Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening

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Offline Fubaka

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Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« on: July 29, 2015, 06:57:20 »
Well lookie here! This forum's still alive, and what's more, people are STILL making KS levels!  O_o

This game really doesn't ever get old, does it? I think I'll start reviewing levels again!

Ground rules:
  • I will only review levels that are either less than a month old, or have less than 3 pages of replies on the forum. Levels that do not meet these qualifications do not need my attention.
  • The scoring system will be a bit different this time around. I will not use objective measurements. Instead, I will use my overall feeling toward each area of my critique in place of an actual score. You are welcome to disagree.
  • Speaking of areas, my categories this time are as follows:
    • Trustworthiness: Does the level hold true to what it advertises? (Most basically, does it match its chosen categories?)
    • Design: Does it look like the designer really cared about their level? If not, why not?
    • Agenda: What is this level trying to accomplish? Does it succeed?
    • Vibe: What does the level appear to convey overall? Is it inviting or repellent?
    • Enjoyability: Did I personally enjoy playing this? Would I play it again? And again?
    (I'll call these categories together as 'T DAVE' whenever I need a short-hand)
  • If I can't finish the level due to reasons involving its difficulty, I will not review it. I'll simply post here saying I couldn't finish the level.
  • These reviews will most likely contain spoilers. These will be hidden away in spoiler boxes.
  • I will try my best to treat each level as if it were the only custom-made level released after the Nifflas ones. As such, I will only be making comparisons to those levels. (unless the level being reviewed is a sequel to something else)

Okay! With that out of the way, it's good to be back! I will post my first review momentarily. You are of course welcome to post your own reviews, but you will have to either follow my rules, or specify your own in your post.

REVIEW DIRECTORY:

FUBAKA

VEGETAL GIBBER

IXMARCEL

SC
« Last Edit: March 07, 2017, 06:24:25 by Fubaka »
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

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2015, 08:03:47 »
REVIEW 01
===================================

===================================
Journey to the Golden Land
Made by Vegetal Gibber
Released on 14 July 2015
Challenge/Environmental
Small
=============================

What we have here is a small level made largely to share with personal circles. That it ended up here should be considered a treat on our part. While small, this level features custom graphics and music, which, in my mind, is a necessity to distinguish it as its own thing. Let us begin with the categories:

Trustworthiness: I am forever in a bind on how to feel about the label 'Challenge/Environmental'. Challenge implies that there are obstacles that must be overcome, but Environmental suggests that the level was made with no obstacles at all.  However, when opened in KS itself, Environmental is not one of the categories it is listed under. I have to scratch my head at that sort of confusion, but it's not the end of the world.

The term 'Environmental' is a bit of a misnomer here anyways, since as you play this level, there are a few pitfalls to be avoided. As advertised, the level is pretty easy, and apart from the pits of water and lava, there are no enemies or other hazards.

Overall, I feel that the level's alignment is Neutral Good.

Design: The level uses a less pixelated style and instead opts for a more textured look. In addition, most of the floor tiles do not utilize an outline, which at times can make it difficult to tell what's in the foreground and what isn't. This isn't really a problem in this case, but it can make things a bit confusing at first. I personally find it odd, for instance, that you can't climb the tree trunks, but you can jump on the canopies. The graphics themselves blend well, but are a bit clunky in some areas, especially on corners and ramps.

In addition, there are a few instances of COs (Custom Objects) utilized in the level, particularly in the tree canopies that make them feel just a bit more vibrant. The swaying leaves are a nice touch, but I feel they clash with the traditional falling leaves object that are utilized in tandem with them.

Save points are easy to spot, and the level definitely looks nice. The topography is interesting and easy to recognize as well. My personal favorite areas were the caves. The textures there are very well done, despite being almost all grey. I was especially fond of the lighting on the back walls.

I did not find any voids or wallswims when playing the level, and I did the usual routine of umbrella gliding as far as I could in any direction I could.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Overall, I find the design to be favorable.

Agenda: As far as the story is concerned, you find yourself in a green field and must find the 'Golden Land'. Everything you need to know is told to you by the level's icon itself. There is no introductory cut-scene.

In order to reach the Golden Land, you must find all the necessary powerups scattered throughout the area you start in, and then find the four keys to unlock the doors barring the way into the land itself. The keys are generally hidden from view, in areas that require thorough investigation to uncover.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

The premise couldn't be simpler, but I do kind of wish I knew where I was to begin with, and why I wanted to reach the Golden Land at all. Honestly, I liked the starting area a bit more.

Overall, I find the objective is met at a passable level.

Vibe: The atmosphere was really nice. I loved the music in the main area, but I did get a little distracted when it didn't extend across the entire surface plain. It ends early in front of the far right gate wall and at the far left lake. Use of ambiance was pretty solid, and nothing felt like it didn't belong. The caves being quiet was understandable, especially since they didn't extend all that far.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Overall, the level gave off a nice warm feeling.

Enjoyability: I enjoyed the level, particularly the trek to get the powerups. I did find it to be a bit of a drag once I was searching for the keys, though. Still, I got through it with no trouble.

This is likely one I would play again, every now and then.

Summation: I thought the level was quite nice. Definitely worth playing at least once. Don't expect a challenge though, unless you are bad at exploring.  :P The custom material within the level also definitely sells its uniqueness. Don't expect it to be much like the classic Nifflas ones.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2015, 22:54:53 by Fubaka »
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

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2015, 10:44:43 »
I was planning on reviewing Looking for Flynnas, but man oh man, that level's challenges are way too unforgiving. If someone else wants to tackle that beast, go ahead.

« Last Edit: August 13, 2015, 21:36:10 by Fubaka »
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

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Offline Vegetal Gibber

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2015, 15:01:52 »
Hey, this is a very interesting initiative! Oh, and thanks for starting with my level :D Glad you enjoyed it.

That was a really detailed review. I really wish my friends would have paid this map even a small fraction of the attention you gave it :moody:

Regarding the categorization for "Journey to the Golden Land", I put "Challenge/Environmental" in the link because I had some doubts about what type this level really is. It was originally just "Challenge", but based on the feedback I got and the very low amount of hazards in the map, I thought it'd be more accurate to tag it as "Environmental" too (even though it does have a tiny bit of challenge in there). What do you personally think it should be?
Some KS levels by me:

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2015, 18:32:51 »
Hey, this is a very interesting initiative! Oh, and thanks for starting with my level :D Glad you enjoyed it.

That was a really detailed review. I really wish my friends would have paid this map even a small fraction of the attention you gave it :moody:

Regarding the categorization for "Journey to the Golden Land", I put "Challenge/Environmental" in the link because I had some doubts about what type this level really is. It was originally just "Challenge", but based on the feedback I got and the very low amount of hazards in the map, I thought it'd be more accurate to tag it as "Environmental" too (even though it does have a tiny bit of challenge in there). What do you personally think it should be?

Because you have to jump over some hazards, it is not an Environmental level by my definition.

Marking it as an Easy Challenge level is the most accurate IMO.
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

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Offline sergiocornaga

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2015, 19:30:14 »
Personally, I support the use of Challenge/Environmental to refer to this kind of low challenge level (even if it is allegedly an impossible combination).

Anyway, amazingly huge and comprehensive review there. I appreciate your use of alignments and coloured text.

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2015, 20:26:42 »
REVIEW 02
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===================================
House Key
Made by Healy
Released on 1 April 2015
Environmental/Misc
Small
=============================

Today's subject was released a decent amount of time ago, back in April of this year, but it's still relatively fresh. Ultimately, I won't be able to say much here without going into spoiler territory, so I would recommend playing the level first. As stated, it won't take you more than 5 minutes.

Trustworthiness: Small and Environmental/Misc is the best way to designate this level. It definitely puts an emphasis on its environments.

The advertising also does deliver on what it promises. It. Definitely. Does.

Overall, the alignment of this level is Lawful Evil.

Design: Given the small size of the level, I'd be surprised if there were any glaring errors in the design. Thankfully, there aren't any. The level is pretty straightforward, and each area sells its mood perfectly. I especially am fond of the design of the various rooms of Juni's house. Each one paints a picture of isolation and solitude.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

I find the design to be substantial.

Agenda: When the level begins, we are presented with a black background and an opening narration describing Juni's dread of going outside. However, her food supplies are running short, so she will just have to suffer the trip.

Once the level begins, you find yourself in your house, where you can see that the front door's been barricaded using red key blocks, with the key itself on a high shelf. To get it, you have to collect a number of powerups inside the house. Clearly, Juni wanted to take maximum precautions to ensure that she could push the idea of the key out of her head unless she had no other choice. I love that attention to detail!

It would only be just to quote myself when I first stepped out of the house to accurately portray the horror of what awaits you:

Spoiler: Fubaka's Reaction (click to show/hide)

Agenda is passed magna cum laude!

Vibe: As stated before, each area sells itself extremely well. I love that eerie cave sound in Juni's house. Although, It might have been best to only have it in the main foyer. (Had it been me, I would've given each room a different ambiance, with the cellar having a water sound, and the blue room having a soft electric hum)

The ambiance outside really couldn't have been better though. No complaints there.

Overall, the vibe is harrowing!

Enjoyability: I definitely had fun with my playthrough. Unfortunately, the magic only works once. I would definitely consider showing it to friends and other victims to get their reactions though!

Overall, I'd play it again, but I'd have to give it ample time to grow fuzzy in my mind first.

Summation: Definitely a well-executed level! I'd recommend it to anyone who plays KS to give it a shot. You will not be disappointed!
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

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2015, 22:12:36 »
REVIEW 00
===================================

===================================
The Machine
Made by Nifflas
Released on 28 Aug 2007
Challenge - Easy/Normal
Large
=============================

(NOTE: This is not an official review, hence the title Review 00. I'm doing this partly as an experiment, and also as a benchmark so people know more objectively how I rate things. Take this as you will.)

A great deal of time ago, I first found Knytt Stories while I was browsing through suggestions from other game designers. I played a level called 'The Machine', described as a 'save-the-world adventure'. After the Tutorial, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but the level itself had hours of world to see, and graphics that, while simple, were mesmerizing. It inspired me to keep playing, even after I was finished with the level. I found expansions, and once I'd cleared my palate of those, I realized that there was a full Editor as well! People had been making levels with it by the bushel-full, many of which would surpass the original Nifflas creations. Over the years, I kind of forgot about these old levels. It's about time I went back to the start and ran through again.

My memory of this level has gotten a bit fuzzy, so hopefully this will be an objective analysis, or, as much as it can be given the impact this game has had on my life. Let's step in to it, shall we?

Trustworthiness: The level icon is a picture of the machine itself, a black squaroid aberration with red and blue lights and tubes coming out. The level is marked as a Large Challenge level, with the choice of either Easy or Normal difficulties. None of this information is false or misleading.

Once you get into the game itself, the difficulty is presented at the start as a switch which you can flip any time you visit it to swap between Easy and Normal. Doing so alters the challenges you'll see, adding or removing hazards, based on which way you switched it. Playing on Easy is, naturally, easier, but it also removes nearly all of the secrets, giving the player good incentive to play on a higher difficulty if they can take it.

Overall, this level's alignment is Lawful Good.

Design: Each area is designed using a minimalistic pixelated style, and each one is quite distinct in both appearance, ambiance and music. They are almost all connected through multiple pathways, and some can be skipped entirely if the player prefers not to visit them. These lands include a barren desert area, an underwater lab tunnel, many different plains, a dark complex, several cave systems of unique distinction, and a snowy tundra, to name a few. Juni will have to venture through most, if not all of them to find the powerups she needs to track down the source of her problems.

Each powerup is introduced in systematic fashion, and usually after a series of ordeals. Selecting between Easy and Normal will affect the presence or absence of various hazards, and in many places, alter the topography of the land as well. Challenges are lain out in a simple and straightforward fashion, and nothing feels like it's been spammed in. (except for one particular room) Void screens are nonexistent, and there are no inorganic attempts to hide them, in either the Easy or Normal paths.

On the Normal path, there are a number of areas that yield secret passageways that lead to keys, which, while not required to beat the level, are required to find the hidden ending. After beating the level on either difficulty, Juni has the option to return to the main world prior to the end sequence, which, unlike at the start of the game, will automatically place her in the Normal path.

Everything works together quite well, and the difficulty ratings are appropriate. The design overall is admirable.

Agenda: The story is fairly straightforward, and presents itself as just that. A story. One day, Juni receives a letter from her friend Henna, who explains how her land has become cold and barren, and asks if the same had happened to Juni's land. She urges Juni to come visit her and discuss the details. The adventure begins proper from there.

Henna's house is located in a grey barren forest zone, which cannot be accessed at the start of the level. Juni will have to find enough powerups to allow access. Once she gets there, Henna will tell her that there's a machine inside a cave just to the left of her house which she suspects is responsible for the life draining that has been seen. However, a creature blocks the entrance to that cave, preventing her from getting in.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Overall, the agenda is passed magna cum laude!

Vibe: Each area of the level is lain out in a minimalistic fashion. As such, there is a great deal of open space and not very many creatures. Apart from Henna, nobody talks to you in the level, and there are only a handful of Knytts anyhow. The ambiance and music are all well-picked, and play together to a key. However, I start to feel a little aloof and alone when playing for long enough. Apart from collecting the powerups and seeing the sights, there is not a whole lot to do, and some of the areas seem a little too empty for my taste. Perhaps that was intentional, and perhaps I don't remember how I felt the first time I played anymore. It might have helped if there were more Knytts to talk to in the various zones.

Overall, I feel a bit somber when I play this level.

Enjoyment: I did enjoy playing this level again, and the challenges and topography are still things I attempt to emulate whenever I try my hand at level design. (not just in Knytt Stories) Playing this again brought back some fond memories. However, I am still more fond of the expansion levels, like 'A Strange Dream' and 'An Underwater Adventure'. Those to me are the true classics of this game.

Still I will probably play this again some time in the future, when it's no longer fresh in my mind.

Summation: This was an interesting experiment. Given that the songs are and have been overused in so many custom levels since this first step, I am surprised that it still fits so well here in this level. It gives me hope that people will continue to play this game for the forseeable future. A large reason why I chose to resume this review program in the first place was precisely to encourage people to start making levels again.

Carry on, folks! Let's show them that the best is still ahead!
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

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2015, 00:41:53 »
REVIEW 03
===================================

===================================
Tower of Joy
Made by pfrangip
Released on 12 April 2015
Environmental (or Scenic/Challenge - Easy)   :huh:
Medium
=============================

Today, we take a look at a level, which, much like House Key, was released in April of this year. It was made specifically as a tribute to 'A Song of Ice and Fire' which I have not read, so I wasn't able to follow the story all that well. As such, I will not judge that aspect too harshly.

Trustworthiness: In the forum thread, the level is labeled as [Challenge/Scenic], and that is an accurate description of the level. However, in KS itself, it is labeled only as [Environmental]. This latter label is not accurate at all, and directly conflicts with the former.  Additionally, while the level is labeled as 'Easy', I personally did not find it to be so. I would have labeled it as at least Medium, and perhaps Hard if the secret areas were factored in as well.

In terms of content, it pulls quotes from its source material and uses tilesets that would seem to reflect the general setting pretty well. At the very least, this aspect is advertised correctly.

Overall, this level's alignment is Chaotic Neutral.

Design: The level is designed in a more-or-less linear fashion, and your goal is to merely get to the end, as you run through the various scenery and see the lines appear as narration over your head. The level starts you off with the Run and High-Jump powers, and you are not given any others throughout the story.

Spoiler: Secrets (click to show/hide)

During my playthrough, and in subsequent editor poking, I never found any Voids or wallswims, so as far as I can tell, the level is air-tight.

Spoiler: Secrets (click to show/hide)

As for the challenges, I found many of them to be a bit frustrating. The level is littered with invisible mazes and in many places, you have to make leaps of faith. It definitely does not fit the bill of 'Easy'.

The visual design is nice in many places, but a bit messy in others. I liked the castle areas, but many of the fields and outside places were a bit clunky.

I find the design overall to be mixed in quality.

Agenda: The story revolves around a character named Lyanna, who you control in this level. The opening cut-scene depicts her sleeping, and slowly zooms in without any dialog. You start the level proper at the balcony of a tall tower. From there, you jump off, fall a considerable distance, and then run throughout various places which have little connective tissue, implying that it is a dream sequence. During this run, the narration you see appears to be directed at you. (as the character)

Spoiler: Ending (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Secrets (click to show/hide)

Despite not having read the story this was based off of, I did find the narration to be poignant at times, and the backgrounds did serve to exemplify it well. Overall, the objective is met cum laude.

Vibe: The idea that this level was a dream sequence was definitely sold well. The various environments were nearly all striking and memorable, though I would have preferred a different selection of music than the standard crop. As I said before, I especially liked the various castles you wander through. On the other hand, I wasn't too fond of the dark areas and the outside areas.

Spoiler: Secrets (click to show/hide)

Overall, the vibe is aloof, but in a good way!

Enjoyability: I did enjoy the narration and many of the areas. However, I found myself getting frustrated with some of the challenges, and the invisible mazes. Personally speaking, I do not enjoy jumping around in the dark, nor do I like to try and dodge fireballs while being restricted from walking.

Spoiler: Secrets (click to show/hide)

I may play it again, but it would be a while.

Summation: The level is definitely worth at least one play. The secrets are a bit hard to find, though. If you're anything like me, you may find yourself burned out after finishing the level's secret path. Take it for what you will.
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

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Offline Talps

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2015, 01:24:18 »
Hey Fu, just wanted to let you know I am reading and enjoying your reviews. :)

Hopefully get 'Dragon Myth' in here if I can ever tackle this last nasty tileset...

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2015, 03:50:09 »
Hey Fu, just wanted to let you know I am reading and enjoying your reviews. :)

Hopefully get 'Dragon Myth' in here if I can ever tackle this last nasty tileset...

Thanks, Bubs! If you want to write a review for something as well, go right ahead. Just make sure you let us know if your review rules and/or criteria are different.
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

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Offline Vegetal Gibber

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2015, 16:35:31 »
I used to post somewhat detailed opinions and criticism of levels I played in their respective threads. I might take a stab at this and contribute from time to time, if you're cool with that.
Some KS levels by me:

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2015, 19:37:06 »
I used to post somewhat detailed opinions and criticism of levels I played in their respective threads. I might take a stab at this and contribute from time to time, if you're cool with that.


Believe me, I'm quite cool with that.  8)
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

*

Offline Vegetal Gibber

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2015, 21:10:21 »
Alright, let's give this a shot. I'm going to try a somewhat different approach, though. Here is the set of criteria I've decided on and how I'll be grading all of the categories:

Spoiler: Full criteria list (click to show/hide)

I will be awarding scores in each department, but keep in mind they will be all subjective and merely orientative. Also, I will not follow any particular reason to choose which level I'm going to review. I'll simply be picking among the maps I'm playing at the moment. However, like Fubaka, I'll be giving priority to levels that do not have a lot of exposure, as I feel there isn't much point in speaking at length about a very well-known level that many people have probably already played.

That said, let me start with one of the levels I've played most recently:





Save the high jump! by CWolvie
Type: Challenge / Size: Small / Difficulty: Easy



"Save the high jump!" is a short, exploration based challenge level in which Juni has to recover her high jump power-up from the evil toasts. In order to do so, you will need to find several other abilities scattered across the map, until you get the artifact that will let you bypass your sworn enemies and get back what is rightfully yours (or is it...? We haven't hear the toasts' version of the story, after all :P )




Level design: 6.5/10 - Nice

The level fits its description perfectly. The main objective of the level is your standard "find all required power-ups to proceed to the end" challenge and, while it's a simple one, it's well executed. I didn't find any obvious way to sequence-break the game, nor did I felt any part of the level was being unfair or frustrating.

The layout of the level is simple, with many relatively flat areas. It was alright, but it could have benefited from an extended and slightly more maze-like layout with multiple paths, to incite the player more to explore.

Taking into account that this is the author's first attempt at level design, I didn't find any of the typical annoying sections that are rampant in first releases (such as screens with lots of random moving/shooting enemies "because it looks cool", challenges that completely rely on knowledge that only the map creator has, etc.), and that's definitely a plus.

Spoiler: Secrets (click to show/hide)


Ambience / Eye-candy: 6/10 - Decent

For the most part, the level doesn't look particularly good, but at the same time it doesn't look bad. There are, however, some pretty areas included in the mix.

The gradients and tilesets used are not bad and they go reasonably well with each other, but the arrangement of the tiles in some screens could be better. Both the underground area and the lab sport very repetitive walls without borders nor decorations. On the other side, the starting area, and particularly the "Night City", are decently detailed (the latter being definitely the nicest looking part of the level, by a longshot).

One of the weakest points of the level regarding the ambience is the very limited use of ambient sound and particle effects. Some areas could have definitely benefited from them, especially the ones with a lot of empty space (such as the first forest/cave zone).


Polish: 7/10 - Good

I didn't found any errors while playing (no void screens nor wallswims, at least). Also, the info screen and icon are both present. It doesn't look like a rushed release.

There are intro and ending cutscenes, although they are very rudimentary. It would have been nice to include at least a mock-up screenshot showing Juni and the evil toasts arguing, or something like that.


Creativity / Originality: 5/10 - Acceptable

The level has some variety of areas to explore, although most of them are the typical forest/cave sections present in many KS adventures. The premise of the level is quirky and interesting, but apart from that, it doesn't feature any other idea particularly new or remarkable.


Personal experience: 7/10 - Good

Not much to say here, except that I had fun playing this little adventure. It did felt rather short and lacking in exploration, but being officially labeled a "Small" level, I couldn't possibly complain much about this :P

I also enjoyed the random dialogue here and there. I felt it contributed to the cute and comical tone of the adventure.



OVERALL: 6.5/10 - Nice. It's not one of those big and/or feature rich levels with lots of custom content, but it's entertaining and does have some charm to it. Check it out if you're looking for a small and peaceful adventure to pass the time :)


[ Link to level release thread ]
« Last Edit: August 04, 2015, 21:18:20 by Vegetal Gibber »
Some KS levels by me:

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Offline Fubaka

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Re: Fubaka Reviews 2: The Knyttening
« Reply #14 on: August 04, 2015, 21:33:27 »
Solid review, Mr. Gibber! I've added a sub-section for you in the directory on the first post. I hope I will see more contributions from you in the future!
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