Chihiro's Garden

[UmJammerSully]

Omigosh, you made "Whichever Way the Wind Blows"? I have to check this out then. Back with my thoughts later.

[ladylyn1]

Level mentioned on Weekly Level Roundup episode 2, you can see my thoughs there

Thanks very much! Really nice little write up too

I agree the glass does look a little out of place but it was more a need to get the player to see it than anything else

Thanks again for the mention its an honour

[midnight_heist]

Wow, ok here goes.

+ Looks nice.
+- Description of the level sounds interesting, but not explored enough imo.
- Camera moves too slow (or the landing platform is too short) on the drop down to the second checkpoint.
+- I like the foreground bamboo, but it obsures sackboy a little too much in places. For example before the final jump to the third checkpoint.
- Bamboo in the way again when preparing for the first jump onto the zipline.
- After the spiked bridge platforms rose up, I fell on the last jump (fell off last brick, something funky with the layers there), activated the checkpoint below, and had to restart the level because there was no reset.
+ Folded mallet mechanic and increasing difficulty as you progress up the ramps.
+ Glass bubble slides.
- Direction could be clearer here. See how you have the border type deal around the right and top left side? This needs to continue on the vertical left side as well.
- Spikes in the layers. Sackboy is never going to come in contact with the spikes in the layer behind. So what's the point? "Percieved danger" maybe? Even if this is the case, the difference between the two still needs to be clear visually.
- Poor layer switching when walking/running onto scoreboard.

Another case of style/visuals over substance/gameplay from the spotlight perhaps..
I played a few of your other levels yesterday, they seemed to have an X factor that this level didn't quite have.
Are my expectations too high? :/

[ladylyn1]

Wow, ok here goes.

+ Looks nice.
+- Description of the level sounds interesting, but not explored enough imo.
- Camera moves too slow (or the landing platform is too short) on the drop down to the second checkpoint.
+- I like the foreground bamboo, but it obsures sackboy a little too much in places. For example before the final jump to the third checkpoint.
- Bamboo in the way again when preparing for the first jump onto the zipline.
- After the spiked bridge platforms rose up, I fell on the last jump (fell off last brick, something funky with the layers there), activated the checkpoint below, and had to restart the level because there was no reset.
+ Folded mallet mechanic and increasing difficulty as you progress up the ramps.
+ Glass bubble slides.
- Direction could be clearer here. See how you have the border type deal around the right and top left side? This needs to continue on the vertical left side as well.
- Spikes in the layers. Sackboy is never going to come in contact with the spikes in the layer behind. So what's the point? "Percieved danger" maybe? Even if this is the case, the difference between the two still needs to be clear visually.
- Poor layer switching when walking/running onto scoreboard.

Another case of style/visuals over substance/gameplay from the spotlight perhaps..
I played a few of your other levels yesterday, they seemed to have an X factor that this level didn't quite have.
Are my expectations too high? :/

Thanks!

No I completely agree As I said in the description this was really just a case of me having started the level and realising I wouldn't be able to finish it fully before lbp2. I really just chucked an end on it and hoped for the best. I'd say pretty much all my other levels give the player something more than this one.

Tbh I was never expecting a spotlight, hence this not being an F4F thread.

[iBubek]

Ok, I finally played it, and really enjoyed it!
The darkness of the level really adds to the atmosphere, and makes the VR material stand out.
The moving platforms are also nice, and they remind a little of Lockstitchs levels...