07-Sep-2016, 8:59 PM
This pack took me a while to get through, mainly because [a] this was around the time I was switching computers and TWS files from one to the other, and it felt like there were more difficult levels here than usual.
<strong>#1 (Heist):</strong> I'm a sucker for a level with great theming, but this one fell flat for me - and that's coming from someone who made a similarly themed level that wasn't all that great either. (Maybe I'll revisit this concept while doing some CC2 designing.) Anyway, it felt mainly like a block-pushing challenge with a "reward" (yellow keys) thrown in and some rather unpredictable dodging at the very end. Maybe if there was more focus on and variety in the "setup" process (recruiting and positioning some monsters to help you, perhaps?), and a more clearly defined "escape" at the end, this could've been a stronger candidate.
<strong>#2 (Keyboard Malfunction): </strong>I prefer this version of this concept over the similar Citadark Isle, which is a more rigid, smaller (but still fun) level. There's something rather bewildering about what's basically an open maze in which you can collect keys with very minimal restrictions, then find out that you can actually amass far more than what is required for the chip in the corner. The title also adds to the "huh?" nature of playing this for the first time. I'd recommend this for a late spot in the set - not only as a relief level, but also as a unique inclusion in its own right.
<strong>#9 (Pinball): </strong>I really enjoyed this. There have been a few other levels with this theme, such as the similarly named one from AndrewG1, but this one captured the flighty, reactionary nature of pinball rather than making everything into a puzzle. Recommended for an early spot in CCLP4.
<strong>#13 (The Caves):</strong> Some levels spring unexpected surprises on you. Unfortunately, this one had one too many unpleasant ones in a row.
<strong>#19 (Labrynth):</strong> I wasn't entirely sold on this at first, and it's still not among my favorite candidates, but I did enjoy unraveling the solution. The small scale of the map made it easier to form some logical deductions ("ah, there's only one red key!", "oh, that door has to be used," etc.) and then craft the solution from there, which worked out wonderfully.
<strong>#23 (Zero Potential): </strong>This is one of those levels that, at least for me, has a counterpart which more effectively did justice to the concept - in this case, Frozen Over. This implementation is a bit too enclosed for my taste, but it's still fairly enjoyable to play.
<strong>#34 (Day 0: To the Bunker): </strong>This is another level originally submitted for a Create Competition that ended up being an unexpected surprise (a pleasant one, that is!). I was spoiled about the purpose of the chips beforehand, but while playing it, I was struck by just how the difficulty was slowly built up - and by how the general feel of the level was geared more toward exploration - albeit careful exploration - instead of complex problem-solving. The aesthetic is also incredible as well, with a landscape that feels truly jumbled and destroyed. I'm normally not one to enjoy messy levels without borders, but this one pulls off that feeling with style. Highly recommended.
<strong>#35 (Grudge Match):</strong> I like this idea a lot, and this level certainly nails the feeling of claustrophobic teeth dodging to a tee. My only suggestion would be to make it a bit less easy for the player to use dirt to trap the teeth somewhere and bypass some potential teeth maneuevering or clever block arranging to evade the teeth.
<strong>#38 (Friendly Fire):</strong> This is yet another level that unfortunately ended up being easier to solve through trial and error instead of arriving at a logically drawn out solution, and I can't imagine I'm the only one who did this.
<strong>#40 (Run Out of Gas):</strong> In another thread, Miika proposed the idea of a "hardcore pack" with ultra-hard challenges, and I can see why when playing levels like this, as the production of such a pack would certainly influence my rating of this kind of level for a CCLP. Personally, after seeing how frustrating CCLP3 ended up being, I think levels of this difficulty deserve their own chance at the spotlight instead of a spot in packs for a wider audience. This is one such level, with so many obtuse puzzles - mixed with some dexterity challenges too! - that the entire thing just became far too overwhelming. It wasn't so ridiculous that I gave it a 1 or that I'd be majorly upset if it made the final set, but it came close.
<strong>#42 (Jigsee):</strong> This level and its counterpart make up one of the most unique concepts I've ever seen considered for a CCLP, and for that reason alone, I'm giving both a high rating. But beyond that, they both are actually interesting and fun levels in their own right. Particularly refreshing is just how open-ended they feel. Even this one, which has a less jumbled structure than the other one, can be traversed with minimal obstructions.
<strong>#44 (Brickwalled Again):</strong> Part of what makes the original Brickwalled work so well is that you don't feel like you're mining in an ultra-enclosed space, testing out each blue wall to see if you can progress forward. You can access entire little rooms at a time and even draw conclusions about where the maze is headed so you don't have to test everything out. Here, the concept is extended by adding bugs. Some might find this irritating; I certainly did not. You start off with one bug, which is manageable enough, and can avoid releasing the others until later. The level does a great job encouraging you to stay alert while making the bug interaction reasonable enough that you don't feel like you're always being subjected to cheap deaths.
<strong>Favorite level:</strong> Day 0: To the Bunker
<strong>Least Favorite Level: </strong>The Caves
<strong>#1 (Heist):</strong> I'm a sucker for a level with great theming, but this one fell flat for me - and that's coming from someone who made a similarly themed level that wasn't all that great either. (Maybe I'll revisit this concept while doing some CC2 designing.) Anyway, it felt mainly like a block-pushing challenge with a "reward" (yellow keys) thrown in and some rather unpredictable dodging at the very end. Maybe if there was more focus on and variety in the "setup" process (recruiting and positioning some monsters to help you, perhaps?), and a more clearly defined "escape" at the end, this could've been a stronger candidate.
<strong>#2 (Keyboard Malfunction): </strong>I prefer this version of this concept over the similar Citadark Isle, which is a more rigid, smaller (but still fun) level. There's something rather bewildering about what's basically an open maze in which you can collect keys with very minimal restrictions, then find out that you can actually amass far more than what is required for the chip in the corner. The title also adds to the "huh?" nature of playing this for the first time. I'd recommend this for a late spot in the set - not only as a relief level, but also as a unique inclusion in its own right.
<strong>#9 (Pinball): </strong>I really enjoyed this. There have been a few other levels with this theme, such as the similarly named one from AndrewG1, but this one captured the flighty, reactionary nature of pinball rather than making everything into a puzzle. Recommended for an early spot in CCLP4.
<strong>#13 (The Caves):</strong> Some levels spring unexpected surprises on you. Unfortunately, this one had one too many unpleasant ones in a row.
<strong>#19 (Labrynth):</strong> I wasn't entirely sold on this at first, and it's still not among my favorite candidates, but I did enjoy unraveling the solution. The small scale of the map made it easier to form some logical deductions ("ah, there's only one red key!", "oh, that door has to be used," etc.) and then craft the solution from there, which worked out wonderfully.
<strong>#23 (Zero Potential): </strong>This is one of those levels that, at least for me, has a counterpart which more effectively did justice to the concept - in this case, Frozen Over. This implementation is a bit too enclosed for my taste, but it's still fairly enjoyable to play.
<strong>#34 (Day 0: To the Bunker): </strong>This is another level originally submitted for a Create Competition that ended up being an unexpected surprise (a pleasant one, that is!). I was spoiled about the purpose of the chips beforehand, but while playing it, I was struck by just how the difficulty was slowly built up - and by how the general feel of the level was geared more toward exploration - albeit careful exploration - instead of complex problem-solving. The aesthetic is also incredible as well, with a landscape that feels truly jumbled and destroyed. I'm normally not one to enjoy messy levels without borders, but this one pulls off that feeling with style. Highly recommended.
<strong>#35 (Grudge Match):</strong> I like this idea a lot, and this level certainly nails the feeling of claustrophobic teeth dodging to a tee. My only suggestion would be to make it a bit less easy for the player to use dirt to trap the teeth somewhere and bypass some potential teeth maneuevering or clever block arranging to evade the teeth.
<strong>#38 (Friendly Fire):</strong> This is yet another level that unfortunately ended up being easier to solve through trial and error instead of arriving at a logically drawn out solution, and I can't imagine I'm the only one who did this.
<strong>#40 (Run Out of Gas):</strong> In another thread, Miika proposed the idea of a "hardcore pack" with ultra-hard challenges, and I can see why when playing levels like this, as the production of such a pack would certainly influence my rating of this kind of level for a CCLP. Personally, after seeing how frustrating CCLP3 ended up being, I think levels of this difficulty deserve their own chance at the spotlight instead of a spot in packs for a wider audience. This is one such level, with so many obtuse puzzles - mixed with some dexterity challenges too! - that the entire thing just became far too overwhelming. It wasn't so ridiculous that I gave it a 1 or that I'd be majorly upset if it made the final set, but it came close.
<strong>#42 (Jigsee):</strong> This level and its counterpart make up one of the most unique concepts I've ever seen considered for a CCLP, and for that reason alone, I'm giving both a high rating. But beyond that, they both are actually interesting and fun levels in their own right. Particularly refreshing is just how open-ended they feel. Even this one, which has a less jumbled structure than the other one, can be traversed with minimal obstructions.
<strong>#44 (Brickwalled Again):</strong> Part of what makes the original Brickwalled work so well is that you don't feel like you're mining in an ultra-enclosed space, testing out each blue wall to see if you can progress forward. You can access entire little rooms at a time and even draw conclusions about where the maze is headed so you don't have to test everything out. Here, the concept is extended by adding bugs. Some might find this irritating; I certainly did not. You start off with one bug, which is manageable enough, and can avoid releasing the others until later. The level does a great job encouraging you to stay alert while making the bug interaction reasonable enough that you don't feel like you're always being subjected to cheap deaths.
<strong>Favorite level:</strong> Day 0: To the Bunker
<strong>Least Favorite Level: </strong>The Caves