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 howardtayler | |
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I've been playing Thief: Deadly Shadows, and this evening's session had me breaking into a haunted asylum. I played for about an hour, sneaking around while listening to creepy noises, the voice of a ghost-child I'm supposed to save, and the chilling strains of "mood music" from the game's soundtrack. I kept waiting for the cat to jump out, or the zombies to materialize, and boy was I on edge.
And then I said "screw it." I play to have fun, not to be startled or terrified. So I saved, quit, and looked up a walkthrough on this "internet" thing I've heard so much about.
Sure enough, the level gets creepier. But now I know what's coming. I also know that I'm about 80% of the way through the game, which is nice information to have. I didn't read any further ahead -- I just counted "milestones" in the walkthrough. I mean, it may be even scarier further along, but I'll take that chance.
--Howard
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A first-person game that is unable to startle me from time to time or have me on the edge of my seat with intensity probably isn't a lot of fun, to me, to play. This is why I liked the original Quake so much -- the atmosphere was incredible. There were several levels, like Azure Agony and the Pain Maze, which had the most wonderful air of imminent ethereal menace, a world of ancient hurt just waiting for some unlucky or careless intruder to happen to.
Quake II completely lost that atmosphere. Strogg cyborgs.... <yawn> More Stroggs.... And what's next in this new level? <yawn> MORE Strogg cyborgs.... but somehow there was never any suspense to it. It was just more of the same and still more of the same, level after level. It was still a technical challenge, but the suspense was gone.
On the other hand, I never bought Doom III. Because while Doom III did introduce new features like cinematic-quality graphics and smarter monsters that would stalk you and cooperate against you, from what I've heard, three quarters of the game is spent stumbling around in pitch darkness where you can't see your hand in front of your face without a flashlight, and the game won't let you use a weapon and your flashlight at the same time. (I guess 23rd Century Terran Marines have lost the technology for duct tape. Fortunately, I understand a lot of modders invented it in pretty short order.)
That's not suspense. That's just annoying. Shadows and gloom, sure, appropriately used. Gratuitous pitch darkness without night vision gear? For entire level after level after level? I'll pass, thanks.
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