Two excellent Let's Plays reminded me of how amazing this franchise is, despite having very few games in it, one being an ill fated reboot. The setting is quite brilliant and imaginative, blending in industrial age Western Europe with everything from classic medieval fantasy, to a Christianity inspired fanatical yet technologically minded cult, to Arabian inspired foreign wizard sects, to a sprawling thieves' guild filled with both shy clientele and snappy thieves. It manages to feel both magical and yet down to earth, with some excellent world building in its levels. And who can forget the level design? While rather blocky and somewhat bare by today's standards, they still evoke their environments brilliantly, being filled with personality in the brilliantly voiced inhabitants, the broad layouts, and the minute details. The first game has a bit of an identity crisis, having Garrett spelunk through ancient haunted tombs and ruins at random, but the second game delivers solidly on the premise of being a thief, featuring many brilliant levels, including a warehouse mission that's actually a tour of the city's broader society and societal changes in a clever twist. How many games make warehouses interesting?
The first two games are readily available on Steam and GOG, and can be got for cheap these days. I heartily recommend both of them, especially the second game. For your money, you get hours of sneaky adventuring fun through a rich, well mapped world. And you even get to play a lot of fan content should you yearn for more. This old is definitely gold!
The first two games are readily available on Steam and GOG, and can be got for cheap these days. I heartily recommend both of them, especially the second game. For your money, you get hours of sneaky adventuring fun through a rich, well mapped world. And you even get to play a lot of fan content should you yearn for more. This old is definitely gold!
