SeasideDoe
Rachel aka "SeasideDoe"
This is my first OLDC that I'm providing any votes for, and considering how I primarily am interested in the single player experience of the game, I will be restricting my votes to the Single Player Division.
From playing these maps with a wide variety of characters, there were plenty that I found quite enjoyable to go through, and will also provide a short summary for each map as to why I've placed them in this particular place. I'll also be providing some critique. The ranking I've decided are as follows:
Mercury Mine Zone by @Rexeljet - 1
-Very Sonic-like level design, from slope language to the water gimmicks. The split paths are creative as well, if a little demanding at times (For Knuckles especially). I get a vibe of a level somewhere between Aquatic Ruin and Chemical Plant, especially with that ring-draining mercury.
Lava Temple by @Vixuzen - 2
-This would have been my first place vote if it weren't for an issue I find rather glaring. I'll start with the positives, first-I love the Rayman design language, from the emphasis on puzzle platforming to the texturework and custom enemies, which I find nothing short of phenomenal. What really was propelling this level into first place for me were the path splits in "Act 2", which are some of the best I've ever seen, the Fang path in particular being my absolute favorite of the bunch. However, there's also an issue I find in this particular path split which I find really frustrating, and that is the Metal Sonic path in my opinion is too punishing for mistakes towards the end. A set of crushers that you have to avoid at the end of an already complex maze of hazards, combined with having to go through a blind wall to access them can make for a very frustrating and time-consuming endeavor, especially if you're working with a finite set of lives. I don't think the concept of having to use Metal's speed is bad, however-I would likely have rated this 1st if that home stretch of the Metal Sonic path required you to utilize Dash Mode to break through some spikes instead.
Hollow Hill Zone by @Othius, @Inazuma & @Spectorious -3
-This level's likely gonna be a clear favorite, and I do find it rather enjoyable, but at the same time I'm rather worried about how physically demanding the waterfalls can be to jump up, and also found the Tails path a lot more trouble than it was worth-I'm not sure if the boosters refresh your flight, and a single error on this path results in death, which I feel is too punishing for a Sonic level, especially for a character considered "Easy Mode" with-I found myself completely ignoring the boosters and just spin jumping into flight instead.
Abyss Caverns Zone by @Yyeellooww7- 4
-The atmosphere is very nice, and the split paths are also very interesting to take. There's a lot of horizontality, meaning Sonic and Metal Sonic are gonna have a field day here. However, this map could use some lighting tweaks, as it's possible to get yourself turned around in this level. Making matters worse is that the most blatant signpost is gray on black, meaning it doesn't draw the eye well.
Falcon Emissary Zone by @InferNOr - 5
-A very tricky level, and also an ambitious one due to its size. I like the windplay and the visual setpieces, but I'm concerned with the extreme amount of enemies placed in this map. A lot of them are also extremely aggressive and are bound to disrupt you at the worst of times, which can make for a frustrating experience. There also isn't much indication as to what surfaces Knuckles can climb, which can only add to potential frustration. A minor nitpick, but the music in this level also loops improperly.
Teal Tundra Zone by @SunCyclone - 6
-An extremely safe ice level, which I can appreciate. Also extremely horizontal, meaning once again the blue blur and the metal rocket are gonna go ham here. Not much else to say, however. I'd be interested to see more slope play and verticality introduced into future levels.
Ridge Rapids Zone by @particle - 7
-The Hive Elemental is an utterly diabolical choice, and some of the platforming is rather unintuitive, but at the same time the NiGHTS music is well-used here and the level itself is also gorgeous, it really feels like a set of beautiful yet treacherous highlands to traverse. Directioning towards the end is a little difficult,, however-I'm wondering if some slopework would help in this regard.
Fort Sunset Zone by @DylanDude - 8
-I'm a sucker for Drawn to Life, but I'm worried this level might be somewhat repetitive due to its small nature and steep collection requirements, progress of which is undone on a single stray hit. I would love to see these aesthetics applied to a "Point A to Point B" level, however!
Ante-Station Zone by @Twins'R'Okay - 9
I really don't want to rate this map this low, because I like it a lot. That being said, the competition is honestly pretty stiff, and there are a lot of beautiful levels to choose from. I love the ambition you have going for this, and I would love to see this concept furthered, to the point where the issues can be ironed out. The level itself is also extremely simple, and I would be interested to see more challenging levels in this kind of perspective.
Koopa Kastle by @glaber - 10
I only just recently learned that the Fire Flower actually did something other than provide a barrier to damage. That being said, this is a pretty interesting throwback, although I personally feel the Brak at the end is a bit punishing due to the constant lack of walls.
Bombastic Beach Zone by @Shapeshifter Boi - 11
-I love the bubble gimmick introduced in this level, but also find that the level ends before it starts, if that makes sense. I'd love to see a level with at least double or triple the length of this one using this gimmick!
Zaxel's Thunder Yard by Zaxel (@Chaolino) - 12
-People have said it before and I'll say it as well, the troll exits are unacceptable, the intentional softlock in particular being extremely cruel and unnecessary, even by joke standards. If you're gonna put fake goalposts into your level, I'd recommend not killing the player and simply providing another route instead. The easter egg that was patched out is also rather skeevy, I must confess, and I'd prefer that not be the case. Flak aside, the level itself is fine enough, there's a lot of interesting setpieces in here. Just split the level into three separate acts and you've got yourself an excellent zone to blast through.
Drenched Dam Zone by @Voidy2246 -13
-When I saw the level's title, I was excited about the possibility of running through a dam, which is one of my favorite industrial-scale structures in existence. However, I'm rating this level this low because of how cramped it is. This is a game where you move at high speeds to cover lots of horizontal and vertical space, which means this level basically features you getting caught on corners and clocked by extremely aggressive enemies. Making matters worse is the first booster being way too close to a wall, meaning if you approach it at the wrong angle you can get softlocked, perpetually getting boosted into the outside of a corner. I don't think the concept of running through a dam like this against Metal Sonic should be thrown away, however-all this place really needs is breathing room, and no invisible walls so people get better information on where they're allowed to go.
Blizzard Bastion Zone by @PhilJFou /// ChaRG - 14
-I'm rating this level this low mainly because the split paths are extremely strained. The split path section at the end of the ice slide is basically gray on gray on gray, meaning I thought I was softlocked at first because I couldn't see any cracks in the walls. Making matters worse is that the split paths themselves are also incredibly strict, allowing for basically only the appropriate vanilla character to be used for them, which I feel undermines some of the creativity characters are supposed to be used for, in my opinion. The castle section early on also has directioning issues, and is a massive, unnecessary pain to get through with certain characters, most notably Sonic. The music should also be looped properly. All flak aside, I do appreciate the cold, wintery aesthetic, but I would strongly recommend providing more color choices than just gray, blue and white.
Emerald Glade Zone by @DoodlesYT - 15
-This level I can't in good faith rank completely last, but I also can't rank it very highly either. This feels like a person's first custom level in any game where you can create them, and I cannot help but feel extremely nostalgic for that. That being said, this level is also extremely sparse, and completing it with certain characters is a massive chore if luck isn't on your side, including risk for a potential softlock if you're not Knuckles or Tails.
Music Mash Zone by @WasifBoomz -16
-I'm ranking this level last primarily for the visuals. There honestly is no reason to have constant intense flashing and moving textures covering the entire level, and it began to hurt my eyes after a while. I also didn't find the music theme to be expressed in a very interesting way outside of a few select optional paths, with the most creative part being an audio puzzle that happens to be extremely hard to solve because of how the second part of it is located. The fallback path at this split also feels more punishing than it needs to be. The level callbacks path is interesting, but I feel it takes away from the identity of this level as well. I don't think the music needs to be so quiet and discordant, and the piano itself might be better used as a background element if you can't boost the volume of the piano. I did find the roller rink area towards the end super neat however, and would be interested to see more of those kinds of momentum-based setpieces.
From playing these maps with a wide variety of characters, there were plenty that I found quite enjoyable to go through, and will also provide a short summary for each map as to why I've placed them in this particular place. I'll also be providing some critique. The ranking I've decided are as follows:
Mercury Mine Zone by @Rexeljet - 1
-Very Sonic-like level design, from slope language to the water gimmicks. The split paths are creative as well, if a little demanding at times (For Knuckles especially). I get a vibe of a level somewhere between Aquatic Ruin and Chemical Plant, especially with that ring-draining mercury.
Lava Temple by @Vixuzen - 2
-This would have been my first place vote if it weren't for an issue I find rather glaring. I'll start with the positives, first-I love the Rayman design language, from the emphasis on puzzle platforming to the texturework and custom enemies, which I find nothing short of phenomenal. What really was propelling this level into first place for me were the path splits in "Act 2", which are some of the best I've ever seen, the Fang path in particular being my absolute favorite of the bunch. However, there's also an issue I find in this particular path split which I find really frustrating, and that is the Metal Sonic path in my opinion is too punishing for mistakes towards the end. A set of crushers that you have to avoid at the end of an already complex maze of hazards, combined with having to go through a blind wall to access them can make for a very frustrating and time-consuming endeavor, especially if you're working with a finite set of lives. I don't think the concept of having to use Metal's speed is bad, however-I would likely have rated this 1st if that home stretch of the Metal Sonic path required you to utilize Dash Mode to break through some spikes instead.
Hollow Hill Zone by @Othius, @Inazuma & @Spectorious -3
-This level's likely gonna be a clear favorite, and I do find it rather enjoyable, but at the same time I'm rather worried about how physically demanding the waterfalls can be to jump up, and also found the Tails path a lot more trouble than it was worth-I'm not sure if the boosters refresh your flight, and a single error on this path results in death, which I feel is too punishing for a Sonic level, especially for a character considered "Easy Mode" with-I found myself completely ignoring the boosters and just spin jumping into flight instead.
Abyss Caverns Zone by @Yyeellooww7- 4
-The atmosphere is very nice, and the split paths are also very interesting to take. There's a lot of horizontality, meaning Sonic and Metal Sonic are gonna have a field day here. However, this map could use some lighting tweaks, as it's possible to get yourself turned around in this level. Making matters worse is that the most blatant signpost is gray on black, meaning it doesn't draw the eye well.
Falcon Emissary Zone by @InferNOr - 5
-A very tricky level, and also an ambitious one due to its size. I like the windplay and the visual setpieces, but I'm concerned with the extreme amount of enemies placed in this map. A lot of them are also extremely aggressive and are bound to disrupt you at the worst of times, which can make for a frustrating experience. There also isn't much indication as to what surfaces Knuckles can climb, which can only add to potential frustration. A minor nitpick, but the music in this level also loops improperly.
Teal Tundra Zone by @SunCyclone - 6
-An extremely safe ice level, which I can appreciate. Also extremely horizontal, meaning once again the blue blur and the metal rocket are gonna go ham here. Not much else to say, however. I'd be interested to see more slope play and verticality introduced into future levels.
Ridge Rapids Zone by @particle - 7
-The Hive Elemental is an utterly diabolical choice, and some of the platforming is rather unintuitive, but at the same time the NiGHTS music is well-used here and the level itself is also gorgeous, it really feels like a set of beautiful yet treacherous highlands to traverse. Directioning towards the end is a little difficult,, however-I'm wondering if some slopework would help in this regard.
Fort Sunset Zone by @DylanDude - 8
-I'm a sucker for Drawn to Life, but I'm worried this level might be somewhat repetitive due to its small nature and steep collection requirements, progress of which is undone on a single stray hit. I would love to see these aesthetics applied to a "Point A to Point B" level, however!
Ante-Station Zone by @Twins'R'Okay - 9
I really don't want to rate this map this low, because I like it a lot. That being said, the competition is honestly pretty stiff, and there are a lot of beautiful levels to choose from. I love the ambition you have going for this, and I would love to see this concept furthered, to the point where the issues can be ironed out. The level itself is also extremely simple, and I would be interested to see more challenging levels in this kind of perspective.
Koopa Kastle by @glaber - 10
I only just recently learned that the Fire Flower actually did something other than provide a barrier to damage. That being said, this is a pretty interesting throwback, although I personally feel the Brak at the end is a bit punishing due to the constant lack of walls.
Bombastic Beach Zone by @Shapeshifter Boi - 11
-I love the bubble gimmick introduced in this level, but also find that the level ends before it starts, if that makes sense. I'd love to see a level with at least double or triple the length of this one using this gimmick!
Zaxel's Thunder Yard by Zaxel (@Chaolino) - 12
-People have said it before and I'll say it as well, the troll exits are unacceptable, the intentional softlock in particular being extremely cruel and unnecessary, even by joke standards. If you're gonna put fake goalposts into your level, I'd recommend not killing the player and simply providing another route instead. The easter egg that was patched out is also rather skeevy, I must confess, and I'd prefer that not be the case. Flak aside, the level itself is fine enough, there's a lot of interesting setpieces in here. Just split the level into three separate acts and you've got yourself an excellent zone to blast through.
Drenched Dam Zone by @Voidy2246 -13
-When I saw the level's title, I was excited about the possibility of running through a dam, which is one of my favorite industrial-scale structures in existence. However, I'm rating this level this low because of how cramped it is. This is a game where you move at high speeds to cover lots of horizontal and vertical space, which means this level basically features you getting caught on corners and clocked by extremely aggressive enemies. Making matters worse is the first booster being way too close to a wall, meaning if you approach it at the wrong angle you can get softlocked, perpetually getting boosted into the outside of a corner. I don't think the concept of running through a dam like this against Metal Sonic should be thrown away, however-all this place really needs is breathing room, and no invisible walls so people get better information on where they're allowed to go.
Blizzard Bastion Zone by @PhilJFou /// ChaRG - 14
-I'm rating this level this low mainly because the split paths are extremely strained. The split path section at the end of the ice slide is basically gray on gray on gray, meaning I thought I was softlocked at first because I couldn't see any cracks in the walls. Making matters worse is that the split paths themselves are also incredibly strict, allowing for basically only the appropriate vanilla character to be used for them, which I feel undermines some of the creativity characters are supposed to be used for, in my opinion. The castle section early on also has directioning issues, and is a massive, unnecessary pain to get through with certain characters, most notably Sonic. The music should also be looped properly. All flak aside, I do appreciate the cold, wintery aesthetic, but I would strongly recommend providing more color choices than just gray, blue and white.
Emerald Glade Zone by @DoodlesYT - 15
-This level I can't in good faith rank completely last, but I also can't rank it very highly either. This feels like a person's first custom level in any game where you can create them, and I cannot help but feel extremely nostalgic for that. That being said, this level is also extremely sparse, and completing it with certain characters is a massive chore if luck isn't on your side, including risk for a potential softlock if you're not Knuckles or Tails.
Music Mash Zone by @WasifBoomz -16
-I'm ranking this level last primarily for the visuals. There honestly is no reason to have constant intense flashing and moving textures covering the entire level, and it began to hurt my eyes after a while. I also didn't find the music theme to be expressed in a very interesting way outside of a few select optional paths, with the most creative part being an audio puzzle that happens to be extremely hard to solve because of how the second part of it is located. The fallback path at this split also feels more punishing than it needs to be. The level callbacks path is interesting, but I feel it takes away from the identity of this level as well. I don't think the music needs to be so quiet and discordant, and the piano itself might be better used as a background element if you can't boost the volume of the piano. I did find the roller rink area towards the end super neat however, and would be interested to see more of those kinds of momentum-based setpieces.