Classic Theif... Thief Gold... and even Thief II: The Metal Age, were amazing and, daresay, revolutionary games that aroused my interest in PC games. I say that these games were revolutionary, because never before in a game had I taken on not only the role of the "bad guy" (likeable as he may be), and never before had a game relied so heavily upon stealth and wit. First-Person Sneaking it was called, a new genre for a game that really couldn't be classified as anything else. From the very beginning I was obsessed with the series, and with the demise of Looking Glass studios I thought I would never see another game with my favorite anti-hero Garrett. That of course, wasn't going to stop me from enjoying Thief Gold (which even now I still play and love it) and Thief II (which unfortunately and accidentally got scratched, boy was i pissed).

The announcement of Thief III almost killed me, because I was not just impressed with the first two games, but I was obsessed. Another chance to take the role of Garrett and take to the streets and give those rich nobles what they deserved brought a smile to my face before I even heard a single fact of information about the games develoment aside from rumor. I am still eagerly awaiting the release of the new game, and it may just be my enthusiasm that's left over from my greatness of the last games. After reading people's comments here, however, my opinion has changed slightly.

Allow me to explain myself. I am more accurately disappointed in the poor reviews I've seen from gamers on a game that hasn't been released yet. I never played DX: IW, so I can't attest one way or another to Ion Storm's production of the game. But i know what i've heard and what I've seen of the new Thief installment, and I think that everyone's negativity has kept me from awaiting the game any less eagerly than before. I can't begin to explain how disappointed I will be if the game doesn't live up to my expectations (an believe me, I'm trying not to set my expectations too high) but I think that the quality of the previous two games does have to say something about the potential of the third.

Ion's decision to include a number of the developers from (now deceased) Looking Glass studios also brightened my hopes. These are the people who made the first games so great, I hope they'll have important input to keep the third up to the same quiality. Now the graphics are something I've heard people complain about, and that really bothers me. I have a crap-ass six-year old computer that barely ran Thief II. The architecture and design for Thief has always inspired me but the graphics themselves have never been 'breathtaking' and on my old computer they were even less impressive. The guards were blocky and generic, and their movement always seemed glitchy some how. But that never took away from the games' granduer, and to hear people complain about some low-res screen from the unfinished product of Thief 3 is a little irritating. I think some people may have been spoiled or become accustomed to the amazing graphics that many new games are sporting, and that can understandably be labeled breathtaking.

Thief III's graphics certainly seem well-suited to do what they have to, which is to support the gameplay. The gameplay itself is what made the games the popular hits that they became. The skills and abilities of a master thief are something unique to the series, and I think they've been expanded for the better in the new game. Visual shadows that the guards respond to if they see, guards who will at random check corners and niches as an addded security issue are impressive. Replacing the sword with a dagger is a move that I am all for. There were times in the old games that I had played the game so much I could simply take out my sword and go head-to-head with four guards and still go on to finish off the level. No more all-out melee when you're stuck with a dagger. That forces a person to rely more on thier thieving abilities.

All the old features of the game are still there and seem just as effective as ever, and now Garrett can climb walls. Very D&D-esque, and very thief-like. Gameplay and graphics are also there for the support of the games story, which I loved following through Thief: the Dark Project and into Thief II: The Metal Age. Thief II has the same potential to bring a story that the gamers can get involved and and feel like it's their story instead of just Garrett's.

There are probably people reading this who are already thinking of ways to flame me and insult me, but we're both fnas of the classic Thief series, and there's no reason to get so worked up over a video game. Some people have already given up on this game and won't even buy it out of spite, but not me. I'm sure some people will think me stupid for going out and buying the game first chance I get, but I loved the last two games so much that I can't resist the appeal of a new adventure with my favorite rogue, Garrett. I'm not making any predictions and reactions to the game itself since I haven't played it yet. All that I'm saying, is that I, for one, will reserve my judgement of the game itself for when I have actually had the chance to play it through.