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 Ignoring the last levels, Thief Gold is an
extraordinary roller coaster of emotion. Each pre-mission cutscene allows us to hear Garrett as he plots his strategy, mentions how he plans to enter the place, what he expects to find, and then takes the player into a finely crafted world of shadows. With the brightness jewel letting players know whether Garrett is hidden in darkness, a quiver full of handy trick arrows for dousing torches, fire, gas, rope or noisemaking, a blackjack for silent knockouts and flash mines for stunning his opponents when caught, players have many, many options for handling the game. They can choose to sneak up on opponents from the shadows, ambush them with arrows from afar, lean around corners to stay hidden while waiting for guards to pass by and more. The game's frequent booby traps can also be used against your enemies if you lure them into the right position, and ordinary object like dishes and cups can be thrown as noisy distractions. It's nice to see a video game where the enemies have to play by the same rules you do.
Garrett may have a sword that's handy for backstabbing, but he's no fighter. Skill with the tools of his trade the key to victory here, and staking out a guard for five minutes until you're sure when he'll return to his patrol route can be more entertaining than gibbing a roomful of deathmatchers.
Listening to Garrett's footsteps and the comments of those whistling guards is more than just an audio treat - it is a critical part of the game that's arguably more important that the visuals. The guards' humorous banter often holds vital clues to success in each level, and 3D positional audio lets you know exactly where those mysterious voices are coming from. The sound of footsteps match the floor surface they tread upon perfectly, the chilling sounds of monsters can be heard as early warnings and those who don't pay attention can often find themselves at the end of a guard's blade. You'd better listen out for Garrett's footsteps and lockpicking noises too, since the guards pay just as much attention to your sounds as you should to theirs. Trust me, the sound made me jump out of my skin more often with this game than with any other video game or movie. Even in plain stereo you'll be treated to some damn fine audio positioning, and it is still quite playable. This may be the only game that is impossible to play without the sound on.
The ambient audio isn't quite music, but features environmental clips that occasionally include musical notes or drums along with the wind or other ghostly effects. The overall result is so incredible that I have no problem in saying this game has the most immersive audio of any video game. If you want to hear the absolute best sound from the first second of a game to the last, this'll be it unless Thief II takes the record. I haven't decided yet.
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