Burton's Bytes

THIEF can probably lay claim to originating many of the ideas that have since become essential ingredients in the first-person adventure genre.

The third game in this series, called Deadly Shadows, has emerged from the Ion Storm studio - the "hot house" satellite company set up by Eidos to showcase some of the best gaming talent in the world - so it certainly has a lot to live up to.

Garrett, the medieval hero from the previous game, returns and he's still the same old small-time thief looking to make a quick profit.

His first job is to steal a gem from a densely populated castle. The dark and dingy corridors are filled with guests and nosy servants. Garrett has to avoid detection if he is to succeed. That means doubling back when a crowd appears, sneaking around the dozy guards and generally keeping to the shadows (of which there are many).

To give you some idea of how well concealed Garrett is, you are given a light meter. The darker it glows, the better Garrett's concealment. On the easiest difficulty setting, it is a fairly simple task to just slink around in the less salubrious parts of the castle and only venture out into the well-lit corridors when the coast is well and truly clear.

Opt for a greater challenge, however, and the game gives the guards hyper-acute senses. The merest sound will betray Garrett and he must think through every move.

If there really is no way around, Garrett can sneak up and smack a guard on the head with his lethal blackjack club. Alternatively, he can create a distraction and nip past unseen.

Sticking to traditional computer gaming conventions, Garrett must find the gem by solving some puzzles, tripping a few switches and listening carefully to the odd clue dropped into conversation.

At least when he discovers locked doors, Garrett can usually rely on his lock-picking talents to keep moving. Doing so is no simple task, however. Garrett must use his skills and lock-picking tools to open a door - and hope that a guard won't interrupt him while he is working. As he progresses further in the game, so the locks become harder and the chances of discovery even greater.

He's also an accomplished pickpocket, an ability that leads him to discover a map that holds the key to completing this latest adventure.

The blackjack may be useful for bopping a guard unconscious but it doesn't cut the mustard against bad guys with big swords, so Garrett also has a bow-and-arrow combo.

This can be used for more than just knocking off guards from afar. Garrett's quiver includes noisemakers - arrows that scream as they are let loose - perfect for creating a useful distraction.

Later on, he obtains some gas bombs and gloves that can help with climbing (necessary for some of the seemingly impossible obstacles).

This time around, you get to watch Garrett in third-person view as well as be him by looking out through his eyes.

This innovation has had a mixed reception and, to be honest, controlling Garrett is easier from a first-person perspective. That said, I found myself playing through Deadly Shadows in third-person mode more often because too much first-person action can make me (and one in every four gamers, apparently) nauseous.

Visually, there isn't much to complain about. Garrett looks great and moves with grace and precision most of the time. The colour pallet is a bit grey and the cut scenes look six months behind the very best in this genre but generally, there's nothing much to complain about.

Pay close attention to the soundtrack. The effects are in the game for more than mere atmosphere. If you don't have a good stereo speaker set up, I'd urge you to invest in a set of earphones because the directional soundtrack can help save Garrett's skin by giving advance warning of danger.

You also get to meet up with some buddies who can help out on some of Garrett's more tricky missions.

Lovers of stealth games like Metal Gear and Hitman will find lots to enjoy in the third Thief instalment. Gamers who prefer the all-action kind of adventure will probably find it frustrating because there's no option to go crazy just stabbing and shooting everything in sight.

As a result, Thief: Deadly Shadows is a title that's likely to appeal to a more mature audience than the usual first person blast 'em up junkie.

If I've a criticism it's that the freedom to roam and the convoluted puzzles are sometimes just a bit too obtuse - making it mind-bendingly difficult to continue without recourse to a walk-through or a helpful printed guide book. Ion Storm would no doubt argue that the puzzles are all part of the challenge but sometimes it felt as though Garrett could go no further. And with no apparent clues as to his salvation, the temptation to cheat proved too much.

The fact that I did play Thief through to its thrilling conclusion, despite these frustrations, says much about the strong game that lies at the core of Deadly Shadows.

If you are fed up with mindless shoot 'em ups and ho-hum driving games then I reckon Thief: Deadly Shadows could be just the thing for your jaded palate.

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