How scary was the ShalebrigeCradle level (no spoilers, please)

[De2nis]

...

[De2nis]

You have to admit though, that little "surprise" you get near the beggining would have made me wet myself if hadn't seen someone else play it before.

[Kokopelli]

It wasn't anything to give me nightmares, but it was definitely tense while exploring it. *read my post on it*

BTW, what "surprise" at the begining are you refering too?

[De2nis]

I think you can figure that out.

[Kokopelli]

The only thing I can think off...


It's either knocking from the attic, or the "shadow" in the lobby. I heard the knocking with no problems, but I didn't see the shadow run by the entrance to the lobby at the start.

[De2nis]

The talking picture, that was scary.

[Kokopelli]

Originally posted by De2nis
The talking picture, that was scary.

Oooh, nice. Do tell where that picture's at? It isn't Lyrel's picture in the attic, is it?

[De2nis]

Affirmative.

[Kokopelli]

That didn't really catch me as I knew what was going to happen.

Though she did startle me in the Shock-treatment room when I was about the flash a puppet.

[gar_goyle1]

I must say, after having read all the threads pertaining to the Cradle, I did not get scared, but the atmosphere and sound really had me on edge, even tho I already knew what to expect and not to expect. I actually found myself more "scared" while in the past, evading the staff, until I was able to finish as myself with all my weapons!!

I was very edgy for that level. Am looking forward to playing again in the future on a different difficulty setting.

keith

BTW, I never saw a shadow at the beginning either, nor anywhere else, other than the staff and inmates.

[De2nis]

"Though she did startle me in the Shock-treatment room when I was about the flash a puppet."

What?

[Yandros]

Apparently Lauryl chimed in with some comment about one of the former patients or something just as he was sneaking up on a puppet.

Originally posted by De2nis
The talking picture, that was scary. Silly taffer, it wasn't the picture talking, it was the ghost! :p

[pengy404]

Honestly the only other time I was scared in a video game was in System Shock 2. Cradle scared the pants off me. I'm the kind of guy that laughs while watching Silence of The Lambs and Jack Carpenter's Vampires. Also I was drinking the first time I went through that mission. Odd how I don't drink during movies. Heh I guess that's what you can expect from a silly taffer like me!


- Pengy!

[sycotiksid]

Originally posted by gar_goyle1
I must say, after having read all the threads pertaining to the Cradle, I did not get scared...[/SPOILER]


Why would you read up on it? It only spoils the level :P I went in the Cradle blind, with absolutely nothing to expect, other than it was scary. And boy, were they right, hehe. But I am quite grateful now that I didn't read up on it before I went in because then I'd start expecting things to happen, which would result in a less intense feel.

[Emeloy]

Hmm quite scary, but in this level the loading zone really ruined the atmosphere for me, without it I guess it would have been one of my fave "spooky" lvls.

[Yandros]

Originally posted by pengy404
Jack Carpenter's Vampires. I think you mean John Carpenter. To this day, I still love Dark Star.

"Talby thinks he's so smart... and Boiler punches me in the arm when no one is looking!"
~ Pinback

[Kokopelli]

Originally posted by De2nis
"Though she did startle me in the Shock-treatment room when I was about the flash a puppet."

What?

The first time you are taffing about in the shock-treatment room (side near the corridor leading to the white halls) Lauryl makes a comment about a patient wrapped in brown cloth. Problem is, there is a puppet hanging around in the shock-therapy room. However, when I was going through the level the puppet was in the corridor and not the room. (guess he heard me light up a fellow puppet with a fire arrow)

[gar_goyle1]

Originally posted by sycotiksid
Why would you read up on it? It only spoils the level :P I went in the Cradle blind, with absolutely nothing to expect, other than it was scary. And boy, were they right, hehe. But I am quite grateful now that I didn't read up on it before I went in because then I'd start expecting things to happen, which would result in a less intense feel.

I am not the sort of person that lets "reviews" or "spoilers" affect my ability to enjoy a game, nor do they change my reactions beforehand. I am always on edge , so whether I had read about the cradle or not is irrelevant. I do not get scared by movies or books, but I do get a "rush" from the unexpected. THE CRADLE DEFINITELY GAVE ME A RUSH. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I especially liked reading about it,,,,,the reading added to the tension factor that I still felt at the end of the level. :cool:

[Kokopelli]

Originally posted by sycotiksid
Why would you read up on it? It only spoils the level :P I went in the Cradle blind, with absolutely nothing to expect, other than it was scary. And boy, were they right, hehe. But I am quite grateful now that I didn't read up on it before I went in because then I'd start expecting things to happen, which would result in a less intense feel.

Don;t get me wrong, I had an idea of what to expect when entering the cradle. Was hard no too with spoilers in the topic lines. But I was surprised several times by unexpected events..

e.g. the apple rolling off the table by itselft or a puppet that wandered away from a particular room

I'll admit the puppets didn't appear all that freaky... untill one of the bastards saw you and charged after you. I knew about the stuff, but they sent chills down my spine none-the-less.

[gar_goyle1]

do you mean the "inmates" with the cages on their heads and hands?

[tealsmith]

Originally posted by gar_goyle1
do you mean the "inmates" with the cages on their heads and hands?

I believe he does:
It seems 'Puppets' is how people are referring to the patients.

[Yandros]

That's probably because Null said that's what they called them during development, in a thread over at TTLG.

[eLbE]

It was SO scary that me and my friend and big brother had to take turns... Oh, just like we played Resident Evil, so good memories... :cool: :)

I was REALLY scared in the White hall, that breathing sound is so loud and creepy, i could not take it long...

[Spreadie]

I HATE the cradle, but I love it.

Just at the inner cradle now - DEEPLY scary - seriously if you didn't think it was, try turning out the lights and put your headphones on - new shorts please! The atmosphere is fantastic.

LOL my wife walked in with a cuppa for me and scared the crap outa me. Just happened 10 mins ago - heart is still pounding.

I didn't play the first two releases, but my pal loves em, so I read the reviews and shelled out £30 for the game. Definitely money well spent

My only real complaint is the excessive need for the lockpicks in the Cradle. Its my least favourite feature in the game - the novelty has well and truly worn off by the time you reach the cradle. I understand the need for the lockpicks and the extra facet it contributes to the game i.e. making sure u got time to pick the lock before someone walks around the corner. But, IMHO they've overdone it a bit on that mission.

For the benefit of peeps who haven't got that far yet... Just you wait. My whinging aside, its the most emotionally involving level of any game I have ever played.

[evanbb]

Yea i have to agree with most everyone... I was so scared during that level, so well done. The sounds i the background were what did it I think, because I didn't know if the breathing and footsteps were just background noises or if they were "puppets" somewhere near by.

I think the lockpicking was overdone, but still I see why, because I was scared as hell whenever i had to go and pick a lock, especially with a dead puppet next to me, never knowing if it's finally dead or not.

I used to think resident evil was scary when i was younger, but this was ridiculous, I was really impressed.

[Flashart]

I've just finished "Cradle". I'd read it was scary but had purposely
avoided reading any other threads, so as not to spoil it.

Well, it sure scared me! I thought the lockpicking was intense, as I was getting low on ammo and didn't want to re-start.

This is the Level that will define T3. Just look at the chat about it already. The Devs really threw everything at it to get the atmosphere so disturbing. I thought it was paced perfectly and although it's not very "thiefy" in it's content, there's more than enough going on to make up for it.
When I finally finished I didn't feel the achievement of ending the level, I was just glad to get out of there!

[ekwhite]

This mission was definitely creepy. I'm glad I didn't read the forums before playing it, however. To me, the scariest part was the attic, with the banging. I kept expecting something to jump out at me at any second.

The second scariest thing was the way the ghost's voice would jump in at inopportune times. The first time she did that to me in the treatment rooms, I just about jumped out of my skin! Playing this segment with headphones would have definitely been just too creepy for me.

[GlasW0lf]

Everyone talks about the attic, but it was the lockpicking that petrified me. Several times (like 5 or 6) I was so scared in the middle of picking a lock I had to abandon it and run into the nearest shadow just to make sure I wasn't about to be lynched. Great stuff!

[DGuy]

Honestly,

For me, at about 1/4 of the way through the level, the fear and tensions factors when out the window.

Why:By that time I realized all the creepy sound where just background noise: They weren't comming from anyone or anything, so I relaxed

Unlike the "Horn" and "Chapel"(where you get The Eye) levels from Thief 1, where every moan and groan and foot step and creaking door and rattling chain had a body or spirit attached to it. Those where un-nerving levels!

Also, you could tell the caged-headed-patients where comming from a mile away with the blinking lights and all.
David