Plasmarift's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Ink World]

It's good, but it's unfinished. There's only two levels available and I've beaten them both. I can definitely see this as a Megaman game, especially with the first boss fight. The number of different enemies you included is great (a lot of game makers just include one or two sometimes so it gets old quick). I guess my complaints lie with the battle system in that you have almost no time to react to enemy attacks and enemies literally come out of no where. There would be nothing wrong with this if falling off the edge didn't mean immediate death (they knock you around like a pinball). There should probably be a longer recovery period after being damaged.

Still, I like the dark storyline and how you approached it (especially with the thought bubbles from the enemies, which made me question if the enemies were thinking these or if they were the character's thoughts or the person you were trying to save. Were these creatures fragments of him?)

I look forward to your next game. Good luck!

DontComplain responds:

Eh!?! I must have not unlocked it (while I had finished debugging) cause it was suppose to have all 5 levels. I'll definitely upload an unlocked version tonight.

The boss fights has always been a non-stop tweaking projecting for me. As some will say it is too easy to kill and others will say it is too hard. I'll play around with it some more. (This often occurs with the first boss cause I wanted him to teleport around. So I'll modify his teleporting ability).

This is more of a story-line driven plot but I do intend to add more puzzles to this and more unique attributes to the existing enemies. I just didn't want to get stuck on this (5 month) project and only get a 2 star rating for all the effort.

[Search For Light]

I'm sorry no one has yet to comment on your game. It definitely isn't bad, but it does need things. I go through the good and bad.

Good:
- I've found no glitches so far.
- The game has a beginning and end for each level I've played.
- The graphic are pretty good and interesting. They remind me of a third person shooter made back in the 90's (That's good in my back).
- the controls are tight and work well and the character interacts well with the environment (meaning that what should be solid is solid and what I should be able to do in the game, I'm able to do in the game, like jump from one platform to another).
- The sounds were a good touch though I'll have something to say about some of them below.
- When the robot first ran into a dead end, I was confused. I thought it said "Data" instead of "Dang it". It became clear when he growled at another dead end. I'm not sure how you managed to program that, but that's pretty good.

Bad:
- I should point out that part of the reason you probably haven't gotten as much attention is because of the thumbnail. It's not just to indicate what the game is, it also needs to draw the person's attention to it and make them think, "Hey. This looks interesting". There are 1000's of platformers on the web. The thumbnail shows them why they should play yours over the others.
- The game feels kind of empty without music or background sounds (adding in leaking pipes echo, rats running, the echo of you jumping and landing, the bubbling of the ooze, these are all things that make the game seem real and make it more entertaining for the player. Games are just like television: details and authenticness are crucial to drawing someone in.
- I'd suggest reducing the volume on the character's grunt when they jump. Without background sound or music, it does get slightly annoying though I did get used to it.
- The character design, I feel, is the worst in the entire game. It looks more like a rock man then a machine. A few more details could have remedied this. Think about it, the player's going to be looking at that character design for the entire game so you want to make sure it is really good.
- Other than getting from point A to point B, the game really isn't offering much in challenge. None of the jumps are difficult to make though easy to mess up (the black and yellow marks on the platform tell me when a ledge is coming up, which is both smart design, but decreases the difficulty in now the player doesn't have to be as careful), there are no enemies, no time limit, and ultimately, no reward (I know a lot of games don't have "rewards" for beating levels, but the reward I'm speaking of comes from beating the level. If you beat a level then you feel good because you conquered the obstacles. In this game, there are no obstacles: just trial and error and fighting your own carelessness or clumsiness in maneuvering. Games also offer reward through story telling, which I feel this game could have had, revealing a part of the story each time you beat a level or having to find hidden documents through the building, perhaps explaining why the lights are off, what is this place, and what do the owners do?
- Dead ends aren't inherently bad, but in a large building or area, I want to feel like I can find something other than just the door. Not necessary. This one may be me.
- I consider that a game that implements "leaps of fate" should be more forgiving for the player since leaps of faith are practical gambles and having to start from the beginning of the level each time you die just get annoying.
- I didn't finish the game, partly because I'm pressed for time as it is nighttime right now and because I didn't find the game stimulating enough. This game could have very easily been a horror game; it already has the visual effects of one. All it would need is the sounds and music.

Sorry if I sound like I'm being a jerk, but when I find a game creator like yourself that has talent in art and/or story among other areas of game design, I feel compelled to give my opinion. It's possible I'm wrong about all my advice and this game might become pretty popular. It's still early on. Still, I hope you'll be making more games in the future and let me know if you need them tested or need any voice acting done for them. Good luck.

Vajra777 responds:

Thank you very much for taking the time to write such a detailed review.

This is the first game that I've made - And, everything you suggested in the bad was originally meant to be implemented (especially having interesting things in the dead ends), but my programming skills just aren't strong enough yet. This project was all about proving to myself that I could actually FINISH a video game. Having abandoned a few projects over the years...

It's all about learning - Thank you SO much for the feedback.

I think once I've figured out all the programming issues, I'll get started on releasing a sequel for this game. :)

[Poop Dog]

I really don't know what everyone's complaining about. (it's possible there was an update to this game), but the poop stays long enough to ascend and the gameplay is pretty fun. It is sometimes hard to dodge the bees when falling in the first bonus level, but just because you can't beat the level, doesn't make it the game's fault. That being said, with the first level being so long, I really don't want to play the rest of the game. The second level was kind of the same thing and I can imagine this getting boring after awhile. Each level should present something new, a different challenge. It would also help to know what I'm working toward (and if the bones gave me some kind of bonus feature or something). Also, I agree with the others that the music can get very irritating.

Wiesi responds:

Thanks for the great review!

[Urban Survival Escape 3]

I definitely like these series your putting out. I think your next one should be something involving like escaping a prison instead of just surviving, a five day planning and setting up of it. Or maybe a soldier on the battle field trying to survive. Keep it up and good luck on your future games!

selfdefiant responds:

Thanks! I just did surviving an asylum, of all things!

[Pride and Punishment]

*Bug*
I don't know if everyone else is having this problem, but once I reach the end of the last room before the boss and I try to go to the right off screen to trigger the green flash to take me to the boss room, I just fall off the edge and get a game over screen. Then, when I press retry, I end up in the boss room and the boss isn't moving (he's in like a standing animation) and my arrows go right through him without damaging him. I can also walk through the wooden gate in the boss room on the far right and I (again) will get a game over screen. Then, when I press retry, I get a screen where my three hearts are flashing, a brown background, a grey floor, and an arrow meter in the upper right corner filled to capacity (with no hero insight).

I like the game (even though it is probably pretty short). I really hope this gets fixed. I want to see how this ends.

glitchs2d responds:

Don't worry it's not a bug, its just not finished. I'm balancing the boss fight at the moment trying to make it beatable for the average player. I will probably release the update tonight, more than likely.

[Perdition]

I'm a little sad because this game really has the potential to be something great, but with the game problems and level layout, it is taking away from that, but before I go into specifics, I want to point something out. This is extremely similar to Gyossait in graphics and presentation, and the game Loved slightly by the storyline, especially at the beginning, but I am mainly concerned with the game problems (I'll go into the similarities last).

For the actual problems (like others have pointed out):
- The game freezes frequently, especially when shooting the gun.
- If you pause while floating back to a respawn point, you will remain in the spot you paused at after unpausing.
- The autosave pushes you too far back when freezes occurs so often. A manual save probably would have been better.
- Multiple endings are cool, but I think
- *Spoilers* I am right now trying to ascend the tower to face the deity that referred to me as a slave. I have found a way to reach the switch on the right, but not the one on the left because I can't get passed the part where there is a large cliff I would need to reach in order to make my way to the switch. I went up to the top level and there is a giant floating halo thing, but collecting it doesn't seem to do anything except transport me back to the beginning of the tower. Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug of some kind?

Still, the game is good and I'd love to play it through all four endings. I just don't want to have to refresh the page every 5 minutes to do it.

Now for the extreme similarities:
(Forgive me if you are the creator of Gyossait under a different account though if you are a different person extending the game yourself into a similar story, you should give credit where credit is due in the description or Credits page, which I haven't seen yet).
- The opening animation, though different, bares a striking resemblance to the other game, especially with the slow movement.
- The blinking collectable gun.
- The shaking and demonic sounds when you are killed.
- The fact it was made with Stencyl
- The main character's white, alien like appearance.
- The red, blinking text.
- The shooting enemies all look like the main character from Gyossait when he gets his gun (and they shoot the same bullets).
- Both games have more than one ending (with this game and other both giving the option to kill what is assumed to be a deity).

Carrill responds:

I am not Amon26 on a different account. I was merely inspired by the visual aesthetic of Gyossait. That being said, I think that a lot of the similarities you point out are merely surface level. For example, lots of characters in indie games are the color white. Gomez from FEZ is an example. Screen shakes are a common tool used to create satisfaction when the player performs an action. Other than this, there's a lot about this game that's my own. That being said, I've added Amon26 as an inspiration.

As for ascending the tower, once you've collected the cross Gomadi tells you to return underground. You must head to the lowest level of the area.

[Blake Strongflank Escapes]

I would seriously suggest adding in an alternate button for jumping like z or x (it's not impossible to beat the game using one hand, but the use of my other hand would have helped). The game runs smoothly, I like the story, and I also like dynamics of the wall jumping and air jumping put together to beat the levels. The minimalistic graphics are a drawback though (especially when all you needed was animated main character and lava or spikes for the red blocks, no offense though).

I did have trouble on the last two because of the reason I mentioned above and also, it was tough for me to wall jump when falling at high speeds because it was hard to see if I was pressed up against the wall and when to wall jump because by the time I hit the button, it was too late usually. I really seemed like it just wasn't working for me at times, but I'm sure this falls on me and not you.

I hope to see a sequel of some kind in the future. Good luck in the contest :)

almostnot responds:

Hey, thanks for playing and for the great feedback. In the future I'd like to add in totally mappable buttons, it's just down to me spending more time and learning more of Construct2.

I take the point on the visuals. I tried out a few styles but nothing seemed to work without a complete overhaul. I'd love it to have a really awesome pixel art style in the future but that'd require someone with much better art skills than me.

The wall jumps falling at high speed was planning to be the single hardest move in the whole game so I guess I should be glad it's tough. Sometimes you need to make sure you're really hugging the wall before you jump off it.

Blake will RETURN!

[Night Strike Infiltrators]

I'm pretty sure there is something very wrong with this game. I can't see the platforms: only the main character, enemies, ladder, forcefields, and background I can see. I'm pretty sure I should be able to see the platforms I'm walking on, right? Does it matter that I am playing on the Safari search engine?

There is no sound, but I'm not sure if this is a bug or that there isn't any (if there wasn't any to begin with, then I say it could use some). The game seems to work good, but it is kind of hard to navigate when you don't know where you are going.

Wolod responds:

I tested game today on Safari 5.1.7 for Windows (I don't have Mac) and it works fine. It seems that you have some troubles with WebGL.

[Lone Ghost & Cat]

The game concept and puzzle mechanic is great, but there are problems, specifically with the challenge.

Problems
- In many of the levels, including some of the last ones, the difficulty is way too easy (I was able to just walk straight to the door on some levels). now, if you were required to bring the cat with you, then the difficulty would go up, but as it is now, the cat is expendable and I can drain all the life out of it I want to beat the level (unless there is an alternate ending that I am missing).
- The story seems like it would be interesting, but it is not explained. Is the character in a retirement home? (that would explain all the old ladies). Is everyone a ghost and is that why they can absorb my energy? Why can the cat absorb their energy yet I can't take theirs? Am I actually a ghost or do I only become one with my energy taken away? Why do they seem hostile toward the main character? Why is the bus at the end flying? What was with that weird tongue monster? Is this all taking place in the afterlife? All questions I'm still unclear on.
- This one goes back to the unexplained story. The controls and goals themselves are not clearly explained. These can be figured (although everything seemed very odd at first with the door in the wall closing up) though I thought the "petting the cat" mechanic was only for entertainment. I didn't connect it with the fact that the cat would follow me if I only petted it ONCE.
- The game was also short, but this isn't a huge problem (I know this is your first game). I was more so just disappointed that it had too end so soon.
- The tongue elevator was a good idea though the guy wiggling his feet while it is going up just looks weird. It seems like it would be controller if he stood still, but that's just me.
- I'd encourage a menu screen and pause button in your next game for access to instructions and credits among other things. Not really necessary for this game though.

Good
- The controls and environment were great. I loved the perspective for the over world and for the levels (it reminds me of old school 90's games).
- The graphic are pretty good (especially the distortion used for ghosts) and although I already said something along these lines, I really like the concept and gameplay.
- The music was also fitting. It had a nice spooky yet techno feel to it. The sound effects were also good.

I do like the game despite my complaints and I look forward to your next. Good job!

PhilllChabbb responds:

Hello Plasmarift,

First of all, thanks for all the feedback. It's really hard to accurately change your perspective to what someone else might see, and you've given me just that. A crucial ingredient to grow. :)

So many issues you've bring up did pop-up in my mind. I can't use "it's my first game" as an excuse for all of them, but it did affect my design process in a way. The unknowing part of it. Only realizing now some of the issues.

The difficulty curve is really out of whack. It's true some levels were easier, like the one where you could just walk to the exit. This was an experiment in letting the player chose what to do without rewarding the action. Maybe the action itself was the reward? Most of them was bringing the cat to the exit or not. I'm a big fan of letting player choice be worthwhile and meaningful. Not just a static do this (maybe) meaningless action to get a reward. I might of not executed those levels well, but it's a little level up in that area. :)

For the story aspect of the game, you are 100% correct. You've actually made me think more about it and what ended up in the game. Since it was my first game, learning to program, to play piano, to compose music and trying to design a game for the first time kinda took more energy and the % of my time. So the story did in fact lack a lot. My only knowledge of story telling is the pace and "show don't tell". So it's something I must work on for the next games. Once I'm more comfortable in an area can move in the next to improve the skills (hopefully!).

And I feel the same way about the game length and menu/pause options. Glad to be on the same pace.

Overall it's been a great experience working on this game. And, again, a huge thanks for playing and helping me grow with your feedback. :D I'm also looking forwards to my next game! Haha. :)

Phil