A new way to experience a classic game series.
Sneak, loot, and immerse yourself in the universe of Thief.
Originally started in 1998, the series’ stealth-first approach has not only helped to inspire series and mechanics in games such as Assassin’s Creed, but it has also allowed gamers to embody main character Garrett; a master thief whose motivations develop into something slightly in line with what can be considered noble.
“It is always the right time for a good Thief game! But jokes aside, becoming part of Embracer provided Vertigo Games with some very interesting opportunities for bringing some incredible IPs (intellectual properties) to VR, as was the case with award-winning Metro Awakening. Our experience with Metro showed us the incredible potential of stealth in VR. And what better stealth IP than Thief,” said Nick Witsel, principal designer at Vertigo Games. “Following the past waves of fast-paced multiplayer-focussed VR experiences, we felt there would be a renewed appreciation for slower, more deliberate gameplay. Many players are seeking experiences that reward observation instead of speed. VR has matured to a point where its strengths such presence, spatial awareness, and tension align perfectly with what Thief always tried to evoke. So, the timing felt natural.”
But Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow, developed by Maze Theory (Infinite Inside) and published by Vertigo Games (Arizona Sunshine Remake, Metro: Awakening) doesn’t put you in the shoes of Garrett. Instead, you’ll take on the role of Magpie, a young thief who comes across an artifact which holds the spirit of Garrett.
From here, you’ll hear the character’s accompanying voice in your head, as you work with a broker to nab artifacts from Baron Northcrest; a tyrant who rules the city with all the gusto of a dictator.
Thanks to all that virtual reality (VR) can do, you become Magpie. You can choose how you want to approach each mission set before you, use the tools at your disposal, and even use the tech of your headset to perform certain actions.
“Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow was made by people who grew up loving and playing games from the iconic franchise. The goal wasn’t to reinvent what made Thief unique, but to translate its core strengths like choice, atmosphere and tension into a medium that can amplify them, for new and old fans alike. So, remember just take your time, observe your surroundings and think like a thief. And in doing so, the game will really reward you,” said Witsel.
The game drops you into a short tutorial level, tasking you with learning the basics while making your way back to the mission hub.
Here you’ll learn how to sneak, fight – if necessary – and take what you need to survive.
Like any game in the Thief series, your goal is to accomplish your mission while staying one with the shadows; of course, if you would prefer to tackle a mission with the subtlety of a raging bull, you can.
In Legacy of Shadow, you have three different “playstyles” for each mission – though these can be seen more as accomplishments than a playstyle. Take all the items worth something, stay completely undetected, and leave all guards you come across alive; these are the goals of the playstyles you get each mission.
It’s not so difficult to accomplish at least one – so long as you don’t use your bow and put one of your limited arrows in someone, you’re good. Colleting all items – and therefore the total amount of coins each mission – as well as staying completely unnoticed, however, is much more difficult.
This leaves open tasks for the completionists and achievement hunters to return.
Beyond what you might expect – whether you’re a fan of the series, or newcomer in VR – the game sticks to the basics in terms of play.
But what Witsel says the game tries to achieve in terms of immersion is twofold.
“For starters: physicality. Reaching out to pick a lock, leaning to peek around a corner, actually drawing a bow, these change the way you think about stealth. Second: presence. Your situational awareness becomes far more intuitive. Shadows, cover and threats are easier to read because you’re perceiving them naturally rather than through a HUD or abstract indicators.”
Mechanics here are simple and the game is easy to pickup for the average player.
You’re not given too many buttons to push or things to do in Legacy of Shadow. Instead, you’re mostly going to be reaching out with your hands to grab and take the things which you’ll soon deem yours.
Move, turn and crouch with the thumbsticks; you’ll grab with the grip buttons – do this over the shoulder to pull out the bow, at your hip to get the blackjack, and hold your hand over or near items to pick them up. Besides using the ‘triangle’ or ‘circle’ buttons to open your inventory, you’ll hold the trigger to your head to activate “thief vision” – this allows you to see guards highlighted in red, collectables, powerlines and even invisible prints which can guide your to hidden items.
Thanks to the immersive features of some headsets – reviewing on the PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2) this was included – you can ensure your microphone is activated and do things like blow out candles and allow guards to hear your voice when sneaking around.
So, a couple things on this before we move on:
- If you don’t want the mic activated, you can extinguish candles by pulling the triggers near the flame
- The microphone is a great addition to immerse yourself in the game, it’s a unique way to play and when it works, it does so well. However, it often works less than it should.
Blowing out the candles often takes multiple attempts, and at this stage requires you to be so close to the candle you may burn your moustache off if it weren’t virtual. Using your voice to distract guards – or call them towards you – also takes multiple attempts, not unlike the candles.
A hiccup you may notice when playing is that there seems to be a sweet spot in terms of distance that you need to be before it works; yelling “hey” at the top of your lungs nets you the same reaction as a simple whisper would – something which breaks the immersive nature the game is attempting to create. Being “too far away” in this case means about 20 feet, at which point ones insistently loud “hey douchebag” may just make you want to ignore that guard and move on.
Speaking of moving on: as you make your way through each level, obviously staying stealthy means that the shadows are your friend. There’s a crystal on your right hand, which glows when you’re visible – in the light. Make sure you pay attention to this, as any tip a guard has to your presence can save you a fight if that crystal shows you as enveloped within the shadows.
It should be noted that enemy AI is quite underpaid in this game and clearly, they don’t care about doing a thorough job – it makes sense if you knock one if them out as they only have about eight bucks on them. Basically, the guards will only go so far as wherever you were when you triggered their attention, so long as you move far enough away, you’re safe, as they won’t continue to search for you.
This, depending on the type of gamer you are, can be considered both good and bad.
For those in the good camp, this level of AI insistence can be seen as made for the casual gamer. Not everyone may be accustomed to the Thief series, but those who have VR headsets may want to pick up what can be considered one of the few big titles released in 2025.
It’s not conducive to the ecosystem to have difficult to deal with enemies, who will track you to the ends of the earth. However, those who think there are issues are probably the ones who have played the series before – at the very least the 2014 reboot game which just so happens to bookend where this game falls on the timeline.
If enemy AI who hunts you down like a member of the SWAT K9 unit is what you desire, then some patches down the road can probably be implemented by the team.
Just so you know, the bow really is a last resort. Even shooting a guard without a helmet in the head does not necessarily take them out – in fact 10/10 times it just makes them realize you exist and takes away your chance at achieving the undetected “playstyle” reward.
Finally, let’s talk graphics before we call it a day.
The game looks good, offering up an experience that shines in headset. However, there were some instances where the game feels like it was brightened in headset, to the point where it just doesn’t feel natural.
There’s a visible difference between what you’ll see in the VR world, versus what a screenshot of the game shows – hint it’s much darker in the image.
It’s really only by the crystal on your hand that you can tell crouching behind a barrel actually puts you in the shadows, and not in the visible path of a guard.
It can also look like the screenshots are near pitch black, as the PSVR2 version does not yet seem to be optimised, instead offering up what can be interpreted as high quality Quest-esque graphics at the moment.
Overall, Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow is a pretty faithful game that brings you closer to the action, thanks to the VR headset. It’s a little disappointing that there is no use of adaptive triggers, headset rumble never once triggered, and the OLED screens of the PSVR2 didn’t allow for a better contrast of light versus dark.
However, if these things don’t necessarily bother you, and you’re more in it for the chance to experience the world of Thief, then you should seriously avoid listening to the YouTubers and just play the game you want.
Being able to reach out and pickpocket your enemy, use your voice – when it works – to distract a guard, or shoot an arrow with precision to extinguish a fire, makes the game fun for those who want the best experience.
There are a few things that do need to be fixed in a patch, but once those are implemented, Legacy of Shadow should definitely be something to consider if you’re looking for a stealth game.
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow was reviewed on the PSVR2 after receiving a pre-release key.
