DISCLAIMER: Both authors are working on The Black Parade and are close friends of mine. I tried to review this mission with an objective mind.

Into the Odd is the least Thief 2 out of all the missions for the contest, in fact it feels more like something out of Purah or Sperry's minds, and while it feels very removed from Thief 2's aesthetic and design principles, this mission wins the contest in my eyes due to the sheer audacity and the solid strength of its design.

You are thrown right off the bat in hostile territory without any equipment whatsoever and must find a way to elude a gang of thugs out to kill you in the sunlit streets of some dilapidated district of The City. These guys left a few bodies lying around so you know they mean business. This first part is very intense as hiding places are scarce and you are usually lit up like a Christmas tree. It can be a bit frustrating for those of us who prefer relying on the trusted Blackjack and don't like to sneak past people without it, however this section is very short and you will soon find yourself in the real course of the mission, where things get... odd.

The thing with Into the Odd is that the least you know about it, the better the experience is. The atmosphere is through the roof throughout with an excellent selection of sounds and textures and appropriately moody lighting. Even the sunlit streets and alleys of the quarter are very gloomy. Patrols are challenging and like I said before, apart from the very beginning, the mission isn't too tough since you eventually gather your equipment relatively quickly. The story in Into the Odd is very cryptic and may not appeal to everyone, but I found it quite fascinating and I loved how it conveyed most of it through the environment.

Into the Odd is in my opinion the crown jewel of this contest and a masterpiece everyone should play. Power through the street section at the start and you will not regret it.

Rating: 29/30