Closest Game to Thief

[Springheel]

I've never really played any stealth game other than Thief (and Chronicles of Riddick) and I'd like to pick up something to relax with over the summer (and that might stimulate some TDM ideas).

 

Of the stealth games out there, which one do you think would most appeal to a Thief/TDM fan like myself (who likes the combo of stealth and historical/fantasy)? I was thinking something in the Assassin's Creed series, perhaps?

[Outlooker]

A.Creed was a major dissapointment with me. Visually very nice, but gameplay, atmosphere and general story was very mass-audience-like.

I found it becoming boring trying it out for a couple of minutes.

 

The closest thing to thief with a classic fantasy-setting for me was playing ---Dark Messia of Might and Magic--- skilled as a thief.

 

The game is great - one of the very best I ever tried.

Also thieflike :

-backstab,

-steal keys from girdles,

-use bows,

-hide in/use shadows,

-your are not forced to kill most enemies - sneaking by will do without losing exp,

-there is a nightvision spell (Garrets mech. eye, remember?),

-you can set traps,

-THERE ARE ACTUAL ROPE ARROWS FOR CLIMBING,

-spiders and zombies of course,

-exploring,

-almost as good mantling as in TDM,

-the game even has Thief/Garrett-Hints (in the top set of armor for thieves),

-secret passages (Thief-like),

-hidden loot (also Thief-like),

-Edit: LOCKPICKING, forgot about that

 

 

On top of that:

Great graphics (be sure to have a card capable of HDR,also great implementation of shadows), excellent combat system (you can kick butt, literally [sneak to enemy, kick him in the behind-off a ledge,for example]), nice general art direction (beautyfully craftet and diverse maps) and quite OK story.

 

Strongly recommended.

 

I would even say - given you love Thief, TDM etc. you will also love DMoMM.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Outlooker

[rebb]

Ass Creed is not so much about stealth imo, even tho the name seems to imply it. You'll most likely still end up killing "poor guards" for no real reason other than the game throwing them at you. You can outrun or knock them out, but after a while this gets reallly tedious. At least i found myself not bothering with "stealth" much in the last two games.

 

The Hitman Series is very nice, even tho it does not force you to play stealthly, and is not about stealing but taking out targets - also 3rd person.

The Splinter Cells are cool, but some of the newer ones go more into action instead of stealth.

Deus Ex 1 ( 2 too maybe, i forgot about that one ) and the latest Deus Ex Game have viable stealth options, tho in DX:HR that mostly means punching people in the face.

[i30817]

Hitman 4 is 3-rd person by defaul, but there is a movement mode in first person. However, once you do certain actions you default to 3rd again (it's annoying)

 

Great game though. The disguises and 'accidents' are fun.

 

Last level annoyed me though

Edited June 28, 2012 by i30817

[demagogue]

Mirror's Edge is about evasion rather than stealth (and its a future setting), but I thought it had some interesting ideas worth knowing about for stealth gameplay.

[Psychomorph]

I am replaying Deus Ex Human Revolution right now and you can play it pure stealth. You don't need to use the cloaking augmentation, but just use timing and orientation. The biggest letdown about DX3's stealth for me initially was the inability to lean, it would have enriched the stealth gameplay by a lot, but you can do a very quick left/right side strafe to get a quick glance behind a corner, if the AI is far away it is forgiving and doesn't spot you right away, it actually works a bit like lean. Only if there is AI very close, I look at the radar, which actually isn't all that unrealistic, as in real life you can have a feel for when someone is standing right around the corner (little sounds), so the (non augmented and thus short ranged) radar is a bit like an abstract representation of that ability. Of course you don't have to use the cover system.

 

I'd say if you go full, non augmented stealth in DX3, it is the closest thing to Thief in a modern (near future) setting. Only thing Edos really botched are the boss fights, where you are forced to kill on an open fight, that sucked hard. In the DLC (Missing Link) they learned and you can deal with the boss as you wish (was my single kill overall, snuck up behind the guy and broke his neck).

 

 

Agree to Dark Messia of Might and Magic. Very Thief-ish if you let it.

 

 

Otherwise try Thief: Deadly Shadows, it is the closest thing to Thief. Even has the same voice actor for the main character.

[Midnight]

I've been enjoying DX:HR, but the stealth is a bit of a let down. This could improve as I upgrade stealth augmentations (of which there are quite a few thankfully), but there are little things that annoy. It doesn't seem that darkness conceals you very well (if at all), and the radar is a poor inclusion, feels like cheating that there's a HUD that shows where all the AI are and what direction they're facing (before even upgrading any augs).

[nbohr1more]

I recall that Baddcog was praising some of the Oblivion "Thief's Guild" mods.

 

I see that Skyrim has a "Thief Arrow" mod but I'm not sure how far along any stealth or

thief style gaming can be found in Skyrim...

[Springheel]

I definitely don't have time to get involved in something like Skyrim or Oblivion, unfortunately. Is Dark Messia of Might and Magic a similar 'open-world' concept? I think I need something more mission based.

[Midnight]

Dark Messiah is not open world, the levels aren't quite as clearly defined as say missions from the thief games, but more like old school single player levels. I wouldn't really recommend it as a stealth game, the meat and bones of DM are very much in the first person combat (which I really enjoyed btw), but the medieval/fantasy setting is definitely interesting.

[demagogue]

Worth mentioning that just yesterday Thievery released a 10th Anniversary udpate: http://forums.blackc...ead.php?t=13564

 

Thievery is of course the multiplayer version of Thief, played on Unreal 1999, and I think the servers will have a good crowd on them for a while after this release.

[Bikerdude]

The closest thing to thief with a classic fantasy-setting for me was playing ---Dark Messia of Might and Magic

+1

 

wished the'd made a sequal.

[elwing]

hum, the closest to thief is without any doubt the dark mod, but you ought to know...

 

 

edit: most "stealth" game I can think of relly on a "hide" skill... if you've got it nothing can see you, you just don't care about lights, sound or wathever. I remember doing a bit of thievery in Arx Fatalis, but it's also based on skill and much less realistical/fun than thief... there's even an open source project to maintain the game for newer systems => http://arx-libertatis.org/ it's only partially thief like if you want it, but it's otherwise a great game to play. hail poxelius for me if you play it.

Edited June 29, 2012 by elwing

[SiyahParsomen]

not fantasy world but pure stealth game and free and short and fun: TRILBY

 

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/content/games/yahtzee/artoftheft/

[7upMan]

I'd say go for Deus Ex 3. It offers stealth, has nice enough graphics, a soundtrack that is insanely stunning and a story that powerfully drives you through the game, not to mention the myriad of readables that add incredible depth to the game's world. Of all the games mentioned here, I'd think this best fills your demands - except of course the setting, which is really hard sci-fi. On the other hand, Riddick is no Steampunk either.

[Mortem Desino]

not fantasy world but pure stealth game and free and short and fun: TRILBY

 

http://www.escapistm...zee/artoftheft/

I think almost all of Yahtzee Crowshaw's games are winners. He's a very good storyteller with a cynical sense of humor. I liked all his point-and-click adventures (I.E. "X days a Y" series). Too bad it seems the old fullyramblomatic is down.

[Xarg]

I had a sudden flash of inspiration and wanted to recommend Manhunt for its stealth mechanics, then I realised it was Manhunt and decided against it.

[_Atti_]

I recommend Hitman Blood Money too. It's best at the 'planning and executing' phase of stealthing..You observe, plan your moves, time your actions, and hopefully grin, as you successfully pull it.

 

It has:

- Huge diverse mission based levels.

- Multiple self invented paths. Not the Deusx:HR choose from the four tubes type.

- Disguises

- Relies on player inventiveness

- Level-based obstacles. ( elimininate someone in a crowd. Targets having a routine, rather than a 'patrol-line'.

- Level-based opportunities for a kill, accidents to be forged.

- Murder.. But only the target needs to be eliminated,

 

it does not have:

 

- medieval times

- hiding in shadows

- readables..apart from the briefings, and end-mission newspaper in which you get some details on the happennings.And a good description of your previous mission as it would appear in the papers.

[STiFU]

Well there's the Amnesia- and Penumbra-series of course. Very sneaky, very immersing. But especially from Penumbra you won't get much inspiration I think, as it is rather modern looking.

 

Then there is Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. I totally recommend that game. It is versatile, sneaky and damn immersing!! It features interesting architecture and leveldesign, so it should be just what you're looking for. I believe it is set in a 1940s England.

 

Your question was interesting to me too, so I hit google, which offered another suggestion: Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Never really played that game. All I know is it is a highly recommended rpg, which you can also play sneaky. The different chapters play out in different times (modern, medieval etc.).

[Komag]

I played quite a few hours of Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines and really tried to like it, but I couldn't. It felt cliche and lame and pitiful. Kind of like most Anime, meant for the emotionally immature (ouch!). That was my personal take, at least.

[7upMan]

Well there's the Amnesia- and Penumbra-series of course. Very sneaky, very immersing.

 

I do NOT recommend playing Amnesia during holidays. This game will scare the freaking hell out of you, that's for sure. Also, it's more horror than sneaking (which is an essential part, but only to let you survive), so it doesn't really fit the bill. Still, it's definitely a great game!

[Xarg]

Then there is Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. I totally recommend that game. It is versatile, sneaky and damn immersing!! It features interesting architecture and leveldesign, so it should be just what you're looking for. I believe it is set in a 1940s England.

 

This game is fantastic, played it through multiple times. Large focus on stealth for the vast majority of the game, and I think it's the first game I've played where the firearm discharges where the barrel is pointing, not in the centre of the screen where the crosshair would be.

 

Your question was interesting to me too, so I hit google, which offered another suggestion: Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Never really played that game. All I know is it is a highly recommended rpg, which you can also play sneaky. The different chapters play out in different times (modern, medieval etc.).

 

You're thinking of Vampire the Masquerade - Redemption, which starts you off as Christof, a Crusader who is injured and forced to sit out the war, stuff happens, he reawakens in the modern ages. Bloodlines is purely modern, though it's also a great game, and you can play it through stealthily, depending on which Clan you choose to play as.

[SiyahParsomen]

Then there is Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. I totally recommend that game. It is versatile, sneaky and damn immersing!! It features interesting architecture and leveldesign, so it should be just what you're looking for. I believe it is set in a 1940s England.

 

I totally not recommend that game. It may be good in its time but currently it's totally crap in all manner.

[_Atti_]

It still is the best cthulhu experience on Pc. Its only flaw is that it's shooter part is buggy like hell. Not a thief like game however.

It's more akin to Point and click adventures with a horror Fps flavour.

[STiFU]

Of course the gameplay isn't Thief (no other game is) but the atmosphere is VERY thief like at first IMHO and anyone who is into non-mainstream games and hasn't played that game yet, should DEFINITELY give it a shot. It's just a completely different kind of game than what we're used to and that's so refreshing. Now that I think about it, I gotta replay that game!