Robbed time

If a game defines or even establishes an entire genre, it must inevitably be good. I certainly didn't invent this thesis, which is difficult to verify, but I do believe it to be a generally accepted truth. In this respect, the Thief-series is like world wars: Only very few people remember the original, the sequels were more extensive and the traces can still be seen today.

Personally, I've only played the third game, Thief: Deadly Shadowss, and the botched reboot Thief from 2014, so I can't say anything about the quality of the granddaddy - except that, unlike World War, I'm very glad it existed. Because stealth games have always held a certain fascination for me. Darting through the shadows, evading or eliminating guards, the thrill of the chase - when done well, it's pure gaming fun. Now this passion clashes with my other passion, which is why I plaster this website with reviews: soundtracks.

Music can create a mood like almost no other medium. Good vibes, action, horror, suspense and relaxation. In stealth games, it usually holds back, as we have to hear every little movement, even the slightest crunch right behind us. And if it does come into play, it is usually as a subtle background noise. That may be fine in the game, but less so when it's detached from it. This problem applies particularly to The Dark Project . The composition by Terri Brosius is well done. Each track builds up its own atmosphere and the additional effects such as water droplets, siren-like reverb (Intro – Thief: The Dark Project) or the whistling of the wind (Break from Cragscleft Prison) are particularly impressive for 1998.

Smaller experiments such as a slip into the psychedelic (A Woman Named Victoria) loosen up the ever-same cabinet of horrors of the gloomy and distressing. We also get to hear a few heavy metal references from time to time (Intro – Thief: The Dark Project, Credits), which fit perfectly into the steampunk universe and are reminiscent of series such as Batman Beyond . Nevertheless, the soundtrack is not worth listening to, because you won't find any killer tracks or catchy tunes.