So my thoughts on Return of the Thieves Guild! Under the cut for length and spoilers!
I really enjoyed this story. The three gang leaders are some really great characters that I'd love to get more time with in future stories because they all represent such different forms of thievery.
You have Edwane, the moral thief who stole out of necessity and tried to balance the karmic scales when he could. Then there's Seline, the gentleman thief who uses her noble rank to take advantage of her marks' goodwill and bias in her favour. And then you have Abrasia, the ruffian who learned to survive young and adopted a harsh, ruthless way of life.
They're all really distinctive characters who bounce off of each other and the player really well, and for all their differences, they also possess a key trait: loyalty.
Edwane is loyal to his Streethawks and the people of Daggerfall. He protects people from worse thieves, does his best not to hurt people who can't afford the harm, and maintains his sense of morality.
Seline is loyal to her family, and her father particularly. When he's wounded (or killed) by the Cartel, she goes all in on taking down the Cartel whereas some nobles would have decided to cut their losses and joined the 'winning' side to save their own skin.
And Abrasia is incredibly loyal to anyone she deems as her people. She's ruthless and cutthroat with anyone else, but once someone is firmly 'one of her's' she will do what she can for them as evidenced in the Nowhere Vault.
Loyalty is what binds these characters together when they think they have nothing in common beyond a profession, and while their loyalty is tested, it wins out.
I like that the story had consequences. If you choose to go to the Lionguard for help, Basil survives his encounter with Gavin Koldane and dies if you don't; either way, the encounter reinforces the notion that you will need the Lionguard's help, either because they came through and helped save Basil, or because you failed and couldn't save him by yourself. Great character building moment that definitely didn't traumatise any high schoolers.
It was also great to have story recognition! Being able to talk my way into the Lionguard Tower solely because I was the Hero of Glenumbra was gratifying! I enjoyed that I had an easier time infiltrating because I was a known quantity! More of that please!!!!
I had a teeny quibble with Quen occasionally talking about my potential as a thief when I met her when she was a rookie and have maxed out my legerdemain and TG skills, but it's not Nearly as bad as some previous instances of similar dialogue, like my Vestige worrying about facing Vaermina when we have kicked so many other Princes in the teeth. It was just tiny instances of occasional dialogue and not a whole hair-tearing conversation, so it's hardly the end of the world, just a teeny little thing.
I'd have liked more opportunities for somnal powder too, and the chance to use it outside of the story. It'd be cool if it could be used on Heists to stun lantern carriers and other guards, just to give it more functionality because I really didn't use it at all which is a shame because it'd be nice to have a new thief tool, even if only in specific instances like Heists, Black Sacraments and when trespassing.
Of course there were some bugs. The infamous 'one person at a time' gate at Yvierry Estate was the big one everyone knows of course, but I had a few instances of getting spotted while invisible which shouldn't have happened, like when in Lord Yvierry's bedroom or trying to pickpocket that Bloodthorn Cultist in the ruins. I didn't run out of mana or anything so I can only assume it was a bug which was a bit frustrating.
I think my biggest nitpick is that so often the characters wonder how Koldane kept being a step ahead and seemed to know what we were up to, which felt like it was alluding to a mole within the Guild only for the notion to be swept aside as 'well he's a powerful man with a lot of money, that's how he found out'. I kept trying to pick out who might be a traitor, like Basil or the bosmer whose there while we discuss the warehouse plan with Quen (I forget her name), and then nothing really came of it. It was just excused as him being powerful without considering how he was using that power to get his information.
Oh and there was Saroldo too, but I made a separate post on him because it felt warranted.
Anyway I really love how much Quen has grown since TG. She's always been smart, but she's gotten more streetwise and doesn't make the mistakes she might have made before. She doesn't choose favourites of the gang leaders, and knows that they have to find their common ground themselves - she and the Vestige just have to give them a means to do so. I just love how much she's grown and how much more confident she's become over the years. She's come into her own and I don't blame the Daggerfall crew for wanting her to stick around. She was never meant to be a permanent addition to their crew but she's so embedded with them emotionally that they will come to Abah's Landing to help her out because she's one of their's!!!! She's their Quen!!!!!!
Anyway I really enjoyed this new story and I'm looking forward to seeing what the team's cooked up with Sheogorath later this month ^^
Oh, and I really loved the solo instance of Daggerfall where you have to evade the guard to escape the city! Also something I'd love to see more of! Using solo instances of otherwise open world spaces to tell specific story bears is so much fun!!!!
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