
Thief II: The Metal Age is a 2000 first-person stealth game developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the sequel to Thief: The Dark Project. Set in and around a steampunk metropolis called the City, the game's plot follows Garrett, a master thief, as he works to uncover a conspiracy. The player assumes the role of Garrett and undertakes missions that range from theft, to kidnapping, to sabotage. While designing Thief II, the developers sought to build on its predecessor's foundation. They emphasized the urban stealth elements that were used occasionally in the original game, and minimized sections that included supernatural opponents. As with its predecessor and System Shock 2, the game was built with the Dark Engine, which was modified to provide better graphics. Thief II received positive reviews from critics, and its commercial reception was strong. However, Looking Glass faced extreme debt problems and revenue from Thief II was processed slowly, which led to the company's closure in 2000. ION Storm and Eidos released a follow-up to Thief II, entitled Thief: Deadly Shadows, in 2004.