The story behind Thief II: The Metal Age isn't quite as intriguing or deep as the original storyline. Once again you'll step into the boots of Garrett, the master thief. It's been a year since you defeated the Trickster and life has reverted back to the good old days of lucrative thieving jobs. Not all is well though. The Mechanists, a group broken off from the Hammerites, have risen since the demise of the Trickster and have begun supplying powerful mechanical weapons to the newly elected sheriff, Gorman Truart, in a continuous effort by Gorman to rid the city of all but the rich and famous. Gorman Truart also seems to have a vendetta against Garrett, as he will stop at nothing to catch the master thief. The Metal Age appears to be at hand and it's up to you to discover the truth behind Gorman Truart's efforts.

The story in Thief II progresses in a very linear fashion. There are relatively few twists and turns in comparison to the original. What has been approved though is mission design. One of the problems I had with the original game was the lack of consistency throughout each level. It began incredibly well but each progressive mission seemed more like a creature hunt than a thieving run. I'm happy to report that the missions in Thief II emphasize thievery again and do so throughout the game. You'll burglarize warehouses, rob banks and infiltrate high-society establishments. There are 16 new missions in Thief II, many of which are extremely enormous in size. In fact, some of the missions were too long. Many a time I found myself growing tired of wandering around large castles hoping to find that little extra loot that would allow me to purchase a few extra items. That little quip aside, The Metal Age's missions are certainly more provocative. One mission in particular has Garrett infiltrating a party, one that he both arrives and departs from by walking across the rooftops of the city. The incredible mission design is held up throughout the game this time around, although I began to have deja-vu near at some of the later levels, a feeling that the game was suddenly taking a turn for the worse, much like the original game did. Luckily, it didn't all fall to pieces.

In terms of presentation, Thief II is no different from the original Thief. Each mission begins with little introductory movies that look exactly like their earlier counterparts. All the menus remain the same, as does the interface. When you succeed or fail at a mission, the same theatrical sequence is shown. Basically the entire pre and post-mission sessions have been recycled for the sequel. In terms of visuals, Thief II has made the leap to 16-bit graphics but the results are rarely noticeable. Sure, the level of detail is slightly better but that's about as far as it goes. Whether it's environment, objects, or baddies, it just doesn't look as good as it should. In a move to keep framerates down, many rooms are extremely bare, even when you'd expect to find some kind of life within them. Bedrooms, for example, are void of any objects. Either the housekeeper is sure to pack things away in desks and drawers, or somebody has beat you to the punch because I had a hard time finding the most mundane of objects. Perhaps I'm being a little picky but for a game that boasts such realistic gameplay, it seems to me that the rooms themselves lack a little realism.

One of the highlights of Thief II, much like the original, is the ambience created mostly via sounds. Whether it be voice or sound effects, it's all done to perfection. Being a game based on thievery and stealth, sound plays a huge role. Guards react accordingly to sounds surrounding them. Footsteps, made more prominent by certain surfaces, play a role in determining the proximity of unwanted guests and paths guards walk. When you douse a torch or make a sound you hadn't planned on, guards in the area will react and begin talking to one another about the situation. Guards even quip to each other and share conversations as you pass by unknowingly. The subtle details in terms of sound are uncanny and impeccable.

In the original Thief, the AI was so good yet so bad, so realistic yet so inconsistent. I'm sorry to say that degree of uncertainty manifests itself in the sequel as well. While guards react to sounds and events surrounding them, they don't quite do so with extreme realism. Several times during the game I'd throw boxes to get the guard's attention, only to attain a quip such as 'Alright, who's out there?' Personally, if I had a large wooden box thrown two feet in front of me I'd be more than a little suspicious. Guards rarely investigate enough before creeping back to their posts, particularly when there's been enough noise to wake up the neighbourhood. Why they don't seem startled when lights go out in front of them or doors mysteriously open, is beyond me. They react so well to sounds and bodies around them yet the realism is broken by such obvious mistakes.

I'm most thankful for the fact the zombies and monsters have been kept to a minimum in Thief II: The Metal Age, but those boiler beasts? Who with the what now?! So close, yet so far.

Once again, multiplayer is not an option with Thief II. Personally, I think it would be a fantastic addition if they could muster up a few co-operative missions for multiplayer gaming. Obviously being based on thievery and stealth, deathmatch is out of the question, but I'm sure there must be some way to incorporate a mode or two. As I said, a co-operative mode or even a race for the prize mode would be excellent additions to this title.

The premise, ambience and unique gameplay remains unmatched in Thief II: The Metal Age. Sure, it's essentially an add-on for the original Thief plus a few engine enhancements, but the result still works. For that reason I'll allow this one to pass without incident. Let's hope this doesn't turn into a Tomb Raider'ish type trend though, because we all know what happened to the potential of that series.

Ratings:
[ 14/20 ] Graphics
[ 14/15 ] Sound
[ 27/30 ] Gameplay
[ 18/20 ] Fun Factor
[ 03/05 ] Storyline
[ 09/10 ] Overall Impression