Framed is just amazing. It shows that having a different atmosphere from the first game does not mean it has a worse one. The station is beautifully oppressive, and visually provides the player with insight on just how corrupt Sheriff Truart and his band of cops are. The prison below the complex is filled with people; seems the City Watch is at least doing its job. But you soon realize that the police is doing its job a little too well...

The gameplay is your standard Thief fare, but in my opinion the placement of guards and various types of lighting is impeccable. Not to mention the layout of the location is very well realized, full of detail and secrets. Exploration is a blast because of this, and stays varied. The higher up you go, the more intense the gameplay gets. Thanks to all this, the Expert objective - do not knock out any guards - improves the experience even further. If any of these gameplay aspects hadn't been as good as they are, this added challenge could have led to frustration. It does not, which is a testament to the focus LGS had developed at this point in the game's creation process.

The story is great too: readables provide ample insight in the dynamics at play between the City Watch employees, from the higher-ups to the regular guards. Everything points towards corruption, while a handful of insiders feel like their principles are being trampled upon. This is the final element that makes Framed such a joy to play.