Thief: The Dark Project Walkthrough M12: Return To The Cathedral 01/12

[kyoku1982]

If you prop the front door open with the skull it wont close on you and you can finish this level in about 10 minutes. Of course I still recomend playing it through in full since its one of the freakiest levels in videogame history.

[Thunar7]

hammertime!

[havvyweponsman]

I really hated the levels where you had to fight monsters in lengthy, mazelike ruins... except for this one. I knew it was supposed to be scary and it still scared the bejesus out of me.

[zoquibax]

to kill the haunts you can just stay in the shadows, jump once to lure one in, back stab him then hide until the commotion dies down and repeat

[zoquibax]

to kill the haunts you can just stay in the shadows, jump once to lure one in, back stab him then hide until the commotion dies down and repeat

[taironus]

First time I played this mission, it was about 2am and everyone had gone to bed... It was the creepiest game/mission I'd ever played. I decided against stealth and started flinging fire arrows instead. The tactic worked well..

[monmie27]

I don't know whos post how to beat this level easiest before? just block the front gate by anything you can grap before enter cathedral. the door can't lock because we jam it.

[aecrimarco]

@monmie27 Yes that was a glitch in the Dark Project where you could drop the skull and jam the doors from closing shut, but the developers removed that glitch in Thief Gold

[monmie27]

@aecrimarco

thanks, I still used to play in regular =)

[aecrimarco]

@monmie27 Honestly I think regular was still the best all around. It was nice to offer extra missions in Gold, but the Dark Project was simply the best out of all the series so far.

[BrigHamYun]

Which is scarier? Return to the Cathedral in Thief the dark age or The Cradle in Thief Deadly Shadows?

[Brummbrummquietsch]

@BrigHamYun I'd say both are pretty scary, couldnt say which one is more. Played alone at night, both can (and will!) give you the creeps :)

[Ball50f5teal]

@Brummbrummquietsch scares the crap out of me when you can hear them whispering "join us"

[banmen0w]

@BrigHamYun I think Return to Catherdral, but it might only be because i was younger than and just couldn't get through Thief when I first bought it. The Zombie missions were too much for me

[kglaser11]

@BrigHamYun

The Cradle is the scariest level I've ever played. Of anything.

Then again, I've played RTC 8 times, so some of the fear may have diminished. XD

(I still say the elevator chain sounding like a Hammer Haunt was a VERY dirty trick. lol)

[redtitan75]

@BrigHamYun both are just as scary

[666ISHIMURA666]

this rules!

annoying the zombies and bone warriors xD

i spent hours on this shit muhahaha

greez

[LordBifford]

It's totally crazy that I had to get all those talismans when I could have just bought a bomb and blasted through the rear gate.

[AlKhabir]

I remember when I first played this on expert. I spent about two hours very carefully sneaking past all the haunts in abject terror.

And then Murus' final instruction... oh my God. The look on my face!

[daron1234567890]

My favorite mission :D

You are a good player ;)

5/5

Greetings from Poland :)

And sorry for my bad english :P

[RosenJeanette]

I love this level :) Its sooooo scary O.O

[Meredith1234567890]

Havn't beatin in yet, butt its my favorite level, lol.

[Magothys]

I should try to play this game again sometime. I only did this level on the lowest difficulty and propped the front door open... :P

[ProDeathblow]

loved the hammer usage to damage a couple of haunts

this mission scared the shit out of me when i was a kid, but as an adult i just killed everything lol

scariest mission of the trilogy was the shalebridge cradle in the third game though

[WhenLilacsLast]

My favorite mission of the entire trilogy. But I used to move much slower and cautiously than this. Best played at night, this mission leaves your nerves trembling!

[djbanizza]

I just finished it. I killed all the haunts. The scare factor is kinda ruined now that I know you can kill them. I thought they can not be killed just as the zombies (except with holy water ofc). And the zombies - you can run circles round them. So it was more fun when I was a total n00b :)

[Ayantae]

I've never played the first two games, but the Shalebridge Cradle in the Deadly Shadows traumatised me... I think this cathedral would have a similar effect O_O

[PeanutButterGoodness]

(damn these hard leather shoes. damn these hard leather shoes. damn these hard leather shoes. damn these hard leather shoes) OH GOD IT HEARD ME!

That's how I felt this entire mission.

[pagancenturies]

my fav mission :D

[KeylaTheOtter]

For some reason, I like the tone of the bell (6:53 - 7:16).

[prohusting2]

for some reason, I like the whole damn game :D !!!

[XxTodesengelxx]

I love this game. This was my favorite mission in Thief 1. That mission freaked me the fuck out...best thing to do is hide in the rafters as much as you can.

[Drwhofan1971]

a level to be played late at night, in darkness, with headphones on! It'll leave you with a twitch under your eye....

[mecha03]

RTC was by far my favorite mission in Thief. Next up I'd say The Cradle in Thief 3. Anything involving an abandoned, sealed off structure, especially a cathedral crawling with evil baddies, is just the best play experience for me. You should also consider "The Inverted Manse" fan mission - it'll get your heart racing too! :) One of these days I'd love to take a month off and create a new, dark and haunted themed mission.

[dageezerboi]

Thief 2 was great dont get me wrong, some of the best levels ever designed were in that game (Life of a party comes immediately to mind). I just didn't really enjoy the whole "metal age" theme that much, and I hated the last level with a passion...so long and tedius. I massively prefered the atmosphere in DP.

Not sure who you mean in T3, the enforcers? I liked T3 but nowhere near as much as the first two for a load of reasons. The cradle and Widow Moiras house were good, the rest forgettable.

[Brummbrummquietsch]

Right! The enforcers, of course. =O

I liked T3 a lot, also it was creepy at some moments but I didnt like the engine, seemed kind of sloppy while jumping, ruined the fun when playing longer.

I think T1 was also kind of "darker" - you also mean that with atmosphere?

[dageezerboi]

yeah that and I found the undead stuff alot more scary than a bunch of robots. I know some ppl didnt like the undead in T1 (hence none in T2) but I loved the whole mystical/supernatural edge they added. Remember the Haunts? those crimson robed skeletons? earphones at night with the volume up and them screaming and cursing scared me shitless back in the day :)

[Brummbrummquietsch]

Oh yeah of course I remember! Will never forget them. Ah, I think I'm gonna start today a little T1 session :-)

[trickster8009]

@dageezerboi There are some undeads in Thief 2 but they don't take a great place in the story as the first Thief. You can find them in the crypt from the Mecanist Catedral in eavesdropping and in some mausoleum in Follow the Messenger (is that the good title ?)

[dageezerboi]

amazing level, amazing game. "Down in the Bonehoard" was equally terrifying. Dark Project is the best game in the Thief trilogy for me hands down.

[Brummbrummquietsch]

I personally think T2 is better than T1, since I hated the later levels of T1 (especially those strange non-human enemies =/), but T1 is more terrifying.

My most favorite enemies are in T3 - forgot the name, those human-things from the Keeper with those strange blade-weapons and spells, you know them? Damn, loved them. Even when they killed me all the time.

[67sixtyseven67]

I hated those (Keeper Enforcers) :P They scared me so much... especially when you get to your apartment thinking you've escaped them only find one walking out from behind a wall.

[wannabeastarrover]

they were called the enforcers, used telepathy to comunicate in order to be silent, but as we know garret could hear them, he has keeper training :o) lol

[Brummbrummquietsch]

Thanks dude, this does ring a bell!

[wannabeastarrover]

your wellcome

[immortalyes]

WoW..flashback! When i was 8 i tried that game..lool i love the zombie things!!<3

lol

[maastona]

Question about T3: I can't climb some ladders (character just gets stuck and falls down after a few secs). No patch to repair this. Anyone have a clue? I think it might have something to do with my video card (google told me that much), 8800gts but updating/downdating(?) hasn't helped either :[

[Brummbrummquietsch]

I dont think that your video card is the problem, especially not when your driver is up-to-date. Already tried to change the keybindings? Maybe there is some incompatibility when hitting more keys simultaneous?

[maastona]

It has nothing to do with keybindings and that's certain. The bug also appears when trying to climb walls, and always if you are trying to climb a specific spot (So It's not random either).

the first gamestopper was in the sewers, second time in the orphanage. Dl'd a save to skip the sewers.. couldn't be bothered to search for a save to skip the orphanage as I really would like to play that part :(

[s8kai]

Oh, problem is that was ages ago, I can't remember clearly now... I think I got the link on one of the forums, ttlg perhaps?.. Not sure :(

[Brummbrummquietsch]

I think they should make a official release with the score, since its one of the best out there. Creepy, perfekt for sneaking and fits the mood perfectly. TTLG still has a download section for the soundtrack. (But I did not found the track you mentioned =O )

[stunball1978]

This level has to be the scariest in video game history!!!

Thief the dark project is simply amazing!!!!

i play it again, again and again

[Brummbrummquietsch]

Oh yes, absolutely. The atmosphere is SO intense, no game could compete to it. Especially those zombies... damn, creeping the hell out of me.

[stunball1978]

It's the spiders that get me! the way they jump in the air and screech at u!!

ugh!!

Hope the rumours of thief 4 in the making are true - that would be the coolest thing ever!!!

[Brummbrummquietsch]

Yes! Even Thief3 wasnt as scary as T1. T3 was good, but the mood of the first part(s) remains unbeaten.

Not yet heard from T4 but with a decent new graphic PLUS the creepy stuff from T1... well, that would be pure horror ;-)

[s8kai]

> Even Thief3 wasnt as scary as T1

What about the Shalebridge Cradle? Don't tell me that place doesn't scare you!

*if it doesn't, you have a nerves of steel )*

[Brummbrummquietsch]

I wouldnt dare to say that ;-)

Its very intense, because the music from T3 is at least so scary then from T1. But, to be honest, scared the shit out of me :D

Ah, the cradle... is this the level where you always hear the girl / must find the girl on the top of the building or with the zombies? (I'm not quite sure)

[s8kai]

It has both the girl on top of the building and the undead patients, that are *much* worse than regular zombies :) IE it requires THREE fire arrows to kill one O.O And they are creepy as hell too O.O

[Brummbrummquietsch]

Just imagine this game(s) with a decent Crysis graphic on a 5.1-System. Would be more creepy than Silent Hill. (I dont like SH)

Even the score alone is creepy / has a great mood. Downloaded it from somewhere and I'm listening very often to it. Nice!

[s8kai]

Oh yeah, the music is great! What's your favorite track? Mine is from the Widow Moira's house mission *____*

[Brummbrummquietsch]

I only have the unofficial score (from Thief The Circle site) and my favorites are "Church Of The Hammer" and "Haunted", but to be honest the whole score is great. ;-)

Ah, by the way, from where downloaded you yours, since you seem to have a different one?