Run Away Run Away
Aug. 4th, 2006 05:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nano_mooseSome background for this post: when reading reviews and retrospectives of horror games and genre-busting greats, the level known as "Robbing the Cradle" in Thief: Deadly Shadows gets mentioned a lot. It is praised for its deep immersion qualities and the fact that very few people have not come out of it whimpering. It has a reputation for frightening the fuck out of people; it is reportedly the 'scariest game level ever made'.
I was well aware of this reputation.
I am a blithering coward.
It's the noises that make it, mainly. Oh sure, the residents are damn freaking-looking but they wouldn't be nearly as creepy if they didn't scream and hiss at you in suprisingly human voises. Turning on the lights is bad (in Thief you do not like light) but the metallic shriek of the machinery as I did so made me jump and yelp. And the ambience of the thing. Jesus. It's a lot like Silent Hill in that hitting mute also turns off the terror.
BUT I BEAT IT.
DESPITE THE XBOX EATING MY SAVE GAME, I BEAT IT LIKE THE PROVERBIAL BUSH.
I will accept awesomeness accolades now.
ETA: You know school's starting to get to me when I start watching the Assassin's Creed trailer (again) and immediately think, for no discernable reason; "WHOOOOO BLASPHEMY."
I was well aware of this reputation.
I am a blithering coward.
I was not looking forward to this.
Nano: Well, it certainly is...deserted. I mean, okay, blue mist is kinda freaky I guess, but there's not even any spooky noises or anything and I know Garrett was a little nervous sounding in his debriefing oh my god he's never nervous stop kidding yourself i am so afraid
(A little later.)
Nano: Okay, game, the fear is starting to fade now. *pauses for tea* *notices something* Wait a sec. The menu didn't make its clankedaclank noise like normal...Oh, I see the problem. Volume too low. *fixes* *unpauses*
Nano: *after a few seconds of whispered screams and clangs and hisses and the sounds of a nightmare come alive, or maybe not...* I take it all back. somebody hold me.
Orphanage turned insane asylum burned to the ground abandoned now haunted. Bad enough. Orphanage and insane asylum at once, site of original murder by something I'm already afraid of, burned by the residents, sealed by authorities, now with an intelligence that wants nothing more and nothing less than keeping its toys forever. Yeah, that's about the point you start to cry.
Nano: Well, it certainly is...deserted. I mean, okay, blue mist is kinda freaky I guess, but there's not even any spooky noises or anything and I know Garrett was a little nervous sounding in his debriefing oh my god he's never nervous stop kidding yourself i am so afraid
(A little later.)
Nano: Okay, game, the fear is starting to fade now. *pauses for tea* *notices something* Wait a sec. The menu didn't make its clankedaclank noise like normal...Oh, I see the problem. Volume too low. *fixes* *unpauses*
Nano: *after a few seconds of whispered screams and clangs and hisses and the sounds of a nightmare come alive, or maybe not...* I take it all back. somebody hold me.
Orphanage turned insane asylum burned to the ground abandoned now haunted. Bad enough. Orphanage and insane asylum at once, site of original murder by something I'm already afraid of, burned by the residents, sealed by authorities, now with an intelligence that wants nothing more and nothing less than keeping its toys forever. Yeah, that's about the point you start to cry.
It's the noises that make it, mainly. Oh sure, the residents are damn freaking-looking but they wouldn't be nearly as creepy if they didn't scream and hiss at you in suprisingly human voises. Turning on the lights is bad (in Thief you do not like light) but the metallic shriek of the machinery as I did so made me jump and yelp. And the ambience of the thing. Jesus. It's a lot like Silent Hill in that hitting mute also turns off the terror.
BUT I BEAT IT.
DESPITE THE XBOX EATING MY SAVE GAME, I BEAT IT LIKE THE PROVERBIAL BUSH.
I will accept awesomeness accolades now.
ETA: You know school's starting to get to me when I start watching the Assassin's Creed trailer (again) and immediately think, for no discernable reason; "WHOOOOO BLASPHEMY."
