One More Block

the editorial staff are lazy. Nobody's making lotd reviews
since i'm not an official member of the team, I'm making my own awards
starting now

Plainwrek has always been something of an enigma in the atmosphir community. He was there, but you were never quite sure why. Since the transition to OMB, he has seemed less eager to try to reclaim his title as top poster of the forum, but instead is channelling that energy into making loads of short, fast and fun levels. Every time you load up the play browser, the bugger seems to have put up a new level. Often there's not a lot of meat on them but what is there is perfectly crafted. Chambers 1-1, In a Nutshell and The 20-Minutes level, all by him, are probably some of the best levels on the playbrowser right now. They're not necessarily perfect in the way of aesthetics, but no other designer has succeeded in making levels that are as fun as his.

Yer Graven is his latest level. Similar to my own (lotd worthy) level ascension, though in this case the ever pressuring spike boxes have been replaced with an ever pressuring countdown timer. Seriously, this guy knows how to make timed levels. As I've said before, the visuals are never the highlight of a plainwrek level - though this time they are at least slightly pleasing on the eyes.

No, what makes this level one of the best levels on the playbrowser right now is its gameplay. It's intentionally claustrophobic, yet it feels so expansive because of the height. There's masterful use of brief multi jump and increased jump height powerups from the start, and every puzzle does make you think - but not for long. That's the key part about some of his levels. They make you think, but they don't make you frustrated that you can't solve them. You often need only glance at the path ahead of you and realise how to get that gem, or how to reach that platform. It's not punishing either; one of the great things about vertical levels is that if you fall, you lose some progress, but not all of it like you would if the level was horizontal and above thin air. On another note, this level is probably one of the closest gameplay wise to the old version of atmosphir. Just you, your jump and a few platforms. Yes, there are some puzzles that could only be done in the new version - rotated muka floor (eugh), resized and rotated props and blocks, and those ledge blocks, but it really does feel like a classic atmosphir level

that's why i'm giving it this completely worthless award.

congrats

Yay, I get this award thing. Thanks papaya.

As for my level making lately, I've been bored as crap on the weekends and whenever I get the chance I try to upload some drafts or so. And since nobody else is really making much they're basically flooding the play browser.

I'm sure nobody minds that you're uploading so many levels. They're short, sure, but they're certainly not effortless.

It is actually quite neat to see community members writing up reviews for levels I always like levels that keep you pressured for time - I will look out for this one! Great job, Sirwrek!

To be fair the main reason level reviews have been slow is because it's exam season.

But yeah, this level looks pretty terrific. I'll have to take a stab at it.

ElectroYoshi wrote:To be fair the main reason level reviews have been slow is because it's exam season.

But yeah, this level looks pretty terrific. I'll have to take a stab at it.

exam season is bullshite
Unless you're at uni-level, you should only need a whole day at most per exam. I only have 10 exams over a period of about 4 weeks. That leaves a good few days to load up atmosphir, play a few good looking levels and award lotd to one. This level only took me 10 minutes to play through, one minute to make a screenshot and upload it, and a further 10 minutes to write this review and post it.

is spending every waking moment during exam period revising really a thing

streetlights is on most of the time (though since he makes bleep bloops I guess he has an excuse ??), entity is still active. I don't even know who the other ES are.
maybe since this community is so small you should just have the ES compile a shortlist each week and award lotd to the winner(s) of a poll.

Nice review, gratz plainwrek

Like I said in the other thread, we're down to doing level of the month for now The next review will be on the 8th I believe.

Yeah, regarding reviews and stuff I've had a lot more than just exams going on in the past few months. The next review will be on the 8th.