Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening

I think it is important to have reviews of bad levels from time to time.

However, methinks this one in particular should probably have not been reviewed, but rather, reported, for plagiarism and lack of credit to the music used. I'll leave it up to you how to proceed, since nobody would really care either way.

@Fubaka: I wasn't completely sure of what to do with this one, which is part of the reason I didn't submit the review back then when I wrote it. In the end, I thought it'd be interesting to use it as a "counter-example" illustrating pretty much everything you shouldn't do when making a game (including the rampant plagiarism, maybe making a point publicly that the community will notice if you do this kind of thing).

I will, however, remove the direct download link from the post in order to avoid further spreading the damage (although you can still search for it manually at Knyttlevels.com, if you want to check the level out anyway for some reason).

@ixMarcel: Thanks, glad you found it a good read

Thanks for kicking this horse back into gear, Mr. Gibber.

REVIEW 06
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Hinterland
Made by pfrangip
Released on 15 January 2016
Challenge/Scenic - Normal
Small
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Warning, a wild Knytt Stories level appears!

Hinterland is a small level with interesting visuals and somewhat tough jumps. Released just today by our very own pfrangip, it chronicles a young lass's journey through the Hinterland, a strange and unknown place beneath waves of darkness.

Trustworthiness: The level is true to its classification. It possesses decently challenging jumps, and focuses on the scenery, which will take you through tattered brick towers and halls, and under black pools of water. If you are at all decent at jumping, you will finish in less than 10 minutes.

Overall, the level is best described as Lawful Good.

Design: Throughout the level, you find yourself beneath waves of black water. Much care has been taken to ensure that you won't accidentally kill yourself jumping into the waves. In fact, in order to do so, one must be making a conscious effort, and jump as hard as they can. I was unable to find or otherwise access any Voids, even when I poked around in the editor. However, there was one screen in particular where I came very close.


The only thing I found annoying was that, after obtaining the climb powerup, I was unable to go back to the previous area, even though nothing seemed to have changed about the area I entered from.

Overall, the level is rock solid.

Agenda: The level starts you off by giving you a dictionary definition of the word 'hinterland'. From there, it's more or less a straight path through this strange place. Personally, I might have preferred a more open area to explore in, but not every level can be like that.

I do think the level does its job well enough, but it still doesn't match the strange feeling I had when I first played 'An Underwater Adventure'.

Overall, the objective is met well.

Vibe: Although this isn't the first underwater-themed level I have played, it certainly was the first one to do it with medieval imagery. I appreciated the choice of music, and the challenges were just enough to keep my attention, without being frustrating.

Overall, the vibe is surreal.

Enjoyability: I liked this level. It was nice and quick.


The music was great, and I liked the one little puzzle thrown in there.

I'd definitely play it again if the fancy struck me.


Summation: This was a nice little level. Definitely worth the download, and a keeper to boot. If you have the time to read this review, you have time to go download and play the level. Click the level icon at the top of this post, and you'll be whisked to the level's forum thread like MAGIC!

REVIEW 07
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Who kidnaps the Knytts
Made by Dr.Korbin
Released on 21 February 2016
Challenge/Puzzle/Maze - Hard
Large
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Knytts disappear... but I don't care.

Ah yes, another large ambitious level from a first-time producer. This is exactly the sort of thing this review thread was made for.

Let's dive right into it, shall we?

Trustworthiness: The level is definitely true to all of its labels. It will take several hours to complete, has a very disorienting cave maze, and has a few puzzles to boot. Apart from that, there are several tough challenge stages. However, I would classify this level as Very Hard, rather than just Hard, especially near the end.

Overall, the level is best described as Neutral Good.

Design: This level makes use of several custom tilesets, some of which were designed by the level maker. The overall layout of the world is nice, reminiscent of Nifflas' A Strange Dream, though more wormhole-like in nature. The level itself is divided into two primary sections, as well as some smaller sections bridging them, and also features multiple possible endings.

In terms of challenge, there are the usual enemies in various places that need to be avoided. In addition, there are some shift-based challenges near the end, and some COs to dodge. Players who render KS faster may have trouble with the shift-based challenges, and may have to cheat to pass them. Additionally, there are some areas of the level where popping spikes will cause some undue pain, since they seem to have no purpose for existing. However, most of the level is fair regarding its challenges, and Save points are frequent enough.

There are three distinct puzzle sections, spaced out more-or-less evenly through the level. Two of them are what could be described as 'filling' puzzles, and the last is a chess-like maneuvering puzzle. They are designed rather well, and I could not find any point where I could glitch through improperly-placed shifts here.

The maze-like nature of the level comes into play with the caves. It is a maze truly worthy of the name. While it warps time and space in order to get its maziness across, it never actually loses its consistency. You can always travel back and forth between the same two screens, making it possible to keep your bearings while navigating it. Once you've familiarized yourself with the layout, you can use the caves to fast-travel between points of the overworld. Of course, that's not its only purpose. Your ultimate destiny lies somewhere within its depths.

The level is very solidly put together for the majority of its duration. However, it still seems a bit haphazard in places, especially in some of the challenge sections near the end. About half of the gameplay will be spent in the open overworld, and the other half will be spent in a linear challenge portion, once you've managed to enter a up-to-then inaccessible area.

Overall, the level is solid.

Agenda: The overall story being told here is a bit odd, but straightforward for a video game. By the end of the level, you know who kidnaps those Knytts, and why, even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The story is this sort of semi-detective type tale, where all you really have to do to find out what's happening is to progress through the level. As you explore the world, you learn more about how it operates, though it may leave you scratching your head, wondering what any of it actually means.

Based on some choices you make through the level, as well as how many secrets you manage to find, you will be set on the path for better endings. It all fits together very well, even if you do get lost at certain points. It definitely helps to bring a pen and paper so you can write things down.

Overall, the objective is met very well.

Vibe: Custom music is employed throughout the level. With little exception, it's all upbeat and energized, making it a stark contrast to the more typical Nifflas adventures. There isn't much in the way of actual ambiance, but all the songs loop, so it's not usually missed.

My favorite areas were the Caves, the Clock Town, and the eastern forest ruins.

Overall, the vibe is nice.

Enjoyability: The level itself is fun to explore, especially the caves. Without exception, the music is nice to listen to, and fits each respective area. However, I found some of the challenges, especially the ones near the end, to be very much annoying. The sort of thing where you spend more than 50 tries on a single obstacle in your way.


The level is worth looking back on every now and then.


Summation: While it is an admirable first attempt, especially regarding its scale and puzzles, I think this level will be difficult if not impossible for more casual players to enjoy fully. The level really is divided evenly by its more open-world laid-back first half, and its intense challenge-oriented linear second half. For most players, I would recommend playing through the first half and having fun exploring the world, and cheating to see the rest of the story.

That, Doctor Korbin, is my diagnosis.

^That's a very accurate and well put review of Who Kidnaps the Knytts. *applause*

NOTICE: This review was written prior to a rather large update to the level. See the end of the review for details on that:

REVIEW 08
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Advena
Made by Purple Ink
Released on 1 April 2016
Challenge/Misc. - Normal (Contains optional harder challenges, up to Very Hard)
Large (Epic Length)
Requires Knytt Stories Plus
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At last!

This level has been in the works for nearly three and a half years, first announced in December of 2012. Since then, it has steadily grown in size and complexity, resulting in the monstrosity I have to talk about now. In terms of sheer exploration and size, this level puts Gaia to shame, as you can literally spend hours traversing it, and that even comes before the massive amount of secret content.

Before we begin, I would make it clear that, due to my own influence in this level's content, this review cannot be entirely unbiased. I will attempt to be as impartial as possible.

Alright, here we go.

Trustworthiness: To say that this level is simply 'large' is an understatement. On rough estimate, there are certainly more than a thousand unique screens; a truly epic length leviathan of a level. However, since there are no higher selections for size in KS itself, it can't be helped.

The Challenge label comes from the fact that there are a good number of standard enemies, pools and other hazards lain about the land. If no secrets were discovered, the difficulty could be conceived of as simply Normal. The harder challenges naturally come from those hidden and locked away areas. There is also a challenge in and of itself when it comes to simply remembering where you are in the world in relation to the other areas. That is where the Misc. label comes in, which Purple Ink identified in the release thread as 'Exploration'.

Overall, the level holds true to Lawful Good principles.

Design: The level itself is almost completely open-ended, much like the large Nifflas levels. It is subdivided into several distinct areas, each with its own name, tileset, and music. Nearly every area has at least one secret to find, and some areas are secrets unto themselves. The world, by extension, also loops on itself, meaning that one cannot find an actual end to it.

As you explore this land, you will be subject to all sorts of different environments, from open fields, hilly terrain, caves, ruins, forests, clouds, marshes, castles, and all that other good stuff. The distinctiveness of each area means that it isn't really possible to confuse them from each-other, though some are similar, especially certain caves.

In addition, the level is nearly flawless on a technical standpoint, which is quite impressive for one of this size.


Overall, the level is rock solid!

Agenda: The story is a very simple one. Juni wakes up on a beach, on the shore of an unfamiliar land. She got there after her ship was downed in a storm. Naturally, she may want to explore this land she found herself in, but at the same time, she feels she could be rescued. Surely enough, a boat does  appear on the shore where she initially wound up, and taking it will end the level. However, if she chooses to explore the land first, she will find what is essentially an entire continent, devoid of any other Knytts.

As such, this journey is entirely optional, as Juni can leave at any time. This means that however much of the world that you see depends solely on your own curiosity. You could spend upward of six hours just exploring this place, or you could finish the level in less than two minutes. To help incentivize your exploration, however, there are numerous collectibles to obtain in this expedition. In order to have proof that you found everything in the level, you will need the following:

• Seven Red Juni Icons
• Seven Blue Juni Icons
• Seven Gold Juni Icons
• All 50 Golden Creatures
• 100 Gold Coins
• All four Keys

This necessitates exploring every area, and finding nearly every secret within these areas. Without a map, this will be very difficult to do, and even I had to resort to the Editor to find many of the secrets. Ultimately, I would have preferred an in-game map to help keep track of where things are. Even Knytt Underground, as big as it was, and as secret-laden as it was, had a reliable map to fall back on. Still, if you think you are up to the challenge, go for it. Just keep in mind that some of the secrets are VERY well hidden.


Overall, the objective is met magna cum laude!

Vibe: As mentioned before, each area in the world has its own distinctive look, name, and soundtrack. I very much appreciated that the graphics themselves were very distinctive, simple and striking. At no point was I ever confused about what was or was not in the foreground. The creatures that thrive in each area are also distinctly colored to match their surroundings, which helps to accentuate the mood. You will naturally come to find your own favorite areas out of this lot.

Most of the music is upbeat, and none of it is irritating. However, some songs have a bad tendency to end abruptly, which can hinder the mood at times. To avoid this, one might be tempted not to spend too much time in the given areas. If the music is missed, however, one can restart it by muting and unmuting the game.


All in all, there is very little to be desired in terms of variety of environment. You will find nearly everything here, making the overall vibe exorbitant!

Enjoyability: It can be very easy to burn yourself out if you play for too long at a time. However, if you pace yourself, you will find the exploring quite enjoyable. Each distinct area helps to prevent a sense of monotony from setting in, so long as you are tactful enough to avoid running around in circles. The secret hunting, while I think some are too well hidden, is a very engaging part of the level, and the crux of the challenge.

In addition, as was outlined above, the level is very accessible to people of almost all skill levels. Every major challenge in the level is completely optional, and one could simply just have a little fun exploring the world for a bit before sailing off. I think this versatility will help this level to be remembered fondly in the long run.

Overall, I think the level is very much replayable.


Summation: This is probably the biggest and most complex level that I have reviewed to date, including my previous series of reviews. It's definitely a landmark achievement for Purple Ink, and should be ignored by nobody. For those who like open world exploration levels, this is probably the pinnacle of that sub-genre.

If you haven't already, go and download it.

UPDATE ADDENDUM:

Not long after this review was completed, Purple Ink released a rather large update to this level. Among the changes was the inclusion of a proper map for the level. As such, it is now significantly easier to find your way around the place without getting lost and having to resort to the editor. Keep in mind that apart from the bigger ones you warp to, secret areas do not show up on the map.

In addition, effort has been made to make some of the songs end less abruptly. This was done by reducing the volume of the songs at the end. However, it is my personal opinion that this does little to actually help the issue. My offer to give the songs proper endings is still on the table if you want, Purple Ink!

Lastly, some of the secrets were made a little less obscure, in that hidden passageways now react to your detector, as they should. The more well-hidden secrets will just have to remain as such, since they don't involve hidden tunnels per se.

All in all, I think this is a good improvement. The songs still need work though. 

Thanks for the review, Fubbles. I've since updated Advena to include a map and also loop the offending music. I don't know if you want to make a note in your review or not.

Thanks for the review, Fubbles. I've since updated Advena to include a map and also loop the offending music. I don't know if you want to make a note in your review or not.

I'll make an addendum once I have the time. (i.e. when I am done working on my own level. )

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Red Flower
Made by GBoots
Released on 6 November 2016
Playground/Misc. - Easy/Lunatic
Medium
Requires Knytt Stories Plus

Disclaimer: This level contains sexual content, graphic images and strong language. Rated M by the creator.
[ Download link ] I'm not sure if posting this type of content is allowed on the forums... You can find it at knyttlevels.com
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First of all - pardon my bad English (or mediocre English hopefully). Writing things like this is a good practice and lets me polish my skill. BTW there are a lot of grammar mistakes in the level I'm about to review so it seems fitting .

I stumbled upon this level a couple days ago while scrolling through knyttlevels.com. I downloaded and installed it, not knowing that I'm about to experience the most bizarre KS level I've ever seen.
The level was not posted on the forums and I couldn't find anything about it on the internet. It looks like the author wants to remain anonymous. I can guess why...

Trustworthiness: 3 - Nah
The level flair is misleading. I'd categorise it as Scenic/Challenge (But yes, there are some elements of a Playground level. Categorising KS was always tricky.). Looks like the difficulty flair was just a joke (and I got it!). It is not Easy, nor is it Lunatic - I'd call it Normal/Hard. The Info Screen tells us that this level contains bullshit, trash, ignorance and autism among other things. This statement is mostly true and it's good that the author discouraged children from playing it.

Design: 7 - Good
The level design is good and very creative. You'll wander the halls of a grim orphanage, explore the depths of a dark cave or infiltrate a tightly secured building through the air vents. The areas look decent and believeable, a lot of KS+ are used to achieve lots of different fun effects. Also - minigames are included! That's a rere sight in Knytt Stories. For example there's one time where you need to pick an electric lock while avoiding bolts of energy(?). You can also play Pac-Man. Fun! I havn't run into any bugs (for example like the one in the ending sequence in Saving Thalanill where the player is randomly teleported to a non-existing room by the game's engine and dies - anyway, back to the review).

The level is split across a timeline like in Choice by TigerNDV. Each day brings a new, bigger adventure. You'll also have the chance to play as different characters.

Agenda: 8 - For KS standards at least
You play as Sofia - an orphan who suddenly and mysteriously appears in an orphanage. She tries to make friends with the other kids and gets involved in a lot of different situations. There are a lot of characters who have their personality and a lot of things to say.

Vibe: 9 - Hey, that's pretty good!
The level is definietly something different. It truly shows the power of the simple KS level editor combined with a wide imagination and creativity. The overall atmosphere is dark and grim with glimpses of hope. I was constantly interested in what's coming next and the level kept on rewarding me. I'd say that playing this level was almost a cinematic experience.
A lot of custom tilesets, COs, gradients and music were used. There are also a lot of nicely made cutscenes and they add much to the overall experience.

Enjoyability: ? - About that...
As you may already assume I enjoyed most of the level very much. However - there is a lot of hidden/optional explicit content (hentai art among other things) and there's also a rough sex scene (you can mash ↓ arrow to skip it). I believe that those things can make the overall experience unenjoyable for some people.

Summation:
Red Flower is a wierd, bizzare and unique (and a bit cringey) experience. It's very different from what we're used to and it manages to surprise even the seasoned KS players. Give it a shot if you feel like it!

Hey, can I join in this too? I've been tempted to do some level reviews recently (maybe even in video form)!

Hey, can I join in this too? I've been tempted to do some level reviews recently (maybe even in video form)!

Go right ahead. Just make sure you tell us in advance what your criteria are.

Sure! My criteria is as follows:


I'm also going to rate every category out of 10, with .5 segments and specific words to describe each rating number. Sort of like how IGN does it. Expect the first review to be out SOON(tm).

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altf4
Level design and tilesets by 14 and Takahashi Lua
Music by 14, Takahashi Lua, and -C/1i
Released some time in 2011
Genre: Misc.
Difficulty: Easy
Size: Medium
Doesn't require any mods

[ Download link ] (via knyttlevels)
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I’m not going to lie, I don’t remember where I found this level. I’m 90% sure I’ve never come upon it in the forums, I don’t even remember me finding it on Knyttlevels. It just sort of... appeared. In my downloads folder. Like a deer in the headlights, standing still, frozen in time, waiting for me to install it. Haunting. When I installed and played it for the first time, I had no idea of what I was in for. And what I got was... well, it’s something at least.

First Impresssions:
When I found this level on my KS install, I clicked on it to see what the start screen was like, and, well… it's something, alright. Some weird abstract cube-thing that probably was made from two hours of screwing around in Photoshop, I'm assuming. This gave me a very weird vibe for the level, and I expected something a bit abstract. And, I was completely correct! It's… very odd. In a good way, mind you. We'll talk more about that in a minute. Also, the level descriptors I'd say are pretty much accurate to what the level entails (except I think Medium might be stretching the length a bit). It isn't hard to play, it isn't very long, and it's quite easy...


I give this level's vibe an 8.5/10 because of how abstract it is.

Agenda:
I'm pretty sure this level was made after the creator(s) was/were interested in the Knytt Stories platform and wanted to make something unique of their own. They really went all-out on doing whatever tickled their fancy, creating tilesets out of images Photoshopped and modified to oblivion and using bits and pieces of that throught some sections of the level. Overall, the agenda has been met very well, in that regard. It feels like I'm playing a weird art game, like Hylics or Space Funeral.

It fits the bill, so it deserves an 8.5/10!

Level Design:
The level design in this level is short, but sweet. The level is divided into different sections aesthetically, with you starting in a basic grayscale "tutorial-esque overworld" area, then moving onto a more darker area that's basically the same area but darker and it teaches you how to climb, then you fall into a forest area with a lot of trees and a lot of room to climb. It's a fun experience to climb the trees and bounce on the mushrooms.  

My only complaint is that it's so… kind of short that it's over before you even know it. I would have totally loved some more areas and maybe even an abstract story, but I still loved the design, even if it wasn't particularly challenging (as far as I remember).


I give it an 8/10.

Aesthetics:
Wow. Just wow. This level has some of the weirdest and subsequently most amazing aesthetics I've seen in a level since Teenhmifnoeafgil.


The music is also really good and really weird. Some of it is obnoxious, but overall I absolutely adored the weird clash of piano noises and slowed-down beeps and bops in one of the songs. (And distortion pedals, that's a nice touch.) Very avant-garde, which might not be the type of music for some people, which is fine, but in my humble opinion, I liked it very much.

(A bit odd that the ending cutscene is just a completely black image, though...)

The aesthetics get a 9.5/10 for being so unique for a Knytt Stories level! Huzzah!

Experience and Replayability:
When I finished this level for the first time, it was subsequently the most weird yet pleasant experience I've had with a level up to that point. Then, when I finally found out about the secret ending, I went and did that and wow, the credits sequence finally making sense felt good to me. (Even though the ending cutscene is the same as the normal ending.) It's one of those levels that definitely stuck out to me and I'll gladly play it every now and again just to see if I missed anything.

9.5/10.

FINAL SCORE:
9.0/10 - Awesome

I really, really enjoyed this level even though it's not as big as it could be. Its collateral weirdness really sticks with me and I too want to make a level as weird and as fun like this someday. 14, I don't know where you are now, but I hope you learned a lot from making this level and I hope you're doing well for yourself!

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Phew. One review done. Think it might be time for me to review another weird-ish level next...

~SC

It's great to see new KS reviews here after all this time   Besides being entertaining reads, they sometimes bring hidden gems to my attention that I'd probably have never noticed otherwise. Thank you for the effort, SC