Level: Alacrit
Creator: TheAlmightyWave (
Wav )
ID: 45111908
Song: Alacrit (Original Mix) by KaixoMusic
Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0sS92W1jIEGameplay:
The gameplay in this level is rather good, but there are big ups and downs within it. Let's begin with the first cube section. This part is a pretty fun section. You had a nice mixture of gameplay. The entire section combined regular blocks and obstacles, orbs, pads, and portals quite nicely. This is what really makes it a really fun section, along with the constant movement found in the section. There were a couple of problems I found in this section, however. At 4%, the player falls up quickly, but the blue portal is blocked at first by the upper part of the screen. This makes it a bit difficult to predict what's coming up next. You can still see the upcoming obstacles, however, but they're right at the top of the screen so the player has no idea what exactly is going to happen. It's not much of a problem here as no jumps are made off screen or slightly off screen, but the ambiguity of this part can still trip players up for a second, causing them to crash. You always want to give a second or two for the player to react, as it makes it far more enjoyable. A similar situation can be found at 9%, but this is less dramatic as the player instantly comes back, so the chances of tripping up there are far less likely. It still should be noted, however. There is one issue I had consistently with the gameplay starting at 12%. What happens is that the two orbs with the pads can get a bit awkward depending on what you do with the robot. This doesn't cause any immediate issues, but it can end up causing the player to fall too close to the spike at 14%, making it extremely difficult to get past smoothly. I noticed that this was a recurring issue, so you should address that.
Going into the ship section, there is a massive difficulty spike. Normally, minor difficulty spikes are to be expected in demons, but this one is an issue as it happens suddenly, so it can be a place where most players get stuck on. Instances like these often cause people to quit the level if they don't find it interesting enough to practice, so you better steer clear of spikes like this one. The ship in and of itself is alright. The gameplay you have going on is pretty interesting, and I especially like you added the orbs to it, it's all about varying up the gameplay. The problem though, is that there are cases where the timings are just awkward. For example, at 22%, the player almost always falls to the right of the blue portal. This causes the spikes to come real close as a result. It doesn't necessarily cause awkward deaths, but it may cause some weird control for the players who expect to be further back, and therefore have time to right themselves. Going on, theres not many issues, but immediately after 22% is the area where you really need to be cautious of due to the positioning. There's one final problem with this section. At 30%, the player gets covered by the black strip, which can cause some players to mess up. You can't really see what's going on there, and while it's easy to get past, it's not obvious, and can easily mess some people up. Try to never have anything obstructing the view of the player during gameplay, as it's almost certain to cause issues.
The ball section you have going here is nice in concept. However, you do have many glows going over the screen, which can cause the same exact issue you had during the transition. Furthermore, the orbs are hard to tell apart in this section due to the glows. The issues combined makes it really difficult to get through the section intact. Really the only way I found to reliably get through this part was to spam, which is not too fun for anyone. Again, make sure to never block the player or obstacles. Also, make sure to never have a part where you can just spam your way through, that's just not really dynamic gameplay. It worked out decently in the end, but if you didn't have any glows there it would've just been mediocre gameplay.
The following UFO section is pretty nice, but there are a couple of awkward positions. Right off the bat, I often found myself a bit too low at the start, making it difficult to get around the spikes. I believe this is a result of the timing you have to make right at the UFO portal, most people wouldn't try holding right away, so it could cause some issues if you aren't aware. Going on to 48%, you have four gravity portals in a row, and it's rather nice, but after the last portal the obstacles are almost right up against it. This means the player has to jump right as they enter the portal, however many may already have a rhythm of being in the center of two portals when tapping, and this part would break that. A simple solution would just be to shorten the obstacle away from the portal a bit, and it would pretty much solve any issues happening there.
Entering the ship section, it becomes really nice and fun. You have a ton of movement all around the screen, and the player constantly has to adjust, making it more involved. Focus is always ahead of the player, which is nice as well. I don't really see the need of the orbs though, as they really aren't necessary and easy to skip. It's even easier to skip them than to not, so I suggest removing them entirely. Whenever you decide to add any orbs to ship sections, always make sure that the player has to take it, and that it's always consistent, otherwise, it just becomes annoying and unnecessary. The UFO and ball sections immediately after are really nice. Fast, fun, and to the point. The fast moving sections really make this part what it is. This style of gameplay is always fun if it plays well, as it causes constant changes and adjustments, really requiring a ton of focus. It's not something you can just drift through or get annoyed with. The next ship section is longer, but it's the same concept. Quick changes at the beginning, and it continues with quick gameplay.
Let's move on to the cube right after. This section goes up rather quickly, so stuff gets cut off the screen. This is the same problem as earlier of course, but this time I think it's a lot worse, but not terrible. It quickly transitions to a fast wave section. It's pretty standard gameplay, but it's definitely well done. The only issue I can really see being is the moving obstacles, but that's not too bad, but I can see people struggling with it. Just be aware and possibly get some opinions on similar gameplay next time, as moving obstacles like that could cause some serious issues, and it could be different for everyone. You have a huge difficulty spike with the mini wave, unfortunately, and there's really no consistent way to get past that part without a ton of practice, and combined with the moving obstacles it doesn't turn out to nice. The dash orb also can be hard to get to, as there's only a short time frame to hit it, so keep that in mind next time you have any orbs in wave sections.
After the wave part, you continue on with that fast changing gameplay, and I really can't give you any problems with it. All I have to say about it is what I said earlier, so great job with this part! Finally, at 91%, you got to make the speed portals visible, it just creates really obnoxious gameplay. There's really little benefit to it, apart from some minor aesthetics.
Overall: Really nice job with this. Your strong suit is for sure that fast moving gameplay, and really the big problems are just the minor things throughout. Those add up though, so make sure to fix them. Try to avoid difficulty spiking and just making sure there are really no awkward positioning. Focusing on these can really help you boost the quality of the gameplay, and really make it enjoyable. 16/20
Design:
The design in this level is really well done overall. Let's start with the first section. I think the block design you had in the first half of this part was done very well. It fills up the space nicely, it looks clean, and it fits in with the theme. These are key aspects into having good block design. I like how you used multiple different objects to create it, even different types of objects, such as those breakable blocks. You also had multiple parts to it. For example, in one section you have the main design, then you fill in some space with black blocks, and finally you add decoration to the borders. It makes it look very detailed and unique; everything is made for the structure, not just copy-pasted. However, the block design does change at 11%. The block design from here on to 17% definitely falls short from the design in the first half. This part definitely has some copy-pasting going on. All of the structures are of rather simple and similar shapes, so it becomes really easy to copy the designs over. Try to stray away from this. You want each structure to be unique in their own way, even if it's as small as rearranging the designs. Doing this will highly improve the quality. While each structure is rather similar, it still looks clean. The flashes going along make it look especially nice. You do change up the base blocks for the last three structures as well, so there is variety in there, but it's not as much as it needs. Let's move onto the air decoration and other designs. I gotta say, you made everything fit really well together. This is definitely one of its strong suits and is very noticeable to the player. You have a variety of things going on. I like how you connect the structures together, especially the floating ones at 11%. Not only do you do that, but you use multiple objects to accomplish this, so it definitely feels as if these are connected with multiple layers. They fit in with the design as well, pulling the whole level together. You have the standard air decoration such as floating arrows, spirals, etc. You use multiple of these together, along with glows, which is great to see, again with the whole layering thing. There's not much I have to criticize about all of the decoration, it looks nice. It would've been good to see some sort of flashing background though. You have some large glows, which fit in, but it just feels like there could've been more done with the whole background area, because sometimes it looks a bit plain due to it just being black. The air decoration does a good job at combating this, though
Let's move on to the ship section. This section continues on with some very nice design. Like the first half of the last section, you combine multiple elements into the block design. You have it layered very nicely with some base blocks first, some decoration on top, then finally some glows for the top layer. Having multiple layers to block designs is often a great way to add detail and make it look good, as it prevents it from being too simple or out of place. The base is important for adding the standard design, and then you can add on too it with the decoration, and finally make it look smooth with the top layer. You pulled each one quite nicely, and nothing is really too messy. You also varied this design up as well. There's no copy-pasting going on, and within your block designs there is nothing that visibly takes up the entire design; even the base doesn't appear to take over each structure, making it look really good. You did a great job at filling up the rest of the space as well. The glows coming from the border spikes look good, and it's great how you had some parts stretch out, adding that little bit of detail. You had a ton of decoration and background structures connecting the main structures and just over the entire section, and none of it really gets messy either. I like how you added some falling particles too, just something to make it look a lot more dynamic and interesting. Lastly, I think the glows in the background are a nice touch, but I thought you could've added a bit of movement with them. You did a really nice job with the design for this section overall, try to keep doing what you did with this section.
Continuing on to the ball section, it looks rather good. Honestly a very nice background. It's a standard parallax effect, but it looks very nice, and works well with what you were going for; it definitely doesn't look awkward. The block design is decent. It looks nice, that's for sure, but it seems very repetitive. I don't think it's just copy-paste; it's hard to tell, but there is very little variation going on. There aren't really any distinct layers or parts to it, I would just try adding a bit more to it. Also, one big thing I noticed with this section is that it is pretty hard to see any distinct design. It's quite obviously there, but with all of the glows and the similar colors, along with the fast speed, it just sort of blends together when playing the level. Adding more detail to it can really help, as well as trying to contrast it from the background. The previous sections do have a lack of contrast color and intensity-wise, but they have those distinct parts and layers to it that help them get set apart from the rest. In this section, it's a bit lacking. It's definitely not bad, though. Overall decoration for this section is lacking in comparison with the previous parts. Granted, decoration would work a lot different in this part, but there is still a lot you can do, it just may not be as intricate. You did have quite a bit of glow, but glow really doesn't provide the detail it needs, but it definitely makes it look nicer. I felt like the glow was a bit overwhelming in this part, though. Primarily the black glows in front were an issue; I don't think they worked too well and gameplay suffered as a result. I do see what you were going for, though. I think if you did something similar that which didn't obstruct the view of the player it would be a lot better. A really nice section, looks clean, and most certainly looks good, there were just those aspects which could be tweaked so that it doesn't feel as overwhelming, I think it mainly has to do with the obstruction of gameplay. I get that this section is supposed to be intense, and it definitely should, but there's always a point where you have to balance intensity and enjoyment.
The following section gets a lot better. The block design is very nice. It's not necessarily as complex as some of the designs earlier, but I really like how you had two different types of design in different structures and sort of combine them, It works really well. One of the structures has a more simple design, and the other a bit more detailed, which creates a nice contrast between them and makes it look really good. This section is pretty much filled with exterior decoration. You used different background structures and air decoration, and you had a ton of flashing effects. It really fills up the space well, however I personally think that it isn't the cleanest. I think adding some contrast with the colors and intensities could really go a long way for this section, as it would make everything distinct, and it just doesn't look like a mess in some places. I noticed that it's really just the brighter colors and flashes that this problem really starts to show. I for sure don't think it looks bad, but when you're playing in the moment, everything just sort of blends together, so keep that in mind. Contrast is key. The following sections are a lot similar. A high amount of decoration and little contrast. The block designs do change up; there's not that nice contrast of structures, however you have enough contrast within the singular designs themselves. You did a good job with this, adding some black slopes, cyan edges, and a mixture of general designs and glows.
Moving on at 65%, it definitely calms down a lot. The exterior designs get more simple, but you still god a lot going on. You got multiple layers going on with the sloped background structures as well, and with blending and low opacity, it creates an interesting design around the edges. I thought you could've added a bit more to the block design, or at least add contrast to the colors, as it's hard to see the design clearly at the moment, but it isn't a pressing issue.
The next wave section I feel is a bit unique in its design. It's similar, but I feel like this one definitely sets itself apart from the rest, likely from the inner waterfall portion, with the outer design portion around it. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the waterfall blocks, and I don't really think they fit well here in my opinion, but I do like how you added some glows to sort of smooth it out, which is a plus. This is pretty much it for the overall design for this part; there's not really much noticeable exterior design except the flashing electric beams, but you do have some nice background structures. Honestly this part doesn't really look too great. I think it's just because of the lack of too much design and the addition of the waterfalls. There's not even really much contrast, either. You did a good job, but it feels definitely different from the rest of the level.
Moving on with the rest of the level, you pick back up again. You start off with some nice block design in the spider, however it's quite hard to see much distinction. There's less design than you've had in the past, but you still manage to fill up the space nicely. Following the spider, decoration definitely picks back up again, there is a ton of glows especially. You did a great job with block design. You have those contrasted structures like earlier, which is great to see. The final ship I felt could've had some design within all the white space. It really needs some design, as it really just takes over the entire screen.
Overall: Honestly you had some great design going on here. A big issue, and an issue I'm sure I've brought up many times is contrast. Really, I feel like if you just had that, this would've been especially great. It still is though, but, after a while, the bright colors become really hard to look at and overtake the design, which is the major downside of this level. 17/20
Sync:
Sync in this level is generally really good. Starting at the first section, you have nice gameplay sync. Most of it does sync to the music, however, there are instances where it doesn't or barely doesn't. For example, towards the end of the first section, around 16% at those two orbs, the gameplay starts to stray away from the beat. Of course these are minor cases, but really you can't go wrong with trying to sync the gameplay a bit more. Design sync was also there too. You had a ton of pulsing objects, which are always great, plus you flashed the design to the beat as well. There wasn't much flashing though, and they were always at the same beats. You could've tried to add a ton of subtle ways to sync to other parts of the music, but it's not necessary.
Moving on to the ship section, you did a great job with gameplay sync. In my opinion, the ship is the hardest gamemode to sync. Constantly I see levels where the sync is just minimal in these sections, and usually it's just design sync. You, however, synced the entire part of the song with the gameplay. You did a great job with using orbs to accomplish this as well, it's a very smart way to sync in these sections. Great job! The design sync is very similar in this section compared to the previous one. You had the standard color changes at even intervals, but you also added a bit of the shake trigger in there as well, which is a nice touch. A bit more could've been done as always, especially with added movement, but it's alright where it's at.
The ball section does a great job with sync as well. The gameplay is pretty much entirely synced, if not, slightly off at some parts. I think the speed change fits the music very well, along with the background. Not only did you add flashes for design sync, but you made the design fit with the feel of the music, which is always great to see.
From 45% to 65%, you did an amazing job with the sync. The gameplay really always fit. The ship sections' movements not only synced to the music, but it went along with the feel of it as well, such as 52%, with that sharp raise of the ship fitting with the sharp feel of the music, which is an amazing aspect to have in your level, it really makes it feel connected to the music. Design sync is great. You had a lot more flashes, and you had many, many movements fitting in with the music as well, such as the quick strips of glow rotating across the screen. You did a great job, really.
For 65%, the gameplay sync was pretty good. I noticed that some of it was synced to the more subtle beats, and it fit pretty well. It's just a nice section for sync. You of course have the standard flashes as well.
From here on to the end, gameplay sync is really great. Almost spot on, but there are some small parts where it may not quite or may not noticeably quite. You had of course, nice design sync. The standard techniques you did in the rest of the level, generally. I really liked how you synced the structures in the wave section to the beat. It doesn't really offer nice gameplay, but it sure adds nice sync. There's really nothing new I have to add.
Overall: The sync is great throughout the entire level. It syncs straight up until the end. You did a great job with design sync as well, which is a very nice aspect. I feel like the places where it was the strongest were the more faster sections, you really went all out. 9.5/10
Concusion: 85% Feature Worthy
A really nice level. Amazing sync, nice gameplay, really cool design. Contrast is definitely the place where you should focus most on, but keep on improving everything I've mentioned. Gameplay has just some awkward parts, just try to filter those out for future levels. Great job!
