After returning from the Lost City, Garrett is off to find the next Talisman. The name of the mission, and the first part of it, play a nice little trick on the player. You're thinking, "Oh no, not more caves!"

But when you reach the Keeper shrine and find the Talisman has already been stolen you know you're in for a cozier and more familiar locale for the rest of the level. The shrine itself was a bit anticlimactic, I thought. After hiding the last Talisman in a ruined tower guarded by fire elementals in the Thief universe's equivalent to Atlantis, this time around the Keepers were seemingly content with a few crayman guards and a half-hearted Indiana Jones trap. I guess even Keepers can just phone it in from time to time.

Well, after passing the shrine you encounter a crazy former opera house owner from whom you learn that your Talisman has been taken by the new owners. Plenty of Phantom of the Opera references in this mission for clever players to pick up on. And after the grind of previous missions it was high time for a slightly more light-hearted heist.

The opera house itself is magnificent. It's a very large level, even without the initial cave section, with lots of interconnectivity. There's maybe not enough opportunities to go climbing, unfortunately. The basements where you first enter are a bit too big and barren, though all the stage props and backdrops lying around are a nice touch, but upper floors are opulent with heaps of loot to steal. There's even a few lingering opera guests to pickpocket.

Getting to the Talisman itself involves tracking down one of the game's coolest secrets, and overall it's a decently good mission. Ghosters might find it a little unfair, and personally I found the light-hearted tone didn't quite hit the mark for me. Still, it's a significantly above-average level.