Which Thief game should I play?

Bought the entire Thief collection on sale @ GOG and I'm wondering which I should play 1st, thanks.

Obviously the first one, but the general consensus is Thief 2 is the best.

Play it in this order:

1. Thief 1

2. Thief 2

3. Thief 2 mod: Shadows of the Metal Age

4. Thief 3

5. Then once you're completely addicted get Doom 3 and install DarkMod and then play fan mission after fan mission of pure awesomeness :)

Play them all in order.

I just realised that next year I'll have to tell people..."play them in order....except for that other one".  

Play Skyrim sneak skill will blow any thief game out of the water imo. I don't get the craze for thief now that we have The Chronicles of Riddick, Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas.Travis_Odell

[QUOTE="Travis_Odell"]Play Skyrim sneak skill will blow any thief game out of the water imo. I don't get the craze for thief now that we have The Chronicles of Riddick, Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas.Nwolfy

[QUOTE="Nwolfy"][QUOTE="Travis_Odell"]Play Skyrim sneak skill will blow any thief game out of the water imo. I don't get the craze for thief now that we have The Chronicles of Riddick, Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas.Travis_Odell

[QUOTE="Travis_Odell"][QUOTE="Nwolfy"] Thief games were there before any of the above games. OT: Just play them in order.Legolas_Katarn

[QUOTE="Nwolfy"][QUOTE="Travis_Odell"]Play Skyrim sneak skill will blow any thief game out of the water imo. I don't get the craze for thief now that we have The Chronicles of Riddick, Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas.Travis_Odell

Also, the idea that New Vegas or Skyrim have better or more dynamic stealth than Thief is atrociously laughable. You quite literally do not know what you are talking about.

Thirf games was cool in the 90s but for today's standers a linear dark hallway to creep in and steal shit get's old as soon as the mission failed sign shows up.Travis_Odell

That makes it sound like you've never played Thief. Or perhaps you've only played the tutorial to Thief 2?

Skyrim and New vegas's steath is more dynamic then any thief game to date, don't even get me started on Dishonored. Don't even get me started on The Chronicles of Riddick, aka the best stealth game of all time imo right beside dishonored published by Bethesda Softworks that probably had a say in it that made Skyrim.Travis_Odell

The thing about the stealth in Skyrim, New Vegas and Dishonored is that they all tried really, really hard to copy Thief's stealth (to the point where I think Bethesda actually just hired former Thief developers to try to make a similar system), and all of them ended up with fundamentally weaker stealth mechanics.

Skyrim's stealth problems were enormous - with a decent stealth skill level, you could practically crouch-walk right in front of guys in brightly lit rooms without them seeing you. I don't remember sound or light being a particular factor there either - if you weren't in their line of sight, you wouldn't be caught. And did the guards even notice corpses (they definitely didn't in Oblivion)? New Vegas had a weaker system, being an older game based on the same mechanics.

As for Dishonoured....I don't remember much, since I got bored with it very quickly. But I certainly remember trying to play it like a Thief game, only to be constantly disappointed by the lack of depth and general ease at everything I was doing.

Chronicles of Riddick was pretty good though, sure. Way too linear, if that's a complaint (since unlike Thief, that was literally just narrow corridor after corridor of alternately avoiding/blowing away guards), but still an entertaining stealth-shooter...whose stealth mechanics still weren't as good as Thief's, from memory?

Travis_Odell be trollin.  Saying Skyrim's stealth is better than Thiefs ???     What's next...Skyrim's melee combat is better than Dark Souls ?   Maybe Skyrim's story elements are better than Planescape Torment's ?

Travis_Odell be trollin.  Saying Skyrim's stealth is better than Thiefs ???     What's next...Skyrim's melee combat is better than Dark Souls ?   Maybe Skyrim's story elements are better than Planescape Torment's ?

bussinrounds

None of the levels in Dishonored can hold a candle to Thief missions like Song of the Caverns, The Sword, Framed, or Life of the Party.PannicAtack

Not to mention, Thief has it's very own, unique atmosphere and an amazingly likeable Main Character. Yeah, a likeable criminal, before the days GTA was cool.

Also, when I bought Thief I on Steam I expected clunky controls and ancient graphic (which would have been totally okay for it's age and the sake of Nostalgia), but then I was also dropping my jaw seeing how pretty most of the stuff in the game looks and, ESPECIALLY, that aiming, crosshair movement, general movement etc. in fact are ABSOLUTELY on TOP NOTCH LEVEL and can hold a comparision to modern day AAA games in this field without any effort...for a game that is...how old now?

None of the levels in Dishonored can hold a candle to Thief missions like Song of the Caverns, The Sword, Framed, or Life of the Party.PannicAtack

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]None of the levels in Dishonored can hold a candle to Thief missions like Song of the Caverns, The Sword, Framed, or Life of the Party.AdrianWerner

Instead it's a game that gives you insane freedom in picking how to finish each mission and doesn't punish you for making that choice. In this area it blows away both Deus Ex and Thief. Dishonored is just huge evolution of Deus Ex principles. I have no idea where people got into their heads that it's Thief-like.

Punishing players for breaking its rules shouldn't be seen as a weakness - it makes you more careful and thoughtful about your actions. 

It has one playing style and it perfects it better than any other game. 

Variation comes through the level design and the gadgets you use. 
 

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]None of the levels in Dishonored can hold a candle to Thief missions like Song of the Caverns, The Sword, Framed, or Life of the Party.AdrianWerner

i'm surprised at how much criticism dishonored gets on this board. it's a much better game than many give it credit for

Thief isn't meant to give you freedom in how you play it and thats why its brilliant. Its a pure stealth game. It never intends to have action as an option.

biggest_loser

Yeah in order. But if you must, i would go for Thief 2. its first one I played. Fell in love with series.

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

Thief isn't meant to give you freedom in how you play it and thats why its brilliant. Its a pure stealth game. It never intends to have action as an option.

PannicAtack

Thief 2 is by far the best in the series - much more polished than the first and much more immersive than the 3rd. 

And overall, Thief is the best franchise out there when it comes to stealth. no just in terms of mechanics, which certainly aren't timeless but nonetheless still competent. more importantly the games have nailed the atmosphere and setting dead right. As you slide from shadown to shadow in a dark, Gothic world, you will revel in the secrets you uncover and the guile of manipulation. the usual rewards that you associate with action games will then be thrown out of the window. no games have since compelled me so. 

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

Thief isn't meant to give you freedom in how you play it and thats why its brilliant. Its a pure stealth game. It never intends to have action as an option.

biggest_loser

I'm sorry but what?

Thief isn't meant to give you freedom in how you play it and thats why its brilliant. Its a pure stealth game. It never intends to have action as an option. 

Punishing players for breaking its rules shouldn't be seen as a weakness - it makes you more careful and thoughtful about your actions. 

It has one playing style and it perfects it better than any other game. 

Variation comes through the level design and the gadgets you use. 
 

biggest_loser

Bassicaly comparing Dishonored to Thief makes zero sense, because they're very different. Dishonored is Deus Ex-like and it's much better designed game than Deus Ex ever was.

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"][QUOTE="PannicAtack"]Technically it is an action game, so... action is kinda an option.PannicAtack

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

I'm sorry but what?

Thief isn't meant to give you freedom in how you play it and thats why its brilliant. Its a pure stealth game. It never intends to have action as an option. 

Punishing players for breaking its rules shouldn't be seen as a weakness - it makes you more careful and thoughtful about your actions. 

It has one playing style and it perfects it better than any other game. 

Variation comes through the level design and the gadgets you use. 
 

AdrianWerner

Bassicaly comparing Dishonored to Thief makes zero sense, because they're very different. Dishonored is Deus Ex-like and it's much better designed game than Deus Ex ever was.

Your exact words were: "In this area it blows away both Deus Ex and Thief.." 

You were the one comparing them. 

Your exact words were: "In this area it blows away both Deus Ex and Thief.." 

You were the one comparing them. 

biggest_loser

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

Your exact words were: "In this area it blows away both Deus Ex and Thief.." 

You were the one comparing them. 

AdrianWerner

[QUOTE="AdrianWerner"]

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]

Your exact words were: "In this area it blows away both Deus Ex and Thief.." 

You were the one comparing them. 

biggest_loser