrett, you must survive and prosper in the reign of new sheriff Gorman Truart. Sheriff Truart does not like you. Finding out why is your goal, and unexpected twists and turns will appear as you run a gauntlet of the sheriff's men, the techy Mechanists, their depleted enemies the Pagans and the cryptic "Keepers."

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The twists aren't just in the story. The developers have moved away from the loot-and-scoot. The objectives in the 15 missions here are sophisticated and purposeful.

For example, in the first level, you're breaking into a fine house -- to assist in a rescue. (OK, OK, so you can fill your pockets at the same time.) And while the second has all the appearances of a straight burglary -- you have to get into dockside warehouses, grab goodies worth 500 GP and get back to your starting point -- this intricate creation gives you so much to do and see that it feels more like reconnaissance for the game that follows.

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I'd more than fulfilled the objectives, but from the dribs and drabs of info picked up from ledgers and journals en route, became so immersed in what was going on in these pitch-black buildings, lit by slashes of fluorescent moonlight, that I stayed with it for hours.

At the same time, it's a bigger game. Thief II levels are 50 to 100 percent larger than those in Thief, with multiple routes, and room to scout, strategize and spy. It offers more opportunities for eavesdropping on casual and not-so-casual conversations. (That was one of the triumphs of Thief -- translating a guilty pleasure from the real world to the virtual one and helping give that virtual world shape and personality.)

Graphics also have been given a boost. Look for 16-bit color, particle and weather effects, colored lighting, and a marvelous fog that doesn't hover Turok-like at the edge of your vision but, like real fog, swims through a whole region -- realistic and atmospheric. Characters now are assembled from twice the number of polygons as used in Thief, include female characters, and support location-based damage.

The artificial intelligence also is said to be better. As before, the guards are sharp-eyed and take notice of movement where there should be no movement, actively seek you out, and summon help. Now, if you're on a raised area, and enemies can't find a path to reach you, they'll hack at your legs. If you're visible, but out of sword's reach, they'll call in archers better equipped to reach out and touch you. If you put out torches with your Water Arrows, they may re-light them.

Garrett has new gadgets at his disposal. You'll be able to zoom in on distant scenes with his new mechanical eye. (Long story. Just call him the 6 Million Gold Piece Man.) A throw-able remote camera allows you to scope out places you couldn't see on your own. Invisibility and Slow Fall potions will allow you to reach places you wouldn't be able to reach unassisted and live to tell about it. The Vine Arrow will allow you to scale walls. The Frog Beast Egg will spawn a· well, a Frog Beast, which will then attack enemies nearby.

And your blackjack, while still a potent weapon, isn't all-powerful. Some of your enemies are equipped with serious headgear. You might as well try mugging a statue.

In sum, Thief II is shaping up to be a beauty -- a thoughtful extension of the original game with enough that is new to preserve the original's sense of novelty. When it steps from the shadows in late March, I'll be waiting.

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