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SIREN: The Lost World [Episode 2-Otherside]

Archive: 43 posts

PSN: Exalted_Yawn
Level Name: SIREN: The Lost World [Episode 2-Otherside]

This is my 2nd level in the seires so also check out the first one in my signature! I really hope those who play enjoy it! It's a dark, creepy, atmospheric shot at what is a horror level at it roots. Aimed to be a Single Player Experience.
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=605&stc=1&d=1244342141
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=606&stc=1&d=1244342161
New Stuff!:The level stucture has been eased for the more casual player. The puzzles aren't as cryptic as before but still require thinking. The new area (An Abandoned Amusement Park) also has structure variety so players won't get as lost as before. The amount of backtracking has also been drastically reduced!

For those who still need help of are stuck simply go to this website
http://exaltedyawn.webs.com/

Warning though! This level is quite hard! Not for the impatient!
So I hope you enjoy and play through well!
And there's 1 prize in the stage you'll need if you wish to play the second mission. Enjoy!

Nightwing's review (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=p=287102#post287102)
Awesomemans' review (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=16315)
Graygoose's review (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=p=292725#post292725)
Unicorn Squad 4ev's Review (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=p=305816#post305816)
YouTube - PB and K Show- Episode 7: SIREN 2-Otherside

2009-06-06 21:33:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

I haven't finished the level but:

Pros:
- liked that you can change the difficulty(hard, medium & easy)
- nice looks
- awesome design! I loved how you were constantly backtracking through the whole level
- horror factor
- you made your own music!
- horses were awesome
- I could have added much more (probably) if I would have gotten that stupid code

Cons:
- at some places you just put the floor to walk on, nothing is below it...

Help:
At the part after the wheel, when u activate the horse thingy, you wind up in a room where a 4 part code is needed. What is it? I know it's someones birthday but whose?

Rated 5 stars, heart & tagged brilliant

2009-06-07 18:31:00

Author:
blizzard_cool

Posts: 752

I'm Glad you liked it! Thanks for being the first to provide feedback! I'll try to fill up those places if the thermometer allows me to. It's always an uphill battle with that thing.

2009-06-08 00:03:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Man, this level needs more replies, as it is GREAT!

Just like the first one, this level was creepy, long, brain teasing, and just all around great to play. The atmosphere was well made, and everything had a very creepy vibe, which made one scary level. Your puzzles were great, and made you back and forth, doing brilliant task to complete the level, some were so deep, having to find a plunger to get the key from the toilet to get into the gift shop storeage room to get the cash register key to get the coin to get the key out of the vending machine. Brilliant! There weren't as many pop ups and monsters as in the first, but the one that stood out that chased you when you got the plunger was awesome! It scared the pants off me! Also, the whole level looks really beautiful, and everything was destroyed well to make it look abandoned.

There were a couple of things that I noticed while playing: At the start, about 2 or 3 of the speech bubbles are censored, play the level to find out which ones they were so you could fix that. Like I said when I posted in the first SIREN thread, you can use this thread to find what words are censored: https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=6932&highlight=censored Also, as blizzard said, the ground looks weird how the ground is just floating, definitely fill that in. Finally, when you had to use the plunger to get the key, you really didn't what was there. It was just a random chance that I went in there and grabbed, maybe add a window, or something like that so people know that they have to go in there.

Overall, beautiful and creepy, just like the first. 5 stars and hearted. i'm pumped for when Episode 3 comes.

2009-06-08 05:50:00

Author:
Kog

Posts: 2358

There were a couple of things that I noticed while playing: At the start, about 2 or 3 of the speech bubbles are censored, play the level to find out which ones they were so you could fix that. Like I said when I posted in the first SIREN thread, you can use this thread to find what words are censored: https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=6932&highlight=censored Also, as blizzard said, the ground looks weird how the ground is just floating, definitely fill that in. Finally, when you had to use the plunger to get the key, you really didn't what was there. It was just a random chance that I went in there and grabbed, maybe add a window, or something like that so people know that they have to go in there.

Hey Again! Thanks for the feedback. Episode 3 will have to be on hold for a Long time though, I'm going away for the summer and will not be able to reach my PS3.

On the other hand I really wish I could fix my level. The thing is that after 20 seconds of being in create mode, my thermometer fills up to the top and my level breaks (things stop working) and when I rewind, it's still up there. I'm going to have to be a lot more self cautious on Episode 3. Just to say I have planned 6 in total. Thanks again for the feedback and I'll take to heart!

P.S. Oh and that plunger thing! If you go into the bathroom before acquiring the plunger, It hints that you have to get one by a speech bubble

2009-06-08 19:26:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Much less brain-grinding than the previous, it seemed to me. Neutral statement, that.

Only thing I would like different is that when Death chases you, I got stuck in the dark bookcase because I'm jumpy. Couldn't see why I was stuck; by the time I figured it out it was too late.

Pros:
Pretty!
Explore-y!
Good level for its genre. Not something I'd replay over and over, simply 'cause I'm not a fan of talkative creep-you-out levels. But if you are a fan of that kind of level, play SIREN!

Cons:
It's dark; my eyes don't like dark, but that's really not something to change. The darkness fits very well. If only speech bubbles' colors could be changed to dark grey...
Censored speech bubbles - second one of the entrance group, and both computers in the staff building.
Computer is a censored word, I believe

2009-06-11 23:47:00

Author:
Loius

Posts: 342

Thanks for giving feedback on both My Levels!

Only thing I would like different is that when Death chases you, I got stuck in the dark bookcase because I'm jumpy. Couldn't see why I was stuck; by the time I figured it out it was too late.

Ahh, I'm not really sure what i could do to that sequence, but I'll try to make less areas where you can get stuck and die.

Censored speech bubbles - second one of the entrance group, and both computers in the staff building.
Computer is a censored word, I believe

Really!? No wonder the computer's didn't work! The message displayed was supposed to state that their broken. Nothing Major.
But the one from the entrance! I really wanted that to be visible! I've reworded it so much and nothing's working! T_T

2009-06-11 23:59:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Yeah, the censor system just looks for anything that's a dirty word in apparently any language, and censors if it finds the word anywhere at all.

2009-06-12 02:03:00

Author:
Loius

Posts: 342

Just finished playing this level and all I can say is... wow.

It is a huge improvement over the first which I found to be a chore to play. Love the amusement park setting, everything about it just felt creepy and unnerving. I love the amount of detail you put into it and the well thought out puzzles.

The constant camera changes bothered me at the start but now I think added to the creepiness by creating a claustrophobic feeling. It could still use some work to smooth the transitions from camera to camera but this is little big planet...

The dark bottom floor of the staff building was terrifying, and I think it would put alot of players off if they had to go down there twice. ;-)

Things to work on:

Only a short list. Smoothing camera transitions, Adding material to the sections where there is noting below the floor... thats about it. It didn't even need enemies, which in my opinion cheapen a horror level due to the cartoonish nature of them.

Overall, awesome job, 5 stars hearted. Its a shame it doesn't get more plays.

2009-06-13 15:04:00

Author:
Unknown User

Have just played this level (from behind a cushion) and have to say I enjoyed it more than the first one.

I am not the most patient of people but somehow you managed to keep me interested and I actually wanted to try and figure the puzzles out instead of just clicking 'return to pod'.

Well done for that!

I thought the creepy astmosphere was awesome, I really loved the layout of the building and again the sounds effects were superb. The materials you used gave the whole place a very believable feel and I loved collecting the required 'tools'.

I didn't finish the level, but only because my patience eventually ran out and not because I wasn't enjoying it!

5 stars and heart from me.

2009-06-17 16:34:00

Author:
IceMaiden

Posts: 1057

Hi Noroibito. I played this level in the wee hours of the morning...and on purpose I might add...purely to enhance
the T R A M A! Did I say T R A M A!

The experience:
1. T R A M A!:eek:
2. Anyway, Incredible visuals--you know I like that.
3. The attention to detail was awesome--I also felt the excrutiating pain that you must have gone through to create all those objects.
4. Outstanding challenges requiring "use of brain"--I'm an advocate of "intelligent play", and your level is filled with it.
5. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of this level, and I checked out every corner...before the "thing in the Dark Room" took all of my lives. I'm not sure where the checkpoint was when that happened, as I never saw the rings of life...just a respawn in the dark and immediate death. I was a little baffled regarding why, but I do plan to play it again to see what lies beyond...and I really want to use the plunger too

.

The Downside:
1. Speech popups that are censored, and not corrected, annoy me--i.e. first series of popups at beginning had 2, and there were 2 at the PC Monitors in the Staff Bldg. It would be great if you fixed these. An efficient method I use is entering portions of the text in the comment section of one of my levels online. If the filter finds a word it doesn't like, it will censor the comment. Then it's just a quick (a couple of minutes) breakdown of the sentence or phrase, to find the little bugger causing the problem.
2. After investing a significant amount of time in your level, exploring, following the directions given, and studying your details, I felt a little slighted when all of my lives were taken by the "thing in the Dark Room". It' too dark there to see what actually caused me to get stuck, but apparently I was moved to another layer, and could not get around the thing.
3. When traversing your level, there were several areas where Sacky was forced to a layer that was not intended. Most of these areas involved going up steps. This got a tad bit frustrating at times, and did impact my overall enjoyment of this level.

Still, I rated this 4-Stars and will go back to try it again. I also plan to try your other levels, as I think your talent, and ability to create realistic stages, is stellar.

Well Done!

And I recommend everyone play this level.

Rick

2009-06-18 02:15:00

Author:
RickRock_777

Posts: 1567

5. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of this level, and I checked out every corner...before the "thing in the Dark Room" took all of my lives. I'm not sure where the checkpoint was when that happened, as I never saw the rings of life...just a respawn in the dark and immediate death. I was a little baffled regarding why, but I do plan to play it again to see what lies beyond...and I really want to use the plunger too

.

Wait what? how did this happen? The "thing" is supposed to chase you then disappear. And this really depends what "difficulty" you were on...If it was H/Hard you get a game over if you die. Maybe the screen was too dark?

2. After investing a significant amount of time in your level, exploring, following the directions given, and studying your details, I felt a little slighted when all of my lives were taken by the "thing in the Dark Room". It' too dark there to see what actually caused me to get stuck, but apparently I was moved to another layer, and could not get around the thing.

Ahh, another person had this problem. There are some shelves in the background that you'll see when it's brighter...but people who "jump" when they're scared tend to get stuck on the shelves...don't think I can do much for that...any suggestions?

3. When traversing your level, there were several areas where Sacky was forced to a layer that was not intended. Most of these areas involved going up steps. This got a tad bit frustrating at times, and did impact my overall enjoyment of this level.

Well...the dark matter on the steps is a little thick...I'll try to make them thinner in the next installment.

And I recommend everyone play this level.

Rick

Thank you very much for the feedback. I hope that you'll finish it eventually. But about the realistic level thing....this series is as close as it gets so far. The other levels are much go in the opposite direction. I hope you'll be satisfied by the third installment when it comes out LATE this year.

2009-06-19 06:03:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

I remember playing your first level a while back and being unable to finish it due to many reasons. One being that I got lost or just didn't know what to do ... another time I jumped out of the elevator that opened on different floors but then it closed on me once I jumped out of it and I couldn't get out of the building anymore.

== This level is a huge improvement from the first and plays really well, I had fun with it. ==

+ The level is layed out well and as you said is much easier to navigate through than the previous one. I always knew exactly where I was going and usually knew just what I had to do with an item once I got it.

+ Love all of the detail that has gone into the level and it has a really great run-down feel to it. I especially enjoy the broken rides and things like the boarded up carts on the ferris wheel (very nice little touches).

+ The exploration aspect of the level is really nice, and none of the items hidden in places that were unreasonable to find. They all were fairly 'hidden'.

- As many others have said it does destroy the illusion a bit when the ground you are walking on is just floating in the air.

- I had no idea what to do with the tablet once I got it ... not necessarily a big deal, I just ran around without knowing what to do and eventually made my way to where I was supposed to be taking it.

- The camera angles become a little distracting as you keep running back and forth through the amusement park. (not sure how to solve that though).

- Sadly I was still unable to finish this level all on my own. Once I had to enter the numbers at the end I had no idea where I was supposed to get the numbers and had to check the walkthrough. However, I was a little dissapointed when the walkthrough just told me what the numbers were but never said where I got them from. So I am still unsure where the numbers came from ... maybe the first level?

== If the huge improvement that you have made from the first level to this one is any indication of where this series of levels is going I really look forward to the next installment.

2009-06-19 23:54:00

Author:
Coreymill

Posts: 85

Thanks for the feedback!

- As many others have said it does destroy the illusion a bit when the ground you are walking on is just floating in the air.

I tried to use to angles and lighting to hide the floating floor places...but apparently it's still visible in some place. I just have no idea where. Can you help me out and tell me where this is most apparent?

- I had no idea what to do with the tablet once I got it ... not necessarily a big deal, I just ran around without knowing what to do and eventually made my way to where I was supposed to be taking it.

This one is kinda a hit and miss. Going to the ferris wheel asks for a black key. The tablet is called an obsidian tablet. Obsidian is black. Don't expect much to get that one but like you did, just running around should get the job done.

- Sadly I was still unable to finish this level all on my own. Once I had to enter the numbers at the end I had no idea where I was supposed to get the numbers and had to check the walkthrough. However, I was a little dissapointed when the walkthrough just told me what the numbers were but never said where I got them from. So I am still unsure where the numbers came from ... maybe the first level?

Ah well, I made the walkthrough as the "simple way out". I'm sorry that the code was too cryptic. The code is a "birthday" and the speech in the second floor of the staff building says that the park was built in 1976 (the code)

I'd really like to know. Has anybody tried Mission 2 yet? I've gotten zero feedback on how it works out so far..

2009-06-20 03:47:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

I tried to use to angles and lighting to hide the floating floor places...but apparently it's still visible in some place. I just have no idea where. Can you help me out and tell me where this is most apparent

- As you are walking up towards the carousel from the left.

- By the authorized personell only door ... when you go down there

- Possibly most noticeable when you come back up from the authorized personell door. You can see a lot underneath the carousel.

- When you walk up to the diner from the fountain.

- Almost all the way across the flat section where the diner and the bathroom are you can see the background underneath the actual ground.

- Underneath the fountain you can see a little bit of the background as well, but it's less noticeable.

- When you go into the back room in the gift shop you can see the background to the right side of the room.

- On the second mission ... once you are inside the tunnel you can go the left and kinda jump up steps and see the music player under the level as well as lots of background.

Ah well, I made the walkthrough as the "simple way out". I'm sorry that the code was too cryptic.

That's okay. I just didn't get the clue ... I wasn't sure who or what it was referring to when it said 'my' in the clue.

I'd really like to know. Has anybody tried Mission 2 yet? I've gotten zero feedback on how it works out so far..

== Okay, I played through the level again but turned on community objects so I could get the sticker to play through it again and do the second mission.

- I got to the museum ... although the obsidian tablet was still there so, I could have gone the the other way again. Not sure if want to try and completely get rid of the option to go that way when you use the sticker or not.

- Anyway, got into the museum and ran to the end and grabbed the key. I then proceeded to grab a lever and have a red light flash and a bad noise sound so I assumed that I must have pulled the wrong one.

- I then grabbed different ones and there wasn't anymore of the red light so I assumed that I had done it correctly. But the speech bubble that came up was all ***starre******* out so I wasn't sure what I had done or if it was correct. I then left the museum and finished the level. So I must have done it correctly just couldn't read what it said.

2009-06-20 07:00:00

Author:
Coreymill

Posts: 85

Hey, went through and played both installments of the series. Feedback below:

Pros:
-Cool idea; haven't seen a "point-and-click" type level on LBP yet.
-Creepy - especially the horse music
-Wide-open level design lets you explore
-interesting story elements picked up from pamphlets, etc. that kept the atmosphere.

Cons:
-It took me a while to get my bearings on what the levels offered, and by the time I was comfortable where everything was I had spent quite a bit of time wandering around bumping into things
-The setting is good dark, but I felt there need to be lights at key place - e.g. some signs for some of the buildings - gift shop, etc. - because I couldn't tell what room I was in if the speech bubble didn't pop up. Also, it was so dark I missed the figure that popped up after the plunger - I only found out from the comment board!
-The pathing on the stairs got frustrating after a while - I would get stuck often and you have to climb stairs so much it was kind of a pain
-Some of the items were spaced pretty far apart without a new obstacle in between. Meaning when I got the silver dollar and then went all the way back to the vending machine, there should be something "new" - a threat, etc. - to keep it interesting. Otherwise, the player is doing a lot of roaming in areas they've already been.

I'd be interested to see the third installment. Once again, very creative ideas going on here - first time I've seen it in this game.

2009-07-02 03:37:00

Author:
phife211

Posts: 62

You have an amazing level there just finished it but like a lot of people I couldn't finish it without the walkthrough.

The birthday part through me off, that's where I got stuck.
I'm not going to give you a list of what's good or bad because I think everyone here has covered that part

I will suggest you reword the last hint to something along the lines of "The year I came to be" or something like that would help as that gives people an idea of a year instead of a whole date such as 03/06/09 (and that can be reversed if you live in the US) too bad you can't use the red text in speech bubbles that would help tremendously.

Anyways :star::star::star::star::star: you deserve every last one of em.

2009-07-02 04:43:00

Author:
Waldo

Posts: 108

Thanks for the feedback guys!

-The setting is good dark, but I felt there need to be lights at key place - e.g. some signs for some of the buildings - gift shop, etc. - because I couldn't tell what room I was in if the speech bubble didn't pop up. Also, it was so dark I missed the figure that popped up after the plunger - I only found out from the comment board!

Sure! adding lights in key places strategically shouldn't take away from the atmosphere.

-The pathing on the stairs got frustrating after a while - I would get stuck often and you have to climb stairs so much it was kind of a pain

I'm still kinda at a loss on that one. If you walk slowly then you should make it up the stairs fine. But i'm not sure how to fix the running problem with the planes.

-Some of the items were spaced pretty far apart without a new obstacle in between. Meaning when I got the silver dollar and then went all the way back to the vending machine, there should be something "new" - a threat, etc. - to keep it interesting. Otherwise, the player is doing a lot of roaming in areas they've already been.

Better Pacing. Got it!

The birthday part through me off, that's where I got stuck. I'm not going to give you a list of what's good or bad because I think everyone here has covered that part

I will suggest you reword the last hint to something along the lines of "The year I came to be" or something like that would help as that gives people an idea of a year instead of a whole date such as 03/06/09 (and that can be reversed if you live in the US) too bad you can't use the red text in speech bubbles that would help tremendously.

Thanks that's a good idea! I can't implement it yet though. I'm on vacation. And yes I would be amazing if we could use the red text.

2009-07-03 02:58:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Thanks for the feedback!
Now I'm even more thankful seeing the caliber of creator that you are. Really great job. I loved the type of gameplay that you used; having to search for keys and items. It almost seemed like a different game. The amount of detail that you put into to it was very much appreciated too. From the door that didn't open to the restroom full of blood. Simply amazing. I also liked how the fact of having no music made it even creepier.
I did notice that a sentence in the beginning was censored, so you should check that out. Other than that, the level was excellent!

:star::star::star::star::star:

2009-08-22 01:59:00

Author:
javi haguse

Posts: 744

Thanks! I'll be sure to fix that sentence when I get back!

2009-08-26 09:00:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Ok, I'll be honest with you:
I'm a fresh horror game fan and I must say... THAT THIS LEVEL WAS ACTUALLY ALOT SCARIER THAN SOME OF THE ACTUAL HORROR GAMES!

I surely can see that Silent Hill series inspired you alot. And I'm glad they did because I love those series. For example: The Horse Carousel music = Silent Hill 2 music box puzzle

I also loved those indoor places. I beat this with the Hard difficulty (both missions

) And it was hard, but not frustrating

And that's always a plus.

Now we come to the atmosphere thing...what can I say about it?
Well... IT'S AWESOME! Again, Silent Hill 2

I loved the lack of music because sometimes the music just ruins the atmosphere.
But even though the music was missing, the level was far from silent...
You really know how to use sound effects. For example, when the monster showed up, you used the long foreboding sound-effect, and that just gave me the chills! I really wanted to run away from it.

Now, the visuals:

The visuals were great... just great. You managed to make the tea-cups, carousel, ferris wheel and all the buildings and such very beautiful.

Now, for the conclusion:

I loved this level. It's hard to say something that I didn't like about it (except for the ground next to the sewer door) All I can say is that it was scary, beautiful and atmospheric at the same time and I can't wait for the 3rd part.

:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: + <3

2009-08-26 09:25:00

Author:
Oerjeke

Posts: 234

2009-08-26 09:50:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Thanks so much for that feedback! I really enjoyed reading your post and I'm glad somebody finally noticed the reference to the silent hill 2 music box! I'll be right back to making my levels again once summer vacation ends. thanks again for the feedback!

Oh, I forgot:
F4F: Escape from a creepy house

(I'd like to know what was good about it and what was bad so I can use the positive things in my new level and stuff

)

2009-08-31 12:13:00

Author:
Oerjeke

Posts: 234

Sure! I'll be glad too do that!

2009-08-31 18:16:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

2009-09-01 00:25:00

Author:
Kipmonlin

Posts: 251

I played the first part and this one but had to give up on both. I couldn't figure out what to do. I tried hard with the second part but I have no attention span so reading speech-bubbles and running back and forth and up and down for 20 minutes didn't keep me entertained. Not your fault, it's totally me. I'm sure if you like this kind of level it's good. I can appreciate the effort. The detail in design is of high quality. I remember the vending machines and a lot of tiny stuff that looked really good.

XD Your post made me rofl..Well I don't blame you! this kind of level isn't for everyone! But thanks for complimenting the level instead of saying...
This level IS CRAP!!! 1 STER FER BEING UNBETABLE AND STEWWPID1!!!!!

=P

2009-09-01 01:46:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

This level is an amazing level in terms of atmosphere and attention to detail. You?ve created a great space here that is both large and creepy. It captures the desolate/dead feeling much better than the first level I think in part to the run-down amusement part setting. This environment is much creepier than a dead research facility in terms of player identification.

While I think that this level is higher in detail and scenery it does seem to be a much shorter level than the first and has fewer of the really spooky, scary sequences than the first. I attribute the shorter length to the much higher detail level and this level really excels in the quality of your mechanical objects and in the set design in general.

I love that you?ve managed to get the two separate missions in the level even though both missions have a good deal of overlap. The scavenger hunt nature of the level was fun to do though I think that everything was more straightforward than the first level possibly due the amount of locations being fewer. (Maybe there are the same amount of locations between both levels but in this one it is easier to move from one section to the next such that it feels smaller.)

I would have liked to have more of the supernatural/death/scary sequences as you?ve done a very good job with the ones that you did. The bathroom sequence in the employee building was top notch and really got my heart pounding. Very well done.

This level seems to be more focused on a single theme than the first as well making everything easier to figure out and identify. I do not understand the torn pages though. They may be giving clues about what to do in different sections but when I saw the stars for the missing letters I focused primarily on those.

I thought that the missing letters might be part of an anagram but that didn?t pan out. It was fun to figure out though as late at night as I was playing the level I didn?t ponder the meaning of the words too much. The level does have you looking around and backtracking a lot and as long as the player does this they will eventually piece all of the puzzles together. The clues you offer at the begging are helpful and adequately obscure.

--I see a visible magic mouth in the gift shop store room. It is above the cash register next to the sticker of the king. Being as polished as the level is, and as dark, I?m happy to have spotted this.

--The music that plays at the ferris wheel is very well done. Excellent. I don't recognize the tune, is it a theme to a Silent Hill style game or possibly related to Twin Peaks? I don't know this one.

--You?ve got great use of the camera angles and each have very tight player tracking. This enhanced the experience of the level initially but as I played longer and longer, doing the second mission, I was moving quickly back and forth through the level. With the tightly fixed camara angles this makes it a very jerky experience with the camera shifting and rotating every few segments.

I stopped watching too closely as I ran from side to side of the level as it was very distracting with the constantly changing camera zones.

I?m curious why there is a single score bubble on the mission 1 end but none offered on mission 2. Possibly there are extra actions that trigger these bubbles and I didn?t do it? Also I?m not sure how to get the bubble when in single player mode as the scoreboard is triggered before I get the bubble.

I also think it is that the level seems to be floating in the air. There are many places where you can see under the floor or out past the sides of the level and see nothing there. On the one hand that adds a level of surrealism to the experience that you may have been going for and other had it could be lack of thermometer space or attention to detail.

I am also curious about the storyline about the search for the missing people. There is no mention of them except as bookends to this level. When I read the introductory text about needing to find them I thought that the level would be related to searching for them. I was surprised when everything is done without any other reference to them. (Except in mission 2 I believe.)

I think this is related to the overall storyline but it was a bit odd as I first played the level.

You?ve done a great job creating the amusement part, creating the details and setting the dark, creepy mood. For levels of this genre the Siren series has consistently been the best I've played. I think that this level represents an advancement in skill from you as a creator, offering a more complex and believable world, better visualized, focused and executed environment but a little less than the first in terms of puzzles and scary moments.

2009-09-01 18:15:00

Author:
Trindall

Posts: 297

WOW! Thanks for the HUGE response!

While I think that this level is higher in detail and scenery it does seem to be a much shorter level than the first and has fewer of the really spooky, scary sequences than the first. I attribute the shorter length to the much higher detail level and this level really excels in the quality of your mechanical objects and in the set design in general.

I would have liked to have more of the supernatural/death/scary sequences as you?ve done a very good job with the ones that you did. The bathroom sequence in the employee building was top notch and really got my heart pounding. Very well done.

="D Thermo problems there. But I plan to try and merge the fellings in both levels for the third installment, so far it's pretty detailed and the thermo is barely filled. THen again, anything nesscesaryily important hasn't been created...>.>

This level seems to be more focused on a single theme than the first as well making everything easier to figure out and identify. I do not understand the torn pages though. They may be giving clues about what to do in different sections but when I saw the stars for the missing letters I focused primarily on those.

I thought that the missing letters might be part of an anagram but that didn?t pan out. It was fun to figure out though as late at night as I was playing the level I didn?t ponder the meaning of the words too much. The level does have you looking around and backtracking a lot and as long as the player does this they will eventually piece all of the puzzles together. The clues you offer at the begging are helpful and adequately obscure.

:eek:That seems to be the dead hitter on this level. Like the book puzzle in the old level, absolutely no one has got this.

Well this is a time where my brain tried to think of a puzzle that would be hard to complete, and it went overboard. Fortunately you can completely ignore these pages and finish the 2nd mission. The pages were supposed to be clues to the museum puzzle while being tough to understand due to being letter starred out. The thing is that too many of the starred letters could fit into multiple words and in the end making the letters have no sense.

I'll try to not create such a complicated puzzle next time.

--I see a visible magic mouth in the gift shop store room. It is above the cash register next to the sticker of the king. Being as polished as the level is, and as dark, I?m happy to have spotted this.

Thank you! I'll be sure to fix it!

--The music that plays at the ferris wheel is very well done. Excellent. I don't recognize the tune, is it a theme to a Silent Hill style game or possibly related to Twin Peaks? I don't know this one.

Wait, the ferris wheel doesn't have music...

Or are you talking about the carousel? Well there your right! It's theYouTube - Silent Hill 2 Cutscenes 66 - Musicbox from silent hill 2!

--You?ve got great use of the camera angles and each have very tight player tracking. This enhanced the experience of the level initially but as I played longer and longer, doing the second mission, I was moving quickly back and forth through the level. With the tightly fixed camara angles this makes it a very jerky experience with the camera shifting and rotating every few segments.

I'll attempt to ease up the tracking a bit, but it might ruins the fixed angles.
I stopped watching too closely as I ran from side to side of the level as it was very distracting with the constantly changing camera zones.

I?m curious why there is a single score bubble on the mission 1 end but none offered on mission 2. Possibly there are extra actions that trigger these bubbles and I didn?t do it? Also I?m not sure how to get the bubble when in single player mode as the scoreboard is triggered before I get the bubble.

:blush: This was product of paranoia. I'm still not sure as the whether take it off or not. The mission 2 sticker that you receive when you beat the level is also awarded in that bubble. I just put it to make sure that people get the second mission key no matter what.

I also think it is that the level seems to be floating in the air. There are many places where you can see under the floor or out past the sides of the level and see nothing there. On the one hand that adds a level of surrealism to the experience that you may have been going for and other had it could be lack of thermometer space or attention to detail.

I have to admit, it was because of a lack of attention and now it's too late..

I was trying to get the hidden spaces hidden as much as I could but later cared less thinking a lot of people wouldn't notice. I WAS WRONG! Now the thermo is way to filled for me to even attempt to fix it, But I'm trying my best to avoid this problem in the 3rd installment.

I am also curious about the storyline about the search for the missing people. There is no mention of them except as bookends to this level. When I read the introductory text about needing to find them I thought that the level would be related to searching for them. I was surprised when everything is done without any other reference to them. (Except in mission 2 I believe.)

I think this is related to the overall storyline but it was a bit odd as I first played the level.

Hmm your right that I have been holding back on the story so far. I plan on fleshing it out more as you go but may have kept it a bit too bare boned in the first 2 installments. (Definitely the 1st) The third will try more focus on the main story and the story of the area.

You?ve done a great job creating the amusement part, creating the details and setting the dark, creepy mood. For levels of this genre the Siren series has consistently been the best I've played. I think that this level represents an advancement in skill from you as a creator, offering a more complex and believable world, better visualized, focused and executed environment but a little less than the first in terms of puzzles and scary moments.

I thank you a lot for this great deal of feedback! I will take it to heart while making my new level. Hope to see more from you soon!

2009-09-01 19:27:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

:eek:That seems to be the dead hitter on this level. Like the book puzzle in the old level, absolutely no one has got this.

I'll try to not create such a complicated puzzle next time.
I thought that the first two ripped pages were fairly easy to read even with the missing letters and only the last two words of the last page gave me a bit of work to figure out. (A minute or so.)

I think that since I didn't figure out the use of them in the first mission I didn't pay them much mind the second time around and didn't catch their association to the museum puzzle.

Wait, the ferris wheel doesn't have music...

Or are you talking about the carousel?
Absolutely. I often mix up carousel and ferris wheel and I wasn't paying too much attention to what I was writing. oops.

I'll attempt to ease up the tracking a bit, but it might ruins the fixed angles.
You can try it out but I wouldn't ruin the cinematic feeling if you think that a notch or two less player tracking hurts the effect.

I have to admit, it was because of a lack of attention and now it's too late..

I was trying to get the hidden spaces hidden as much as I could but later cared less thinking a lot of people wouldn't notice. I WAS WRONG! Now the thermo is way to filled for me to even attempt to fix it, But I'm trying my best to avoid this problem in the 3rd installment.
I wouldn't feel too badly about this part of things. It is visible but I think a lot of people here are also fairly skilled at spotting these types of issues and the actual masses playing the level may not really see or care about this.

I think that this floating in the air effect enhances the bizarre nature of the level making it feel like a waking dream or possibly in an alternate dimension.

Hmm your right that I have been holding back on the story so far. I plan on fleshing it out more as you go but may have kept it a bit too bare boned in the first 2 installments. (Definitely the 1st) The third will try more focus on the main story and the story of the area.
I think that the first level or two do very well to set the theme and style of the Siren series and moving into the meat of the the super-story by the third release is good timing. This gives you room to explore the story a bit for about two levels, explore backstory or sidestory for a level and then conclude the series in the epic finale.

Just musing here.

2009-09-02 17:17:00

Author:
Trindall

Posts: 297

So I finally got around to playing this, and I'm so glad I waited! I sat there for about 40 minutes playing the first mission. Here are my thoughts:

Pros:
- Very intuitive puzzles (I played on medium)
- The part where you see a monster was awesome!! the scream was really cool too, it kept me running lol
- I loved the Silent Hill music - very creepy
- The atmosphere of the level gave me the feeling of loneliness and that something was definitely wrong lol
- The visuals were stunning (minus the parts where you can see outside the level)
- It's nice that you posted a walk through and videos, and for the most part I found that it would've been useful (I'll say why in the "cons")
- I really liked the idea of collecting items, and then using them
- The hints (for the most part) were helpful, and I really liked that the flags were the color of the carriages you needed to check out - although I didn't notice that until after I checked every carriage
- Nicely done that you can't jump on top of the building next to the ferris wheel
- I liked the fact that just because there was a dark room (with the monster), you still chose to build shelves and have them filled with stuff; I noticed this because I used a sticker to look around ... I wanted to see if the monster was still there hiding in the dark .. nice touch that he wasn't there!

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT - do not read the cons if you haven't played this yet, as they allude to a very important clue in the level

Cons:
- In the very beginning where there is fire to the left of you, you can jump up the rocks and get over the other side (to the left) .. you have to purposely try to do this, so I don't know if you want to fix that or not
- The biggest hang up I had was the "from my existence" clue. When I think of existence, I think of the persons life span .. like **** through 2009 .. the space between the dates. I actually had to check your walk through for the number code because I had no idea what it could've been. I noticed in your video it says "birthday," and I would have gotten that right away! You definitely need to reword this line.. some examples could be: date of birth; the day I came into this world; etc.
- Your walk through was nice and straight forward, but i would've liked to know why it was *,*,*,* instead of having to view the videos

My Goofs:
- I forgot to have my settings enabled to collect prizes, so now I'll have to play this again just so I can get the key to play mission two!!

Overall:
5 :star:'s
Hearted the level

Seriously, GREAT level!! The best horror level I've played so far! And thank you for the feed back on my Real Myst: Channelwood Age!

2009-09-03 16:13:00

Author:
Powershifter

Posts: 668

A lot of feedback! thanks!

Cons:
- In the very beginning where there is fire to the left of you, you can jump up the rocks and get over the other side (to the left) .. you have to purposely try to do this, so I don't know if you want to fix that or not

Hmm really? I thought that either the fire of the steepness of the cliff would stop the player. I'll try to add some dark matter but if the thermo doesn't let up then I guess I'll just leave it alon since this is the first time I've heard of this.

- The biggest hang up I had was the "from my existence" clue. When I think of existence, I think of the persons life span .. like **** through 2009 .. the space between the dates. I actually had to check your walk through for the number code because I had no idea what it could've been. I noticed in your video it says "birthday," and I would have gotten that right away! You definitely need to reword this line.. some examples could be: date of birth; the day I came into this world; etc.

Really? I changed it because nobody understood the birthday clue. I'll try and make it more clear. But I thought the hint at the start.
Existence can mean Creation. Check the second floor.
Would help. Would year of existence help?

- Your walk through was nice and straight forward, but i would've liked to know why it was *,*,*,* instead of having to view the videos

Check the second floor of the staff building

Overall:
5 :star:'s
Hearted the level

Seriously, GREAT level!! The best horror level I've played so far! And thank you for the feed back on my Real Myst: Channelwood Age!

Thanks So much! Hope to see more from you too!

2009-09-04 14:30:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Hmm really? I thought that either the fire of the steepness of the cliff would stop the player. I'll try to add some dark matter but if the thermo doesn't let up then I guess I'll just leave it alon since this is the first time I've heard of this.

Normally I wouldn't have found it, but when I play levels that I want to leave feed back, I always check for bugs. a little piece of invisible dark matter would do the trick

Really? I changed it because nobody understood the birthday clue. I'll try and make it more clear. But I thought the hint at the start.
Would help. Would year of existence help?

I thought the "birthday" clue would have been really straight forward - I know I would've gotten that right away.

Ok, I did some thinking - how about: "the dawn of my existence." That definitely makes sense (literally means 'the beginning of my life&apos

and yet is still a bit mystical.

Check the second floor of the staff building

Once I knew the answer to the puzzle, I knew why it was the answer because I remembered seeing what you're talking about on the second floor of the staff building. I was just suggesting that in your walk through on your website you should write something like, "This number sequence comes from the second floor of the staff building."

Thanks So much! Hope to see more from you too!

I'm thinking about doing one more Myst based level, except this time I'm going to take the liberty of making my own original Age .. and it's going to be a big one! In fact I think I'm just going to have you link there in the beginning, rather than you having to spend some time on Myst Island (besides, believe it or not, Myst Island takes up 75% of the thermometer!!).

2009-09-04 15:38:00

Author:
Powershifter

Posts: 668

Normally I wouldn't have found it, but when I play levels that I want to leave feed back, I always check for bugs. a little piece of invisible dark matter would do the trick

Okay! on it now!

I thought the "birthday" clue would have been really straight forward - I know I would've gotten that right away.

Ok, I did some thinking - how about: "the dawn of my existence." That definitely makes sense (literally means 'the beginning of my life&apos

and yet is still a bit mystical.

That's a nice idea! Thanks!

I'm thinking about doing one more Myst based level, except this time I'm going to take the liberty of making my own original Age .. and it's going to be a big one! In fact I think I'm just going to have you link there in the beginning, rather than you having to spend some time on Myst Island (besides, believe it or not, Myst Island takes up 75% of the thermometer!!).

:eek: 75% It'll really help without it.

2009-09-04 16:40:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

I would like to say more but there isn't much to say. I like it a lot better than your previous level. There is much more atmosphere and you don't have to walk miles back and forth the same corridors.

Sound: No music, but really still pretty good sound throughout the level.
Visuals: Dark... Sometimes maybe a bit too dark, but that is hard too judge as everyone as different display setting. What I could see was pretty good and nicely detailed. The bloodstained mirror was my favourite piece of scenery.
Gameplay: Well, I played on easy. ^_^ Running around finding clues = good. (In this case anyway)
Nitpicks: Nothing, except I had to cheat to find the code.

2009-09-04 16:54:00

Author:
Syroc

Posts: 3193

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you got to notice little pieces of scenery like that.

2009-09-04 19:09:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

Hi, noroibito
Thanks for the feedback. now it's time to return your favor!

it took me 30mins to beat this lvl!!!

your lvl looks great! I love the stairs. Hahaha!!! I don't know why but i love it.

The decorations look awesome. lots of work were put one the decorations and they fit perfectly with the theme.
Great work on the RPG-like gameplay!!!

Only one thing to be criticised. The stairs are really hard to use. it's so frustrated sometimes. I have no idea how to fix this thing. But if you can fix it, gameplay will be a lot smoother.

Overall, this kind of lvl is not my thing for lbp. But you did a great job on making it alive. :star::star::star::star: + a Heart! Yeah!!!

2009-09-25 11:13:00

Author:
SiXth

Posts: 59

Hi ok so im returning the feedback you left me:

I really dont like this style of level so im probably not great for the job here... but hey.

I did try the first level to begin with (4 times) and got stuck every time. I dont know if i was meant to do this but i ended up in a pitch black corridor 3 of those times and couldn't find/get up the stairs? I suppose i was meant to get a light on first but i really think it should be possible to return to get the light on easily. Maybe u could make it a little lighter in places? Anyway on the fourth attempt i found a building on the left that must have had alot more to do with the level, but i got bored trying to find out what to do. So i tried the second one...

Right, so this one was easier. well a little bit. I still dont like the idea that every door i came to was locked, but hey remember i really dont like this style of level. Finally when i got a few more clues things began to pick up and i could move on a little easier.

Onto the good points:

Firstly the atmosphere in both levels is really well built up. I like how it feels creepy but without any 'boo' moments. The setting i think is the strongest point of these levels. Also i want to mention how much i love ur stairs! Sack boys walk up them perfectly!

Overall, although not my favourite type of levels, you pulled off a pretty creepy investigative story and that gets u 4 stars from me.

2009-09-25 21:01:00

Author:
ladylyn1

Posts: 836

Thanks for the feedback!

Only one thing to be criticized. The stairs are really hard to use. it's so frustrated sometimes. I have no idea how to fix this thing. But if you can fix it, gameplay will be a lot smoother.

Ah yes, this was a big problem that has been mentioned a couple of times. I'm still not completely sure as how to make perfect stairs but I've made the ones in Episode 3 a lot smoother.

Overall, although not my favorite type of levels, you pulled off a pretty creepy investigative story and that gets u 4 stars from me.

Thanks! I understand that not everyone will enjoy this type of level but still thanks for trying!

2009-09-26 15:20:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

2009-09-26 17:58:00

Author:
chazbell

Posts: 40

I'm not really a fan of the "find one thing leads you to another thing" style of levels, but I saw how hard you worked on everything and five stared it. The atmosphere was great and the song you made for the carousal sounded really cool. After reading through the posts, nothing came to attack me when i got the plunger, could be a glitch I suppose. Anyways great level.

Wait what? Nothing came as you were leaving the hallway? It's speed varies alot so it may have stayed in 1 place while you high tailed it? =P oh well. Thanks anyways! I have remidied this in 3!

2009-09-26 18:02:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

New Reviews have been posted up! See them if you desire! Oh and Episode 3 is nearly done! If anybody is interested in play testing please message me!

2009-10-03 15:52:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

OOO! I wanna playtest! pick me pick me!

2009-10-05 04:23:00

Author:
Incinerator22

Posts: 3251

Ah Sure! Simply add me on PSN and I'll invite you to my moon sometime or send you a key!

2009-10-05 22:21:00

Author:
Noroibito

Posts: 211

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