Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow Review

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow review

Considered a classic of the stealth genre, Thief challenges players to stay in the shadows, steal valuables, and hide without being noticed. While the original trilogy offered a sense of freedom and unlimited exploration, the second reboot 2014 removed many of the elements that fans valued, opting instead for a more linear approach. After an 11 year break Legacy of Shadows takes the franchise in a new direction by once again putting you in the shoes of the master thief. But will the transition from traditional screens to virtual reality be the ideal way for Thief to win back the hearts of players?

You play as Soroka, a thief who moves through the dark streets of the city. Under Northcrest's oppressive rule, its citizens live in constant fear. Stealing to survive, you eventually discover an artifact that allows you to communicate with the series' former protagonist, Garrett. Even though the story takes place 200 years later, you can speak with and learn from the master thief as you delve deeper into the tyranny of Northcrest and uncover long-buried secrets. The story is clearly told through in-game notes, eavesdropping on guards' conversations, and occasional cutscenes. However, like its predecessors, the game relies on supernatural elements without offering much explanation, resulting in the story sometimes feeling underdeveloped. Despite this, mission objectives are always clear, and the strong voice acting quickly draws you into each mission, giving each heist a strong narrative foundation.

In the dark

Stealth is at the heart of the experience, as you must avoid detection and steal a variety of items that come along the way to your goal. Shadow crawling works great in VR. The deeply immersive platform allows you to get lost in the universe, silently zipping past guards to your destination. It's always fun to look around corners, study defensive schemes and plan your route before taking the next step. Each dense map has multiple paths to reach goals, although it lacks the scale of the earlier games in the franchise, it retains the spirit. The game encourages you to explore, discover shortcuts, and choose the best path forward.

The environment contains many interactive elements. You can collect, or rather steal, most items, which increases the money you earn during a mission and helps you complete additional objectives. Side missions add replayability as they challenge you to earn a certain amount, stay undetected, and more, all while trying to achieve your main goal. This will allow you to purchase upgrades that improve your abilities and help you achieve your goal. There are also small puzzles built into the world, such as determining the order of books to interact with on a bookshelf to reveal a hidden item, opening locks on photo frames, and of course, picking locks. The latter triggers a mini-game that simulates the action itself, further tying you into the world and its premise. While none of these challenges are particularly difficult, they capture the spirit of the franchise and make you feel like a master thief.

Vision from the past

Glyph Vision will guide you on your journey by highlighting enemies and key points, guiding you towards your goal. This is a great way to subtly and subtly nudge you in the right direction. This is especially useful for tracking the location of guards, which is very important when sneaking from point A to point B. While stealth is at the forefront, you can take out unsuspecting enemies on patrol with melee attacks, and even block or parry if you're spotted. However, this should be a last resort. You should also consider hiding the bodies, as patrolling guards may discover them and begin searching for the culprit.

You also have a bow and arrows that you can use in a variety of ways to help you in your quest. Water arrows allow you to put out fires and sneak through shadows, while blunt arrows can knock down enemies from a distance. Fire arrows can light up areas, and rope gives you the ability to explore vertical options. Designated spaces allow you to climb walls and navigate pipes, opening up more options and routes to reach your destination.

Finders Keepers

Interactivity is vital for a VR game, and Thief does this aspect well. You're constantly infiltrating the environment to collect loot or interact with items to progress. Raising the shutters and grabbing the ledges to climb through the windows is great, capturing the idea of ​​a burglar. Thanks to the microphone, you can blow out the candles, creating even more darkness so you can sneak up on unsuspecting guards and steal the key from their belt. You can even challenge yourself by letting the microphone pick up your voice, alerting guards when you speak. Although patrol officers follow fixed routes, you can distract their attention by throwing a bottle, allowing them to sort out the noise as you speed by.

While the VR elements are well implemented, I encountered a few odd issues that hindered immersion. At times, environmental resources would load incorrectly, leading to moments where a door would float in the air, a guard I hit in the head would levitate instead of crashing to the floor, and a couple of treasure chests wouldn't load, leaving their valuable contents visible but impossible to collect. Let's hope the developers fix these small bugs soon as they hinder the deep dive experience.

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow captures the spirit of the franchise and brings it to the realm of virtual reality. Despite its smaller size, the compact and intricate design allows the platform to be used to create an exciting stealth adventure. Interactivity connects you to the world; however, small mistakes can quickly break immersion. Although the franchise has moved away from its roots, it has found new life in virtual reality.

***PSVR 2 code provided for review by publisher***