hile stealing is bad and not condoned by those here at Game Informer Online, we do have to admit that when it’s done right, it can be a boatload of fun. It’s from this premise that the Thief series has garnered much of its success. Since 1998, the series has taken the stealth genre is new directions and offered up some compelling gameplay that not only taxed players’ trigger fingers, but also their ability to hide in the shadows and actually avoid confrontation. Today I got a chance to sit down with a preview build of Eidos’ latest in the series, Thief: Deadly Shadows, and thankfully, the core gameplay that made the series so enjoyable is still here. Plus, with the addition of some new features, it should end up being the best installment in the Thief series to date.

Thief: Deadly Shadows starts off much like other games of its vein; with a tutorial level. The tutorial, however, goes quite deep into introducing you into the world of the thief. Instead of just learning how to execute moves, you’ll also need to be able to show off the fact that you know how to use them. True, while you’ll learn how to climb on objects and access your inventory, you’ll also be introduced to things like being able to use noise distractions successfully, as well as incapacitating guards and then hiding their bodies in a swift and timely manner. The real use of the tutorial levels lies in the fact that once you’re let loose into the regular game, you’ll need to carefully utilize everything that you’ve learned to succeed. You see, regular levels are open-ended, allowing you to tackle objectives in a number of different ways. And, with that open-endedness in mind, you’ll also be on your own when it comes to dealing with enemies.

For those unfamiliar with the gameplay in the Thief series, it could probably best be summed up as a FPS-style third person adventure game. Control in the game follows standard FPS conventions (WASD, for those in the know). As a thief, you fittingly have access to a number of stealthy maneuvers and actions that you can use to get the jump on your foes (or some nice loot). Along with being able to crouch and slink around to reduce the noise of your footsteps, you can also climb up on objects and other environmental emplacements to either get a bead on an area or hide from pursuing enemies. You can also press your body up against walls, which proves to be handy when you want to peek around corners. For those times when you may not know what lies on the other side of a door, you can press up against it and listen through the door itself to hear if someone’s on the other side. While your main character doesn’t quite have the repertoire of moves of a Solid Snake or Sam Fisher, the available move-list is pretty solid and should provide plenty of challenges when it comes to actually using them appropriately when playing. After all, while the game does feature a hefty dose of combat, it also features a lot of exploration. You’ll spend much of your time tracking down and stealing valuable loot, so while combat moves may prove handy during a fight, you’ll ultimately need to rely more on your stealth skills to bring home the bacon (or gold, for that matter).

Combat wise, it becomes apparent quickly that the game is all about choices. The second level in the game drops you into a large courtyard with two patrolling soldiers guarding its entrance. For those who want to pick a fight, you can easily make your way through much of the level using the thief’s many combat-tuned moves. Initially, you’re outfitted with a blackjack and a dagger, both of which can be used to execute one-hit stealth kills (provided you can sneak up on an enemy without them seeing you). For ranged attacks, you can utilize your trusty bow and arrow. But, with all the lethality that the thief is capable of dishing out, he’s also capable of doling out punishment in a more forgiving and non-fatal manner. Bows can be equipped with noise-diversion arrows as well as specially tipped armaments like gas that knock enemy’s unconscious, while the blackjack actually knocks enemies out, rather than killing them. And, for those dire times when you absolutely can’t be seen, the thief can simply rely on his stealth and not resort to combat at all. Take, for example, that second level I mentioned. While you could jump into the fray and take out guard after guard in your way, a cunning player will discover that by navigating around the initial area where you begin, you can find a ladder that will allow you to reach a window that you can climb into, avoiding any confrontations completely.

While it could be thought that the sheer open-endedness of the game might get a bit overwhelming, Thief: Deadly Shadows incorporates a pretty intuitive system of keeping track of all your objectives. A simple press of the Escape key will bring up your main menu, which contains not only your current level objectives, but also information that you’ve gathered throughout your adventures. During the course of the game you’ll be faced with some daunting puzzles and conundrums, like trying to find a secret switch, or where a particular character may be hiding. Information can be found through any number of sources, including things like books, journals, notes, and even eavesdropped conversations between NPCs. Pretty much all of what you read will be jotted down for you, so you won’t always have to take notes or travel back to an important site of information, which proves to be pretty handy, considering you’ll be spending most of your time slinking through the shadows and trying to memorize enemy patrol patterns. And, the menu allows you to cycle through and manage your inventory of items. While the game does provide a handy in-game system for going through your inventory, there are times when you’ll need a bit more breathing room to successfully manage your carried loot.

Visually, the game is shaping up very nicely and features some impressive use of lighting and shadowing. Since much of the game is focused around hiding and staying unseen, you’ll spend much of your gameplay time slinking through the shadows. Also, both features are dynamic, which is cool to see in action as you stalk past a window and see your shadow cast on the ground thanks to an eerie moonlit night. Character models are nice, and while NPCs are a bit lacking in overall detail, the thief sports a nice polygon count and looks fantastic at close range. Environments, too, are quite detailed, and you’ll spend a good amount of the game exploring every nook and cranny of every level you play in, so it’s nice to have some eye candy to keep you going.

Being a game based on stealth, Thief: Deadly Shadows features a pretty high emphasis on sound. Throughout the course of the game you’ll use sound to both better detect enemies as well as eavesdrop on NPC conversations to gain better information about whatever objectives you may need to complete during the level. As such, the game doesn’t feature that much in the way of music. While there are some nice ambient music tracks, they play second fiddle to the sound effects and audio clues that you’ll be getting throughout the game.

Overall, Thief: Deadly Shadows offers up one heck of a good time and should appeal to all those gamers out there hankering for a stealth title that strays away from the realm of what can be found on a console title like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid. While you won’t be taking on elite terrorist organizations or super-human bosses, you will experience some intriguing gameplay that will make you use your noggin more than your trigger finger. Like we said before, stealing is bad, but also very, very fun.