Floral Road Zone, Act 1 by "Lat'" - 4.5/10
This level seemed really average to me at first glance. Very basic gameplay, which is to be expected from a first-zone type of level, but it doesn't change the fact that it's not that enjoyable to play. Somehow, the level seemed less linear than it actually is to me the first few times I've played it, which is a good thing I guess? Length-wise, it felt okay, perhaps a bit too long for what it is (but not as terribly short as GFZ1 which is good) but it didn't overstay its welcome too much. The visuals were passable, although the skybox really seemed like a mish-mash of graphical assets from different sources, which made it look weird combined with the odd perspective it has. The thok barrier also looked odd, being so weird and flat, but it did make the sky visible enough. If the level had been just these things, I'd think of it as just average.
Sadly, there are a few things that prevent this level from being just average. The most obvious thing is the level-up/progression/whatever system that's implemented into the level. I'm guessing that it also brought along the existence of the useless 5-ring monitors and the unnecessary tweaks to the 10-ring monitors? Either way, as a Sonic player and someone who feels the pace of SRB2 is good as it is, the system actively decreased my enjoyment of the level. The concept of space and scale in the level, already quite mixed and lackluster in your level, just gets thrown out of the window completely once the player accumulates enough rings to get a speed boost. Sonic becomes more and more uncontrollable and the level seems smaller and smaller with it, amd eventually I wanted to actively
avoid collecting rings in the level which is a bad thing indeed. It's neat that you possess the technical talent to make those things and implement them in the level, but sometimes less is more. The level doesn't need it in any way. Other, far smaller issues I had with the level were some confusing areas, a path split of which one path didn't lead anywhere, and placing things in plain sight after the level end sign.
This level might be a good start to a full-scale modification, and I guess the custom stuff makes the level more unique in a sea of bland, first-zone levels, but it brings the stage down to a below-average level.
Sacred Woodland by HAPPYFOX - 5/10
Unlike practically everyone's first level, your level has a great atmosphere and good visuals. But please, optimize your filesize next time!
The map felt very consistent, with a similar mood throughout yet different enough areas to stay engaging to the player. The gameplay is for the most part pretty basic, with some ups and downs. Parts that stood out to me were the waterslide section, where the Trapgoyles were an actual hazard and the Robo-Hoods with fire arrows, a concept that I would have liked to see fleshed out further. As it stands, it's unnoticable enough for me to miss it on my first playthrough, especially because they look identical to regular Robo-Hoods. Parts that felt worse to me than the rest were the crumbling platforms without a lower path to fall onto, causing the player to have to wait for the platforms to respawn, and the completely unnecessary Brak Eggman fight at the end with invisible walls. This map would've been so much better without the ending it currently has!
Other minor flaws that stood out to me were the hardly visible spikeballs, the slight disjointedness of the level due to the large amounts of teleports, and the fact that jumps felt really hard to make. Most jumps were barely possible as Sonic, and the fact that you used blue springs in some areas only made the issue more apparent. I was also saddened to see the level become less and less visually appealing towards the end, but I still liked the level enough in the end. Just get rid of that Brak Eggman fight!
Glacier Gear Zone by toaster - 9/10
my PM to toaster said:
I really really really like the level (although it's not perfect), so I had a lot of trouble finding flaws with it. Therefore, here's a recap of how much I love it.
Unlike Seraphic Skylands, the gameplay in your level is actually interesting! Not only that, but it's loads of fun, partly because of the individual elements which are great in their own right, but mostly because of the ways they are combined which really make the map incredibly fun and an absolute blast to play through. Special mention goes to the Wacky Workbench floors, a great gimmick on their own, but you've added so many fun twists on the gimmick that it's almost ridiculous. Every single variation on the gimmick, from the timed waterfalls shorting the panels out to the room with the horizontal bouncing action, is incredibly fun and really gives the gimmick the staying power it needs to be entertaining throughout the entirety of the level. Other gimmicks like the waterslide and the yellow pistons are given a back seat compared to the bouncy floors (and rightfully so), but are also entertaining in their own right and are used enough times to not become weird anomalies in the level.
The technical stuff in the level is also definitely worthy of praise. There's the aforementioned Wacky Workbench floors, the glorious box boss and the other creative ways to obtain the emblems, and the amazing custom enemies. The Waddaleks are one of the few types of enemies I've seen that pose an actualy threat to the player while not being highly annoying and/or unfair even if you know how to avoid them. They're also well implemented into the level, instead of simply used as cannon fodder (like most Crawlas) or spammed into oblivion (like most Jetty-Syns). I especially love the Waddalek in the 2D section, which you have thankfully given a way to exterminate.
Visually, the level is about as strong as it is gameplay-wise. I still wish I could've come up with combining those cyan CLIFF walls with the ICEFLR floors, it's so incredibly pleasing to the eye as the textures fit really well together, plus there's the fact that it makes the difference between walls and floors incredibly clear, which is awesome. As someone who puts a lot of effort into detail, I was overjoyed with all the different details in the level, from the millions of well-placed boxes (and how they're diagonal sometimes) to the electrocution effect of the underwater bouncy panels. The level looks as good when speeding through it as when you take the time to explore the level thoroughly, it strikes the best possible balance between visibility and prettiness.
SpiritCrusher raised a very valid point in his review, namely the 'obstacle-course'-like nature of the level. I don't really agree with how much that brings the level down: while I do like lots of path choices and different ways to get through an area, I also really like how your level gives the best possible experience when playing to the rooms, because of its slight linearity. Where I would best describe Seraphic Skylands as a walk through a large park, with a few paths to pick from and a large amount of terrain to explore, while not being truly engaging to the player, I would compare Glacier Gear to (for example) a well-built rollercoaster: while the level is not even close to being as linear as one, it's tailored to give the passenger/player the best possible experience when going in/through it. It might be shorter and less varied than a walk through the park, but in the end it's far more enjoyable. Your level also has a lot of choices, so perhaps I should say it's more like a set of similarly-themed but sufficiently different rollercoasters. It's definitely as fun as several rollercoasters, that's for sure!
There are only two things that I think should be improved. One: the range of the Waddaleks. They've still sniped me from miles away several times. ;_; Their placement might also be a bit too good sometimes, especially in the stalactites-and-drill area where they might cause a bit too much trouble combined with the infinitely falling water. Two: the final area is a bit lackluster compared the level before it: I understand that the level has to end somewhere, but you have to take either the upper path which is just running with a few Waddaleks, or the lower path which is wading through slime and a single, really annoying Waddalek. Both paths and the entire area in general also seem lacking in terms of visuals, just like the very final area. However, I do really like the focus on the factory tower when passing the end sign, that's very neat!
I can't wait to see how Cloud Convoy and everything else you'll make turn out, as this map is already a solid 9 in my book. Keep up the good work! <3
Clock Tower Zone by RedEnchilada and Pac - 7.5/10
In terms of technical stuff, this level definitely takes the cake. Axis-2D is amazing in every single way, making 2D mode actually fun for once and opening lots of creative possibilites with 2D levels.
And luckily, the level itself is definitely more than just a simple tech demo for the script. The level has come a long way since its first incarnation, especially in terms of visuals. The level actually looks really nice now, with the elaborate skybox and tons of attention to detail almost everywhere, and I'm still in love with the rotating midtexture cogs. And man, there's so much stuff to do in the level! Tons of branching and interconnecting paths, combined with an amazing gimmick and well thought-out enemy placement made the level enjoyable and a challenge to play through.
However, the level is not perfect by far. This is more of a script issue, but it's really hard to determine whether to press left or right at which point during U-turns, resulting in me getting stuck and sniped by millions of Robo-Hoods. The final area also might be a bit too challenging compared to the level before it, especially due to those gosh-darned Robo-Hoods sniping at you all the time. It's also STILL hard to see what's coming at times, from blind jumps to get power-ups to where exactly the arrows are and if they're going to hit you or not. The area before the final one also felt a bit cramped and confusing, perhaps due to it being ridiculously interconnected.
Still, this is an amazing technical achievement and I can't wait to see other great levels get made for Axis-2D!
Emerald Lake Zone, Act 2 by glaber - 4/10
Man, those crashes are annoying. Somehow it now crashes every single time I try to start it up, but that's not really your fault.
What is definitely your fault though is your tendency to deliberately include bad content and assets in your levels. Sure, you've definitely carved out an unique niche for yourself, but seeing how people tend to make fun of you all the time, that might not be a good thing in the slightest. Some of the design choices in this level baffle me, especially coming from someone who has been making maps since before I discovered SRB2! For example, why would you include an older version of the level inside the level itself? It does nothing but make the map take longer to build, and I think you're the only one who wants to play an inferior version of a level that's already below average.
The visuals also leave a lot to be desired. The fact that the main wall texture is a 4x resized texture without any smoothing out really makes the level unappealing to look at, combined with the uninteresting geometry, barebones decoration and barely any detail to speak of. Other things that struck me as odd were the reskinned Crawlas, the dead fish (the fact that they're not moving might not be your fault but they still look odd) and the unfitting underwater ground flat. It's a shame, really, because there's not a lot wrong with the level itself, it's just very plain. Your insistence on keeping bad things in levels (especially ENTIRE OTHER LEVELS) is what really brings the map down, and your inability to do something about that after so many years results in a last place for this level from me.
Midnight Caves Zone by Chaobrother - 4.5/10
This level, like Emerald Lake, is ultimately very plain. Unlike Emerald Lake, it shows potential.
The map feels very disjointed, with all paths differing from each other just a bit too much. You've got the DSZ-like path with the waterslide and the flooded cave, you've got the CEZ-like path with the CastleBot FaceStabbers and the castle, and there's the path with the temples and the glass floors, which felt the most unique and looked the best. Most gimmicks in the level are only used once, which only increases the disjointed nature of the map. The odd mixture of textures also brings the level down, with a weird combination of realistic rock textures, brightly colored red, cyan and dark green CLIFF textures, DSZ, CEZ and even some SRB1 textures. The level also felt very confusing at times, with weird turns and twists everywhere, especially in the final area where the ending sign felt really out of place (I was expecting it to be at the top of the waterfalls).
The areas where you focused on one thing, be it one visual concept or gimmick, were the areas where the level really shined. The temple room with the glass floor looked really neat, as did most areas with just the realistic rock textures as those tended to contain interesting geometry as well. The disjointed nature of the level also added a good sense of exploration to the level: I never knew what to expect next, which somehow heightened my enjoyment of the level. Your sense of scale is also quite good, with no area feeling far too cramped and most open areas being done well.
You've just got to work on your sense of direction, not only in terms of horizontal movement with turns everywhere (never use arrows in levels, make the layout speak for itself!) but also in vertical movement, as going down all the time feels counter-intuitive in a game about platforming, where going up is the normal way to go. But please, continue making levels, you've shown potential and I'm interested to see what you can make next!
Sand Valley Zone by Chrome - 8/10
If it weren't for the quicksand physics, which still leave something to be desired, this map probably would've gotten first place from me. (Aside from the auto-first of my own level, of course!)
As it stands, the quicksand gets too much on my nerves sometimes for me to really enjoy this level. It's a shame, because the design of this level is absolutely superb. Tons of different paths, tons of path splits within them, a perfect map length and somehow it's hardly possible to get lost in it all. Your design skills are amazing, with difficult but not overly annoying enemy placement, great pacing and build-up from start to finish and a multitude of highly creative ideas which are well executed. The visuals, while not being mind-blowingly awesome, work perfectly for the level, not distracting from the gameplay but still appealing to look at. Every single area in the level feels just right, not too large or too small and with tons of hidden goodies and fun gameplay everywhere.
But man, that quicksand. The brown quicksand is highly annoying, with me needing to frantically mash the jump button to get out of it, causing the mid-air action to trigger which causes even more trouble sometimes. I understand that it's a hazard, but it's not really a challenge but more of a large annoyance most of the time. The endlessly falling quicksand-falls above death pits also annoyed me greatly, especially when my jumps decided to not work and I would plummet to my death. These things aren't your fault, but they still stand in the way of being able to fully enjoy the level. I look forward to playing this level again when quicksand physics are better, because then I can truly enjoy this amazing level.
Egg Outposts Zone by Tyrannic - 5/10
A recurring theme in the levels from this contest seems to be the large amount of effort put into the levels, from custom content to large amounts of gameplay and technical stuff. And man, this level definitely takes the cake in terms effort put into it. The amount of unique, complicated and technical stuff in this level is mind-blowingly high, with tons of different concepts, gimmicks and ideas at every turn. The level offers a lot of gameplay, is very interconnected and might perhaps show the most potential of all the levels in this contest and many previous contests.
However, you still have a long way to go. This level suffers most in how all the ideas are executed, varying from okay to very badly, with some beginner mistakes (undeafed rings) along the way. I'll just get the worst offenders out of the way first: the dark room with the crystals, while nice in theory, is an absolute chore to play through and goes on for far too long. The absurd amount of frame lag once the ceiling gets destroyed doesn't help it either, and combined with some often-occurring general flaws in the level (which I'll get to later) the area is actively bad. Other badly executed areas in the level include the platforming before the crystal area, with most sections being completely skippable even as Sonic, the first Deton-gauntlet of the level in which it's basically impossible to make it through unscathed and most mushroom platforming, as the mushrooms didn't feel bouncy enough. When I first played though this level, I took the left path split which contains all those things, which left me with a worse impression of the map than I should've had.
The second time I played the level, I took the right path split. And boy, does it blow the left path split out of the water! A lot more detail, a lot more creative gimmicks and far better execution of literally everything. The ginormous room especially caught my attention. You might want to move the star post to before the button though, as the lasers deactivate when the player dies, making the area impossible to complete without ridiculous amounts of backtracking. Falling down in the room also is too big of a punishment due to its sheer size, making the floor a death pit might actually be a better idea.
Now, for some things I found in the level that weren't limited to just one path. The visuals were eclectic to say the least, with practically every jungle texture in existence being used liberally throughout the level, but somehow most areas didn't look completely terrible. You might still want to cut down the amount of textures significantly though, a more focused set would do wonders for the level. Something else you might want to work on is your sense of scale, as some areas were too large and others were far too cramped and small. Make your levels more suited to how the characters handle, and keep tweaking the layout and its size until it feels just right! Good flow is also something that this level lacks, with blue springs regularly appearing throughout the level. You might also want to make sure that the player can see at all times what is coming: most Deton gauntlets were hard to navigate, as were the dark crystal rooms, and the giant room on the right path had some grass edges that obscured a lot from the players view, making it too easy to fall down all the way to the bottom.
I can't really blame you for not paying attention to those things, as those are advanced concepts and this is your first map (I assume?). But for a first map, this is perhaps one of the most pleasant surprises I've ever had the pleasure to experience. I can see you becoming a great mapper in the future, please, keep on making levels!
Seraphic Skylands Zone by Spherallic - something/10
My level!