Postby Chad » Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:00 pm
Switching Factory: Official Review
Well, this level certainly is something. The primary gimmick consists of alternating switch block formations that you have to jump between at timed intervals, which isn't often done but is done fairly decently here and proves to be a significant but fair challenge. The intervals are consistent throughout as well, with the set time of 2 seconds being a pretty good balance. It's not too frequent, but also doesn't make you wait. Each setup is intelligently planned so that the switch is on-screen and affected when it needs to be, but also stops when appropriate, so the gimmick is handled pretty effectively. There's a nice variety of formations to overcome which have slightly different ways of testing the player's reflexes and speed, and the first few instances offer a safe floor in the event of failure in order to train you.
However, the level spends a bit too much time on the gimmick. I felt as though the level could have ended after Section 4, possibly 5. The level utilizes the switch potential to its fullest and then goes somewhat beyond what was really necessary, because Sections 5 and 7 sort of repeat what was already seen aside from slight difficulty increase. This issue is accompanied by the fact that if you die in those sections, you've got a significant amount of extra content to redo because the checkpoint just becomes farther and farther away. The switch setups are effectively precise, so everything that needs to be revisited upon death is significantly tough, even individually. It would have also been nice to have a leaf for some of these areas, even if it was rare in order to not to cheapen the difficulty too much. In fact, Section 7 doesn't have any powerups at all, and it's sort of the toughest section even aside from that.
When the level's not focused on timed platforming, players are faced with generated objects, conveyor belts, Piranha pipes, and crusher layers. A decent variety, albeit a very simple one, but they do add some other forms of tricky platforming. The swarm of flying plants towards the end of Section 7 was a tad overkill though, because you can't really pause and make calculated jumps when it comes to a sequence of instant-fall platforms, especially given the aforementioned powerup and checkpoint problems. The crushers were a very nice addition though, and I would have liked to see them used a bit more, perhaps in place of some of the excess switch rooms. You started to do something different with thinner blocks and cannons on top, but then that just as quickly stopped. Still, I liked that area. The Kirby 64 inspiration is clear both in design and execution, which plays very similarly and functions well.
Visually, the level's okay, but could use a little work. The construction is really basic and leaves a lot of open space, which makes the level feel empty in most areas. Having something like a consistent ceiling and maybe floor (perhaps with spikes beneath the switch areas) would do much to make the level seem more presentable. As far as how the design influences player/obstacle interaction in general though, it does its job fine, so the level accomplishes more in terms of practicality than appearance. The forest section is odd, though. I get that it's supposed to be outside the factory, but it feels outside the established purpose of the level and doesn't do anything with it that the inside doesn't already demonstrate. The end shows you leaving the factory though, so that's alright, but Section 4 is still clearly in the meat of the level. In fact, once the switches start here, the attention to atmosphere seems to be almost entirely abandoned aside from the occasional grass island. The music choices on the other hand fit pretty well, but I think you could have just gone back to Factory Inspection for Sections 5 and up. Misty Menace is a lot quieter and uneventful than the pace that the other two set, and sort of breaks consistency with the other factory sections. Perhaps this was to create silent tension for the hardest parts of the level, but it still felt out of place.
Overall, this is a fun level. It has a lot to offer and does a clever job with it. While it does run on a bit long and gets somewhat repetitive, along with other things that could be ironed out, it's executed pretty solidly and makes for a nice challenge.
I give it a 7/10. Pretty Good.
