A torch doused with a splash of water, and you become one shadow among many.

Thief's profile tells a half-lit story, and you have to read it carefully, because everything here rests on very few votes. The early returns place it fairly well when it comes to taking it to a desert island, ahead of a little more than half the games, and on fun, the kind you fire up for a quick session, it holds up, ahead of two thirds of the field. But as soon as you talk about how it feels with a controller in hand or the art style that sticks, it drops right to the bottom, to be confirmed on so few duels. That's the tension of a pioneer: you'll happily bring it along, but its raw feel and its 1998 dressing no longer win you over at first glance.

Against modern stealth, fluid and twitchy, Thief plays a different tune. It is the ancestor, slow, patient, rewarding listening and shadow over reflex.

So, for who? For you if you love melting into the dark, hearing a guard approach, savoring an atmosphere that takes its time. Much less if you want instant thrills and visuals that pop today.