Plasmarift's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sacred Chikin]

The game has an interestingly, weird concept (I'm guessing the main character is a bone duck. It looked cool) and having different ways or spots to get each or most flowers was pretty cool, but my problem is with the health system. You say the game is hard, but that's because you make the player restart to level 1 when they die when you could just restart them at the level they were on. To me, it seems like a cheap way to add difficulty, as it doesn't make the game itself hard, it just makes you be more careful, but even that is not enough. It only takes four mistakes, which are very easy to make (one mistake if you fall off a cliff), to cause a complete restart. I was actual interested to see the ending, but I'm not going through it again because it's not worth it. Maybe add in a function where successfully completing a level will grant one heart if the player had damage or have health packs in the level (or just remove the reset system altogether). Also, having to cut off the chicken's head and draw the star for the third time in a row got annoying so I'd suggest a skip button after the first time you do it. I wish you luck in your next project!

Psyduckfreak responds:

thanks for the feed back. I also thought of making a skip button but the them was Ritual so i thought making it repetitive would fit that. If i re pick up this project ill add.

[Basket & Ball]

The game is both unique and very difficult at times, especially if you are trying to get all the stars (level 28 took me the longest time to get all the stars). The only thing I would suggest is for the free shooter levels (where you have to launch yourself to the basket) to make the period that the ball is in play longer (I consider the ball out of play when it gets that annoyed look on its face). It seems like this happens way too early, especially when there is still a chance for the ball to go in and when I still have an hour glass launch token thingy. Other than that, great job!

suntemple responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I might add a manual restart button to the shootouts and extend the waiting time.

[TRANSGRESSION]

I wish I could give this a better score, but the biggest problem that I find with it is that the environment is way too dark; I can barely see the floors and walls in the game, if I'm able to see them at all (I've literally had to feel around, running into walls and jumping to find the right path). I'm sad to say this because I see the bright colors and backgrounds you used and I really like them, but not being able to see where I'm going is a big problem.
Other things that might need fixed/improved:
- the life bar, ammo, and whatever it is that is beneath it (it is never explained in game) should probably have a more decorated appearance, as they look like something you'd find in game based on keyboard letters and symbols (I've seen games that only use keyboard letters and symbols that were good, but it just doesn't fit in with the art style of the game)
- It makes it even tougher to navigate when the two characters behave strangely whenever they come into contact (if you run into clone 2, clone 2 will slide away as if he is on ice). It also doesn't help that there hit boxes are so big that one clone can be standing on top of the other without actually being in contact with them.
- I really think you should have put in an option to just play with one character as there is no challenge or benefit to having the second; it just comes off as annoying, having to traverse the same obstacles twice.
- This is just an idea, but you mention in the story that the police force is now disposable since they are all clones. Why not have it when one dies, the number for the clone goes from 201811420 to 201811421 to indicate that a new clone has taken his place.

The other comments seem to have covered similar points and I really hope to see the changes you mentioned in the other comments. I wish you good luck in your game developing.

AlexVsCoding responds:

This is a really really awesome piece of feedback and I appreciate your time taken to write this up. Literally as I write this the build is getting an update including:

- B to Toggle Brightness (Lightens the background slightly, enough to differentiate, let me know if it doesn't).
- Pause menu now has full list of controls available
- Players no longer collide with one another - This might cause some unforseen issues in the design of the game, but dealing with the sliding is priority (I can always pick up on smaller issues later on). Enemies will still be able to push you, but it'll take a good number of them to really have as much impact as the players did.

As for your other suggestions:
- Regarding single player option, unfortunately in this game the presence of 2 players is critical to the plot (Give the press kit a read for more details)
- Regarding the numbers as well, they need to remain those numbers specifically as they have subtle significance in the plot.

I'd strongly suggest you grab someone to give this game a go with - It's how the game was meant to be played! Thanks again for your comments!

[Jak and Lev: The Game]

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with the actually puzzles, but there are a number of things wrong with the game
- It appears in a very small window of the gaming screen. If it is actually this size, you can fix the presentation on Newgrounds to conform to this, as people who have made games as small as this have done it as well.
- After the first level in World 3, the game goes to the loading screen and nothing comes up after it (I was waiting for at least two minutes for it and it just stays there. This has happened twice).
- Sometimes in one square high corridors, it refuses to let me go through or fall. I have to back up and then go through them in order to get through. This wouldn't be a big problem except for the cases where you are falling. If this glitch happens to just one of the characters (which has happened to me), then you have to restart since both of the guys cannot go outside the game window.
- Also, the first level of world three is interesting in that there are multiple paths you can take, but I needed to find a specific one because of the glitch I mentioned before due to falling.

Other than this, I thought the game mechanics were pretty good, as it forced you to find ways to regroup with your friend. Hope that you fix the problems I mentioned and I hope to see more from you. Good luck.

ImmaDrawOnYourFace responds:

Wow, thanks for the feedback. Im happy some people actually played through all of it. The level you got to was the last level. There was supposed to be a message saying how that's a look into how the sequel will have more advanced level design. Im not sure if Ill fix the bugs on this one, because it's my first game and atleast functions how it should, but I'll work on fixing the display size. Thanks again for testing the whole thing.

[Calabozo]

I like the game, but it has some problems and glitches:
- in the first area at the bottom of the screen on the wall left of the gate, you can bypass the gate completely (as if there is a hallway at the bottom). Is this intentional?
- In the area after the nightmare prison, I found that by pressing x that you can open doors that you shouldn't be able to open (they stay open for about a second. Long enough for the player or enemies to get through). Also, the doors in the boss stage can also be opened without beating the boss.
- In the area with the rats, one of the rats in the top left corner got stuck in the wall on many of my playthroughs.
- Some of the text is incorrect.

As for gameplay problems:
- the nightmares in the prison have the ability to sometimes attack me, even when there is a wall corner between me and it, but I can't attack it in the same manner; this is very strange and unfair in many ways, especially since the area is already so condensed.
- speaking of the prison, having little objects on the ground to restrict the player's movement is annoying, not only from the restricted movement, but because it is difficult to see what is blocking the player. There's also the problem with the view being a little too much pointed down that the walls block the view of doorways.
- Why is it that I can turn on and off some the torches in the first level, but not in other places in the game?
- I like the delay in the weapon in that it forces you to time your attacks well, but the range of the weapon (the fact that I can only hit things in the second dimension when the game takes place in the third dimension) is not very good.
- there were a lot of missed opportunities for secrets with the torches. You could make a sequel of this with it taking place in a labyrinth of darkened corridors with lighting torches in certain ways (like a combination) opening hundreds of hidden passage ways.

I enjoyed the ambience, music, sounds, and the story concept. My suggestion would be adding more enemies (maybe creepy representations of people, and other stuff), more choices (to reflect the many different paths, both super dark and super light and in-between) that a person can take, and maybe some more puzzles and riddles. Good job on the game and I look forward to your next creation.

Xwolfang responds:

Lost of thanks for your great review, you realy helped me solve those bugs, i feel embarrassed they slipped by.

About the the torches, there are some you can turn at the beginning for the player to get use to interacting with things, but latter afterward i use torches that light up automatically to act as guide to the player and discover things hidden in the darkness.

I plan to make a sequel when i have more experience under my belt, it will be a rouge like inside a labyrinth of dark corridors, were things change when light don't touch them, and choices of ideologies change the way you play.

I realy thanks you for taking the time to review my game, and don't worry, i will make sure the next one is much better.

[Escape the Volcano Dungeon of Dread!]

Like the others have said, the game is pretty cool. I did find a somewhat annoying feature of it though; the camera does not scroll with you very well. I'll sometimes find myself up above the screen with no idea what's going on with my character (I know that I could pace myself, but sometimes this is near unavoidable (like when you put a bunch of falling platforms in a climbing manner with spikes on each wall). The main goal is to escape the lava so shouldn't the player be encouraged to get as far away from it as possible? (I know that by making the camera shift, it takes the player's eyes off the lava, which means that won't know how close it is, but maybe you could add a function here or in future games, where the camera can be augmented to go from focusing on character to the rising lava). It's just an idea.

On a more positive note, I like the secrets you put into the game though they are a pain in the butt to find since you can't spend a lot of time experimenting with the area before the lava gets you.

A very cool experience still. I look forward to your next creation and good job!

Gypopothomas responds:

Thanks much. I look forward to you PLAYING my next creation!

[Cartesian]

This game is very good and definitely deserves more attention. It is challenging in a fair way (you don't have to die to learn how to complete the level if you use the test laser first. The only battles you'd have to do over are maybe the boss battles). There's a lot I want to commend you on:
- The puzzle set ups were good and very challenging as well. When I solved one, I felt that feeling of "Yes! I did it". A lot of games don't make you feel that because they are unfair so the victory feels meaningless, because the levels are too easy, or because they are too short (there are probably other reasons, but I can't think of many now).
- The way the levels were present helped you learn mechanics before putting you in danger, like the way you had to go by the blue laser eye after you got the color change, showing you that the changed color protected you from those of the same color OR when the player falls through what we learned were solid blocks, showing that not all the blocks are solid and can be walked through OR when you put a laser in the room after the latter to show that your laser can help you identify false blocks. The game doesn't always do this, but you drop subtle hints every now to assist the player while not making the player feel stupid by holding their hand, frustrated by getting killed by something they couldn't have know, or bored by having to go through a tutorial, which is good game design.
- Throughout the game, you continued to introduce new objects and mechanics (even the last boss had the interesting way of defeating him).
- The game is long, which does mean a lot to a player. A lot of flash games end within 10 minutes of playing them (unless they are endless runners, but these get boring quickly). You managed to pack a lot of stuff into this game without making it boring.
- I liked how you kept with the theme of refraction for the bosses. You even made it more challenging with the same boss by making small changes to future mechanics the level and boss used.
- this is a small point, but I like the sound that is made when Sibro is damaged. It reminds me of old school computer game sound effects.

As for drawbacks:
- There really needs to be a reset button. Although a quick death is sometimes only a few steps away, this isn't always the case and having to go back to the entrance to reset the level is a little bothersome.
- The screen scrolling needs work. It refused to scroll up for me sometimes and the fact that I had to keep moving the mouse to scroll up so I could see where I was aiming before I shot the laser did get kind of old. Perhaps make it so you can also scroll the screen with the arrow keys.
- Some of the solutions to the puzzle require EXTREMELY specific laser placement, to the point where only edges of the spheres are being touched. I understand that you don't want to allow for the player to stumble upon an easy solution you overlooked, but this goes a little too far in some puzzles because one slight movement of the mouse and the laser will hit the player (even the laser guided system doesn't solve this as just going from the left to right mouse button could shift it. Also, it is extra hard when you are using a track pad). Basically, the target shouldn't be so small or the laser should have such a high chance of coming back and hitting the player.
- I can see influences from the Portal series here. This isn't actually a bad thing, but I felt like pointing it out as the plot does resemble it.
- For the last boss, it seems like the line up for the last hit is kind of random (the boss may take a long time to go over the red block). Also, the boss' hand often times blocked me from doing this last shot, but it is possible.
- Sibro may have been a little too simple in design in my opinion.

There may be more things I forgot to mention, but it is late and I wanted to to let you know how well you did with this. Great job! If this is your first game then I expect great things from you (but don't put pressure on yourself. Just keep improving yourself and it swill come naturally). Let me know if you ever need a tester, voice actor, or level designer (I've always wanted to help out with great projects like these and I do have experience in these areas). I wish you the best of luck in your future of game design!

th3shark responds:

Thanks for the thorough review! This feedback means a lot to me as I do try to make the best game I can. While developing I focused on level design the most, but it appears I should also put more effort into aesthetics and features. Your review was eye-opening and encouraging and that makes me feel great.

Not my first game, just my first completed game that's any good. A bunch of game jams and failed projects came before this.