03-Mar-2013, 1:53 AM
There are level sets that are simply meant to be repositories of levels, and then there are level sets that are proper games in themselves. Prior to the past several years, few of these types of custom CC sets existed, with the exception of DanielB1 and a few others. But with the surging popularity of Let's Plays on YouTube and the busy lives we all lead, the casual approach to playing CC is back with a vengeance, and it's quite refreshing after a period in which the CC community was heavily focused on dissecting MS CC's many bugs and squeezing out every last ounce of optimization potential. And, to top it all off, this set, which is designed for casual play, comes along. In a word: it's brilliant.
I've stated in various forum threads here on CCZone that part of the homogeneity that a player can really feel when playing through a set like CCLP3 is what one other chipster once described as "compressed cleverness." Everything's reduced to function, with every boot and key serving a specific purpose with little room for error. Here, this set completely demolishes that rigid design style, allowing the player to be free to explore each level and enjoy the variety throughout. The proceedings kick off with "A (Mostly) Simple Maze." The title certainly isn't kidding: not only is the maze easy, but it also offers multiple solutions! That's right: for once, we've got a maze that isn't an itemswapper in which every item must be substituted for another. You can pick a certain item or two and find your way to the exit with them. This is a wonderful touch that sets an inviting tone for the friendly challenges to come.
Some players may consider the next few levels, along with the first, to be this set's "tutorials." But unlike the typical custom CC set with an introductory phase, these tutorials aren't blatantly designated as such; in fact, they are proper levels in their own right. For instance, the introduction to toggle walls, "Chip's Checkers," is a straightforward maze in the style of CC1's "DoubleMaze," complete with the set's signature friendly tone - it's not big and overwhelming at all, and you don't even need all the chips. Some of these tutorial levels, such as the trap-centric "Returning the Favor" and the block-focused "Leave No Stone Unturned," present several applications of the featured game element without going overboard and save some of the more sophisticated applications for later challenges. Even the latter level has a hint reminding players that they don't need to worry about dying via hot block, which is normally a pitfall associated with tutorials involving blocks.
Not going overboard is pretty much the name of the game with respect to this level set. It's a wonderfully considerate gesture on the part of designer ajmiam, who knows exactly how far to take a concept when deciding how much of the map to fill up or how much to use a certain tile that could easily become an annoyance. It's an especially welcome touch that feeds into the set's fairly gentle difficulty curve. For example, the level "Repair the Maze," in which the player must open certain doors to reach chips in a maze entirely made out of doors, could have easily been extended toward the outer reaches of the map. It could have presented the player with only the amount of keys necessary to complete the level's objective. But ajmiam knows how to exercise restraint and contains the map to a reasonable size while providing the player with extra keys. It's a perfect example of being considerate of the player. Another example appears a few levels later in "Nitroglycerin," where fireballs must be released from traps to blow up bombs and open up new sections of the level. If this sounds like a CCLP3 level that requires the player to be calculating with what chips he collects out of fear of sending the fireball in the wrong direction, fear not - this level is a simple maze with a simple gimmick of opening up new sections of the maze in a non-key-and-door fashion. That's refreshing.
Aesthetically, this set is a triumph. I've tried to advocate level design that are fun to walk around in and explore. Some levels feature what many custom CC levels have been sorely lacking: open space! Just play levels like "Corral" or "Courage" to see what I mean. But even more than that, much of the fun of playing the original CC was wondering what was around that next corner. That sense of wonder is captured in many levels here. Perhaps the most obvious and well-executed example is the fantastic "Mining for Gold Keys." This level isn't trivially easy or ridiculously hard at all; it's a maze first and foremost, and the challenge of finding keys under blocks is very well-handled. A less-experienced designer would have either offered options that led to cheap deaths or reduced everything to function by placing blocks only where keys needed to be picked up. Neither of these design mistakes are made here, as there are plenty of blocks that have no purpose at all and can't even be pushed. It's a beautiful decorative touch that enhances the experience beyond what the level would have been if there was no gravel or mining theme in the title whatsoever.
Pit of 100 Tiles also ventures into creative territory with game elements that have been used to annoying extent in levels past, such as blue and invisible walls. One of my favorite levels, "Secret Passages," incorporates both in a clever way that removes the irritation while replacing it with the anticipation of what lies ahead. There are other clever uses of familiar game mechanics, such as the sound of button presses. Several levels in this set use the "popping" or "click" sound as a warning when something's about to happen, and thankfully, considerate hints are provided so the player knows exactly what to expect.
Finally, the set spends its last stretch with a collection of tough dodging and campaign levels (mixed in with a few easier, friendly entries). The campaign levels are especially wonderful and a masterclass in creating a fun "flow" for the player while resisting the temptation to place needless opportunities for failure. Both of those elements make for excellent long, linear levels, like "Automatic (Caution) Doors." Everything feels so intuitive and easy to understand, and for such a long level, that peace of mind while playing is certainly refreshing and desperately needed in more CC levels. The final mental challenge, "Rube Goldberg," is a brilliant send-up and response to the deviously challenging "You Can't Teach an Old Frog New Tricks" from CCLP3. But unlike that level, ajmiam's version allows for exploration before anything of consequence is done, and the final solution is very satisfying to execute. The other gigantic challenge is the diabolical "I Wanna Be the Bit Buster," which isn't quite as fun to play but is still enormously rewarding to complete.
Overall, this set hits all the right notes. There's only a few levels that aren't all that spectacular (like "Cross-Eyed") and a couple that are a bit annoying ("Laser Refraction" had me frustrated with its constant fireball cloning), but the pros far outweigh the cons here. This is CC level design at its finest.
(9.5 out of 10)
I've stated in various forum threads here on CCZone that part of the homogeneity that a player can really feel when playing through a set like CCLP3 is what one other chipster once described as "compressed cleverness." Everything's reduced to function, with every boot and key serving a specific purpose with little room for error. Here, this set completely demolishes that rigid design style, allowing the player to be free to explore each level and enjoy the variety throughout. The proceedings kick off with "A (Mostly) Simple Maze." The title certainly isn't kidding: not only is the maze easy, but it also offers multiple solutions! That's right: for once, we've got a maze that isn't an itemswapper in which every item must be substituted for another. You can pick a certain item or two and find your way to the exit with them. This is a wonderful touch that sets an inviting tone for the friendly challenges to come.
Some players may consider the next few levels, along with the first, to be this set's "tutorials." But unlike the typical custom CC set with an introductory phase, these tutorials aren't blatantly designated as such; in fact, they are proper levels in their own right. For instance, the introduction to toggle walls, "Chip's Checkers," is a straightforward maze in the style of CC1's "DoubleMaze," complete with the set's signature friendly tone - it's not big and overwhelming at all, and you don't even need all the chips. Some of these tutorial levels, such as the trap-centric "Returning the Favor" and the block-focused "Leave No Stone Unturned," present several applications of the featured game element without going overboard and save some of the more sophisticated applications for later challenges. Even the latter level has a hint reminding players that they don't need to worry about dying via hot block, which is normally a pitfall associated with tutorials involving blocks.
Not going overboard is pretty much the name of the game with respect to this level set. It's a wonderfully considerate gesture on the part of designer ajmiam, who knows exactly how far to take a concept when deciding how much of the map to fill up or how much to use a certain tile that could easily become an annoyance. It's an especially welcome touch that feeds into the set's fairly gentle difficulty curve. For example, the level "Repair the Maze," in which the player must open certain doors to reach chips in a maze entirely made out of doors, could have easily been extended toward the outer reaches of the map. It could have presented the player with only the amount of keys necessary to complete the level's objective. But ajmiam knows how to exercise restraint and contains the map to a reasonable size while providing the player with extra keys. It's a perfect example of being considerate of the player. Another example appears a few levels later in "Nitroglycerin," where fireballs must be released from traps to blow up bombs and open up new sections of the level. If this sounds like a CCLP3 level that requires the player to be calculating with what chips he collects out of fear of sending the fireball in the wrong direction, fear not - this level is a simple maze with a simple gimmick of opening up new sections of the maze in a non-key-and-door fashion. That's refreshing.
Aesthetically, this set is a triumph. I've tried to advocate level design that are fun to walk around in and explore. Some levels feature what many custom CC levels have been sorely lacking: open space! Just play levels like "Corral" or "Courage" to see what I mean. But even more than that, much of the fun of playing the original CC was wondering what was around that next corner. That sense of wonder is captured in many levels here. Perhaps the most obvious and well-executed example is the fantastic "Mining for Gold Keys." This level isn't trivially easy or ridiculously hard at all; it's a maze first and foremost, and the challenge of finding keys under blocks is very well-handled. A less-experienced designer would have either offered options that led to cheap deaths or reduced everything to function by placing blocks only where keys needed to be picked up. Neither of these design mistakes are made here, as there are plenty of blocks that have no purpose at all and can't even be pushed. It's a beautiful decorative touch that enhances the experience beyond what the level would have been if there was no gravel or mining theme in the title whatsoever.
Pit of 100 Tiles also ventures into creative territory with game elements that have been used to annoying extent in levels past, such as blue and invisible walls. One of my favorite levels, "Secret Passages," incorporates both in a clever way that removes the irritation while replacing it with the anticipation of what lies ahead. There are other clever uses of familiar game mechanics, such as the sound of button presses. Several levels in this set use the "popping" or "click" sound as a warning when something's about to happen, and thankfully, considerate hints are provided so the player knows exactly what to expect.
Finally, the set spends its last stretch with a collection of tough dodging and campaign levels (mixed in with a few easier, friendly entries). The campaign levels are especially wonderful and a masterclass in creating a fun "flow" for the player while resisting the temptation to place needless opportunities for failure. Both of those elements make for excellent long, linear levels, like "Automatic (Caution) Doors." Everything feels so intuitive and easy to understand, and for such a long level, that peace of mind while playing is certainly refreshing and desperately needed in more CC levels. The final mental challenge, "Rube Goldberg," is a brilliant send-up and response to the deviously challenging "You Can't Teach an Old Frog New Tricks" from CCLP3. But unlike that level, ajmiam's version allows for exploration before anything of consequence is done, and the final solution is very satisfying to execute. The other gigantic challenge is the diabolical "I Wanna Be the Bit Buster," which isn't quite as fun to play but is still enormously rewarding to complete.
Overall, this set hits all the right notes. There's only a few levels that aren't all that spectacular (like "Cross-Eyed") and a couple that are a bit annoying ("Laser Refraction" had me frustrated with its constant fireball cloning), but the pros far outweigh the cons here. This is CC level design at its finest.
(9.5 out of 10)