The Black Frog, Mission 3

-The Black Frog, Mission 3: Tears and Sorrow

            Gaetane serves up some thick atmosphere in this mission. It’s decidedly dark. Remember that nice happy town from my Mission #1 video? Well, this mission takes place in the same town, but as the title of Mission #3 implies, the party’s over. “Tears and Sorrow” serves as a contrast to the first mission, and as a gateway into the last two, phenomenal missions of “The Black Frog”.

            Emilie Victor has set her dog-beasts on this town, in her merciless quest to find Sir Belmont and the portrait he had had Garrett steal. Sir Belmont, and some of the townspeople, eluded these beasts, hiding underground, via one of the wells. The core gameplay of this mission is following a path from a series of letters and keys that Sir Belmont has left behind for Garrett, which ultimately lead to the area beneath this well.

            There are some well-done story bits in this mission. In one area, through the fog, on one of the balconies in the town, the player may see a very tall man with a lantern. This must be the servant of Emilie Victor’s that Lady Garivaldi has referenced in the prior mission. The player also comes upon one of the guards, laughing and quivering in a corner, his nearby journal detailing what happened in the town, as well as his own descent into madness because of it.

            By mission’s end, Garrett knows that, though he gave Sir Belmont the portrait and received payment, his mission is not over. A letter from Keeper Gerald—the Keepers are following Garrett again, a frequent story element in Thief missions—offers Garrett a substantial payment if he will steal the Black Frog for them. So Garrett is heading off to the mysterious island, after the mysterious Black Frog, in what is setting up two exceptionally great Thief missions.