The grandfather of sneaking videogames has returned, under new ownership, and looking better than ever. Everything Thief veterans fondly remember is still present - Garret is still your plundering personage, the stealth gem has returned, and, continuing the storyline from the last title, you're working with the Keepers. As of this preview, there was only limited detail on the main storyline, but given the care with which Ion Storm has handled every other aspect of the game, I've little doubt it will stay true to the spirit of the first two titles.

Judging by the build of Thief shown at this year's E3, Ion Storm has improved on the strengths of the series, and new concepts of their own to improve upon the series. The thing that most people, myself included, remember most strongly from the Thief series is the masterful sound engine. No game before or since ever managed to so strongly knit sound into the gameplay. Keeping a sharp ear for the noises of passing guards, footsteps, and conversations was just as vital to your mission success as staying in the shadows. This tradition is taken to a new level with the sound engine Ion Storm has developed for Thief 3. Not only is sound as important as ever, but a new system has been devised to make it travel realistically. Now, when you make a sound, it will emanate from your location and travel like a wave, bouncing off walls and objects, until it reaches an unfriendly ear or dissipates. In order to guard against this, you can close doors behind you as you progress, muffling any sounds you might make, but adding time to a potential escape.

The subject of doors brings us another improvement in the new Thief engine - lock picking is no longer an automatic activity, but, taking a page from Splinter Cell, a task in which you must manually lift each tumbler in turn by probing the lock. In recognition of the greater time this takes, lock picking is handled from a first person perspective. While struggling with the lock, you are able to look around freely to ensure you are not spotted, and, if a quick escape is called for, you can stop picking the lock and hide, without losing the progress you've already made.

Hiding, however, is a new challenge, in Thief 3. No longer will guards stumble about blindly in areas where you've extinguished the lights. No, taking a page from Chinese proverbs, they now carry torches instead of cursing the darkness. As you might expect, these traveling light sources make hiding a much more interesting proposition. As with all light sources in Thief, they can be extinguished by a water arrow. But, throwing water on the armor coated muscle-bound sword-swingers isn't usually the best way to keep Garret's health insurance costs low.

To cope with these increased challenges, however, you've got some new tricks in your bag. Move up to a waist-height ledge and you'll automatically mantle up on it. Spot a wall with some clinging ivy or widely spaced bricks, and chances are good that you'll be able to climb up it. Even better, with the new particle based light sourcing system, your interaction with light sources is no longer limited to just extinguishing or avoiding them. If you've got the time, you can stack objects in front of or around a light source, blocking the light, and creating shadows for you to hide in.

Finally, Ion Storm has carried their philosophy of freedom-based gameplay into their renovation of the Thief franchise. The game's reward system will be customizable by the player, allowing for you to tailor not only the level of difficulty, but also the type of approach that will be required to complete a level. For purists, as ever, you can be rewarded for sneaking unseen through the game like a ghost, swooping in to take your pilfered plunder and vanish into the night. However, that will no longer be the only possible way to play. If direct confrontation is more your style, the game can be configured to reward stealthy assassinations and skillful swordplay. In other words, it's your game, play it how you want. Much like Deus Ex, there's no wrong way to complete a mission. Thief 3 is scheduled for a Winter 2004 release, and we can't wait.