1 GARRETT'S APARTMENT
Neat way to open the game

This isn't really a mission. It's more of a nice way of introducing us to the story. We get to see Garrett's (current) apartment, and find a letter on the doormat. Reading it finishes the mission. That was easy!

OVERALL RATING: 6
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2 DAMP ATMOSPHERE
Relaxing hunt for info

This mission is really relaxing, with little in the way of actual threats. The main challenge is to simply explore, searching for info on all sorts of things. The setting is great and unique, it reminds me of somewhat of a Thief II expansion pack. The exotic setting is used in such a way that it fits with the general aesthetic of Thief, yet it also feels like a place Garrett wouldn't normally be.

The guards leave you alone, unless they see you do things that aren't allowed. Once they do, it's an instant game over. That's fine, because there's only two or three guards walking around here. Finding information is fun. While the mission layout resembles that of the not-vertical kind of city mission (Assassins), there's much less density. It's also a small map. This means moving from building to building is very easy and doesn't feel like a hassle. The only part I did not enjoy much, was the fact that one mandatory key is hidden really well. I missed it, even though it was right in front of me. The key color blends in with the surrounding environment, making it near-impossible to actually see.

Atmosphere: 7
Gameplay: 6
Story: 7
OVERALL RATING: 7
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3 TUNNEL RATS
Easy romp through a nice looking place

I was surprised by how easy this mission is. After recently playing giants like The Builder's Paradise, I don't mind it. The castle isn't big (this mission only features the top half), and there's a distinct lack of enemies around. It's neat to explore the building, though. There's some light puzzle solving, which keeps the gameplay fresh. The visuals are real nice, too.

Atmosphere: 7
Gameplay: 7
Story: 7
OVERALL RATING: 7
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4 GATHERING TEMPEST
A bit more involved, but still on the easy side

Gathering Tempest features the bottom half of the castle you start exploring in the previous mission. This half is more complex and features more puzzles. That was welcoming. Exploration takes a bit more time, which I like. There's still not much of a threat regarding the guards, though. There's a lot of mystery and a great atmosphere here (thanks, rain). This is the first mission I found to be not good, but great. The story also goes in an interesting direction.

Atmosphere: 8
Gameplay: 8
Story: 8
OVERALL RATING: 8
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5 FORGOTTEN DEPTHS
Atmospheric climb

This mission is really linear, and feels like somewhat of an intermission. Garrett is at his low point here. Literally. I can understand how people would get annoyed with it on replays, but I believe it's a real nice mission during first runs. The precarious climbing to activate the right levers in the beginning is tense and cool, the climb through the sewer system after is very aesthetically pleasing, and mantling up various ledges plus making jumps across treacherous waters feels satisfying. I liked it a lot.

Atmosphere: 8
Gameplay: 8
Story: 7
OVERALL RATING: 8
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6 UNPRECEDENTED RETRIBUTION
Short stealth session in a unique setting

The sixth mission is pretty short as well, due to the map being quite small. It's a lovely map, however. A pirate ship is just so unique for Thief. Navigating it feels really nice, a lot better than something like T2X's train. The ship feels much more catered to proper stealth. Short yet satisfying. The story takes yet another interesting turn.

Atmosphere: 7
Gameplay: 7
Story: 8
OVERALL RATING: 7
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7 HUBRIS AND HUMIDITY
Easily the best one

This mission feels bigger than the others, and probably is. We're going tomb raiding again, but there's some creative ways Nicked brought this temple together. I was really happy to see no undead roaming the temple. The focus in this place is on satisfying puzzles and some tough platforming/navigation. It made the temple stand out from all the other tombs/temples we've seen. It felt very Indiana Jones to get to the end.

The section before the temple is great as well. A jungle is not something you see everyday in Thief. It works well for a "treasure hunter" like Garrett. There's four buildings in the jungle that provide their own unique snippets of gameplay. You will have to visit each of them to proceed.

The end point felt a bit predictable story-wise. It felt like a nice gameplay moment, however. The challenge ramps up; and with limited saving, this section can get quite tense. I loved it.

Atmosphere: 8
Gameplay: 9
Story: 7
OVERALL RATING: 9