30-Oct-2016, 11:11 AM
I guess I'll be the first to comment on this pack. Full disclosure: this was easily one of the most frustrating ones I've played yet, primarily because such a large chunk of levels were devoted to tedious block-pushing, and there were at least two very long, rigid levels where I accidentally pushed one block into a corner. That being said, there were still some highlights here.
#3 (Meteorites): I'm ashamed to say I was stuck on this for nearly two hours. Let's talk about what worked here: I really enjoy when designers eschew popular design tropes for something out of the ordinary, and this level's seemingly random blue wall, block, and toggle door placement immediately tells you that you're in for something unusual. The trouble comes, though, when you start to notice that not all is as it seems: no, those fireballs are not completely useless, you don't have enough blocks to cover all the trap buttons (at least as far as I can tell), you have to be careful about what blocks and pop-up walls you use before the toggle walls are switched, and the list goes on and on and on. At times, I like being surprised when playing a level, but this one had far too many of these moments. On top of that, by the time I did figure out what kind of arrangement could allow a fireball to travel around the trap buttons without going into the trap line itself, time was running short. I ended up completing this with a whopping 8 seconds left on the clock.
#4 (Water Bottle): I feel like some players may be quick to dismiss this level because it looks a lot like Same Game. However, it's quite a bit different - the block pushing is nowhere near as complex, the level is shorter overall, and you have more freedom to create paths for other blocks. It's a neat challenge all in all, and I really enjoy how each room requires a slightly different approach.
#10 (Puzzle Box): This level is on my "disappointed about not performing well in CCLP1 voting" list. It's cleverly designed and manages to place the focus more on key management than on the actual block-pushing, which is refreshing. The central structure with the exit and thin walls is also a neat sight too!
#17 (Two-by-Two): I absolutely adore this concept, but I wish you didn't have to push that many blocks along the ball-bouncing stretch. It's nerve-wracking and tedious, which isn't a great combination.
#23 (They're Not Called Blocks for Nothing): If we're going to have levels that involve pushing blocks in CCLP4, this is a great example of how to take a repetitive task and turn it into something that makes you feel like you're actually accomplishing something. Compare this to levels like #31 and #32 in this pack, which feature a tricky puzzle at the start, only for it to become mindless tedium for the remainder of the level once the solution is deduced. I really enjoy the difficulty "arc" in this one, which starts you off on some simple blocking challenges before giving you a blocking and ​redirection challenge toward the end. This looks tricky at first, but it's much simpler than it appears, which is always refreshing. The room 1 / room 2 connection at the very end is also a neat touch as well.
#28 (Jigsaw): Just going to throw this out there: I really love how the packs are randomly generated, but this is one instance where it would've been neat to see this level and its predecessor evaluated together as one entry. We've barely seen level duos like this in voting before, and certainly nothing that leverages an idea quite like these two levels do. Fantastic and very clever all around.
#38 (Ruby in the Rough): This was a nifty little challenge, but directing the teeth precisely into the bomb at the end was a tad on the rigid side. Fortunately, it's short and sweet, and still a lot of fun.
#39 (The Incredibly Safe Maze): I'm always on the lookout for levels that use invisible - completely invisible, that is - walls in a way that doesn't foist a bunch of trial and error on the player. CC1's STRIPES? did this fairly well, though there was still an element of "push everything to see how can you break through" to it. This level takes monsters and invisible walls and blends them together in a concoction that is simple but very satisfying to play. This is another level I wouldn't mind seeing in a "relief" position in the final set.
#45 (Spelunking): I'll give this one high marks for aesthetics, but it's got at least two rather mean tricks up its sleeve that fall into the "...really?" category.
#3 (Meteorites): I'm ashamed to say I was stuck on this for nearly two hours. Let's talk about what worked here: I really enjoy when designers eschew popular design tropes for something out of the ordinary, and this level's seemingly random blue wall, block, and toggle door placement immediately tells you that you're in for something unusual. The trouble comes, though, when you start to notice that not all is as it seems: no, those fireballs are not completely useless, you don't have enough blocks to cover all the trap buttons (at least as far as I can tell), you have to be careful about what blocks and pop-up walls you use before the toggle walls are switched, and the list goes on and on and on. At times, I like being surprised when playing a level, but this one had far too many of these moments. On top of that, by the time I did figure out what kind of arrangement could allow a fireball to travel around the trap buttons without going into the trap line itself, time was running short. I ended up completing this with a whopping 8 seconds left on the clock.
#4 (Water Bottle): I feel like some players may be quick to dismiss this level because it looks a lot like Same Game. However, it's quite a bit different - the block pushing is nowhere near as complex, the level is shorter overall, and you have more freedom to create paths for other blocks. It's a neat challenge all in all, and I really enjoy how each room requires a slightly different approach.
#10 (Puzzle Box): This level is on my "disappointed about not performing well in CCLP1 voting" list. It's cleverly designed and manages to place the focus more on key management than on the actual block-pushing, which is refreshing. The central structure with the exit and thin walls is also a neat sight too!
#17 (Two-by-Two): I absolutely adore this concept, but I wish you didn't have to push that many blocks along the ball-bouncing stretch. It's nerve-wracking and tedious, which isn't a great combination.
#23 (They're Not Called Blocks for Nothing): If we're going to have levels that involve pushing blocks in CCLP4, this is a great example of how to take a repetitive task and turn it into something that makes you feel like you're actually accomplishing something. Compare this to levels like #31 and #32 in this pack, which feature a tricky puzzle at the start, only for it to become mindless tedium for the remainder of the level once the solution is deduced. I really enjoy the difficulty "arc" in this one, which starts you off on some simple blocking challenges before giving you a blocking and ​redirection challenge toward the end. This looks tricky at first, but it's much simpler than it appears, which is always refreshing. The room 1 / room 2 connection at the very end is also a neat touch as well.
#28 (Jigsaw): Just going to throw this out there: I really love how the packs are randomly generated, but this is one instance where it would've been neat to see this level and its predecessor evaluated together as one entry. We've barely seen level duos like this in voting before, and certainly nothing that leverages an idea quite like these two levels do. Fantastic and very clever all around.
#38 (Ruby in the Rough): This was a nifty little challenge, but directing the teeth precisely into the bomb at the end was a tad on the rigid side. Fortunately, it's short and sweet, and still a lot of fun.
#39 (The Incredibly Safe Maze): I'm always on the lookout for levels that use invisible - completely invisible, that is - walls in a way that doesn't foist a bunch of trial and error on the player. CC1's STRIPES? did this fairly well, though there was still an element of "push everything to see how can you break through" to it. This level takes monsters and invisible walls and blends them together in a concoction that is simple but very satisfying to play. This is another level I wouldn't mind seeing in a "relief" position in the final set.
#45 (Spelunking): I'll give this one high marks for aesthetics, but it's got at least two rather mean tricks up its sleeve that fall into the "...really?" category.