u/Lovecraftian666

You can see my earlier write up of Thief Gold’s levels here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Thief/comments/1u6emrq/thief_gold_is_way_better_than_i_remembered/ 

And Thief 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/Thief/comments/1uz0bm6/thief_2_the_metal_age_is_still_a_game_close_to_my/ 

Well it's 0121 in the morning in the UK here, I just finished writing this up, and the Black Parade has truly blown me away. I hope y'all are ready for another gush post and write up of TBP because the positives highly outweigh the negatives. I've been playing all the mainline Thief games, and I have completed Thief 2x and Deadly Shadows, but still to write up for those – I just have to do Black Parade first because I was so impressed with it.  

Thief Gold/Dark Project was chosen as the base game for TBP as the authors clearly feel more connection to the grittiness and aesthetic of those games over The Metal Age, but that doesn't mean it has no TMA influence, it clearly does. I feel this fan expansion takes the best elements of the first two entries and improves and refines things wholesale. Going back to the original games will kind of be tainted for me! 

TBP stands for a culmination of Fan Mission trends towards denser environments, greater detail, improved readables, worldbuilding, and verticality in level design. What follows will be a level-by-level review, but first some general points.  

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

General Points 

• Hume’s voice actor I was unsure of beginning with, sometimes they were playing too safe by going Russell-esque, but I ended up really liking the performance. Hume is a far more morally grey character than Garrett. He is as talented as Garrett in many ways, even without the brand. Hume’s story is a sad one, and his moral is that aimless greed will leave you a pawn to be discarded. Even his quest to save himself just ends up damning him. At least Garrett had an aim, even if he did not realize it till the end of the second game. 
• The voice acting in general is well scripted and acted. It was a good idea to use OM NPC voices for most non conversational characters.  I don’t really understand most complaints about it. Coming off Thief 2x were every NPC had a new voice, often with actors who had bad microphones, accents, etc. was a breath of relief. Even Deadly Shadows had some hammy and awful voice acting, and TBP felt right.  
• The Necromancers felt like a natural point of expansion for the story, so well done on that. Hume does not have a huge effect on the grand scheme of things, but he did help prevent something that could have been much worse, and his tale fits so well into the established lore.  
• Loved the readables, the keeper mission was a joy for the sheer amount of them. A tad fanservicey at times but the callouts to other Fan Missions were cool. 
• Wonderful use of new enemies, which I appreciated, although with an important caveat as many were simple reskins, but I’ll let that go as there’s only so much can be done.  
• I didn’t have an issue with the loot totals like some had. The only one that stood out was that I was over 1k short at the end of Arcane Sanctum, and I thought I picked the place clean! In Jaws of Darkness (which people struggle with) I hit the objective around the point of getting the harp, I think a lot of the loot is in alcoves and wasn’t too hard to get.  
• My general main criticism of TBP will be overuse of mantling jumps and tricky ladders, along with some pacing issues, and 1 mission feels a bit broken and not polished (though still brilliant), but the positives far outweigh the problems.  
• There is one item I feel makes a lot of the later game a bit trivial, we will come to it in Mission 4.

  

Return to the City  

This is a great first mission that makes a wonderful use of verticality without access to Rope Arrows, in a part of the city that's unexplored. Though we have the aesthetic of the first game, the Thief 2 influence, particularly from Life of the Party, is clear. There's so much to explore here and foreshadowing going on, such as what the undertaker is up to with the necromancers. I really enjoyed how the city is presented; this is how the city should feel at the ground level and is what Deadly Shadows did not largely do.  You can smell and taste everything! It's not as much as a challenge as I'd hoped, but hey that's the first level.  

Grade: B+ 

Where Old Faces Fade 

This is where the developers really to begin to show off; a combination of Bafford's mansion meets the Sword. It's dense and tight as hell, and the level of detail in the place is excellent. The second part of the mansion seems a bit over the top with the pagan maze, but it all makes sense if you believe the owner is just another alias of Constantine, which I fully believe (there's parts of it that look a lot where Garrett meets Constantine and Viky after the Sword). All in all, this is a rabbit's warren of a place, and rabbit warrens are a criticism of a lot of modern Fan Missions, but I found it a joy to get through. The buildup to the weirdness is very well done.  

Grade: A- 

Trial of Iron 

Probably one of the more 'straightforward' missions in TBP but nonetheless it's huge and so tightly designed, it really feels like a real cathedral. I love anything that fleshes out the Hammers, they tend to get a bit overlooked in Thief FMs which lean towards a mechanist focus by and large. It took me over an hour just to explore the outbuildings before getting into the cathedral proper! Lots and lots of readables that flesh out the decadence and corruption of the Hammers, omens in their astronomy building of dark times ahead, and conversations where Hammers lament the state of the order. One readable in the council chamber is a condemnation of heresy in the order – an omen of the impending schism in Thief 2. This has to be one of the weaker levels, as it's just a bit too straightforward. But that's hardly a criticism as it's still so enjoyable. One thing I did miss is that apparently there's a pagan beast spying on the hammers behind a wall in a sewer – I missed that.  

Grade: B- 

Death's Dominion 

I was never a fan of the undead/tomb missions in the original game growing up, but replaying Bonehoard recently made me appreciate it on a whole new level for the sense of satisfaction and atmosphere, and I have a new favorite gaming memory playing this – it's on another level and just a sheer triumph. This is bonehoard on steroids.  

I love how the map isn't exactly great and had to use a lot of my mental mapping ability to get through it. It just really made me puzzle it out, and there's a nice variety to the areas with a good progression. New enemies such as exploding mummies/zombies make you rethink approach if you are like me and just try and inert zombies via backstab. The traps kept me on my toes, and I actually felt sorry for the dead graverobbers you encounter, this is NOT a nice place. The gambling den at the end was a fantastic reward and a joy to do after the tense ordeal of the tombs. Just the icing on the cake.  

The creature in the fire pit below one of the tombs – the hell was this thing. First time I've been legitimately terrified since Return to the Cathedral.  

Now I do have to mention the Holy Sword. I found the inscription and knew there was a puzzle here but had to look up the solution. Some of it was so obtuse that you need a walkthrough (carrying a piece of food for the pedestal). The sword felt good to get but....it makes the rest of the undead levels in this game somewhat trivial. If you are like me and backstab zombies to make inert, then the undead becomes a breeze, since most of the undead in the game ARE zombies. They just explode on a backstab and instantly explode inert zombies. It made The Brand a joke, as most of the enemies are zombies. I will need to do a playthrough without it, as I felt it made the game SO much easier. 

But regardless, this has to be one of my favourite tomb missions EVER. 

Grade: S (A+ if we are gonna deduct for the obscure sword puzzle, but I'm not really complaining)  

The Brand 

Now this is a fantastic mix of Life of the Party style verticality followed by a jaunt to the sealed section, fleshing what life is like on the edge of a haunted district. I loved going climbing through noble's houses, though I wish getting into the sealed section was a bit harder.  

The sealed section has an aspect of Chernobyl about it, it feels lived in and like a proper ruined district. The house itself felt a bit lackluster in exploring, but I liked the Necromancers underneath it, and it is good to see the plot moving, the statuette is scary as hell. I'm glad there's some movement on the story now, there is a slight pacing issue to the plot.  Also fought that weird blue face thing at the bottom of the sewer! 

Can anyone tell me what the alchemist was doing with the corpses and the zombie in his basement? Was he a serial killer?  

Grade: A 

Kept Away From View  

I had no clue that you didn't need to follow the guy at the start, so I was dashing past hammers at the start just to keep up with the dude. I then went back to loot the industrial area of everything; I guess this is often a dissonance to many people as it would make sense in universe for Hume to go directly into the compound, but the player wants to loot all in sight. Next time I'll try and do how Hume would do it.  

The industrial area oozes atmosphere, it just feels grimy as hell.  

The Keeper compound feels a little samey but it is very moody and cool to traverse; I liked how keepers can sort of disappear on seeing you. What this mission succeeds in is being a lore/worldbuilding delight in the sheer amount of readables.  

The Gamall cameo was brilliant. I've never been so scared of a little girl. The statues are more terrifying than the ones in Deadly Shadows, just very well done. I didn't have to spend too long getting past her though; the AI is such that I just waited till Gamall was below a floor and sprinted up the stairs frobbing books I could find till I found the right one; she never found me. She hears you but spends ages in search mode searching each floor. You just have to put distance between you and her, and she doesn't really catch up. 

Grade: B 

The Long Shadow Falls  

The most 'Thief 2' of all the levels, a classic and fun mansion to explore, love the thunderstorm and pounding of rain during it, really memorable. Getting to dewall and sneaking around him was a top moment of the entire expansion.  

I didn't have the trouble some had with the periscopes and marble floors, as I headed straight for a roof entry rather than the basement and it was a short trip to the security room – glad I bought that gas arrow for the helmeted guy and his dog to get the key, but it was pretty tense. I left the body till the end, I wasn't going to lug it around. I guess that's another example of playing in a 'gamey' way rather than doing it as how they would in world, but it helped me enjoy the level more. I enjoyed figuring out what DeWall was up to going for the artifacts. Just absolute fun all round and a perfect combo of Thief 2 level design and Thief 1 aesthetic.  

Grade: A+ 

Jaws of Darkness 

Very much a linear experience, so you don't need a map, and the only really off path areas are the secret areas for loot. It has problems and is a mess; I was tired of mantle jumps. But what a fantastic work of imagination, and how cathartic it was to return to daylight and birdsong – it's a gauntlet, a haunted house theme park ride, and what a ride. 

The stakes and tension are set with the ruined bandit camp, and the long climb down. The tombs are eerie and cavernous, often in silence. I liked the new enemies - I was conned by the briefing to buy a lot of holy water, which I didn't need in the end. However, enemy reskins take the fear out a lot for me – the weeping angels enemy are just guards reskinned after all, but that's a me issue. I enjoyed the mechanic of the weeping angels and trying to puzzle where they are but once seen they were easy to kill with the holy sword (another example of things being a bit too easy with it, without it I believe they can only be killed with holy water).  

Overall, the enemy reskins – the water mermaids, the elementals, the demons are all very cool and imposing, but they were weaker than I thought, often killable via backstabs, I was even able to solo a couple of the demons in 1v1 rather easily. I think next time I'll ghost it (as it's probably meant to be played). The shadow creature when escaping put the fear in me, I didn't fight that! 

The elemental towers had a nice linear progression to them if a bit straightforward, and I love how it went Lovecraftian at the end. This whole level is a theme park ride I probably won't go on again in a while, it was exhausting, but man how memorable it was.  

Grade: A  

Arcane Sanctum 

Brilliant festival atmosphere, followed by something that feels like will be near forced ghosting, but then the plot changes and the whole level opens out, and you have a wonderful castle to explore. Hats off to the level designers it's such a pleasure to go through this whole area, I just wish I knew where the rest of the loot was (I was more than 1k short!) I love the focus on the Hand Brotherhood, a faction that deserves more love.  The small keep felt a bit sparse though, and I wish there were some city buildings to explore, but overall I love the festival atmosphere –the City felt REALLY alive.  

Also, the thing in the laboratory repulsed me! I think they were trying to implement a cut ogre enemy from Thief 1? I tried to kill it for fun and it has sky high health. It even followed me out of the damn lab at one point and stalked me up to the kitchen. I ended up reloading and locking the thing back in the lab! 

Grade: A 

The Black Parade 

Eh, it definitely feels like Maw of Chaos and suffers from it, but Thief has a hard time historically of 'wrapping things up' however it wasn't terrible. I'll give them a pass. I liked the Lovecraftian ethic, and stealth was out the window for me, I just bolted right up for the top level. Felt sad that Hume met his end, but he left his mark on the City and stopped another real threat. Very enjoyable for the cosmic horror vibe but overall the only real misstep, but I'll let them off as these games are notorious for being hard to wrap up.  

Grade: C 

To conclude, I had the most wonderful time playing TBP, and it's a testament to decades of fan mission refinement, while staying in the spirit of the original first two games – clearly TDP/Gold, but also a lot of the level design of Thief 2 the Metal Age. Just an excellent love letter to the world of Thief, and I wonder if the original missions won't hit as hard when I replay them in the future! 

As a note, I loved the game being made in memory partly for Lady Rowena – She's a huge, huge influence on Fan Missions, I have so many fond memories of playing her missions, they still hold up, and I'm going to replay them next after well over a decade.  

Next to go back and do level reviews of Thief 2x (which shows its age but holds up pretty well) and Deadly Shadows (that is a decent end to the series but overall a clunker and a mess, to be honest). 

I'm well aware that my opinions sort of follow how many feel, but I still hope you enjoyed the write-up.

Thanks for reading guys and let me know what you think! 

what was the deal with the scales? I don’t think it was explained properly Was the fan expansion saying they caused the old quarter catastrophe and not the eye or were they being influenced by the eye to help propagate the undead?

bit of a shot in the dark for if anyone knows but it bothers me

a great idea or a samey chore?

I have so many good memories of playing her missions. Rowena‘s Curse and Seven Sisters still hold up so well. Shes been an immense influence on FM authors after her. time for a replay

I was told to play black parade last, I’ve beat Thief Gold, 2 and 2x and I’m onto deadly shadows but it’s such a janky game and the city sections feel more of a chore than the previous time I played them (the guards alert the whole sub area and freeze in time on leaving one section)

im desperate to play black parade but looking for reasons to carry on DS - I remember the widows mansion being great and don’t remember much of the cradle at all. just looking for input.

You can see my previous write up of Thief Gold’s levels here: Thief Gold is way better than I remembered : r/Thief 

Thief 2 was always the game for me growing up. It focused more heavily on actual thieving, and I was far too terrified of the undead elements. Having recently completed Thief Gold properly as an adult, I now have a real appreciation for that game and probably rate it slightly higher due to its stronger immersion and the satisfaction of completing the tomb and undead missions. 

Although I now see Thief 2 as something of an overcorrection by the developers, particularly in its use of overly detailed maps that make little sense in-universe (a lot of the fun is in the mental mapping), and its overuse of robot enemies, it is still an amazing game. It features a brilliant antagonist in what is effectively a steam-gothic accelerationist tech bro, and it hones the pure thievery elements to near perfection. 

Once again, this is a level-by-level breakdown of Thief 2's missions, looking at layout, atmosphere, objectives, gameplay, story, and replay value. 

I'm planning to play Thief 2X next. I started Deadly Shadows, but it's a very janky game in a lot of ways, and I'll come back to it. After that, it'll be The Black Parade, followed by some of the best Thief 2 fan missions, particularly anything by Lady Rowena.

Running Interference 

• What works: Good at the basics.  Tremendous atmosphere all round, and it is a totally different style of residence to Baffords from the first game; the art direction has changed, the city has progressed. Riding the dumbwaiter to get a key is inspired! We also see culture has changed – female guards! 
• What doesn’t: It is on the short side, and doesn’t really have much in the way of lore or readables all things considered.  Basic thieving 101. 
• Best moment: I'm just so amused imagining Garrett’s hand coming out of the dumbwaiter to get that guard’s key! 
• Final verdict: Through difficulty selection this acts like a tutorial mission or a standard mansion looting. The mansion is very ‘airy’ and the ambiant music getting to the upper levels is top notchI love the style and the layout, but overall this isn’t as strong or as entertaining a first mission as Baffords. A perfectly serviceable tutorial though. I can’t complain too much about Basso and his scripted AI he does what’s needed. 
• Grade: B-

 

Shipping...and Receiving 

• What works: Now this is pure Thief. The level design is just so on form and feels like an amazing bit of near freeform exploration. Sound design and ambiance are great – I love that soundtrack of the horns playing; it really does transport you to a smoggy industrial dock, you feel like you’re right there. The world building starts in earnest; already you can feel the long arm of the Mechanist order changing the City, through the despairing hammerite to other conversations and the watcher in Building B. There’s so much going on in this level and it really tells you that Thief 2’s scope is going to be. 
• What doesn’t: Building B feels a little on the sparse side. Cpt Davidson’s ship is a little difficult to ghost. I don’t like spiders. The watcher camera in Building B seems a bit pointless and easy to shut off – but these are all minor gripes. 
• Best moment: Clearing out Building A building by building, or listening in to all the conversations; there is now a pervading sense of decline to the City in the attitude of the commonfolk, despite so called ‘progress’ 
• Final verdict: This is peak Thief level design and it is a pleasure to play everytime. It just works on so many levels, and despite being about getting money to pay rent it sets up the worldbuilding well.  
• Grade: A

 

Framed 

• What works: Another great design of a level, more worldbuilding masterclass, and a terrific introduction to ghosting through objectives. This feels like a police station, it feels like an old building with a lot of new stuff strapped on to it.  
• What doesn’t: I almost feel it is too forgiving through all the secret passages in it; it pushes credibility a little that a police station allows all these glaring security deficiencies.  The top floor of the station is too spartan in design. 
• Best moment: The prison! There’s nothing there to get other than pure flavour and I go there every time, it’s an amazing place, the serial killer in solitary is amazingly done.  “You there, I have them talk about you yes? Say to me, ‘There is someone who spills blood without effort, without action’, and I say, ‘Yes, I understand.’ But you do not. You're relationship with the shadows shall never know betrayal.” 
• Final verdict: A perfectly entertaining level, a good intro to ghosting. Once again we see Garrett do something foolish like take on this clearly political job for greed. I enjoyed setting  up the framing of Hagan. 
• Grade: B+

 

Ambush! 

• What works: There’s a real tension to getting through, back to your pad, and then escaping the district. The police are all over the place. It’s really cool to get the city from the bottom level. Great to see benny being oblivious to a prostitute, lol. 
• What doesn’t: All in all just on the short side, all things considered. You can dash through this level no problem. I’d of liked to have seen more buildings to explore rather than just being used as shortcuts. The police presence at the district exit can be a little overbearing. 
• Best moment: Outwitting the guards and getting into your house is extremely satisfying. 
• Final verdict: I can take or leave this level, but it’s a solid half hour’s entertainment. There isn’t a great deal to say other than I really wish they didn’t reuse this map and that the level had a bit more detail to it.  
• Grade: C

 

Eavesdropping 

• What works: Now the plot ranks up a gear and we get our proper introduction to the radical Hammerite offshoot, the Mechanists, and Karras. Accelerationist, while also progressive, it is apparent that their leader has his own agenda early on. I enjoy a LOT about this level, the Eastport seminary is fun to go about, the conversation between Truart and Karras is a joy to listen to. I love how the location of the key is randomised every time, and the restless dead below the church are a nice touch.  
• What doesn’t: I wish the place was a bit bigger and there was more to explore. The combat bot is easy to miss, and it would of been better to have more of an intro to them before the bank level. I’m often torn with the weakness of the robots being water arrows, sometimes it renders them utterly trivial.  
• Best moment: Seeing the Masked Servants for the first time; “I could really learn to hate these guys.” You’ve no idea Garrett. 
• Final verdict: A lovely little level that advances the plot along smoothly and a great introduction into what is, in my opinion, the most notorious faction in the series. Karras may sound rediculous now, but he will be monstrous later.  
• Grade: B

 

First City Bank and Trust 

• What works: A really sprawling level that allows a variety of approaches (I look down on you if you don’t go in from the roof though haha!) The developers were on fire on level design here, this is a really solid challenge even after so many years and a trial by fire on taking on the creations of Karras. There’s a lot of tile floor but it never feels too much to be frustrating. 
• What doesn’t: The map is where Thief 2 overcorrects compared to the first installment, Garrett goes in with a hyper detailed map that is basically an architect’s plan of the building. How did he get this, by breaking into city hall? 
• Best moment: Finally getting into the vault and out again, it feels like a real achievement to ghost this one.  
• Final verdict: Only thing stopping me from really making this S tier is that the inital experience of playing it cannot be replicated. On subsequent playthroughs one must resist the temptation to play in a gamey manner – i.e. bolting and doing the basement first even though Garrett in universe won’t know about the vault lock until he sees it.  
• Grade: A+

 

Blackmail 

• What works: This level is packed full of secrets and approaches and is just excuisitely detailed in every way. The mansion is a delight to explore and the development of the plot and twist towards the end of the mission is great. I love the dungeon and the Hammerite chapel section 
• What doesn’t: The upper floor with the cameras and the pool were quite annoying to get past. 
• Best moment: The Hammer haunt below the chapel. The mansion residents are lucky this thing never broke out! Benny’s appearance is hilarious too.   
• Final verdict: I enjoy this level every time I play it, it increases the stakes plot wise and I think this is one of my favourite mansion levels out of any mission, original or fan mission.  
• Grade: A

 

Trace the Courier 

• What works: The streets feel more populated and the graveyard section is neat, i guess. I can’t think of many positives beyond the fact that it progresses the plot nicely. 
• What doesn’t: Thief 2’s cardinal sin raises its head here – the reuse of maps. There isn’t much anything cool or new beyond the graveyard bit. I generally despise tailing missions, they are one step away from the dreaded escort mission. 
• Best moment: The pagan’s flight into the graveyard and watching the mechanists crap themselves at the sight of the place.  
• Final verdict: The problem of Thief 2 reusing maps will rear its head again later, and I will have more to say on it, and I get Thief 2 was rushed towards the end. Overall this mission is too samey and short to be of much memory.  
• Grade: D

 

Trail of Blood 

• What works: A fun ‘storytelling’ mission that raises the stakes considerably and what a despicable threat the mechanists are becoming, literal genocidal child murderers. Both the village and maw areas are wonderfully atmospheric and the use of ghosts to relay the story of the attack on the village is great.  
• What doesn’t: Initially the maw is a little confusing to navigate, and not sure why the effort was made to make the treeman enemy which is impressive but can be easily missed and won’t be used again! 
• Best moment: Entering the maw and the eyestalks all turning to stare at you. The OST ambiance of this mission is so cool – both calming and surreal.  
• Final verdict: A really entertaining mission that I'm happy to play every time despite the linearity of it – the sound design and art direction are just so good in it.  
• Grade: B+

 

Life of the Party 

• What works: This is it, the original mission that launched a thousand fan missions, a revolutionary showcase at the time at free exploration and use of space that still holds up today. Going from rooftop to rooftop is an absolute joy and each building is its own area – you can literally leave guards raging at you from windows. It feels like every building almost has its own little story, and the sheer verticality of Dayport blows me away – the area has one foot in the medieval period and another in the 1920s. 
• What doesn’t: Struggling to think of what I didn’t like. That damn gold cherub in Karras’ room?! Maybe angelwatch as a whole isn’t as fun or as entertaining as the city rooftops.  I struggle to wonder how Karras knew Garrett was going to gatecrash – just that paranoid? PSA: Turn off fogging in this level – It is genuinely broken and makes it look like the mission is in daytime! 
• Best moment: Too many to count – the necromancer’s tower, the housebreakers, the keepers watching you, and yes even Karras’ surprise for you which although I questioned, is still cool, and you can still outwit him by disabling security. The utter depravity of the mechanists and the nobility is on show – in Angelwatch dining room there’s a child sized masked servant :( 
• Final verdict: A level that is close to my heart, was a genuine achievement for the year 2000 and still holds up today. Its footprints are on so many fan missions. Bravo! 
• Grade: S

  

Precious Cargo 

• What works: This level has a wonderful James Bond vibe to it, the lighthouse is atmospheric (the level even suits the fog setting) and there’s a whole secret underground lair with the sub below, which is a cool twist, despite making Karras seem a bit like Dr. Evil. I also adore the backstory with the Pirates, and finding their secret loot.  
• What doesn’t: When you get down to the base I find the whole base proper a bit bare, it definetly doesn’t pass the moody vibe check of the lighthouse proper.  
• Best moment: Stealing the pirate treasure. Markham’s ghost still freaks me out.  
• Final verdict: A good contender for Thief 2’s most underrated level.....and sadly the last truly good one.  
• Grade: A-

 

Kidnap  

• What works: It’s cool to visit the Lost City, I suppose. I like the mechanist changes to the place. It’s a lot less linear than the first trip.  
• What doesn’t: Bit of a reuse of a previous game’s area.....Thief 2 is starting to rush itself to a conclusion and it is becoming apparent. Can be really over the top getting to Cavador, he’s immune to gas and he’s got some chump immune to blackjacks right next to him  
• Best moment:  There’s lots of cool readables and conversations in this mission, but overall the place is missing something compared to your first visit in Thief 1.  
• Final verdict: It can be a real chore hunting down Cavador and more often than not he’s retired to his highly secure quaters by the time I find him. This is not a mission that stands out for me.  
• Grade: C

 

Casing the Joint 

• I don’t really have too much to say that is positive about this forced ghosting mission. I have a theory that in the rush of Thief 2’s crunch they completed Masks and decided let’s copy/paste the same mission and have ghosting before it. It is literally a more spartan version of Masks and I just don’t enjoy it. The layout is very copy/paste. The ghost subplot is nice, but you can do it in both missions. It’s a real shame Thief 2 ended up this way.  
• Grade: D-

 

Masks 

• What works:The proper, fleshed out version of this mission, now you are free to do what you want. The top floor with the rooms full of gas is a neat challenge. Obviously the best thing of this pair of missions is the ghost in the library. 
• What doesn’t: Just not an overly interesting mansion level, too copy/paste of the hallways, distinct vibe of going through the motions.  
• Best moment: The secret routes and entrances throughout the places are satisfying to use. 
• Final verdict: An improvement on casing, and not unenjoyable, but I’ve had a better time of things in other missions and I don’t look forward to playing it.  
• Grade: C+

 

Sabotage at Soulforge  

• Another break from the standard format to talk about my history with this mission. For years I hated it and skipped it, I found the place bare, utterly hostile and overly complicated. I only completed it properly for the first time on this playthrough and it has risen in my estimations – I actually really enjoyed being dropped in this place with only my wits, I loved Karras’ breakdown on the speakers, and it presents a proper challenge on a par with Return to the Haunted Cathedral. I get why some still hate it but it’s a proper playground really. Does have horrible flaws – like that masked servant in the basemant who can lock you behind bars when going for a signal tower – ugh! 
• Grade: B

 

 Thief 2 holds up remarkably well after all these years. I think I actually prefer Thief Gold now. It just has the edge when it comes to immersion, atmosphere, and the higher stakes provided by its tomb and undead missions. Even so, Thief 2 remains a game that is immeasurably close to my heart and still has my favourite plot in the series. 

I'm curious how everyone else ranks the levels. 

Next up: Thief 2X, Thief 3, and The Black Parade. 

Thanks for reading!  

Thief 2x still holds up after so many years but this is the first really fantastic mission in it. the first level I enjoyed, it was spooky while essentially just being a prologue with little challenge. Things have ranged from showcase or flavour to being overly easy so far in 2x so it was great to finally get a proper challenge (the hammer cathedral was also a great mission)

it’s enough of a challenge without being over the top, there’s a clear progression to each area that feels satisfying to do, and I enjoyed deciding whether to take on the plethora of zombies or ghosting them.

the skeleton warriors at the end and the Necromancer subplot was also terrific.

2x is well worth the time even if the plot is bare basics revenge melodrama. My major criticism of 2x is that most of the levels are easy….I’ve not played black parade but I’m looking forward to getting to it!

“Vagabonds. Street scum. Prostitutes. Those who will not be missed by anyone of consequence.”

I really do believe the servants encapsulate what a terrible world it can be to live in the City. Whenever they appear they just depress me. They are such effective unnerving storytelling.

The servants themselves, the pathetic mewling for death, the strange “control“ voice, how they thank you if you kill them. The fact nobody seems to care these were people once, and there is clearly one in angelwatch that is child sized.

The moral bankruptcy of the nobility, conning themselves to believe they were “only” lunatics, which in itself is wrong by most people, but they don’t care so long as they have people who don’t sleep and eat.

And then they are the pinnacle of the zealotry and extremism of Karras and the mechanists, reducing human beings to tools to be discarded, or in Karras’ case, to be used to bring his insane paradise.

I try to think of these without going to the easy explanation of “magic - a wizard did it”

The Robots - I think they must think through some rudimentary mechanical computer inside them. either that or Karras found something in Karath Din. not saying these things have computer code but some sort of mechanical analogue like Babbage Mechanical Calculator.

Servants - clearly Karath Din stuff. I’m unclear if the servants are dead or alive. They don’t have undead properties at all but you see corpses being prepared or something in eavesdropping. maybe they were failures?

in short yeh I think Karras was a genius, but I wonder if more than just the servants originated from karath din and he’s using hand me downs

Gotta love that serial killer in solitary in shoalsgate. the sort of narrative flavour that makes these really fantastic games.

Gotta be Shipping and Receiving for me….the horn use is just brilliant…..really evocates a dark smoggy dock and the type of place good people wouldn’t be around at night

I was always a bit afraid of Thief Gold. As a kid, I couldn’t get past Bonehoard; the zombies freaked me out too much, and I’d heard only worse was to come. I always leaned more toward Thief 2, which I completed many times on Expert. But I barely touched Gold for years-something about Thief 2 felt like pure, natural thieving. 

I must have completed Thief Gold once on Normal in my teens. Now, after a stretch of chasing immersive games and rarely finding one that clicked, I’ve had an absolute blast with Gold. It’s much better than I remembered, especially now that my fear of the undead has faded and I can treat them like normal enemies. 

What follows is my level-by-level breakdown of Gold’s missions, looking at layout, atmosphere, objectives, gameplay, story, and replay value. I’m onto The Black Parade next. Enjoy! 

A Keeper’s Training 

• What works: Very effective at teaching you the basics of the game. The atmosphere, from the get-go, is off the charts. I really do feel like I’m in a secret corner of the City. 
• What doesn’t: Not much to say. It does exactly what it has to do. 
• Best moment: The basketball court, without a doubt. It’s a neat inclusion. I can totally see Garrett slamming dunks. 
• Final verdict: N/A. It’s a tutorial mission, and that’s it.

 

Lord Bafford’s Manor 

• What works: It still blows me away that, despite the age of the game and its graphics, the art direction and ambience are this good. I always feel like I’m outside this manor at night in a cold, dark city. This level is ideal for beginners, teaching the practical basics with plenty of dark spots to watch guards and learn patterns. It only becomes truly unforgiving near the sceptre, when the marble floors come into play. 
• What doesn’t: As a general opening level, it’s not really representative of what’s to come in Thief Gold, and what comes later will probably make a lot of people give up on Gold for a while-myself included. It may also be a little too easy, even on Expert. 
• Best moment: Getting out of the well river and into the basement, where the sound ambience really kicks in. Where is that screaming coming from?! It’s just part of the track, but 10-year-old me was petrified. It’s a perfect taste of the darker, more gothic themes to come later. 
• Final verdict: An almost perfect first mission. I must have played it dozens of times off demo discs as a kid, and it still holds up. The manor feels complex and old, but also readable enough for a new player to navigate. The atmosphere and sound design are superb. I still get chills thinking about that screaming sound effect in Bafford’s basement. It’s also just fun to mess around in. I love winding up the guards with the gong. 
• Grade: A

 

Break from Cragscleft Prison 

• What works: It’s a good introduction to the undead and how they operate, and that section doesn’t overstay its welcome. Reaching the Hammer levels makes you breathe a sigh of relief. The Hammer section is suitably moody and grim, full of great atmosphere. I would not want to be jailed here. There’s a satisfying sense of progression from level to level, and I like dashing back out with Basso at the end. 
• What doesn’t: The level design isn’t overly complicated and feels a little basic. I also can’t quite see how the Hammers have access to the outside world here - there’s no obvious bridge or exit. There’s some overuse of metal floors, and those cameras you can “kill” with an arrow in the jail never really made sense to me. 
• Best moment: Just the general immersion of sneaking around while Hammers are right around the corner. That really does it for me. 
• Final verdict: I was always scared of this mission as a kid, and it was a big reason I preferred Thief 2. Now I can see it works well as an early warning that this game won’t just be old manors, and that you’ll have to explore properly because the maps won’t always help. Overall, it’s not outstanding, but it’s enjoyable and does a good job of ramping up the gothic horror side of the game. 
• Grade: B

 

Down in the Bonehoard 

• What works: Just about everything. Of all the missions to replay, this is the one that has gone up most in my estimation. There’s undead, but not too much; the zombies before the Hall of Repose are dormant, and if you don’t want to sneak there’s enough gear to deal with everything in the Hall. There are only a few zombies on the upper levels too. And my God - the horn, and the music. 
• What doesn’t: Burricks. They annoy me more than zombies do. Their AI seems all over the place. Sometimes they see you from miles away, sometimes they hear you from miles away, and sometimes they’re dumb as hell. I’m glad they were dropped in Thief 2. Not hard enemies - just irritating. 
• Best moment: Getting the mystic gems, dodging that one haunt, hearing the horn, and finally taking it. What a mission. 
• Final verdict: I hated this one as a kid. Now I’m 36 and think this is gold-standard dungeon-delving and tomb-raiding. I feel like I’m right there. Just fantastic, and the music and ambience are absolutely on point. I only wish I’d appreciated it more when I was younger. 
• Grade: S

 

Assassins 

• What works: Trailing the two chumps is fun enough. The mansion is a solid challenge, and the game does nice worldbuilding through the readables. I didn’t have a problem with the poker because I attack the banners on sight, so I found it quickly. It also teaches you to ghost, or at least not be seen: if you raise the alarm, the mission extends and the guards become a nightmare. 
• What doesn’t: The bait-and-switch is slightly spoiled by the mission title. The mansion also feels a little sparse. If you’re like me and want to blackjack everyone, it can be quite hard to do cleanly. It also feels a little buggy: going down to Ramirez seemed to trigger the guards and servants as soon as I opened the door, even though I’d hidden the bodies. On reload, it didn’t happen again. 
• Best moment: Giving Ramirez a clonk on the head and getting into the mansion. 
• Final verdict: Definitely a good pace-breaker after Bonehoard, and getting to rob the place was cool, but I don’t see it as anything special. Definitely the kind of mission that would be improved on later in Thief 2 and in fan missions. 
• Grade: B-

 

Thieves Guild 

• What works: I will say that getting into the two mansions is pretty cool. There are plenty of secrets to find, and thieves are always a fun faction to spend time around. 
• What doesn’t: Some objectives are hidden to a ridiculous degree - Nintendo-hard levels of obscure. The bracelet is very easy to miss, and Donal’s mansion entrance had me completely baffled. I had to consult a guide for the first time ever. Garrett’s map is no help at all here; it’s just obtuse and opaque. The lighting is also all over the place. I’ll think I’m standing in darkness, but the light gem says otherwise. 
• Best moment: Getting out of those sewers and picking the mansions clean. 
• Final verdict: I get the hate for this mission, though I didn’t have too many navigation problems because I’m a decent mental mapper. Even so, it’s convoluted and not especially enjoyable. That’s a shame, because a sewer-base mission feels like such a natural trope for a thief fantasy. Some of the obscure loot and entrances are hard to forgive. 
• Grade: C-

 

The Sword 

• What works: Well, the level design, obviously. It just gets stranger and stranger, and you can tell the team had a field day making it. I love how it conveys Constantine/Trickster’s distaste for ordered architecture. The “Little Big World” garden section is great fun too, and the sound design is superb. 
• What doesn’t: I didn’t get enough time to explore the top floor, because the marble floors and guard placement felt a bit over the top. How are these guys even able to work here? Are they having their memories wiped by Constantine at the end of each shift, or drinking heavily enough to forget how bizarre the place is? 
• Best moment: The twisting corridor, the void, the three doors—there are too many great moments to pick just one. 
• Final verdict: Another brilliant example of level design serving the story. Once you discover it was all a test, the whole thing clicks into place. The developers clearly had a lot of fun making this one, and it shows. It isn’t my personal favourite, but God do I enjoy it. 
• Grade: A

 

The Haunted Cathedral 

• What works: The number of ways you can tackle this level is great. You can set off a fight between zombies and burricks, sneak through the burrick tunnels, or use the waterways. There are enough tools to play it stealthily or noisily. I also like the isolated mansion for the extra objective. The lack of a soundtrack proves that sometimes no music is the creepiest choice of all. 
• What doesn’t: The loot requirements. So much of it is tucked away in obscure places. It makes some sense given that these are collapsing buildings, but I still had to consult a guide to hit the required total. 
• Best moment: Seeing the Eye floating there as it speaks to you. Instant chills. 
• Final verdict: Just a top-tier horror mission. I wouldn’t have enjoyed it when I was younger, but now I can appreciate it fully - especially now that I know how to deal with the undead. A near-perfect romp through a haunted district, and we haven’t even reached the cathedral yet. 
• Grade: A+

 

The Mage Towers  

• What works: The symmetrical complex feels like a welcome break from the previous mission type. The central keep is fun to clear, even if it’s a bit spartan. The mages themselves are very cool, and I’m disappointed they weren’t expanded on more. 
• What doesn’t: The towers feel a bit too long. Water is over in a flash, while Earth overstays its welcome with the maze. Air has a cool vibe, but the platforming sections just annoy me. Fire is... fine, I guess, but the hot plates are irritating. 
• Best moment: The four talking statues in the library foreshadowing Garrett’s foolishness. 
• Final verdict: Enjoyable for what it is. This kind of elemental gauntlet would be done much better later on by fan missions, but it’s still satisfying in a straightforward, long-winded sort of way. I do get a lot of pleasure out of clearing one section after another. 
• Grade: B

 

The Lost City 

• What works: Fire Elementals are a cool challenge. They’re easy enough to beat, but if they hit you it’s devastating. This level is linear, and the map actually worked surprisingly well for me. Tracking down the Keepers and the talisman was a lot of fun. The Emperor’s tomb has a real Indiana Jones vibe, which I loved. It’s also good to see the Hand Mages back again - I remember that before Thief Gold, this place was full of Craymen, who are much less welcome. 
• What doesn’t: Burricks again. I groaned when they showed up, though thankfully they don’t stick around for long. Some loot is basically impossible to grab without alerting them, and the interiors of the buildings can be confusing to navigate. 
• Best moment: Getting the talisman and watching the whole place go berserk with Fire Elementals. 
• Final verdict: I’ll repeat that this is a linear level (in Thief 2 it isn’t) so I didn’t have the confusion a lot of other people seem to have with it. The only real side areas are the theatre and the tomb, and both are required. Once again, it’s another strong stage that makes you feel a bit like Indiana Jones. 
• Grade: A-

 

Song of the Caverns 

• What works: Oh boy. What. A. Level. This might be the best bait-and-switch in the game. In Any Game! You think you’re heading into another dungeon crawl, but instead you get to rob a brilliantly designed opera house. I love Raoul and the way he basically turns you into the Phantom of the Opera. The sound design is a masterclass too. 
• What doesn’t: I can’t think of many negatives here. Maybe the Craymen at the start? I hate those guys. 
• Best moment: Raoul, obviously. Or going into the music director’s room, thinking you’ve been spotted “What is this I see before me?!”only to realise they’re just rehearsing their lines. Taffing troglodytes. 
• Final verdict: I’ve got to think this was a troll aimed at everyone who complained that The Dark Project had too much dungeon content. It’s just enjoyable from start to finish and has a great little self-contained story. Très bien. 
• Grade: A+

 

Undercover 

• What works: The concept of going undercover is cool, and the switch puzzle is neat. I also always like seeing the Hammerites get a bit more fleshing out. 
• What doesn’t: It’s just a little too short, and the AI is buggy. I’ve had Hammerites lose their minds at me despite me not taking anything or going anywhere I shouldn’t. 
• Best moment:  The general vibe of hiding in plain sight. 
• Final verdict: An ambitious level that doesn’t quite pay off. The idea of hiding in plain sight, and of stealth games having public and private spaces, is something I don’t think was really ironed out until the Hitman games. 
• Grade: C-

 

Return to the Cathedral  

• First playthrough: I’m breaking from the usual structure here to talk about playing this on Expert twice. I think it’s a tense and, at times, overwhelming mission, and the general setting and atmosphere are absolutely on point. On my first run, though, it was a disaster. The cathedral was insanely difficult to get back through after grabbing the Eye, and the cloister felt like a town market on a Saturday with the sheer amount of undead traffic. I also didn’t know Apparitions could be killed with the sword alone and staggered so easily. So no, I did not enjoy my first playthrough much at all. I was tense, but not scared - just frustrated by the enemy placement. At that point I’d have given it a low C. 
• Second playthrough: This run went much better. I used a guide and had a better time, but I still had to play in a fairly “gamey” way, basically clearing most of the undead in the cathedral before grabbing the Eye, chucking the bodies you need for Murus down to the exits etc. I know the mission can be ghosted, but it often feels like the game wants to force confrontations. I appreciate what it’s trying to do, and there’s clearly a lot of heart in it. I like it now, but I didn’t really enjoy it till I found ways to “game it” as a result of frustration - that’s just me.
• Grade: B

 

Escape! 

• What works: It’s nice being back in the mansion again I guess.  
• What doesn’t: Just a dreadful mission. I’m not keen on missions where you’re stripped back to the basics and forced to dash for an exit. The enemy placement is over the top, especially when you leave the basement—and frogbeasts can do one. They seem to slowly home in on you from across the map the moment they spot you. I’m also not fond of spiders or the overuse of tunnels. 
• Best moment: It ended. 
• Final verdict: No Thief Gold mission is a total failure. This gave me a decent challenge, even if I didn’t enjoy much of it. The whole level feels like going through the motions, though, and I just bolted for the exit once I got out of the basement. 
• Grade: D-

 

Strange Bedfellows 

• What works: A ruined Hammerite temple is a cool setting. 
• What doesn’t: I’m not a fan of the circular maze at the bottom. The map isn’t terrible, but I still couldn’t find the bloody High Priest for ages. It’s also very, very short, and once again there’s an overuse of spiders. 
• Best moment: The temple itself, and getting payback on the beastmen. 
• Final verdict: It starts off well, then peters out. I just don’t enjoy circular maze-like areas, and by the end I was mostly impatient for it to be over. 
• Grade: D+

 

Into the Maw of Chaos 

• What works: It just gets progressively more alien as it goes, and really feels like you’re descending into the heart of darkness. By this point I think the developers knew that Return to the Cathedral was the last real challenge, so they didn’t want to overtax you here - which I appreciate. 
• What doesn’t: On Expert, you’re in trouble if you’ve burned through your arrows. It’s also a very easy conclusion. I had no real issue swapping the Eye even on Expert. 
• Best moment: Watching the Trickster get his comeuppance. 
• Final verdict: Generally a satisfying ending to the game. I was glad it didn’t go overboard on either length or difficulty, and it felt alien enough to sell the finale. A decent conclusion. 
• Grade: B-

 

All in all, I think Thief Gold is fantastic, and I’m glad it finally clicked with me after all these years. The horror elements feel underappreciated in hindsight and only deepen the immersion. The City feels more gothic than it does in Thief 2, and Gold gives me a buzz that Thief 2 doesn’t quite replicate—just from escaping abominations by the skin of my teeth.

Curious how everyone else ranks the levels. especially the Gold-exclusive missions, since those seem to split opinion the most.  

Next up: The Black Parade, then Thief 2, 2X, fan missions, and maybe Thief 3 - if I’m not burnt out by then. 

Thanks for reading!

it seems to me there is no consensus. People love it or hate it.

I get why some call it the greatest horror mission but i disagree. I’m never actually scared in it. Tense but I’m not full of fear, and that’s because the enemy placement is over the top.

The first time you get out of the cathedral after swiping the eye, you feel good because you escaped that, but then the cloister is like a market town on Saturday there’s so many undead. I almost skipped the mission till I found out Spirits - the worst enemy by far - can be backstabbed. I thought being ghosts they couldn’t be hurt by a sword.

It just all feels a little too much, what with the lack of holy water, and the light gem is all over the place, you’re lit up in places that don’t make sense.

i will say the first haunted cathedral mission is great and has a great balance. you’re challenged but given lots of avenues to approach it like the Burrick tunnels.

it just seems return is trying to force you to fight the things.

as a kid I was bloody terrified of zombies, couldn’t get past the bonehoard. Preferred Thief 2

Playing Thief Gold and having the time of my life. it’s the atmosphere of it, it is perfect and something is lost in Thief 2. The sparse maps in Thief 1 just serve to immerse you further to explore.

Zombies aren’t hard and can be avoided or back stabbed to make dormant.

Thief 2 is still great. but yeh I get it now!