Feedback Thread [spoiler]

Having just finished Saira, here is my feedback.

Gameplay
I love the Knytt/Saira style of platforming and cannot get enough of it, but there was one quirk that really threw me: being unable to turn around in midair. It caused me many deaths and unwanted falls and was the bane of my timetrials. Aside from that, it was perfect!

With occasional hints from the computer, I finished all the puzzles without getting too stuck. I liked them, they were fun and helped break up the platforming.

Story
I liked the story, the nightmares/flashbacks and the endings. I collected all the items before realizing that I didn't need all of them though. While I love having multiple endings, I don't think the 'choose which items you use at the end' approach is the best. I actually prefer the cascading approach of earlier games where you would get the first ending, then be compelled to go back and get to the extra-hard-to-reach places to get a second ending. Still, experimentation is always welcome.

Art
The layered effect was pretty awesome, as were the high quality landscapes and higher-than-knytt resolution. It struck me as odd that there were enough critters to make the worlds feel not completely desolate, but not enough critters to seem like they were thriving without any sentient beings left in the galaxy. I'd recommend focusing a bit more on the ambiance caused by the critters. In Knytt, there were many and they had a lot of personality, it made the game feel playful. If there were skeletons and all the critters ran away from you, it'd feel more treacherous. If you want it to feel like the end of all life in the universe, stick to maintenance robots, ID scanning doors, carnivorous plants, etc.

My point is that the interactive parts of the environment play a huge role in the player experience, and there was room for a lot more in Saira.

General
When I heard there was a new PC game here I was ecstatic! Hearing NightSky is WiiWare Exclusive all that time ago really made me panic. I'm happy Nifflas is still making games that I don't have to buy a console to play.

Also, an idea/recommendation: Putting a feedback system in-game would rock. Especially if modders could also use it to get their levels reviewed. If, at the end of each level, players were prompted to optionally rate it on art/design/etc. and comment, you'd get some fine-grained feedback on which bits of the game work and which don't - useful for experimenting with art and gameplay ideas. Also, it could be heralded as one of the first cases of a gamedev who actually wants feedback from their players. Even if the feedback was ignored, the publicity alone would be worth it.

TL;DR / Conclusion
Although I completed it in several hours, Saira was $13.50 well spent. The gameplay was fantastic and the art upgrade was a good move. The environments did seem a bit less interactive than previous games and I think that having more critters and in-world puzzles would improve the game a lot. Still, Saira was so good I'll probably buy the next Nifflas game without even needing to play the demo.

I just finished the game!
I had never heard of Saira before yesterday; although I haven't been on the lookout for new indie games in a while.  Actually I had been on the Mirai Cave Story Forums, and noticed a link to this entry :
http://www.nicalis.com/blog/2010/01/05/happy-birthday-nicklas/#comments
Noticed the sale, and decided to try the demo after remembering how much I enjoyed Within a Deep Forest.  Loved the demo, and noticed there was a choose episode button...  So I figured I was ready to continue the story :D

I bought the game and an extra key ;)
Played through it, got all the pieces and endings!  Only used the in-game spoiler system for the last two puzzles at the Gold solar system...  
I might not have used those spoilers if I had realized that I was at the end of the game...

And here you have my only real complaint, I should have read closer and noticed that there was only one episode!  I was expecting the game to just begin... and it was over!  Doh! ><;

My fault for not checking the length of the game before purchasing but... I never paid any money for Within a Deep Forest, and loved that.  So the 13.50$ sale price was easily worth it.

Now for the good stuff.

Everything was good.  The opening planet with the trees swaying...  The ablity to take photos and use them while solving a puzzle.  By the end of the first level, I knew this game had the makings of an epic indie 5/5 star game  (same category as Cave Story, Iji, Braid, Within a Deep Forest, Darwinia, Aquaria, white chamber, Another World).

The demo was pretty much a perfect choice too.  No fault could be had, except maybe that it was TOO good, and had me drooling for what would happen next!  Controls were a little tough at first, but the game was setup to teach you the skills you needed quickly.

The puzzles throughout the game were fun, and not too difficult or troubling [except the last two puzzles on Gold star... I couldn't see the solution even though I came close!  So I got impatient and used the cheat hint system in the menu... which is a real nice touch btw!]

The art, sound and music basically had me looking around, posing for pictures XD  
Travelling in space... was fun, I actually hoped the trips would take longer; the radio songs were perfect!  I was expecting later in the game for trips to take a long time, and maybe have more bonus things to do unlocked.  [Didn't expect teleportation STRAIGHT to end game to work... :P]

Really the bottomline.  The job on this game is fantastic.  I just wish it were longer :)  Would I be willing to spend another 13.50$ for another episode?  I think I just might ;) [actually I most definitely would ;)]

Favorite area?  I really did like the dark place with the powerlines... picture perfect~

Oh I just remembered one sorta complaint I forgot about, full screen doesn't change the screen resolution.... so you have to manually set it close as possible if you want it to fill the entire screen [unless I missed something!]  But, it didn't bother my enjoyment playing with the black borders~]
You know each level is so artistic.. I bet they would make wonderful screensavers :O
 

I adore the entire atmosphere of the game, puts me in a good mood and makes me want to explore everything. I love the variety of the puzzles and challenges, and the controls / pda / camera stuff is all fun and well done too.

Two of the challenges - the 2:50 time trial and the 7 questions - were way too tedious. In that I felt like, "I already know I can do this, it's just going to take me a very very long time to get through it." I was very close to leaving the demo unfinished, and none of the friends I showed this to were interested enough to get past those parts. Lots of groaning ensued.

Actually completing those two challenges was a letdown - for the amount of effort required, I was hoping for something cool and interesting. Instead, all it meant was that I could continue on with the game onto the next challenge. I feel that challenges that hard should be optional, to make someone feel like they're going the extra mile to see some extra special stuff.

The exact same thing happened when I brought the three pieces back to the teleporter - the reward of being teleported 10 feet was a MASSIVE letdown after all the stuff I had to do.

That all said, I still liked the game enough to go check out the other things you work on.