Dissapointed by the Cradle...

Jackablade on 6/5/2006 at 04:11

I know this thread is getting old, but I have to chime in with another account of mild dissapointment. I didn't read anything before playing it, but I knew it was supposed to be terrifying, and thus got my hopes up too high.

There were a few really petrifying moments, like walking up to the staff tower (not in the past) expecting something to be there, or getting the courage to go up King No-one's elevator the first time, but a lot of the stuff that you guys found terrifying dissapointed me. I barely noticed that the banging on the door was different than the rest of the ambient noise, and I thought the puppets were kind of stupid and mostly ineffective. The head-twitchy thing is a cliched horror movie effect, and they really just felt like zombies without any of the cool sounds (from Thief 1 and 2). Overall I would say they were kind of boring.

I was also kind of dissapointed that you never met King No-one. I had to work up the courage the first time I went up there, but I kept going up there again, which always put me on edge, hoping that something would happen, but now that I finished the level, I'm kind of mad that nothing came of King No-one. He had such a good description that I think he should have been somewhere in the level.

The past was scary, though. The attendants (even with that stupid loot sheen they had) felt lifeless, but realistically menacing, which is a feel the puppets do not share. The puppets were a bit too TDS character modelly. Not realistic.

All That being said, the Cradle was probably the best level in the game design-wise, and it had its share of scares. However, I have been scared more by Thief: DP, MA, and even DS.

TDP: Most of the undead levels were very frightening. Thief 1 has probably the best zombies of any medium, and the Haunts are quite possibly the scariest thing in the game industry. Return to the Cathedral was a great scary level, although it probably helped that Brother Murus screwed up for me and I only saw him for half a second and then never again.

TMA: The golden child. I think I nearly passed out when I saw him around the corner in Life of the Party. I Hyperventilated for the treebeasts as well.

TDS: For some reason searching Caduca's chamber (before the statues came to life) terrified me. It took me probably fifteen minutes to just go through that room. I threw three mines at the gargoyle on her bed.

Slato Metakide on 6/5/2006 at 04:45

Funny you should mention The Golden Child from TMA. When I saw that thing my reaction was 'ROFLMFAO! Is that what I think it is?!' Then proceeded to hunt the little devil down to try and kill it.

Jackablade on 6/5/2006 at 05:29

I came around the corner normally, and kind of just glanced in the opposite corner. I saw something there and just thought WTF! That wasn't there before, what the hell is that? My fright just overtook me. I think it was mostly surprise, but I had to run back into some shadow and wait for my breathing to catch up.

It may also be a result of my feeling more in the world (I'm Garrett) in TDP and TMA, then in TDS.

Edit: One more thing about the Cradle. One of my friends mentioned that it doesn't really fit in with the rest of the game, or the Thief universe, even though it is quite good. He was meaning that the level really seems like it is from the 1950's rather than whatever time period Thief is in, and I have to say I agree.

Slato Metakide on 6/5/2006 at 10:03

Yes, I suppose it is a bit like that. It didn't bother me though.

moria on 6/5/2006 at 12:11

Quote Posted by Jackablade

and the Haunts are quite possibly the scariest thing in the game industry.

Horses for courses. I'm a totally girly wimp, and I skipped most of the levels with zombies in TDP, but I don't find the Haunts THAT scary - perhaps because they kinda look more like normal Hammers.

I thought in many ways the first part of the cradle was scarier than the second [SPOILER]despite (or maybe because of) having no AIs in it[/SPOILER].

Dia on 6/5/2006 at 16:14

I agree; the suspense of expecting Something Horrific to jump out and get you in the first part of the Cradle had me on the edge of my chair. By the time I made it to the second part of the Cradle I was pretty much a gibbering idiot.

P.S. I'm a girl and I'm no wimp. I'll happily face angry hordes of guards, Hammerites, Mechanists, burricks, and spiders. Just keep those damned zombies and haunts away from me. Thankyouverymuch.

Jackablade on 7/5/2006 at 00:08

Eh. I'm just dissapointed that the Haunts in Thief 3 are so meh. It's a fine game though.

Tintin on 7/5/2006 at 14:09

It was the second level of Thief in the mines that first gave me the fear of zombies. Still scares me to this day. The Cradle is terrifying though - and I played it in broad daylight!

Morpheus on 8/5/2006 at 22:23

Quote Posted by Jackablade

For some reason searching Caduca's chamber (before the statues came to life) terrified me. It took me probably fifteen minutes to just go through that room. I threw three mines at the gargoyle on her bed.

Same here. That room scared the crap out of me because I could tell the mission was leading up to something.

T-Smith on 8/5/2006 at 22:29

Quote Posted by Morpheus

Same here. That room scared the crap out of me because I could tell the mission was leading up to something.

Count me in as well. The mysterious note, the creepy gargoyle statues, Caduca's petrified body, and the creepy, CREEPY music just really unnerved me while I was in there. I kept expecting something to jump out at me.