10-Sep-2016, 5:14 PM
This pack had quite a few levels I enjoyed, especially in bunches. It's definitely one of my favorites in voting so far.
#1 (Quadruple Check): In some respects, I wish levels like this stuck with the most memorable content when they're juxtaposed with rather forgettable material. This one has a rather familiar multi-layer elemental maze at the beginning, but then it launches into a multi-layered section that's unlike anything I've seen in any level, with lots of interesting "machinery" that requires some care to decipher. There were multiple occasions when I had to go, "Oh, so that's when I had to go through there / use that button / etc.," but then that required going through the beginning yet again - after failing there a few times to start with.
#4 (An Exit Too Far): I really like how this level didn't succumb to the "TRUST ME" pitfall of including patently obvious content - of the "hey, you need to go through here to advance!" or "this is obviously a red herring" or "here's where you exit" varieties. The red herrings here are quite extensive, with the actual solution obfuscated in a way that isn't exactly obvious if you're playing blind. It avoids being lengthy enough that replays don't feel like grunt work, which is always welcome. Overall, I enjoyed this and wouldn't mind seeing it in CCLP4.
#13 (Collection): I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but I'd love to see this as an early introductory level. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it does a great job reintroducing players to the game and getting them comfortable walking around in its open spaces that still allow you to gauge distance and speed by looking at the wall formations.
#23 (Roy G. Biv): There is not another level out there with this concept. Even if there were, it would be hard-pressed to exceed the quality of this level's implementation of it. There are a lot of levels with a design that hinges on color, but this one steers everything in a completely different direction. Keeping up with where on the color spectrum you are with respect to the monsters you encounter, keys you collect, and buttons you're pressing is a fun challenge. The icing on the cake has to be the chip "vault" in the upper area. There's just something incredibly fun and satisfying about collecting a load of chips after putting your brain to work.
#24 (Time for a Swim): The gliders in this level are rather annoying and felt unnecessary. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot here this level brought to the table that was new - though the tank / toggle mechanism was rather cool.
#31 (Stuck in Emerald): One thing that helps a level stand out for me is a subversion of expectations. This level is small, simple, and looks rather homogenous upon first glance - and then when you actually play it, you find out each section of the "emerald" plays differently. First, you have to negotiate some nails with the green doors in the upper left. Then, you move on to some simple chip collecting...until you discover that you have to navigate around some hidden walls. The next section uses the force floors to interesting effect so that you have to figure out where to enter to get the chips. Finally, you activate the toggle doors and get the suction boots. It's a nifty level that would be right at home in early CCLP4.
#33 (Outside the Box): There's usually one level in each pack that ends up being far more trouble than I expected, and this one was it for Souvenir. I'm still not sure if my solution was the intended one, but my juggling of the monsters involved far more block-pushing and clever "herding" than felt necessary. Even the challenge of just getting the fireball out of its room in the lower right corner felt more complicated and rigid than it needed to be, which was only compounded by having to avoid the fireball while studying the room. It's a well-designed level in many respects, but I didn't find it very fun.
#35 (Plastic Combustion): This level will more than likely draw some comparisons to the devious PUSH-UP MAZE from CC2, but unlike that level, this one doesn't contain hidden information that affects your route. I personally enjoyed this, particularly the block and teeth sections, and wouldn't mind seeing it or a level like it in a CC1 official set.
#36 (Tool Shed): I could totally see this as another early CCLP4 inclusion. This level is fairly simple, but it's effective at training players to observe their surroundings. The hint tells you everything you need to know, then it's up to you to figure out what rooms require the least amount of items so you can get your start - all while trying to nail down what item isn't necessary. Very fun and enjoyable.
#37 (Stratagem): Yet another solid potential early-tier entry for CCLP4. We've seen this kind of toggling magic in other levels like Dig for Fire, but I think this level distills it down into a neat puzzle that does a fantastic job of throwing you for a loop before you discover its secret. Don't let the small size fool you!
#40 (Coral Reef): Another level with fantastic theming. This one is brilliant at taking a simple idea that hasn't quite gotten its due in a CCLP - "underwater blocks" - and crafting a cool but not overwhelming series of puzzles with it. The glider dodging at the end is manageable, though the southwest section is a bit tight, but it's not enough to lower my rating.
#46 (The Luck of the Irish): I have to wonder if the designer of this level was trying to go for a wide-open teeth melee level. Either way, you can totally avoid the teeth until the last few chips and just make a simple dash for the exit - nothing terribly crazy.
#50 (Taking Coins Out of a Bottle): My "time" on this level in Tile World is [373], which should tell you about how long this takes - and that's after getting the first part down fairly quickly. I love the idea here, but it feels more suited for a game where you can see the effects of what you're doing as you're doing it. In CC, it's just tedious.
#1 (Quadruple Check): In some respects, I wish levels like this stuck with the most memorable content when they're juxtaposed with rather forgettable material. This one has a rather familiar multi-layer elemental maze at the beginning, but then it launches into a multi-layered section that's unlike anything I've seen in any level, with lots of interesting "machinery" that requires some care to decipher. There were multiple occasions when I had to go, "Oh, so that's when I had to go through there / use that button / etc.," but then that required going through the beginning yet again - after failing there a few times to start with.
#4 (An Exit Too Far): I really like how this level didn't succumb to the "TRUST ME" pitfall of including patently obvious content - of the "hey, you need to go through here to advance!" or "this is obviously a red herring" or "here's where you exit" varieties. The red herrings here are quite extensive, with the actual solution obfuscated in a way that isn't exactly obvious if you're playing blind. It avoids being lengthy enough that replays don't feel like grunt work, which is always welcome. Overall, I enjoyed this and wouldn't mind seeing it in CCLP4.
#13 (Collection): I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but I'd love to see this as an early introductory level. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it does a great job reintroducing players to the game and getting them comfortable walking around in its open spaces that still allow you to gauge distance and speed by looking at the wall formations.
#23 (Roy G. Biv): There is not another level out there with this concept. Even if there were, it would be hard-pressed to exceed the quality of this level's implementation of it. There are a lot of levels with a design that hinges on color, but this one steers everything in a completely different direction. Keeping up with where on the color spectrum you are with respect to the monsters you encounter, keys you collect, and buttons you're pressing is a fun challenge. The icing on the cake has to be the chip "vault" in the upper area. There's just something incredibly fun and satisfying about collecting a load of chips after putting your brain to work.
#24 (Time for a Swim): The gliders in this level are rather annoying and felt unnecessary. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot here this level brought to the table that was new - though the tank / toggle mechanism was rather cool.
#31 (Stuck in Emerald): One thing that helps a level stand out for me is a subversion of expectations. This level is small, simple, and looks rather homogenous upon first glance - and then when you actually play it, you find out each section of the "emerald" plays differently. First, you have to negotiate some nails with the green doors in the upper left. Then, you move on to some simple chip collecting...until you discover that you have to navigate around some hidden walls. The next section uses the force floors to interesting effect so that you have to figure out where to enter to get the chips. Finally, you activate the toggle doors and get the suction boots. It's a nifty level that would be right at home in early CCLP4.
#33 (Outside the Box): There's usually one level in each pack that ends up being far more trouble than I expected, and this one was it for Souvenir. I'm still not sure if my solution was the intended one, but my juggling of the monsters involved far more block-pushing and clever "herding" than felt necessary. Even the challenge of just getting the fireball out of its room in the lower right corner felt more complicated and rigid than it needed to be, which was only compounded by having to avoid the fireball while studying the room. It's a well-designed level in many respects, but I didn't find it very fun.
#35 (Plastic Combustion): This level will more than likely draw some comparisons to the devious PUSH-UP MAZE from CC2, but unlike that level, this one doesn't contain hidden information that affects your route. I personally enjoyed this, particularly the block and teeth sections, and wouldn't mind seeing it or a level like it in a CC1 official set.
#36 (Tool Shed): I could totally see this as another early CCLP4 inclusion. This level is fairly simple, but it's effective at training players to observe their surroundings. The hint tells you everything you need to know, then it's up to you to figure out what rooms require the least amount of items so you can get your start - all while trying to nail down what item isn't necessary. Very fun and enjoyable.
#37 (Stratagem): Yet another solid potential early-tier entry for CCLP4. We've seen this kind of toggling magic in other levels like Dig for Fire, but I think this level distills it down into a neat puzzle that does a fantastic job of throwing you for a loop before you discover its secret. Don't let the small size fool you!
#40 (Coral Reef): Another level with fantastic theming. This one is brilliant at taking a simple idea that hasn't quite gotten its due in a CCLP - "underwater blocks" - and crafting a cool but not overwhelming series of puzzles with it. The glider dodging at the end is manageable, though the southwest section is a bit tight, but it's not enough to lower my rating.
#46 (The Luck of the Irish): I have to wonder if the designer of this level was trying to go for a wide-open teeth melee level. Either way, you can totally avoid the teeth until the last few chips and just make a simple dash for the exit - nothing terribly crazy.
#50 (Taking Coins Out of a Bottle): My "time" on this level in Tile World is [373], which should tell you about how long this takes - and that's after getting the first part down fairly quickly. I love the idea here, but it feels more suited for a game where you can see the effects of what you're doing as you're doing it. In CC, it's just tedious.