To begin discussing the design choices we can start with the beginning of the level. At the start of the level you are presented with the end. Well that level was easy you are done you can see the end, but there is a glass wall blocking your path. I have seen a lot of portal levels recently start with a display of the finish in some way but it is blocked by something. This is a great to layout the levels overall goal. By starting near the end you are showing them the finish and they can work towards it knowing where it is.
The next part is where the level gets its name. When you place the cube on the button an elevator starts and you ride up to where is first puzzle starts. Now I love and hate this elevator at the same time. I love the fact that you are almost creating a cut scene like effect showing the puzzles that you will have to complete. It is a nice visual for the player and lets them see the entire level with one ride. I also hate this elevator as I found that it was too slow.
It was cool to see the level that you will have to complete but I also was stuck in an elevator and could not start on the puzzles. The duration between the time the level started and the time that I was on the first puzzle was too long and I found myself waiting at times for the level to truly start. I like the design aspect of the elevator and it was a unique and interesting concept. From a gameplay design perspective I do not like it as the player has to wait too long to actually start the level.
Once you were done waiting for the elevator to finish you can finally start the first puzzle room. I found that the beginning puzzle was a little too easy as it did not take me long at all to finish it in my mind. For a beginning puzzle it does fit as it is one of the easiest in the level and does fit as the starting.
You can see from the video that I quickly look at the level and see the solution. I have talked to other people about this level and they said that yes it did take them a bit to find the solution to the puzzle. In the grand scheme of the level I agree what this puzzle should be the first one.
The second puzzle on the other hand I found to be one of the hardest in the level. To solve the puzzle you have to be aware of a mechanic of portal that not a lot of people know about.
I know many people that have played this level that could not figure out that you can grab the cube from the other side of the wall. Now I did play a level prior to this that implied a mechanic like this so I was aware that it was a think but others could not figure out the puzzle. To introduce the game mechanic to the player you could have had demonstrated it to the player in a controlled environment. Once the player is introduced to the game mechanic, then the puzzle is fine.
On to the third puzzle and I have to say that I don’t think that this puzzle belongs in the level. I have just solved two puzzles that felt like good puzzle rooms, while the third puzzle feels like an entire level. The scale of the puzzle does not fit within the level as it feels like could act as a level on its own. The puzzle itself is interesting and not that difficult to solve it just take a lot of time to complete and here in lies another problem. I have completed tow puzzles and have gone for a while, now I have to complete a puzzle that feels like an entire level. I would have not put this puzzle in the level and instead would have made a smaller and more puzzle room like puzzle.
After you are done completing the level within a level you are put into a small puzzle that is not hard to solve at all. The puzzle might be there because there had to be some way to get back to the exit that was displayed at the beginning of the level. I did not get this problem but a friend of mine Jodo had a problem where the reflector cube was not there and he could not complete the level. He also did a review of this level where he discussed what happened to him check it out here. I don’t feel like the puzzle needs to be in the level and would remove it completely. I feel like the level was too long and after the third puzzle I felt like the level should have been over.
The Elevator is a promising level with some
good display of game mechanics. The first and second puzzles were great and set
a good pace for the level. The third puzzle was overwhelming in size in the
beginning but just takes some time to complete. The fourth puzzle for me should
be scraped as it did not have the same feel at the other puzzles. When you are
going up the elevator you are not told about this puzzle and I feel like it is unnecessary.
To improve the level I would introduce the second puzzle’s game mechanic in a
controlled environment so that players will not just get frustrated. I would
also take out the fourth puzzle completely as it does not feel like a part of
the level. I did not see it while I was going up the elevator so I also feel a
bit lied to as the level was displayed to me while I was on the elevator and
once I thought I was finished but there was one more puzzle that was not
challenging but time consuming.
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