The Cradle

[Yao Guai]

Is it just me who find this mission more scary than most actually horror games?

[Wilm]

You're not alone, the Cradle is considerd to be one of the most frightening levels in all of gaming. That is pretty impressive considering that Thief itself isn't really a horror game.

[Yao Guai]

Thats what I thought, it's bloody scary and the game is what a PG?

[MystMan]

It's very well done that stage. First part is just empty with creepy noises making you nervous. Second part ......hey something moved! what is tha....OH MY GOD!! WHAT ARE YOU!? *dies in 2 hits* Third part is all paranormal time ghosts and stuff.

Awesome.

[Dubba_D]

Moral of the story, kids? Robbing a haunted asylum/orphanage is always a bad idea.

[ThievingHydra74]

It's the music, it gives it the feeling of isolation.

[FireH3wk]

Its also the dark that you can't see those clicking zombies

[HatefulMother]

The cradle. Good times.

[gabc2020]

Its the lights flashing when those weird creatures are around that creeps me out.

[ShareWare Junkie]

It's generally best to charge round the "Inner Cradle" like a maniac blasting everything that moves with flashbombs and any holy water you happen to have. There is a substantial stock of fire arrows on the cradle furnace if you run short. Once that is done, you can breathe a little easier as you do the room searches. The "Puppets" in the cradle mission were quite possibly one of the most peversely messed-up enemies ever created for any game in the genre.

It's a shame many denegrate Thief: DS as being inferior to the earlier games. Because the Cradle mission as with the rest show an excellent scripted plot with atmosphere that really blew me away both when it was released and still does today.

[Woeful Wraith]

For those who want a good taste of Shalebridge Cradle

http://gillen.cream.org/wordpress_html/assorted-essays/journey-into-the-cradle/

It has a downloadable PDF file of a 10 page article specifically dedicated to the Shalebridge Cradle level. An excellent read.

[.]

@loyalshark, this game is actually M

[.]

@loyalshark and the cradle is probably why... I have'nt got there yet though...

[Sunderland Piping Services]

i havent bought the game yet, but how creepy is this level? and for a 16th centrury looking thief game, do they really have per say, zombies or strange misplaced creatures in this level in this particular game?

[Woeful Wraith]

It's creepy. Most of it is atmospheric and audio creepiness and it does have it's own type of "zombie", but in a limited fasion. This is not a level about combat, or for that matter even heavy on stealth (yes stealth is important here, but not the sole focus). This level is about story and for the "completionsists" out there who explore every nook and cranny to find each little clue, this is a story that's told very, very well.

[ShareWare Junkie]

Originally posted by GuardsmenOfDeath101:

i havent bought the game yet, but how creepy is this level? and for a 16th centrury looking thief game, do they really have per say, zombies or strange misplaced creatures in this level in this particular game?

Thief takes place in a world where Steampunk and Sorcery are very much ingrained at every turn. Thief: DS furthers this by having the game world appearing to go backwards in technological development due to: The fallout from the collapse and defeat of the Mechanist movement in Thief 2. Electric lighting has been scaled back across most of the city, leaving most of the lighting up to flickering torches. You also seem to be operating in far older districts than in previous games. The cradle is an exception to this rule... Everything is either dark or brightly illuminated by white electric light.

You constantly seem to have to watch your back otherwise: You find the lights start to flicker and turn round only to hear an awful screech/wail/moan as the "Puppet" charges towards you out of the flickering darkness and you quickly run backwards whilst fumbling for a flashbomb. Even if you kill a puppet as opposed to stunning it; they will simply drop to the ground and keep making the lights flicker around them regardless. As you will have to retrace your steps several times around the corridors, even going past their corpses can be disturbing. Regular Thief Zombies turn to dust when killed, leaving you in peace. Hammer Haunts can be moved out of the way. Puppets persist forever... The Cradle certainly has a way of keeping you on edge.

If you want the full experience; I'd say you couldn't truely get it from a youtube video. Given how cheap Thief: DS now is; it's worth a shot. You could always download a savegame pack if you didn't wan't to play through most of the game to get to it; but the story is compelling enough you will probably want to play the whole thing from the beginning anyway.