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Fight For The Top 50 2014 - Thief
Looking over the list of releases from 2014, I don't see a clear frontrunner for the hallowed Game of the Year honor, and a good majority of the year's highly hyped games received polarizing reviews from critics and gamers alike. I foresee many heated arguments erupting during our voting process. This is going to be a rough year to nail down 50 games. I overheard some of our staffers saying Destiny could be their game of the year. Others say that the game deserves no place in the Top 50. That fight is going to be intense.
One battle I anticipate being a part of is whether or not Eidos-Montreal’s Thief deserves to be on the list. The more I reflect on my favorite moments from games this year, the more I'm reminded of Thief's thrilling stealth, whether it's sneaking up behind a woman and stealing the earrings right off of her earlobes, or bouncing in and out of the shadows of a heavily populated castle to steal away a family heirloom. I felt like a master thief while guiding protagonist Garrett to rob the rich blind. By the time he was done, their houses were freed of all of their silver and gold.
The control interface is as much a star of this game as Garrett is. Seeing his hands on screen at all times ups the immersion, and gives the player a clear indicator of how Garrett is interacting with his environment. I never once felt cheated by the enemy AI or Garrett's movements. Death almost always came from my greed or impatience.
I also enjoyed the variety in environments and how fully realized the world felt. The asylum took on a horror vibe, whereas the brothel, which was crammed to capacity with people to evade, delivered a much different experience. When Garrett is on a mission, the game shines. When he isn't...well...it falls apart.
The City, which serves as the game's hub world, is an unintentional labyrinth. Given how unhelpful the map can is, finding a key location or a merchant can be a nightmare that has Garrett running in circles. The City is also home to unfortunately long load times, and unneeded button tapping minigames in which Garrett must lift a piece of wood to move on to a new zone.
Although Garrett is dropped into The City after each mission, it is a small part of this experience. Is it enough to tarnish the game? Yes, it will drive you batty, but I believe it's worth powering through to see the sizable thrills that unfold while Garrett is thieving. I'll say this again: The missions hold some of my favorite moments of the year for any game.
No, it won't crack my Top 10 list, but it stuck with me, and is more deserving of a spot on the Top 50 than a good portion of the games that we're debating. Here's hoping it gets the support.
The Top 50 Challenge
When I mentioned I was going to champion Thief, Matt Helgeson immediately made mention that he was looking forward to playing this game. Other staffers also showed interest in taking on this challenge, but seeing that Matt and I usually have similar opinions for action games of this variety, it would be foolish of me to consider anyone else. I handed the game to him immediately, and if history holds true, I believe his opinion of Thief will echo mine.
Matt was given one day to play Thief. Come back tomorrow at 12 PM CT to read his impressions and see if Thief will get his support for Game Informer's Top 50 Games of 2014.
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