A perfect set of fan missions. The first sets up the atmosphere really well and then lets you loose to bum around town and steal as much as you can get your hands on. The second places you in an estate turned hotel which happens to be not only haunted, but also afflicted by a malevolent curse. It's not a revolutionary setup, but the execution is second to none.

The first of the two missions takes place in a cozy little town nestled in a dark forest. It seems simple at first, but gradually opens up more and more to unveil almost absurd levels of complexity and a staggering amount of secrets. There are some scares, some challenging jumps and even some laughs. The loot goal is kind of abrasive, and will have you backtracking to search every nook and cranny to hit it. I found this off putting at first, but then i started discovering little touches of brilliance that i never would have found without needing to hit such a steep number. Still, running around looking for that last 100 gold worth of valuables got a tad tedious. It is the one flaw in an otherwise incredible mission.

The second mission is the epitome of Thief. I've always thought what made this series really special is the way that it captures the innate fear of being the intruder, rather than the one getting intruded upon. "The Scarlet Cascabel" captures perfectly encapsulates that feeling. The hotel is so foreboding and dark. It is a massive structure, with five floors full of mystery and adventure. Each time i started to get comfortable in that familiar rhythm of a Thief level, something spooky would happen and rip me out of my comfort zone and back into tension. Paradoxically, I wish this second mission had a loot goal. The exploration was even more exciting here, yet at a certain point, i started to wonder why i was even grabbing loot. There is nothing to spend my money on, and no objective to hit. Maybe there is an extra objective on a higher difficulty, but not on normal. This is just nitpicking though. I adored this mansion heist. The climax is something i will never forget. To a horror fan like me, it was sublime.

These two missions have everything you could want. The package feels like a perfect tribute to Thief as a whole. You have tense stealth, frightening supernatural set pieces, tons of optional exploration, secrets galore, and there's even a pagan temple squeezed in for good measure. I cannot praise it enough. If you play one fan mission in your life, make it this one.