GMR: Thief III

Not every first-person shooter need be a bloody mess. Ask anyone who's enjoyed the Thief series, where your M.O. is to break in, grab loot, and get out with as little killing as possible. Despite critical acclaim, we haven't heard from this sneaky S.O.B. for a while—until now.

After seeing a preview build of Thief III, we can tell that this installment is going to snatch up a whole lot of your free time. Why? Because by utilizing some new technology, the game looks a whole lot better and the enemies are a whole lot smarter.

As Garrett, rogue for hire, you sneak into a series of surprisingly sharp situations. Obviously, the PC version looks better than the Xbox game, but working on both versions with shared code has ensured one thing for the developers: simplicity.

Garret isn't a one-man army, so players will need their wits about them. Sure, you can blackjack a guard over the head, but you have to make damn sure he's out cold and out of sight. If other guards see him or notice their partner is missing, they'll raise the alarm. And yes, the goons are a whole lot smarter. Case in point: We doused a torch, intending to sneak surreptitiously by in the shadows; however, we waited too long, and a disgruntled guard muttered and came over to relight the torch.

Since the whole point is to avoid detection, it looks as though there will be only one onscreen meter—a gem that displays Garrett's visibility. You can hide in the dynamically rendered shadows or manipulate items in the environment, such as chairs, to create shadows. Most importantly, don't get caught—folks 'round here don't take kindly to thieves.