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Post by Xeogred on Nov 3, 2018 19:21:49 GMT -5
I'm hoping for a few more missions like the Mage Towers I just got through in Thief Gold. This one, while really long, has been the best one yet. I still probably don't love it as much as others here, but I also see why y'all love it. The big level Ex hasn't even experienced yet since I think he still needs to play Gold. That level is incredible. You're really far dude, you got this. The last level isn't great and worked better in System Shock 2 I'd say, but it's the experimentation that I loved about the first Thief. Like I said Sarge... maybe give Deadly Shadows a shot someday. I normally wouldn't suggest this, but you could honestly skip 2 if you really wanted. I love 2 as well but it's still the same Dark Engine as the first and all. Deadly Shadows is definitely an overhaul and maybe it'd click with you better. It also has one of the best horror levels in gaming.
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Post by Sarge on Nov 3, 2018 20:37:55 GMT -5
Oh, man, I sequence-broke the heck out of The Lost City. I didn't do the lever to do the drawbridge, I just jumped the gap... which caused real issues coming back through! I did check an LP, and found a way to not lose all my progress (there's a jump that you can make if you move diagonally and make the leap near to where you get the Fire Rune).
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Post by Ex on Nov 3, 2018 21:10:56 GMT -5
Xeogred Sarge I have only played through the original Thief: The Dark Project. That means I missed out on these Gold-only missions: Thieves' Guild The Mage Towers Song of the CavernsThere is also a large add-on area added to the mission "The Sword", which is so large it's practically a new level unto itself. Other additions I missed are the new enemy type "Fire Shadow", and the interactive making of documentary called the "Blooper Reel". Someday I will go back and play through the Gold version of Thief! I also enjoyed Deadly Shadows (AKA Thief III) more than Thief II. Thief II is very good, but it built-up on the wrong things IMO. Deadly Shadows brought the focus back on the stuff I liked more in the original Thief. Sarge might like Deadly Shadows more because it's designed in a console-type mindset, and you can play the whole thing third person (although I think when you shoot arrows it goes first person for that). I played Deadly Shadows first person though.
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Post by Xeogred on Nov 3, 2018 21:32:03 GMT -5
Someday I will go back and play through the Gold version of Thief! With your dislike of replaying 10/10's, I won't believe it until I see it.
I've been a little curious to play the original version myself sometime. But it kind of just sounds like rearrangements outside of missing a few levels. Not sure what all was new in The Sword, but I recall that being one of my favorite levels too.
Song Of The Caverns is amazing as well. But the Thieves' Guild was probably my least favorite of them all, got lost in it constantly (IIRC Tsumuri didn't like this level much either).
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2018 5:42:57 GMT -5
I'm hoping for a few more missions like the Mage Towers I just got through in Thief Gold. Oh man, such a great mission. Very long indeed, which made it particularly hilarious when I missed one of the platforms in the Tower of Air and I got Garrett splattered on the floor. Had to do it all over again, but still loved it. Things got particularly tense during the Trial in the Tower of Fire, too. Good thing the mages aren't as aggressive as the normal guards and will stop chasing you fairly soon. But the Thieves' Guild was probably my least favorite of them all, got lost in it constantly (IIRC Tsumuri didn't like this level much either). I've got a bit stuck on that level because one of the items I needed for the Expert difficulty objectives was stupidly difficult to locate. But aside from that, yeah, my least favorite level in the entire game. Which isn't to say it's a bad level. Deadly Shadows possibly has the best lighting system in any video game. It's just amazing when it comes to light and shadows. On the other hand, levels are much shorter and you can't interact with the game world as freely as in the previous game: no rope arrows, no swimming, etc. But what really rubbed the wrong way is how it seems like it can't decide between having a hub-like game world as opposed to old-school levels and that hurt the overall game experience for me. I still believe it's worth playing, though.
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Post by Sarge on Nov 5, 2018 1:03:19 GMT -5
Okay, zombie levels are super creepy. The dead hammer guys are even worse. It's the audio that sells it. Eerie stuff.
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Post by Ex on Nov 5, 2018 1:50:00 GMT -5
Thief started to get to me with the level "The Haunted Cathedral". Having to travel through the ruins of the Old Quarter to reach The Hammerite Cathedral was something else. That mission is made up mostly of burnt out and collapsed buildings obscuring overgrown leaf covered streets. The way through to the cathedral on the hill is not straightforward. Ghosts, zombies, insect-men, as well as other fauna roam and haunt the place. It is also pitch dark, and one of the necessities is finding and starting up the old power grid. Then when you finally get there the plaque on the building says; "Warning: Great evil resides in this place, and it is no longer fit for men. The doors are sealed to protect us from that which lies within. Do not remain here". Yikes!
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Post by Sarge on Nov 5, 2018 11:10:03 GMT -5
Yeah, that's a good mission as well. I like those missions better than the standard "break in and steal stuff" ones. I didn't care much for the undercover mission with the timed switches you have to hit scattered around the compound. I also had to restart that mission because I quick-saved at a really inopportune time. @tsumuri , you would hate how I'm playing this game, quick-saving like no tomorrow. Anyway, I'm on the "Escape!" mission now, which means I'm closing in on the end, methinks. I probably would have finished it this weekend, but I had a friend pop in for homecoming weekend, and also had a birthday party to attend along with the usual church activities.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2018 14:45:04 GMT -5
Tsumuri, you would hate how I'm playing this game, quick-saving like no tomorrow. It's OK. Quick-saving is a valid option in this game and I'm probably the oddball here anyway - as long as that doesn't hinder your enjoyment of the game, then whatever. And yeah, you're really close to the end.
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Post by Sarge on Nov 5, 2018 23:13:40 GMT -5
Alright, peeps. It's done. Thief Gold is down for the count.
Once you get the hang of what the game wants from you, it goes down a bit smoother. There's a bit of a learning curve that you have to get through. I must admit that I basically played the game as if I were constrained like I would be on Expert, killing practically nothing. That also meant I didn't lean on my toolkit quite as hard as I could have, since I went for efficient knockouts and tended to re-do sequences that didn't work out well.
Graphically, it's a game of its time. Strong atmosphere, but definitely some of the low-poly look of PC games at the time. The original release came out a year after Jedi Knight, which I compared it to a bit earlier. Of course, things can advance pretty quickly in the PC world, and the emphasis on lighting and shadows makes it stand out much more than Jedi Knight did. (Although that game was also a big deal for utilizing the early 3D cards as it did.)
Sound design is where the game really shines. Good grief, the game has an impending feeling of dread almost all the time, and especially so in the areas with undead enemies or beasties. Conversations are really solidly voiced, so it feels like the world is lived in a bit more than most games of the time. The dread is also amplified by the fact that Garrett really isn't that capable a fighter. He's definitely a thief, and squishes like one. You want to be careful how you approach enemies, and watch for the sorts of surfaces you step on, which can alert enemies to your presence.
The last level was a lot of fun, I have to say. After a few I didn't care much for, the way you finish off the last boss is really satisfying, and a bit ironic. Honestly, I don't really want to spoil it for anyone else, although I have the suspicion that I'm the only one here that hadn't finished it.
So, a score. This one is tough for me. It grew on me, but not quite as much as King's Field: The Ancient City, which also shares a few commonalities with Thief Gold. I can see why folks love it, even if it isn't quite what I normally play. And I have to imagine this blew people away back in the day. I mean, good grief, the game is twenty years old. Twenty! If all games aged as gracefully. Accounting for personal tastes, I think I'll give this a 7.5/10. Good, bordering on great at times.
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