A terrific mission. I recommend it to all players who express even the slightest interest in undead FMs.
Final Score: 9 Hammers
Bando is a man with a past similar to Garrett's. He's been involved with the Keepers, but got kicked out and became a thief. This profession of his eventually earned him some time in Bloodstone Prison, where all his possessions were confiscated, among them his wife's brooch. Bando is now an old man and has approached Garrett with a request. He wants Garrett to go to the prison and retrieve the brooch, an item of sentimental value to Bando. In return, he promises to teach all he knows about the Keeper skill of being inconspicuous in the street. So what's the catch? Well, the prison has been overrun by the undead and dealing with them will hardly be an easy task.
One of the most difficult tasks of making a haunted mission is creating the horror-filled atmosphere. It may seem like an easy solution to cram the mission full of undead hordes, in the hope that this will paralyze the player with fear. Well, most of the time this just doesn't work, and with a little bad luck gameplay turns into a boring and often frustrating zombie-chopping routine. Fortunately, Bloodstone Prison doesn't make this mistake. The mission was clearly designed with sneaking in mind, with just enough enemies to make things interesting. Shadows are found in the right spots and the patrol routes are well timed to create the small windows of opportunity a skilled thief needs. If the player so desires, there is the possibility of embarking upon a holy quest to rid the prison of foul undead creatures, but for this mission I found the stealthy approach to be much more rewarding.
KFGecko's thoughtful use of lighting and ambient sound is the basis for Bloodstone Prison's intense atmosphere. The balance between light and shadow is very good, both in terms of visuals and gameplay. The lights and torches have custom special effects, creating an eerie and unreal look. Ambient sounds are appropriately used, their creepy effect enhanced by the whispers of haunts. One of few problems with the level is sound propagation, so the often-heard sounds from the undead are most likely accidental, but the result is usually an even more intense experience since they fit in so well with the setting.
Another great influence on atmosphere is the commendable attention to detail. Piles of bones lay here and there, their positions and locations hinting at what has happened. For example, there are bones at the bottom of a canal behind a locked underwater gate; the remains of a prisoner who drowned while trying to escape. A man who was trapped inside the prison after it was abandoned has left behind a letter to his family, telling them what had happened to him, apparently hoping the letter would one day reach them. These details do much to immerse the player and create the illusion that this was once a real place. Compared to this, the current state of the prison seems even more distressing.
Some of these small, personal stories are associated with interesting puzzles that are fairly challenging to solve, often requiring unique solutions. The puzzles are not put in just for the sake of having puzzles; they fit in perfectly as part of the story. Not all of them are much fun though: the one involving a swarm of exploding frogs annoyed me greatly. Of course, there's always the possibility of turning it into messy entertainment to be watched from afar, but for the sake of a spoiler-free review I'll let you discover the joys of this on your own.
The decay and ruin of the prison allows for surprising ways of getting from one location to another. The mission proceeds smoothly with little need for backtracking, letting the player explore the prison bit by bit. The mission is non-linear in the sense that the objectives don't have to be completed in a certain order, but there's one major path you need to take in order to reach all areas of the prison. Still, there are many smaller parts you can explore in whatever order you wish, so this linearity isn't too bothersome or even very noticeable.
Bloodstone Prison is one of the earlier missions, released at the end of 1999. I rarely replay any FM just for fun, but I've returned to this one about half a dozen times. It contains all the aspects I enjoy in the original levels from the first Thief. Despite its age, I still consider it one of the best.
A new objective is supposed to appear after reading a certain book on Expert. This never happened, even though I played through twice on that difficulty to see if it was a temporary bug. I remember getting this objective once before, when I still used Thief: The Dark Project, so perhaps the problem is limited to Thief Gold. This bug doesn't stop you from completing the level though, so it isn't too serious.
The architecture ranges from ok to very nice. The prison is in various stages of ruin, just as one would expect. I especially like the tree roots that have pushed through walls here and there. Parts of the prison have collapsed, a consequence of the earthquake Bando mentions in his note to Garrett at the start of the mission. Layout is very good, with all the rooms and corridors having sensible sizes. One weakness is the fact that it's easily possible to climb up and touch the sky in several places or go beyond what was supposed to be the limits, which naturally detracts from immersion. Be careful as you explore, as it's also possible to get permanently stuck in at least one of these places.
The eerie ambient sounds, the ruined surroundings, the lighting with its custom effects, the whispering of haunts following you wherever you go... The atmosphere is formed and enhanced by many means, resulting in a truly creepy mission. I admire the way tension is created.
The main cause for the ruin of Bloodstone Prison was desire for revenge, something I appreciate more as motivation than the common and straightforward hunger for power. The story behind the abandoned prison is discovered as you go on, but this information is mainly concentrated to the first parts of the mission. It may seem like a pity that all is revealed so soon, but on the other hand this allows for better appreciation of what you encounter as you continue through the rest of the prison. Some of the personal details that you learn about side characters give different views on the main story, which is always a nice touch.
No restrictions are placed on gameplay: you can backstab your enemies, fight them bravely with a holy sword or simply sneak past them unnoticed. The terrain is varied and all movement skills are needed. In addition, there are nice puzzles to solve on the way. What more could you ask for?
Final Score: 9 Hammers
