A series of KS reviews

Greetings, everyone!

I have created this thread to give out reviews to all the new KS levels that are released on the Archive, the good and the bad, to help all of you when making your own levels.

Firstly, let me set some ground rules about how I will review these:

-I will only review new levels.  Older ones have had their time in the sun already, and I want to advise those who are still making levels.
-I will not compare reviewed levels to other user-made levels to determine the score.  It will stand on its own merit.
-If it is labelled as a beta, or as otherwise unfinished, I will not review it.
-The final score will be based on a number of factors, and will also depend on the type of level it is.  Each of these will be rated individually, and will range from 0 to 10, (0 being completely broken and irredeemable,  5 being average, and 10 being perfect)
-I will try my best to complete the level, but if it is too hard for me to complete, I will not review it.  (Sorry, Safety-like levels )
-These reviews will be spoileriffic, but all that information will be hidden in spoiler boxes.
-I will of course, not review it if it breaks the rules of the forum, or the archive.

If you want, feel free to join in with some reviews of your own.  Just let us know if you are not going to follow one or more of the standards and rules mentioned above.

The first review will be up shortly.  I just finished playing a new level, and am about to give my thoughts on it.

Map:  VP 01

Author:  VP

Type:  Challenge

Size:  Small

Difficulty:  Normal
====================

Our first specimen is a level that, at first glance, does not give much of an impression.  The icon is simply the standard juni stance, but with a rainbow background.  You might think that due to the filesize being about 750 KB, the level might feature an imported song or ambient track of relatively small size, but in actuality, that size comes from the three cutscene images, whose filesizes are much larger than they ought to be.

Playthrough
=============

Upon starting the level, you get one of those three screens, which is a random entourage of digital color effects with the phrase 'Start Game' in red and slanted.  It looks different from the default intro, but it really doesn't fare much better than it.

The game starts proper in a strange black cuboid cave with two exits.  One leads down to unknown depths, while the other leads to an outdoor area.  Choosing one of those two paths leads to an early dead end death, which is annoying for the beginning of the level.  Of course, even if you do choose the wrong path at first, the other will quickly lead you to more powerups.  The level then becomes a standard find powerups and open new paths scenario, as you revisit old areas with new tricks to gain access to new areas.

You will quickly find upon starting this level, that, while some of the areas are well-painted, many others are simply confusing and contain invisible-wall mazes.  Many tiles that look like ordinary pathing tiles are ethereal for no discernible reason, and the environmental shifts are jarring, but not in a compelling or sensible fashion.

Despite this, I did usually know where I was going and there were some arrows to help point me in the right direction.  The challenge definitely fit the bill of 'Normal', and apart from the last area, it didn't really annoy me.

End:

Secrets:

Scoring
========

Challenge:  5/10

The challenge in this level was kind of mixed.  Some of the things you needed to dodge were somewhat interesting, but others, particularly the last section, were just annoying and cheap.

Construction:  4/10

A few screens looked interesting.  Many of them were passable.  On that same note, though, there were more than a few screens that simply did not look good.  The abundance of unexplained ethereal tiles and the jarring shifts in environment also didn't help.

Exploring:  6/10

Getting around in this level was surprisingly interesting.  The progression of powerups obtained was natural, and there were a good variety of ways to get across the various screens.

Atmosphere:  3/10

There are very few screens that actually have ambient tracks.  While the KS soundtrack does play in pretty much every screen, the lack of ambient sounds leave the ears unsatisfied.

Story:  N/A

Despite the stated goal of "Explore the map, save the girl.", there is no story to speak of.  It's just running around for running around's sake.


Overall Score:  4.2  (Not that great)

Unless you are craving a new KS level immediately, or will play anything, you should probably skip this one.  It has a degree of effort to its design, but it simply wasn't built well enough to be compelling, and there were a lot of poor choices in the overall concept.

-I will try my best to complete the level, but if it is too hard for me to complete, I will not review it.  (Sorry, Safety-like levels )

What, no Safety reviews? I guess I'll have to do it myself.
Safety 1: 6/10
Safety 2: 5/10
Safety 3: 7/10

In all seriousness I might review any new overly hard levels, as well as maybe some retrospective reviews of lunatic levels.

Map:  Knytt

Author:  Creeper

Type:  N/A

Size:  N/A

Difficulty:  N/A
====================

With a name like 'Knytt' and with no custom icon, you naturally assume that what you'd get would be completely mediocre and effortless in design.  That assumption, however, would only be partially correct.  If you just passed this level up, (like most people would) you would never realize the sheer terror that this level contains.

I didn't expect much when booting this level up, but what I got... Oh boy...

Playthrough
=============

I was shown the default screen, which I expected upon starting the level.  Then the level began.  At first, it looked okay, if not a tad unprofessional.  I walked the only way I could for a good 5 screens across incongruous and uninteresting screens until I found both the run and climb powerups together.  Makes me wonder why the designer didn't simply start me off with run.  Once I got those powerups I ran back across the start to the other side, where more uninteresting screens awaited me.  Once I reached the end of the tunnel, I jumped into a statue and got inexplicably warped to a new area.

This is where the madness began...

I had seen before that there was a bit of trouble distinguishing foreground objects from background ones, but that was small potatoes compared to the main world.  On the first screen after the shift, you see floating platforms of tiles that are supposed to be in the foreground, but for some reason, are in the background!  You'll constantly see people and other moving creatures walking on air, believe it or not, (and I'm sure they never thought they could feel so free-ee-eeeee!   ) and ceiling tiles almost never align properly, which means you can often achieve wallswim and void access on many of them.

This is especially troublesome when the level designer throws spikes at you, which are both in the foreground and background, and you simply cannot tell which ones are where.  Once you get far enough into the game, the designer starts throwing baddies at you, and it becomes clear that they didn't know how to make challenges that were actually challenging, as opposed to either too easy, or excruciatingly unfair.  In the 'challenge' sections, you are often simply jumped by eaters and dumped into pools that you could not possibly have seen coming the first time, not to mention how poorly the save points are placed.

It only got more annoying from there, with invisible death tiles to prevent you from accessing void screens, inexplicably unclimbable walls, more confusing screens with foreground/background issues, knytts who say things that are completely irrelevant, an area called the 'Black Dungeon' which I renamed the 'Lazy Dungeon' due to it just being two screens of pure blackness between the ghost land and another generic red plain, and a ghost party, which accurately describes the feel of the entire level:



End:

Secrets:

Scoring
========

Challenge:  2/10

The challenges in this level are very lackluster.  It is either way too easy, or just cheap in execution.  It displays laziness and a lack of willingness to test the level on part of the designer.

Construction:  1/10

It is impossible to tell if anything other than the ground is going to be collide-able or not.  There are tons of places where you can wallswim into void screens and other places where you aren't supposed to be.  Save points, shifts, and sign dialogue are all placed very poorly.  Moving creatures and knytts are often seen floating and walking through walls that they shouldn't be.

Exploring:  1/10

There is so much wasted space here.  Back-tracking is the name of this game, and, as stated above, the only real way to find the ending is to either jump at the right platform by luck, or check the editor.

Atmosphere:  2/10

Virtually no ambiance present, the KS Soundtrack is overused to the point of abuse.  The screens are generally ugly and unoriginal.

Story:  N/A

Like our last specimen, the goal of this game is to save a nameless girl.  There is nothing more to it than that, so once again, no story to speak of.


Overall Score:  1.4  (Awful)

Do not play this level.  It is completely unenjoyable.  Only take a look at it if you need a reference for what you should NOT do when making a level.

Map:  Camping

Author:  Farik

Type:  Environmental

Size:  Small

Difficulty:  Easy
====================

Today's specimen is a bit different from the previous subjects.  For one, it actually has a fully unique icon, which suggests a shooting star.  Also, with a name like 'Camping', you could really expect any sort of adventure from that scenario.

Playthrough
=============

You start the level with a scene which tells you that a meteor shower is happening, and you should go find a good spot to watch it.

When the level starts proper, you find yourself alone at a tent in a dark forest.  You start off with the run and climb powerups, and you are set loose to explore the area.  You will immediately be entranced by the atmosphere of this place, from the water to the starry night sky, all made out of COs.  (Custom Objects)  After a relatively short trek, you reach a clearing where several shooting stars can be seen, and an appropriate song plays on this particular screen.  From there, you can either keep watching, or go exploring the rest of the area.  If you keep going in one direction, you will find that you've looped around to the beginning again. 

There is no ending to this level, or any baddies to face, but that is kind of expected, considering the classification of 'Environmental'.

Scoring
========

Construction:  8/10

The level looks very unique, which its minimalistic style and heavy use of COs.  It is very soothing and fits the mood perfectly.  There are many little nuances that make each screen look very good!

Exploring:  7/10

While very small, you will find yourself looping around the level many times just to experience the setting.  I did wish that it was just a bit bigger though.

Atmosphere:  7/10

The ambiance and chosen song fits the level well.  However, I think it would have fared even better with custom sounds and music.

Story:  N/A

Apart from the notion of looking at the meteor shower, there is no story, and there really doesn't need to be one in a level like this.

Overall Score:  7.3  (Great!)

This is a very nice little level to just experience for a few minutes!  It is also a great example of using COs, both static and animated.  Check it out if you have a few minutes to spare!

Camping is an old level actually. It was recently added to the archive because its original link died. I didn't mean to trick you into reviewing it, but at least you got to play a good level.

Camping is an old level actually. It was recently added to the archive because its original link died. I didn't mean to trick you into reviewing it, but at least you got to play a good level.

Oh that's alright.  I actually did see that series of posts regarding the uploading of that particular level, after reviewing it, of course.
It was precisely the breath of fresh air I needed after playing the other level, Knytt, and it is a very good example of CO use, so I don't mind that it wasn't technically 'new'.

Thanks for letting me know, though.

Map:  I Dreamed of the Sky

Author:  Talps

Type:  Challenge/Puzzle

Size:  Very Large

Difficulty:  Hard
====================

Now here is a level which many people have waited for quite a while now!  First announced nearly a year ago, the creator, Talps, has worked on this on and off ever since.  Today, it finally sees the light, and I have just finished my first playthrough.

Playthrough
=============

Upon starting the level, you are given a cutscene describing why you are doing what you are about to do.  You have lived all your life in an underground society, living off very little sustenance and being told by your leaders that there is nothing above the core anymore but death and desolation.

After enough time, and dreams of what could possibly be in the world above, you decide that you simply must see it, and begin your trek out of the underground complex you called home.

The level begins proper as you step out of the first elevator into Floor 8.  You quickly learn that there are 8 primary sub-floors between the surface level and The Core, where your society lives.  In each level, you are meant to explore the area, find the power switcher, and turn it on, so you can proceed upwards to the next floor.  While the goal is the same, the challenges you face are different on each floor, offering a nice bit of variety.

As you turn on each power switcher, you make contact with a friend from the core, named Micah, who updates you on what is happening in the Core with each contact.  You both learn gradually through the level that the leaders were wrong about what was happening in the outside world, and each floor activated brings new pleasantries to the people living in The Core that they didn't have before.

I would speak more of the story, but I will not, because you should play this level and see it for yourself!

End:

Secrets:

Scoring
========

Challenge:  8/10

The challenge in this level is very well refined, and the difficulty curve fits naturally.  Nothing in this level seemed needlessly cheap, and shows that a lot of play-testing went into this!  I do get just a little tired of the same robot enemies after a while, though.

Construction:  9/10

This level is gorgeous!  Every floor is unique, with its own variety of challenges and structure.  My personal favorite is Level 1, for various reasons, not the least of which is the awesome background.  COs, while not incredibly frequent, are used to good effect on several of the floors.

Exploring:  8/10

While more or less linear in nature, this level does provide a wide variety of different places to explore in the 8 primary floors of the base.  There are also a few optional terminals to find which will relay interesting back-story for each floor, making more of an incentive to explore the floor after the power comes on.

Atmosphere:  8/10

The standard ambiances are used to great effect, and the custom sounds, particularly for when you turn the power on are very nice to hear, and definitely give this level a unique sound, as well as sight.  Most of the level uses the standard KS soundtrack, and uses it well enough, but there is one particular area that uses a custom song, which is just splendid!

Story:  9/10

Oh my!  This is the first level I've reviewed that actually has a story, and it is a really good one at that!  Throughout the level, I was generally interested in learning about the world in which this level takes place, and the updates you get from Micah over the terminals progress naturally.  There is also a very small hint of foreshadowing in the latter half of the level for a possible sequel, and the end is just about perfect for this level!

Ending Bonus: + 0.5 to final score


Overall Score:  8.5  (Amazing)

Play this level.  Play it as soon as you are able.  That is all I will say.

Thanks! It's great to hear you're so enthusiastic about this! And thanks for the in-depth analysis; this kind of criticism is really, really valuable for a designer, and so few people go into such detail. So thanks for taking the time.

Your review does contain one inaccuracy, and it's something you mention several times.

Your review does contain one inaccuracy, and it's something you mention several times.

Mind telling me in a spoiler box?

Post Edit:  Thank you Talps, I suppose that inaccuracy will just need to stay that way then.   

Map:  Juni's Great Adventures 1

Author:  Mirror Sound

Type:  Challenge/Environmental

Size:  N/A

Difficulty:  Easy
====================

==This review has been updated to match the newest release of this level from Mirror Sound.==

This level has had quite a history in the past few weeks.  When Mirror Sound first announced the level in the Previews section of the forum, I tested the first playable release.  After seeing a level with almost nothing in it, as well as a few technical issues, I left a fair amount of feedback for this user, giving tips on how to make a level memorable, as well as pointing out the technical issues present.  From there, I learned that Mirror Sound is quite new to this whole level-making business, and after showing a fair amount of reception to my advice, I was sure that when the level was actually finished, it would be quite interesting.

Well, it was interesting, I will give it that.  The first full release of the level was completely and utterly broken, with void screens and wallswims everywhere, and a botched up tileset which could only be explained by mismanagement of the Data Folder.  I made a point to demonstrate this complete mess in a review - which this one has now replaced - due to the fact that it was described as a finished level.

From the old review:

(No, it isn't...)

Now we see that Mirror Sound has made several big fixes to the level, so here I am, making adjustments to the review to match those fixes, and give it a new score.

Playthrough
=============

You open after the default 'Level Start' screen to find Juni standing outside of her tree house.  She states that today is a perfect day to go on an adventure, and from there, you set off.  You will find that you can enter your tree house, but there really isn't much to see inside of it.

From there, you wander into a cave, where the challenges and the obtaining of powerups begins.  You will find a few places to go, but many of them are dead ends.  Apart from those, this level is more or less a straight path to the end, with only a little back-tracking to be done.

You will find yourself running through a pink mountain range, a couple of villages, a waterfall cave and a large underground complex to collect the powerups you need to finish the level.  People will say things to you, but it what they say does not really factor into the level itself.

End:

Secrets:

Scoring
========

Challenge:  3/10

With certain fixes made, the challenge fits the bill of Easy alright.  However, there are a few elements, like the spike challenge, where certain obstacles are placed in such a manner that they cease to be obstacles, and the hologram powerup is also left as nearly pointless.

Construction:  4/10

With the biggest fix made, we find that the indoor areas actually look alright now.  The library actually is a library now, and the floor is even and smooth, like it should be.

Most of the places where you could access void screens and wallswims have also been fixed, but there are still a few of those areas left, particularly if you use an umbrella at high places.

Exploring:  4/10

There is a basic degree of progress when you explore this level.  There are a fair variety of places to go.  However, once you have all the powerups. you will find very little if any incentive to go back to the earlier areas, unless you want to try and break the level, which is still possible in a few places.

Atmosphere:  3/10

With the biggest correction to the graphics done, the level is no longer a complete mess.  Screens, especially indoor ones, are built with a fair level of competency.  However, a lot of the outdoor areas are a bit empty, and there still isn't much in the way of ambiance.

Story:  N/A

Re-evaluating this level, it is at least true to the title.  Juni decides to go on an adventure and does so.  However, there really is very little beyond that, and it is a bit of a disappointment.


Overall Score:  3.8  (Shaky)

With the fixes made, this level fares MUCH better than it used to.  However, it still feels a bit empty as an experience, and there are still a few technical issues left inside.

However, it is decent for a first level.  Give it a whirl if you want to play Mirror Sound's next upcoming level.

Why would you waste your time reviewing a level that is clearly broken? You should have just pointed out the problems in the level thread and waited a bit for him to update it. If the product we got isn't what Mirror Sound intended to release, the review is useless.

It seems like a case of the "Saving a custom tileset on the data folder" problem.

Why would you waste your time reviewing a level that is clearly broken? You should have just pointed out the problems in the level thread and waited a bit for him to update it. If the product we got isn't what Mirror Sound intended to release, the review is useless.

It's not a waste of time if it gets the creator to realize that the level has big problems.  I intend to change the review to match the newest release once all the game-breaking issues have been fixed.

What I am trying to do here is get new designers to realize that they really need to check for problems like these before making their 'finished' version available.  If you released a large scale project like a movie or video game into the world, only to realize that it was essentially broken, that would be a HUUUUGE problem for you.

For that reason, I believe this review is not useless like you suggest.

What if Mirror Sound doesn't read this thread? If you want to get his/her attention it would be much more likely to work if you posted in their own topic, which they are sure to check up on.