As far as second sequels go, I guess you could say Thief 3 is fairly typical. It has a massively improved engine with tighter control, better graphics, etc. There's even a third person option! I only used it for tricky jumps, but hey, it's there. On the other hand, the game feels a little washed-out in terms of challenge and originality. Of course, since I absolutely loved the first two Thief games, that just means Thief 3 is pretty rad: it's certainly the worst game of the three, but it also beats most other stealth titles I've played.
Thief 3's story is one of its biggest selling points, and it may very well be the best of the three games'. The writing has improved, characters speak and interact more with one another, and most importantly, the narrative is neatly tied such that you always feel like you're pushing the plot along. That was a pitfall the first two games fell in, and I'm happy to see that the developers of Thief 3 evolved their storytelling a bit. While I enjoyed the focus on the villain in Thief 2, I think spending more time with the various factions in The City helped flesh out Thief's universe and especially the Keepers, the shadowy organization that originally trained Garrett. The Hammerites and Pagans that were central to the last game are just used to populate the world in this game, and instead we learn how the Keepers work, what they're capable of, and of course, some of their glaring flaws.
Really, the only major things that hold Thief 3 back are the lack of challenge and this stupid 'hover' bug where Garret can get stuck in the jumping position. I must have gotten the bug twenty times, and those saves take a long time to load. Challenge-wise, I suppose the biggest flaw is that it's all more of the same. Very few new mechanics are introduced (wall climbing is one) but they don't add too much to the formula. Generally, the same tactics you used in the last games work on enemies here, and when new enemy types appear, they don't pop up enough to provide many unique challenges. As such, I would still have to recommend playing the first two games before this one.
Special mention needs to go to Thief 3's endgame. The final two missions are some of the best in the series. First is "Robbing the Cradle," hands-down the creepiest experience I have been through in a video game. I would hate to spoil what happens here at all, but let's be honest, when your setting is a haunted orphanage that was rebuilt in to an insane asylum and the dead are walking around in the basement... you get the picture. Like in the previous games, Thief 3's sound design is top-notch, and the horrifying ambiance of this place, decorated by insane weeping and quiet screams, made it take me two days to finish the mission because I had to keep taking panic breaks. The stage also teases you by seeming like it's going to be over a couple of times and then getting even more terrifying. Needless to say, "The Cradle" is something else, and worthy of the praise and horror stories I've seen about it on message boards. The final mission of the game is a nice break from the last: robbing an art museum. It's awesome, but more in the 'having fun' sense, and a nice sort-of throwback to robbing the bank in Thief 2.
Overall, Thief 3 is a very worthy sequel to Thief 2. It sadly does not feel as distinct as it should, which is a pity given how nicely the first two games stood compared to one another, but the improved graphics and magnificent sound design keep me from caring too much. There are some free-roam segments that seem superfluous, but I did like how learning The City's layout was important when taking on the final boss, so I can look the other way on that. I would recommend the game to anyone who enjoys the series and is on the fence about the new engine: more has stayed the same than changed.
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