Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow Review | Immersive Stealth Thrills Meet Frustrating Jank

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow Review

From hiding among the shadows to confronting brightly lit issues, Thief VR offers a mix of stealthy gameplay and head-bashing AI that will leave fans of the Thief series chanting, “Will the real Garrett please stand up?”

Among the Shadows

Thief, for those new to the series, was first introduced to stealth fans in 1998 with Thief: The Dark Project. It was groundbreaking at the time - our master thief Garrett hiding in shadows, dousing lit torches to move unseen from one location to the next - and the game quickly found a cult following. Then, Thief received two more titles in 2000 and 2004 before taking a ten-year break, returning with a reboot in 2014. After another decade in the shadows, Maze Theory (the developer) and Vertigo Games (the publisher) have brought forth Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow in 2025.

After another ten-plus-year hiatus, Thief returns for medieval stealth fans to lurk among the shadows, loot the Baron’s riches, and discover more about the Black Feather - a group hoping to stand up against the Baron while hiding the Keepers’ secrets, a religious group known from within the series.

This is where we meet our newest protagonist, Magpie, who is introduced to the series. The game takes place between Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004) and Thief (the reboot, 2014). However, fans of the series may not appreciate the new direction, with an up-and-coming street rat meant to take the place of the legendary master thief, Garrett. Garrett is thought to be gone and perished in the trilogy. Our former main protagonist and most notorious thief, Garrett, now exists only as a fragment of comments in Magpie’s head, serving as her guide and mentor after a few events in the early moments of the game - a choice that may not connect with returning fans.

Out of the Shadows

Fans of the series will recognize the familiar feel of items - from water and rope arrows to even the setting. However, is Magpie capable of replacing such a master thief? Considering all we see are two hands, it’s more about her personality, which seems to lack the interest and intrigue of previous titles. We need to like Magpie, to want to know more about her background, but nothing is mentioned throughout the game that allows players to truly connect with or understand her history. She’s supposed to set up the future of the series, but I don’t feel she holds a candle to Garrett’s dullest days of yesteryear.

Welcome Home

Out of the shadows and back into the Clock Tower - this is where we meet Casandra, our guiding hand and keeper within the Clock Tower, our hub to return to after a long night out in the city and a few other locations to steal, lurk in the shadows, or find hidden pathways to complete the task at hand. Fans of the series will recognize the location from previous games.

Sulking throughout the city and other locations are the highlights that stand out within the game. Playing Thief in VR is fun. Though it may have come as a surprise to fans that the next game in the series would be in VR, it works rather well. Heading out with gear in hand and taking my time to sneak up behind a guard on watch to knock them out with my blackjack is exciting. However, combat is hardly the focus in Thief; although I enjoy clearing an area, and lurking through the shadows to pick off each guard one by one whenever possible and freely loot my surroundings.

Loot is the name of the game. The more you’re able to swipe and achieve for Casandra’s stolen coin goals, the more perks you’ll unlock for your next looting session. Starting with three water arrows comes in handy when extinguishing a lit fire pit around a guard’s patrol post. Although gaining more health is always a great idea in other games, if I stay in the shadows and don’t get caught, I won’t need to worry about more health - but it’s there just in case things go horribly wrong.

This is truly where the fun of the game comes from: breaking into unsuspecting locations, exploring every inch of the grounds inside and out, moving through the shadows, and finding hidden secret areas to get around. All these add to the thrill of remaining stealthy. A good thief can pick a lock. This is easily one of the best gameplay mechanics in the game: lock picking. Picking a chest clean feels perfect! Grabbing your lock pick kit, holding each pick in hand as you maneuver at opposite angles until the haptic feedback snaps into place - it felt invigorating to pick locks in this mini-game. The more angles to snap into place, the better the loot. Lock picking in Thief VR was one of the best lock-picking mini-games I’ve ever played, and I never turned down a chest in sight.

These are my favorite moments within Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow. It feels good in VR; because of the slower movement, motion sickness wasn’t such a concern compared to other VR titles. But all good things must come to an end.

Stay Out Of The Light!

When the game is going well, you become one with your stealthy, hidden self - everything feels just right. But when you come out of the shadows, the game begins to shine a light on its pitfalls. Sneaking up behind a guard, crouched down low, ready to knock them over the head, only to see them floating three inches above the ground, or objects floating above a table, completely breaks the VR experience. These floating guards are only the beginning, with their nonsensical, repetitive verbiage. After knocking these senseless guards out, they’ll find themselves sleeping, snoring away. Dragging a guard out of sight is great to avoid being spotted by other patrolling guards; however, there is no sound barrier within the level design.

A snoring, knocked-out guard can be heard in the basement, the next room, outside, or even on the floor above - it’s ridiculous. Sound triggers aren’t implemented properly; they are constantly active no matter where you are within the level. Sometimes conversations among the guards carry across the map, speaking over top of each other - it’s bizarre.

If things don’t go according to plan, then stand and fight, because fighting these lackluster guards isn’t challenging either. After a few simple parries, each guard becomes stunned; knock them over the head and move on. Unless it’s our axe-wielding friend, then running away to hide in the shadows will quickly resolve the issue, allowing you to head back out to enjoy your looting desires.

A Sneaking Suspicion

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow will bring back nostalgia for fans of the series, while leaving others in the shadows. Unfortunately, the game falls short of the complete polish necessary by today’s standards. Floating guards and objects, repetitive phrases, and snoring throughout the level hold back what could have been an excellent game. Not to mention the loss of Garrett - though there in spirit, but replaced with Magpie’s over-the-top wittiness - holds back our favorite master thief. But where there are bad moments, there are also great ones.

The game was close to hitting the right moments with a story of relics, mystery, a hidden society, and fun gameplay with good level design. The front door isn’t the only way in. Exploring hidden areas and beyond, searching for all the loot and more, was thrilling. I truly enjoyed myself with the latest addition to the Thief series. I would like to see what Maze Theory would do with a sequel to the game, fixing the points mentioned earlier and expanding upon the level design. It would be great to see more rooftop opportunities, similar to Dishonored or Assassin’s Creed. With only one level designed around rooftop parkour, this felt like a missed opportunity throughout my experience.

There are certainly many little gripes about the game. But I can’t stop enjoying myself when playing. It feels like a guilty pleasure playing Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow - so enjoyable at times, but frustrating at others. I most certainly recommend the game for new and returning fans. But be aware of what you’re getting into: a fun stealth game with a touch of Bethesda jank tossed in for good measure. With the torch passed over to Magpie, time will tell if we’ll have to wait another ten years for more Thief stealing action. Let’s hope not!