Miragent's Reviews: R01-R08

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Offline Miragent

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Miragent's Reviews: R01-R08
« on: June 18, 2018, 17:09:44 »


The Outsider   R01

Author (s): Alamaster Moody
Release date: December 2008 or earlier
Declared Categories: [Small]; [Challange]; [Easy]
Screens Count: 37
Level Download: http://www.knyttlevels.com/levels/Alamaster%20Moody%20-%20The%20Outsider.knytt.bin

Story
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Graphics, Sounds and Design
The level makes use of a couple nice custom gradients, mixed with Nifflas tilesets and music. The intro and ending scenes are nicely crafted. Although far from perfect, with some technical issues, the result holds itself together well.
Score: 8/10

Contents, Vibe and Enjoyability
The main character expresses her emotions during the journey, which is told through the intro and ending scenes and textboxes placed on the path. The run powerup is intentionally not given in order to let the players savour every bit of the story.
Score: 7.5/10

Secrets and Bonus Material
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Difficulty
Exploration: 1/5
Challanges: 2/5

Final Veridict

**1/2 "Good+"

Suggestions Corner
- A longer, more in-depht story would have been nice
- There is potential for a bigger level
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

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Quiescent Archipelago   R02

Author (s): AlmightyZenTaco
Release date: December 2008 or earlier
Declared Categories: [Environmental]; [Small]
Screens Count: 34
Level Download: http://knyttlevels.com/levels/AlmightyZenTaco%20-%20QuiescentArchipelago.knytt.bin

Quick Review
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Difficulty
Exploration: 1/5
Challanges: 1/5

Final Veridict

** "Good"

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Dark Sky of Wish Mountain   R03

Author (s): AlmightyZenTaco
Release date: December 2008 or earlier
Declared Categories: [Challange]; [Normal]; [Large]
Screens Count: 418
Original Nifflas Forum Thread: https://nifflas.lpchip.nl/index.php?topic=6568.0
Level Download: http://knyttlevels.com/levels/AlmightyZenTaco%20-%20Dark%20Sky%20of%20Wish%20Mountain.knytt.bin

Story
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Graphics, Sounds and Design
The level features one custom tileset and some insteresing custom music pieces, mixed with classic elements. The tiles and especially the background elements are sometimes placed in a kind of haphazard way and some areas look a bit flat. There are also some technical issues scattered around (examples: void screen in x1029y996, wallswim between x990y1005 and x990y1004). Apart from these issues, the level is fine.
Score: 8/10

Contents, Vibe and Enjoyability
It's a big level with a lot of good content if you don't mind the small imperfections and the questionable placement of the background tiles. The custom music is really nice. Overall it's a big enjoyable level with some interesting music.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 8.5/10

Secrets and Bonus Material
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 6/10

Difficulty
Any % Exploration: 3/5
Any % Challanges: 2/5
100% Exploration: 4/5
100% Challanges: 3/5

Final Veridict

*** "Very Good"

Suggestions Corner
- Some of the background tiles look scrambled and some areas look flat.
- More bonus material would have been welcome, especially when you have 400+ screens at disposition

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(The)Spiral   R04

Author (s): Bennity
Release date: December 2008 or earlier
Reviewed Version: 1.1
Declared Categories: [Challange]; [Very Hard]; [Small]
Screens Count: 25
Level Download: http://knyttlevels.com/levels/Bennity%20-%20Spiral%201.1.knytt.bin

Quick Review
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Difficulty
Exploration: 1/5
Challanges: 5/5
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Final Veridict

** "Good"

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(The)Ghostly Trials   R05

Author (s): Bennity
Release date: December 2008 or earlier
Reviewed Version: 1.2
Declared Categories: [Challange]; [Normal]; [Medium]
Screens Count: 263
Level Download: http://knyttlevels.com/levels/Bennity%20-%20Ghostly%20Trials%201.2.knytt.bin

Story
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Graphics, Sounds and Design
The level features classic tilesets and music and some custom material. The result is solid and plays smoothly.
Score: 8/10

Contents, Vibe and Enjoyability
Despite the slightly forced story and approximate English, going through the level is fun and this is the most important thing. The trials are well crafted and enjoyable. They do not require crazy skills to go through. The ending
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
.
Score: 8/10

Secrets and Bonus Material
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 6/10

Difficulty
Any % Exploration: 2/5
Any % Challanges: 2/5; some 3/5 spikes.
100% Exploration: 3-4/5
100% Challanges: see Any % Challanges

Final Veridict

**1/2 "Good+"

Suggestions Corner
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
- More secrets, better secrets and better English would have added value

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Change the View!   R06

Author (s): Ble
Release date: December 2008 or earlier
Reviewed Version: 1.1
Declared Categories: [Challange]; [Hard]; [Medium]
Screens Count: 46
Level Download: http://knyttlevels.com/levels/Ble%20-%20Change%20the%20view%21%201.1.knytt.bin

Story
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Graphics, Sounds and Design
Classic tilesets and music. With a twist! Every screen has a map in the upper right corner, so you can navigate very comfortably. Another special feature of this level is that inside the castle there are special areas where you can "change the view", which means you will navigate horizontally on the map (grey tiles), or vertically (red tiles). All this is very unique. Also everything seems to work perfectly fine with no technical issues.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 8/10

Contents, Vibe and Enjoyability
Crawling in the mysterious castle is really enjoyable thanks to the provided unique map and the streamlining work. It's not an "epic" journey but it's some very good time.
Score: 8/10

Secrets and Bonus Material
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Difficulty
Exploration: 2/5
Challanges: 4/5 (requires some pixel perfect jumps)

Final Veridict

**1/2 "Good +"

Suggestions Corner
- Adding some depht to the story.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

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Timecraft   R07

Author (s): Ble
Release date: December 2008 or earlier
Reviewed Version: 1.1
Declared Categories: [Challange]; [Hard]; [Medium]
Screens Count: 101
Level Download: http://knyttlevels.com/levels/Ble%20-%20Timecraft%201.1.knytt.bin

Story
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Graphics, Sounds and Design
Despite the very useless, absurd and English grammar ignoring story, the level is solid and plays very smoothly. It uses Paul "Ripen" Naumowicz tilesets and classic music and everything works very well.
Score: 8.5/10

Contents, Vibe and Enjoyability
It's a 100 screens level with a lot of tricky jumping. You are given upgrades one by one, and each upgrade puts you against new jump challanges. The savepoints are abundant so it's not that frustrating, but the required jumps need to be pixel perfect in more than one screen, and still pretty hard in the others. In some cases it's not easy to understand if a jump is just impossible and you have to take a different route, or you have to make the jump. But this is part of the fun.
Ending:
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 8/10
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Secrets and Bonus Material
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 7.5/10

Difficulty
Any % Exploration: 2/5
Any % Challanges: 4/5 due to tricky jumps
100% Exploration: 5/5
100% Challanges: see Any % Challanges

Final Veridict

** 1/2 "Good +"

Suggestions Corner
- The story is totally absurd and not on purpose. There are so many holes in it, it's not even worth mentioning them.
- The hero's special power is never used. As the level stands, the special power only serves as an excuse to avoid having to make the pirates and knytts move and interact with each other and the hero.
- The English grammar in the story custscenes is annoying even for a non-native English speaker

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The Great Race   R08

Author (s): B Man (aka "B-Man", "BMan")
Release date: April 2009
Version: Final
Declared Categories: [Challange]; [Normal]; [Large]
Screens Count: 777
Original Nifflas' Support Forum Thread: https://nifflas.lpchip.nl/index.php?topic=594.0
Level Download: http://knyttlevels.com/levels/B%20Man%20-%20The%20Great%20Race.knytt.bin

Note
I had originally put this level in the "Worth Mentioning" section. This is because I did not have the final version at hand. Instead I had the 2.5 version, which was not complete and this has misled my judgement. I have uploaded the final version on the Level Archive for the best coverage. You can also find the level on Egomassive's website: http://levels.egomassive.com/?p=119

Story
Juni
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
During the race
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Graphics, Sounds and Design
The Level uses (a lot of)classic tilesets, music and ambience, with a couple custom objects and some custom music. It is well crafted and plays smoothly. The cutscenes, added in the final version, complete the frame and are well made and colourful.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 8.5/10

Contents, Vibe and Enjoyability
Juni's story, her emotions and the "emotions" of her new "friend" are original and narrated very well, with a correct English. Overall the level is very enjoyable and does not require a lot of skill to be completed.
Score: 8.5/10

Secrets and Bonus Material
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Score: 8/10

Difficulty
Any% Exploration: 1/5
Any% Challanges: 2/5
100% Exploration: 2/5
100% Challanges: 3/5

Final Veridict

*** "Very Good"

Suggestions Corner
Nothing particular really. One could add some more custom music but even without, the level is ok.

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Worth Mentioning
This section mentions levels that are generally complete, playable, but tend to be shallow in design and/or suffer from other important issues. These levels are generallly mediocre, but not bad enough to go straight in the "To be Avoided" cathegory. A level can also end up in this category if it looks promising, but it is unfinished. You can generally just avoid these levels unless you really must play -every- KS level that was made. I will not review these levels. Instead I will simply briefly describe them. If I were to give them a score, in most cases it would be around *1/2 stars / Mediocre.

Bligglenuber - Trapped In A Harsh World
Deadly switches, malfunctioning teleports, unforgiving lasers, nonsensical invisible threats or right paths, intended (or maybe not?) wallswims and other weird design elements are abundant. No music was added.

baroncid and oldgil – Sohe and the rrokked
An interesting project that feels like playing Saira. Sadly the project was abandoned and the level remains unfinished.

Bass – The Golden Pyramyd
Some effort, nice (uncredited)songs. Not complete trash, but at the end you will have the "What the hell have I just played" feeling. The songs are Dragon Roost Island, Sweet Lullaby and Valis the Fantom Soldier level 1.

BloxMaster – Level 5
Without a reason, Juni wakes up in a portal-esque testing environment and has to beat five challanges. Difficulty 3/5

BloxMaster – Upwards Sky
A plain, but enjoyable Sky Flower-inspired level. Difficulty 3/5

BloxMaster – Content Load Success
It would have been a good level, but it is unfinished. The absence of the eye powerup, in fact, traps you halfway, making the it impossible cross the win line legitimately. Also no music was added
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To be Avoided
I have tried these levels and I have wasted my time. Don't do the same mistake.
These levels are generally very shallow, uninteresting and/or unfinished, badly designed or just trash.

Amadeus - Funsies
avatar of sidney - find sidney
avatar of pansy - The Pansy trials (updated)
bet you wanna know - can you
A - Zebes
Andula - Zluty klic v.1.1
Ace - Portal Concept
1Community - Community Level Joining
Alleecat - Eden(with credits)
Abraham Lincoln - The Adventures of Abe
A M Smith - A Hike In Candy Valley
A - Woodgrove Hotel
AYBGerrardo - cavern
Aquatic Liger - house
b000n - Death uncomplete
B Man - Red Wasteland and Surrounding Countries (wrong link)
Ble - Boring
Bligglenuber - A daytrip gone mad
Baga - Knytt Valley
Bloowolf – The Dreamare
blabadeedooda – Knutty
BloxMaster – Ghostworld v1.4
BloxMaster – Green LiNes
BloxMaster – Endless Time v1.2
BloxMaster – Lost in a Puzzle v0
BloxMaster - Steel Flower
Bob10110 – The Terrifying Trials
Boa313 – Le monde des fous
Bootaay – House Hunting
Brad Carney – The World of Mysteries
Braininajar – The test v0.1
« Last Edit: June 29, 2018, 22:55:38 by Miragent »

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Miragent's Reviews: "The Outsider" by Alamaster Moody
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2018, 05:53:14 »
Now keep in mind that this level is based on a Lovecraft story, so there really isn't too much room for bonus endings and the such, unless you wanted to take extreme liberties with the source material.

For those curious, here is a reading of the story in full on YouTube: The Outsider Reading
Things to remember when writing figures of speech and sound:
The power of poetry comes from the ability to defy logic. Defy logic often.

Use a metaphor and tell us that your lover is the sky. Tell us that your lover is the sky. When you do that, we won't believe you. We won't believe you because saying so makes no sense, but we'll see a meaning. We'll see a meaning.

The other thing is the ability to be remembered. Love anything.

Love anything