jEpiik's (Not-So) Wonderful Review Factory!

jEpiik's (Not-So) Wonderful Review Factory!

CLOSED UNTIL I BUY A NEW PS3!!

--
UPDATE: Effective 2/8/11
Hey guys, I'm sorry if I don't review your level right away, but I'm currently busy up to my neck with school and sports. I'll come back to this thread every Friday - Sunday and review your levels any one of those days. Sorry for any inconveniences this may cause!
--
UPDATE: Effective 3/3/11
PS3 bricked today... D: Very angry, have to get a new one. No reviews until further notice. Should be getting a new one soon though. I apologize for not posting this sooner, LBP2 was basically the only game I played, and now I have nothing to do at home, so once track season ends, I'll return!
--

Congratulations!
You have clicked this thread! YAY! Now here, have some wonderful cake!
All kidding aside, welcome. For a limited time only (about two weeks unless convinced otherwise), I will be actively reviewing levels. Please note that I will critically review your level(s). I will point out faults that I see and provide a personal opinion on how to improve your level(s). PLEASE post levels that you have put effort into, I would hate to rate your levels one or two stars, but I will do so if I believe you're level needs work. I will rate your levels on a "first come, first serve" basis. I will play any kind of level, and base my review on the following general criteria:

• Gameplay
• Presentation
• Originality
• Atmosphere
• Pace

Each section will receive one different star:

One :star:: Level is poorly built, and needs major improvements. Level meets only one, if any, of the above mentioned criteria. I will reserve this rating for levels that I truly believe the author put no effort into.
Two :star:: Level needs much tweaking and polishing. Level meets two of the above criteria.
Three :star:: Level is average. Level meets three of the above criteria.
Four :star:: Level is above average. Level meets four of the above criteria, yet needs minor tweaking to receive five stars.
Five :star:: Level is near perfect. Level meets all five of the above criteria. Note that I will only give this rating to levels that I truly believe deserve this rating.

Levels with 1-2 stars will receive a "Boo!" Levels with 3-5 stars will receive a "Yay!" Levels with 5 stars will also receive a heart from me.

Note I will review music, versus and movie levels based on a slightly different criteria. If you are posting bomb, shark, train, zombie, robot, etc. survival levels, make sure that you implement interesting and creative new ways into the gameplay, otherwise you can expect to receive a low rating, and a "Boo!" on your level. Please do not post copied levels. If you are unsatisfied with my review, feel free to make improvements to your level and re-submit it.

When posting your levels below, please mention the following:

• Author
• Level Name
• Level Type

I hope to play some very good levels out there, so go ahead... Post your levels!

Hi jEpiik :), would you review my 2 pyramids? I let you know they are made for skill and smart players. If you are looking for a long various puzzler you will like those pyramids. If you are looking for a small/medium size level with fast action and nice graphic that mean my pyramids are not for you. Try them anyway: LITTLE BIG PYRAMID: TEMPLE OF TUTANKHAMUN (COMPLEX PUZZLER) and LITTLE BIG PYRAMID 2: SECRET OF CLEOPATRA (COMPLEX PUZZLER). My PSN: GILUPL, thank you ;).

[LBP]LITTLE BIG PYRAMID:
TEMPLE OF TUTANKHAMUN (COMPLEX PUZZLER)
GILUPL

(For some reason, LBP.me tags wont work?)

This level was long, and so in order to save time, I will review this level only. Note that I played the level in LBP2, and so things that I point out such as lighting may be affected by the game engine itself. It may look good on LBP, but it needs a bit of tweaking on LBP2. Since the level is a puzzle, I will review it as such.

Gameplay::star:
(EDIT) This time I popped in my LBP disc and was able to finish your level on it! I could not see the cobra in LBP2, again due to lighting, however, this time I was able to pass it with no problems. This time the level looked WAY better. The horrible gas didn't look bad in the beginning (you'll see what I mean when you play it on LBP2!) Also, the lighting was clearer and so I thoroughly enjoyed the level. I recommend redoing the lighting when you get your copy of LBP2.

Presentation::star:
The level lacks detail in some places, but that's understandable given the length of the level. You sacrificed eye candy for length, but in a puzzler, you don't necessarily need detail, unless it's a short level.

Originality::star:
You're basically trying to find the treasure of King Tut, making your way through varied types of puzzles and such. I do not see many puzzlers in general, and very few of those few are pyramid-based ones.

Atmosphere:
The level, in LBP2 anyway, was kind of dark. When going up or down stairs or passages for example, I could hardly see my sackboy at times, and that presented an unnecessary challenge. The theme is "pyramids," and yet I saw pirate treasure chests in the level. It shouldn't be too hard to make a custom treasure box that fits the theme. (;

Pace::star:
I always appreciate long levels in LBP, if done right. This level is a puzzler, and so, SHOULD be long. It took me about 20 minutes to get to chapter 17 without cheating, however, some players may not appreciate the pace as much as I do.

Overall:
:star::star::star::star:

(EDIT) From now on I will review LBP levels on LBP, seeing how big of a difference the games look in the two different games.

Thanks for the review and your time what you spend to play my level. This level was made in LBP and should be played in LBP, you see I didn't get my copy of LBP2 yet so I don't know how this pyramid look when you are playing in LBP2. The 17 chapter: speedy boxes is very easy, as you can see there is cobra head sticker on top and tureen sticker on the bottom, then you have two stickers (parts) of cobra on middle. That's very simple puzzle, why you had a problem? You have to stop those speedy boxes on middle so when you do that you can see "full" cobra what is inside that tureen. Blue and yellow stickers just show you what lever is for which box, that's it. Read every info and think little bit, in chapter 2: fatal buttons you have to walk on colorful switches same like colorful pictures of animals on the top, in chapter 5: three trophies you have to write word (3 options: gold, silver and bronze), in chapter 7: silent sounds you have to put circles with pictures to pockets with sounds (for example: where you can hear fire you have to put circle with sticker of fire), in chapter 14: reflections lights you have to set up green and red lights, in chapter 18: deadly tombs you must think "logic" because "logic" will kill you (I mean when you see sticker of animal, animal, tree and animal then you know that tree is not right and you have to walk there). Every puzzle have hint where is red X sticker, they are helpful, only puzzle in chapter 9 and 17 don't have hint because they are very easy, in chapter 9: twisted structures you have to walk by using three plans and in chapter 17: speedy boxes you have to "fix" the cobra. I'm sad that you couldn't finish my level but like I said I created my pyramids for older smart players. Anyway you didn't see the best chapter in this level, I mean chapter 19: mummy chase (mummy which is running and trying catch you). Just let you know that 2nd part of pyramid is better and have new unique puzzles and more various gameplay, also there are better bosses. Hmm, I can see those pyramids are probably not your favorite style levels but it doesn't mean they are worth 3 stars, I don't think so. People are rating my pyramids from 1 to 5 stars, most people who finished them whole they rated those pyramids 4 or 5 stars. Who can't finish them he will never appreciate my hard work, some players can't get even to half way but what can I do? I don't want to make those levels easier by writing do this, do that, go there, walk this way, put red circle to red pocket (standard puzzle in the most levels). My pyramids are COMPLEX PUZZLER for skill and smart players.
Updated: ok sorry my bad, that chapter 17 was confusing, few more players had problem to solve it, I've add hint there so now souldn't be problem. Still thinking that 3 stars for this level is not enough because this pyramid is full of various gameplay. That took a lot of work, will you give this level one more chance? You can use emergency switches to get there faster. Thank you.

@GILUPL:

Played the level on my LBP disc, and gave you a new score. Go check it out! (;

Thank you very much jEpiik, if anything else should be changed in my pyramid just let me know, is there any other puzzle what should be better explained? Would you play my 2nd pyramid too? People usually like 2nd part more, it is better but it is also little bit darker so I don't know won't be too dark in LBP2. I will get my copy this week anyway. If you like mini games please check my BEST CREATED CONNECT FOUR, that will take you only few minutes and it is really good, probably best connect four ever. I've checked them all. Thanks

[LBP]Industrial Caverns: Part 1
john82wa

Gameplay::star:
In "Industrial Caverns: Part 1" you start off inside some sort of cave. You get stuck down there because the little elevator that brought you down there can't bring you back up (lol). While you're down there, you start exploring the caves while solving puzzles to advance forward. Near the end, you start to feel that something isn't quite right, but this isn't explored further, and the level ends before you find out what's going on.

Presentation::star:
The level looks good, for the most part, but since the level wasn't that long, you could have put more detail into the level. However, the level is balanced out; no one part looks visually superior to another, and so I'll give you this star. (:

Originality:
Unfortunately, the trapped-in-cave topic has been used to death throughout LBP's lifetime, so this level lacks originality. Also, I think you should have explored your story even further, building up what you already have. The player starts off confused as to why he's down there exploring a cave in the first place. You explained it in the description, but if you would have had a stronger story, I think the level would have played out much better.

Atmosphere::star:
The entire time I played the level, I believed that I was inside a dark creepy abandoned cave. The use of lighting is done just right; it was dark enough to set the mood, yet the lighting was placed strategically so that the player can see where he's going.

Pace: :star:
I personally think the level should have been longer, and you should have implemented your story more throughly, but since the level is part of a series, I guess you can get away with the length of the level. It didn't take me too long to beat the level, about 10 minutes or so, so casual players will enjoy your level.

Overall:
:star::star::star::star:

I look forward to seeing what you come up with in the second part. I expect to see large improvements story-wise, and throw in something original into the mix, like maybe you stumble upon a secret underground city or something. Cheers. (:

Author: jamodawg97
Level Name: Light People On Fire *UPDATED*
Level type: Ummm... Pyro?

This is a short 'n sweet fun little time waster that I am quite proud of.
http://lbp.me/v/wt-c2n

Author: jamodawg97
Level Name: SystemFighter (DEMO)
Level type: Other/Shooter

This is a demo for a game I am working on.
Remember! This is a demo, and you should review it as such.
http://lbp.me/v/w3h5-5

Can you review my level Alive 4 ever zombots revenge? Theres two alive 4 ever levels but Review Alive 4 ever zombots revenge. It is a zombie survival but it has a main menu with a in progress tutorial which explains how to open doors. It say the level is versus but its not.

Hey, if you're still doing this I'd quite like to see a review of a level that I devoted a lot of time into.

http://lbp.me/v/w3kgx4

There's the link to it. PSN: JonnysToyRobot and the level name is A Short Story if it doesn't work properly.
Level Type: Just your standard jump and go with emphasis on atmosphere/ visual presentation.

Chars (:

name:dogcity999
name: Halo (yes I know, very noobish, just needed something for practice)
type:shooter...

I hope you're still doing this, your reviews look great.

Author: BrnxBlze
Level Name: A Helping Hand...err...Cursor!
Level Type: Co-op

Link to the thread and LBP.me is in my sig

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been reviewing your levels, but they will be post up shortly. I've been really busy in real life as I had to do projects for my Anatomy and History classes. Not to mention Track and Field season just started, so I've had quite a handful to deal with, but I'll try and keep up with you guys as much as possible. (:

[LBP2]Light People On Fire
jamodawg97

Now, this level isn't really a level per-se, more like a little game-you-play-when-bored type of level. Therefore, it would be difficult to rate it as a regular level. Basically, you start off the level with a HUGE note that takes up half the screen. It tells you the amount of points that you receive for burning different types of sackbots. You receive 200 points for burning regular people, 500 points for burning Superman, and 1000 points for burning special blue sackbots. Oh, and you lose 1000 points for burning a meanie that spawns every now and then. You can toggle on/off being on fire by pressing Triangle, and the sackbots respond to you differently depending on whether you're on fire or not (on = sackbots flee you, off = sackbots ignore you). Of course, the meanie is an exception, as he'll follow you regardless of what mode you're in.

The level isn't anything special, just a fun way to pass time and have some laughs with your mates. (:

--

[LBP2]SystemFighter (DEMO)
jamodawg97

Again, this is not a full level, so I'll review it as a concept. I believe you're piloting some sort of strange ship, yeah? Anyways, the"ship" is shaped in a circular fashion, and is followed by smaller circles. I'm not sure how or even if these smaller circles will implement themselves into the full level, but for now, they just seem a bit awkward following the "ship." I thought the designs on the enemies were splendid, and I'm pretty sure you're going to go with an 8-bit theme on the full level. With that said, I think the "ship" could have been as good as the enemies if not better. Play around with some designs, you'll think of something. Besides that, there's no real point to the level. You fly around collecting custom bubbles for points, and have the option to release the enemies if you'd like. Suggestion: when you finish the final product, add a story or some sort of reason to the level, so it's not another pointless space shooter. I look forward to seeing what you come up with! (:

[LBP2]Contamination Domination V.4.0
DesignedJ

So, I wasn't sure if you changed the name, so I reviewed the zombie versus level. No then. zombot level... Okay, now, I had a couple of issues with this level, but I'm not here to trash, I'm here to criticize and provide helpful insight into what I think you can do to fix these issues. Now then... Let's get this review started. (:

Gameplay::star:
You're title menu is nifty, I must say. I like that you have a weapons menu and all, but I didn't like that I was subjected to only using that weapon and a paintinator. It's a nice little feature, but I would have preferred in game. Now, what I mean by this is that I think the player should be able to choose a weapon at the start, like in your start menu for example. Since the game revolves around a point system to open gigantic red dissolve blocks, you could have implemented that into that same system into buying weapons and ammo. Kind of like the system in CoD: BO? If not, then at least have a wider selection of weapons in the start menu. Also, when I clicked on Tutorial, I couldn't skip it, and when it was finally done, I couldn't go back to the Start Menu. It shouldn't be too hard to be able to click Circle to go back. (;

Presentation::star:
The first zombot level I've played in LBP2. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I haven't played any others, so I didn't know what to expect when I played the level. However, for the type of level that it was, I think there should have been more options gameplay-wise, like a plot at least. You're kind of just thrown into the level. The player doesn't have a purpose, just mindlessly shoot zombots. I'll give this to you though, because I'm feeling generous today.

Originality:
Unfortunately, this is just one of those levels that you know people are going to be spamming, therefor, it loses a star on the originality.

Atmosphere::star:
The level looked okay, not great, but just enough for me to give you a star. The use of lighting could have been better, being a zombie survival level and all, it could have been dark enough to evoke a sense of fear, but light enough so that the player could see. The big red "doors" weren't really helping either, and the rooms looked just a tad bit bigger than they should be. But at least it wasn't a big horizontal grass area!

Pace:
Now, the level was kind of boring to tell you the truth. I played with both the shotgun and the machine gun, and I found the shotgun to be more devastating. I just stood there in a corner with the shotgun, and repelled the zombots. Whenever I ran out of bullets, I just went back and refueled. I was not punished at all for running out, and I could waste as many bullets as I could. Whenever there were more than 25 zombots at the screen, the framerate dropped significantly. It got a bit tedious after a while, and when I died it was because I just got bored.

Overall:
:star::star::star:

Now, three stars isn't bad, and I don't know why everyone always sees it as a bad thing when receiving three stars. It's average, and that just means that your level needs some work. It wasn't bad for my first zombot level, but it wasn't the greatest either.

[LBP2]A Short Story
JonnysToyRobot

Gameplay::star:
This level was beautifully made. The level plays as a silhouette and has some platforming integrated into it. The gameplay is linear, and it has a very calming mood to it. There weren't many obstacles, so there really wasn't a sense of real accomplishment or danger. I don't believe I died a single time, but this level wasn't meant to be challenging, just something to play with to relax.

Presentation::star:
The level looked very good, considering it was a silhouette. However, there is no sense of story in the level, making the player wonder what is going on. I can't quite understand what the purpose of the sackbot that disappears is supposed to be. Is it your sub conscience?

Originality::star:
Don't see many of these levels around, and it was beautifully made, so I must congratulate you, sir. Very well done.

Atmosphere::star:
The music worked perfectly for this kind of level. Without it, I'm not sure I'd enjoy the level as much as I did! But again, the player doesn't know what he's trying to achieve, so it almost goes to waste. You feel calm and relaxed... But why?

Pace:
This is my biggest problem with the level. It was too dang short! It's supposed to be a journey through your dreams, and it only took me about five minutes to beat! Make the level longer, and add an ingame story, and you're golden.

Overall:
:star::star::star::star:

Very much enjoyed the level, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to feel relaxed. I didn't really know what else to write, given the length of the level, so apologies for that!

[LBP2]Halo
dogcity999

I'm taking this level as more of a "play-for-lulz" level than an actual level, due to many reasons. The level seemed more of a paintball red vs. blue type of level than a level with any real depth, but I'm not sure that you were really trying to make it so. The Warthog looked excellent. Although the driving controls were a bit strange, especially since moving the machine gun used the same joystick as the driving, but it didn't bother me too bad. The covenant Ghosts lacked detail in any way. They were just rectangles with a circular front. Lol. The Covenant didn't really look like aliens, and the marines looked like Cole, from inFamous. It was a fun time waster, but I think that's what you intended the level to be. (:

[LBP2]A Helping Hand... err... Cursor!
BrnxBlze

Gameplay::star:
2 PLAYERS ONLY! Thankfully, one of my mates was in the room with me, and luckily, I have two controllers when strangers do decide to come into my house. First of, sweet concept! I'm not quite sure yet how the cursor works, but it provides a very dynamic gameplay element. My friend and I had a nice amount of laughs playing this, I killed him a couple of times on "accident," so we had a really good time playing this. The puzzles were unique to only two players, so there's absolutely no way you can play by yourself. But what I REALLY liked about it, this is exactly what I think the MOVE Pack will be like, so I say bullocks to you Mr. MOVE! This concept eliminates the need to even own a MOVE controller for LBP2, and is why I love this level so much.

Presentation::star:
There is no story, but for this level, there is no need for one. The level is a platformer... with a slight tweaking to it. (;
You start of with instructions of what to do, given a pat on the back, and are told good luck. I beat my friend to the cursor, so I was able to control it, and I had a blast doing it,

Originality::star:
This for sure deserves a star. I don't think I'll come across another one of these levels for a while, at least not until the MOVE Pack comes out, but that's okay, because that makes this level more special!

Atmosphere::star:
I didn't pay enough attention to the detail of the level due to the amount of lulz occurring in my room, but it looked good. The mix of wood in the background with the white steel was strange, but it worked out. The mood was very fun, and I had a lot of it during gameplay.

Pace::star:
I think the pacing was just right. It wasn't too long, and it wasn't too short. I think you stopped when either you ran out of ideas, or your thermo maxed out, but I'm leaning towards the latter.

Overall:
:star::star::star::star::star: & <3

Outstanding job. Very original, fun, and diverse. Definitely deserves five stars, and a heart. (:

Thanks for the review i do need feedback. But you should know that i just added the new weapons selector so there should be more later on and the framerate drop i cant fix that. The only way i could is to reduce the zombies. I do notice the guns arent balanced which i will fix and i do have to make the machine gun more accurate. There was gonna be a story but i thought most zombie survivals on lbp dont have a story. But there is a film coming out telling the story of the zombies. Im not bashing on you if you think thats what im doing im just saying.

Thanks a lot for the great review! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Hopefully everyone's enjoying it as much as you did!

Thanks a lot man, there are some major updates to come that will add some more to the ending.

As far as the story itself goes, I let people take from it what they will. I'm a huge fan of stories that are told without any words or cutscenes, though it doesn't seem to have entirely worked with you I've spoken to someone who it has and the effect was stronger than I thought it would be. It's probably not obvious enough then if not everyone gets it, I'm used to reading into things and of course that's not the norm.

Again, thanks for the review. Made me aware of a lot of things I hadn't noticed (:

I would really appreciate a review on my newest / first LBP2 level.

PSN: Ham_salad
Title: Zompocolypse: Life After Z-Day.
Link: http://lbp.me/v/xdb8kq
LBPC Level Thread: http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/sho...fe-After-Z-Day

If you wouldn't mind posting the review in my thread that would be great, otherwise I could just copy it myself.

http://lbp.me/v/x73d0t
Darkness Strikes Intro
by InfinitiMinded
This is a thriller I've worked really hard on. Be as Harsh as possible. Thanks for your time.

could you please review my newish level, fiore? i would appreciate it alot :3