 Thief II debuted high on the bestsellers list for computer games , and its initial sales were better than those of its commercially successful predecessor . In the United States , the game sold roughly 67 @,@ 000 copies and earned $ 2 @.@ 37 million by the end of 2000 . It received positive reviews from critics , with an aggregate score of 89 @.@ 14 % on GameRankings . Computer Gaming World 's Thomas L. McDonald wrote that " everything in Thief II is bigger , sharper , better , and more effective " than in its predecessor . He enjoyed its story and called its levels " vast and intricate " , with " astonishingly complex and often beautiful " architecture ; but he found the game 's graphics to be somewhat lackluster . McDonald summarized Thief II as a unique " gamer 's game " . Jim Preston of PC Gamer US considered the game to be " more focused and polished than the original " , and he praised the removal of " zombie battles " . While he faulted its graphics , he summarized it as " one hell of a good game " . 
