While there is a lot to like about Seven, the way the camera view is designed defeats the whole purpose of a stealth game. The camera will constantly shift walls, floors, and ceilings in and out of transparency as you move around. This is common in 3rd-person games, usually successfully. Not so here.

Climbing a stairway, for instance: You do not see a single thing about the level you're climbing towards, including the guards right at the top of the stairs, until you actually step onto the floor itself. At one point, I stepped off a catwalk onto a ventilation shaft - maybe about 3 inches down - and the entire level of the catwalk went so transparent as to be invisible, again, including the guard I was trying to avoid and time as he patrolled.

Even more frustrating: The game provides you with a magical "Sense Mode", which lets you 'scout' with the camera, well beyond what you would be able to see normally. Great! Make up for the weird camera design with a special ability! No, sorry, even that mode does not allow you to see the guards that are 10 feet in front of you, just because they are a few inches higher.

The days of the original Thief being the only stealth game around are long gone. There are very many now that treat stealth way better than Seven. Give this one a pass unless they do a major update to how the camera works, at a minimum, allowing you to have some control over it.

While there is a lot to like about Seven, the way the camera view is designed defeats the whole purpose of a stealth game. The camera will constantly shift walls, floors, and ceilings in and out of transparency as you move around. This is common in 3rd-person games, usually successfully. Not so here. Climbing a stairway, for instance: You do not see a single thing about the level you're climbing towards, including the guards right at the top of the stairs, until you actually step onto the floor itself. At one point, I stepped off a catwalk onto a ventilation shaft - maybe about 3 inches down - and the entire level of the catwalk went so transparent as to be invisible, again, including the guard I was trying to avoid and time as he patrolled. Even more frustrating: The game provides you with a magical "Sense Mode", which lets you 'scout' with the camera, well beyond what you would be able to see normally. Great! Make up for the weird camera design with a special ability! No, sorry, even that mode does not allow you to see the guards that are 10 feet in front of you, just because they are a few inches higher. The days of the original Thief being the only stealth game around are long gone. There are very many now that treat stealth way better than Seven. Give this one a pass unless they do a major update to how the camera works, at a minimum, allowing you to have some control over it.