Author: RPGista
Released: April 22nd 2012
Download: Here
Introduction
You are a nameless hero, who was asked for help by someone you feel deep compassion for. Your plan is to avoid the streets and head towards your goal through nearby buildings and inner alleys. Unfortunately, the area is not a peaceful one this night in particular.
Review
Remembrance doesn’t exactly follow the typical style of a mission, where instead RPGista had chosen to take a linear approach toward the goal with an odd place along the side to check out. This was intended to create a puzzle side to tackling obstacles that players much face and forcing a situation where remaining completely hidden may not be an option. This can become an annoyance for those who attempt to ghost the mission before realising this. By covering a small area, the layout is pretty straight forward with a few interiors that can be broken into in order to grab some loot. There is however the option to choose between two paths, which was a good decision considering one of these routes requires some mantling. This one in particular had an issue with two objects I didn’t expect to be climbable and got a little lost as a result. Upon reaching the church area, it also becomes impossible to backtrack for the treasure hunters out there. Diverting off the given path is definitely encouraged to get the most out of the mission, with readables to provide depth to the setting.
On the design front, construction across the level is pleasantly done from its high attention to detail put toward buildings, such as irregular bunking walls of old housing, preventing the usual flatness of such areas and providing streets and alleys with a more refined shape. The village and layout then felt quite real this way, along with other visual touches which add the right amount of detail in places it fits without cluttering them up. RPGista also avoids other cases of flatness with things like worn down steps on a staircase or broken walls. Use of NPCs going about their business and acting according to their given roles helps to bring further immersion into the environment. Lighting is another appealing aspect in many areas, with an effective use of moonlight to set the mood with warm fires flickering through the streets.
Conclusion
While not your typical mission where stealth is a priority, Remembrance is a straight forward adventure with the occasionally obstacle to tackle and some side areas to explore. Design is the strongest point, with enough detail and structural shape to feel like a real village.
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The Dark Mod Missions
I don’t know if you really played this mission… The “avoidance of flatness” is just blocks with some patches on them in a small map which really look flat, if you ask me. The streets are empty and the few enemies are mostly friendly. The loot you can collect is pointless because you don’t have a loot objective. The storyline is also pointless because, as you said, you’re a nobody with a cheesy objective that isn’t really about thievery. The climbing part is as much annoying and the second route is so hard to find that you mostly will take the harder to play route on the first round. There are buggy areas and the mission is over fast.
What the heck were you playing…?!
PS: You even can look at the flat and repeating textures at your second screenshot…
I thought the mission looked fine enough design-wise for it’s size. The area in the second shot you specify has a street which curves downwards and an irregular shaped wall to the right which is a little more interestingly shaped than blocky square buildings. There’s also enough decoration on buildings, along with various unreachable areas and distant architecture to make the level feel more expansive. This combination helps to avoid appearing flat. Repetitive textures isn’t always something that can be helped and unless I find it a considerable nuisance to see, it’s not really worth mentioning.
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There’s nothing wrong with attempting something different from the usual thievery storyline. At least the character has a personal goal to achieve, even if it might be cheesy as you say. I did mention the mission is different than the typical affair we usually see, especially its linear nature.
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When hasn’t loot ever been pointless besides often being a forced objective? The same could be said if it was an optional objective really, it’s just something along the side that players can choose to do. Whether that is pointless or not is up to them. It’s the same with the idea behind secret places in a ton of Thief missions – again, pointless fluff which usually isn’t a goal requirement.
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I don’t think the two route choices were too much of a problem. It works to have a harder route easier to find, while the easier route is tricker. The only thing I might agree with, is that getting to the window can be a hassle after attemping it a few times myself.
What the ..? You’re really saying that collecting loot is “just something along the side that players can choose to do” and “pointless fluff which usually isn’t a goal requirement” ?!
lol… Collecting loot is a common thing to do if you’re a (true master) thief. It’s necessary in every mission in Thief 1, 2, 3 and this Dark Mod (plus the FMs).
It isn’t a Tomb Raider, or an Indiana Jones game where you’re an adventurer who climbs around obstacles following a path. It’s about thievery and gold – LOOT… (as one of the main essential game mechanics)
And that’s only for one of the things you mentioned above…
If you ask me (without offending you personally) your review here is pretty pointless. Sorry
Pointless might be too strong of a word to use here, but that doesn’t mean I think loot is a bad thing. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy hunting down loot just as much as anyone else and it does provide an incentive to explore the level. But I consider the Thief series, TDM and FMs to be something more than that. A recent Thief 2 FM I played, The Black Frog, barely had any loot to find from the third mission onwards. Yet there was still so much more on offer there despite this, so I didn’t really miss it.
In the end, to each their own.
I don’t get Amon’s negativity towards this. The whole Thief setting is just another form of presenting an adventure. If an author decides he doesn’t want someone who wants to just steal everything of monetary value, then it’s his choice and his character. I liked this mission.
Nice review, quakis, though I guess you left out reviewing the final area to have as a surprise to anyone who reads your review before playing? ;)
Yeah, though at times it becomes difficult sharing an opinion on those specific moments without spoiling them. Even dropping a hint might be enough to give away something, haha.
The final moment was neat and I consider it a highlight of the mission.