Thief Gold or Thief 2

[octavius]

I've been thinking a bit more about this...why the need for a soundtrack in a first person stealth game?
Maybe it's because LG didn't feel the game was moody or atmospheric enough as it was? Thief 1 was dripping with atmosphere without the need for a soundtrack, but the setting was different. While T2's setting is much more mundane, with no caves or ruins, and no undead or haunted cathedrals. And the various critters often provided ambient sound on their own, while in T2 it's just human guards and robots and not much more.

So the whole setting of T2 is more lifeless. And I assume LG felt they had to liven it up with soundtracks, soundtracks that IMO are misplaced and to me at least lessens the sense of immersion.

EDIT: If T1 had a soundtrack it was so subtle that I didn't notice it enough for it to annoy me.

 

[Nano]

What in the actual fuck are you talking about? Thief 1 had a soundtrack. The track from Assassins is still ingrained in my mind.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Thief 2 IMO has better level design so there goes my vote...

 

[octavius]

Did a test. In Thief 1 you can lower the volume of the soundtrack by lowering the ambient sound. There will still be some sound, but it's lower than "real" sound effects, like footsteps and guards coughing and such. So it isn't annoying or immersion breaking.

In T2 OTOH the soundtrack is just as loud as the other sounds even if turning down ambient sound levels.
Also, the soundtrack itself is closer to actual music (from what I've sampled so far at least) and thus less subtle.