After finishing System Shock 2 for the second time (good game, though I think I prefer the first game overall), I'm now playing Thief II: The Metal Age. I'm a bit embarrassed to say, but before this attempt, I've never actually made it past Framed, where I would always strike out. It wasn't nearly as captivating as the one-two punch of Lord Bafford's Manor into Break From Cragscleft Prison in the first game, and the movement felt floatier and the AI somehow even less aware.
I'm currently on Eavesdropping, and while I stand by these complaints I'm having a good time. It's clearly more polished and refined than the first game, with sneaking in mostly populated areas being the focus.
So far, the missions aren't as good as the first game though. I didn't like Running Interference at all, it felt pretty linear and simple even by first level standards, and the expert objective where you're forced to knock eight people out is just dumb. Shipping... And Receiving is much better though, even if it's a fairly simple idea. I enjoyed the bit with Building A a lot, where you had to enter the numbers of the different spaces. However, this is kind of where I feel like a misstep of this game compared to TDP becomes clear, the map is super detailed and has most information you could reasonably want. It makes the levels feel less dynamic and mysterious than the first game, even if it is in tune with the more advanced setting. The different codes written next to the doors feel a bit redundant when they're listed on the map from the beginning. Thankfully Framed is an excellent mission and has a lot of passages and complexity that doesn't translate to the map like it does in the first two missions. Ambush! and its city is an interesting idea (it's way richer than Assassins' city section with it's little passages, canals and apartments) but like Undercover from TDP it ends up being too short and compact to really capitalise on that concept.
I haven't seen much of the game but I think I prefer the setting of the first game as well, the pagan dark fantasy setting with a touch of steampunk is just more interesting to me than what is ultimately a more "modern" setting with security cameras and the like. Though I do expect that the story will go more into detail and develop the conflict between the different factions and ideologies, so I might end up liking it as much or even more than the first one.
Overall it's a very polished and fun game though I feel it's lost some of it's more unique aspects since the first game. I have a feeling it'll gradually develop into something more interesting and distinct from the first game, and I'm looking forward to playing more of it.