Home    LBP Showcase / Reviews / Recommendations    Level Showcase    Cool Levels
#1

The Descent 2 ***Spotlighte*******

Archive: 73 posts

The Descent 2javi_haguse
The search for Sarah continues. Explore the rest of the cave while you discover what really lies within. Part 2/3
all
I put a lot of work into this one. In part 1, you go inside the cave in search for your missing friends. Part 2 starts right where the first one left off.
I worked a lot on the atmosphere of the cave while adding just a little platforming. Let me know what you guys think!

****UPDATE****

I just found another video that someone made my level! woot woot
Check it out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7xM74DQt7s


Let me know what u think!		2009-08-30 20:21:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Oh, I'm excited. I'm off to play this right now!2009-08-30 20:43:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Had a preview play of this and loved it even more than the first. Plenty of bumps and scares, and again the atmosphere is spot-on.

Don't want to give away too much, half the fun in this level is not knowing what's just around the corner.... : )		2009-08-30 20:51:00

Author:
julesyjules
Posts: 1156

Good stuff, man. Really great. I played through twice and was happy to note that there was a little multi-pathiness going on near the end, in the event that you fall down a collapsing area. I was a little sad that it's required to go down here for the high score, as I aced it my first try (and got all the bubbles), but still didn't have the high score - my score failed to upload anyways, but still.

On my first playthrough, though, I didn't realize that you could take the "flashlight" with you, and missed out on some of the experience. I got the experience on my second round, but maybe consider adding in a little "Hey, there's my flashlight! That'll make it easier to see in here..." line.

5 stars.		2009-08-30 21:11:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Okay that was just amazing! The atmosphere and creepiness level was above the roof! The "first" encounter with the crawler was wow. The flare's looked even better than the night vision! The scares actually made me jump! I really look forward to a lot more in this series. Oh the Visuals were definitively top notch quality!

:star::star::star::star::star:/ Brilliant/ Hearted		2009-08-30 21:50:00

Author:
Noroibito
Posts: 211

Oh good, you've done it!
Too sad I'm going to sleep and I will play it tomorrow.		2009-08-30 22:33:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

WOW this level is awesome! I decided to try your first level before this one, and I'm glad I did because it set the mood and the story for me.

Pros:
- beautiful design
- lighting is again superb - i loved the flares!
- Nice water effect (looks like you're in the water)
- loved the creature design, even though it looked like the creature from Lord of the Rings... what was his name...wow has it been that long since I've seen those movies?...)
- Great idea to only show the shadows of the creatures in the first, then actually show the creatures in this level
- I liked the "cut scenes"
- I felt like I was actually in an unstable cave - and I think I missed a secret area that was below me...
- I almost thought you didn't need the intro, but it was very cool, so I'd probably keep it unless you get a lot of people telling you other wise

Cons:
- NONE - yeah I really liked this level

Fixes:
- the last magic mouth is visible, just before you finish the level

Overall:
5:star::star::star::star::star:
Tag: "Brilliant"
Hearts - you and the level		2009-08-30 23:57:00

Author:
Powershifter
Posts: 668

Well, it's been a long time coming eh Javi?

Originally, your level didn't impress me too much artistic and visuals wise. I don't know what art classed you took, or what illegal substances you consumed, but whatever you did made your level look MUCH better than the alpha build you showed me. The vines, the ambient sound, the effects, the stream lighting were all placed in just the right spot.

The monsters themselves had a great amount of detail and first-time-scare moments, but watching the same monster pop out of the same spot every time you pass by the trigger point ruins the mood. Perhaps having them only pop out once would suffice?

The areas of this level like the waterfall area, "flare room", collapsing pillars all showed sparks of complete brilliance. After replaying the level for the fourth time, I couldn't help but be continuously awed by the simple layout, and wondrous animation

Despite how well your level looks, and plays, I had some MAJOR problems with glitches and the like. At the part before the close-up monster cutscene where the cave collapses, I got hung up on an invisible wall and was unable to progress. Second, on my first playthrough, the second wall troll thing clipped the climbing gear and "held" it suspended above the ledge, halting my progress. Finally, the music was not fitting AT ALL. The music picked up before the cutscene to this "actiony" feeling beat which made the level seem far less tense and scary, and just a run-through of a dark area...

Despite these qualms, The Descent 2 is a noble, visually stunning, and original take on the horror genre in LBP.

Also, my face is in this level, which instantly puts this level on my Player's Choice list


AURONGEL RATING:
9.4


PROS: Stunning artistic design, moody atmosphere, fair pacing, lovable attention to detail, Fully immersive universe


CONS: too dark on an SDTV, Lack of technical polish, Poor music choice, non-existant plot		2009-08-31 01:13:00

Author:
Aurongel
Posts: 221

CONS: too dark on an SDTV

Probably not my place to say something, but I'd just like to say that LBP, and most other PS3 games are difficult to play on an SDTV because of the lack of visual quality. There is a major difference between a PS3 on an SDTV and one on an HDTV... I remember the day I upgraded - I couldn't believe my eyes lol So yeah, I'd say this 'con' should be taken lightly - pardon the pun! The Pros I would definitely agree with! 		2009-08-31 02:31:00

Author:
Powershifter
Posts: 668

I also had the pleasure of seeing a sneak peak of this level and I was blown away by how atmospheric it is. The environments are amazing, especially the section with the river, the creatures are awesome, and the use of sound is phenomenal. I noticed a few new details on this playthrough as well that were very cool (I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm not gonna mention them!).

The level is light on gameplay, but I don't think you really need to be jumping or puzzle solving all the time in a level like this. I really enjoyed the moments walking through the cave and checking out all the stuff going on around me. When it was time for platforming, I thought most of the jumps worked well, but I did get thrown off in a few areas due to the bumpiness of the rocks or a strange angle. Javi actually witness this during one of my play throughs and gave me a hard time about it! And while some of it might have been my platforming skills, I still think a few of those areas could be refined just a bit.

That's a small nitpick though and I absolutely love this level. Well done!		2009-08-31 05:27:00

Author:
mrsupercomputer
Posts: 1335

EDIT: Disregard what I said in my review about the music not fitting

Javi caught my mistake and took me into his level and showed me what a massive idiot I am.		2009-08-31 06:02:00

Author:
Aurongel
Posts: 221

I was really looking forward to this one. You have a great skill in creating horror levels. Everything worked nicely, from the flares to the drool from the monsters mouth! The final scene was wonderfully executed. Now I can't wait for the 3rd!

EDIT: After playing through again, I think you could amp up the scary factor by making the monster sitting on the word "DESCENT" crawl over the word really fast as it gives too much away and makes the first encounter not as freaky.

Also, the magic mouth for the vine climbing sequence can activate as you go to jump on the vine, making you fall. Maybe increase the radius?

5/5		2009-08-31 07:28:00

Author:
Unknown User

Much like the first one, very atmospheric, the earlier sections with the shadows and silhouettes are great. Honestly didn't find it as creepy as the first one, probably because a lot of it involves those beasties jumping out at you - works for a lot of people, but not me (not really an issue tbh).

Minor gripe: There are a LOT of visible joins in the rocks. Neat little straight lines. With such an atmospheric level with such pretty visuals, people are going to look around the level and those stick out likea saw thumb. Mixing things up to make cracks or covering it with thin layer detail would make a world of difference IMO.

Major gripe: no thought to failure safety. I was using a backpack thing to travel up and one of the beasties broke it. Then I come back taking the alterntive route and come from the bottom. That climbing gear only took me halfway so I had to quit the level.

Still :star::star::star::star::star: though.		2009-08-31 09:30:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497

Hi I just tried the level... i prefered the first part but still it was good!

There were some scary moments- my favourite being the part at the beginning where u get to see a monsters shadow leaning across in front of the screen. The jumping out monsters were very well made too.

However... in the section with the back packs pulling up, the backpack got stuck under a cave section and i therefore couldn't use it and had to quit

A similar problem to above!

But still a very good looking and scary level!		2009-08-31 09:39:00

Author:
ladylyn1
Posts: 836

OMG! This movie is one of the few good horror movies of modern days, and is one of my favorites. I will have to play them both. Hopefully the first time the creature is spotted in night vision will live up to the scare it first gave me when they showed it in the movie right in your face when the camera turned. This really has my interest peaked now. 2009-08-31 09:56:00

Author:
Unknown User

Thanks to everyone for the comments! It seems that almost everyone has enjoyed this level. Thanks for the reviews too.
I've been fixing the little bugs here and there, but I haven't republished it yet. Since new ones have been coming out. I've addressed the visible magic mouth, I've added a line at the beginning for ppl to grab the flashlight, the radius by the grabbing vines, and some other small fixes. I'll let you guys know when I republish it again.

The section with the backpack has been a nightmare for me. The first model that I made had the monsters come out and stay out. If you died, it was almost guaranteed that the monsters would keep the backpack, since it would fall down on top of them. On their back (How literal...).They freaking love that backpack! So, my second option was to have them come out but go back in later (proximity sensor), which I thought had solved it. But now I guess it didn't. Like I said, they love those backpacks! I'm working on fixing it now, since I think the problem is that the monster's hand is the same layer as the backpack flap, making it easy for them to snatch it. I'm planning on taking that layer off. If someone has a better solution, let me know.

Thanks Aurongel for the review! It proofs again why is in the "special thanks" room at the end of the level. Hes always keeping me in check. Most of the problems that he experienced were because he already knows that cave like the back of his sackhand (Except the backpack section...). Somehow everything went wrong in those first runs.. I think the monsters are tired of seeing your face... lmao. By the way ppl, the Aurongel Rating goes from 0 - 9.4 So I got a perfect score!! Yeiii!! ..just kidding lol.

I'm glad people are starting to notice all the little details.
Thanks a lot for playing. It really hard to get plays these days..		2009-08-31 14:35:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

With reagards to the backpacks. Yes it is the flap that gets broken. I don't see that moving the arm will make much of a difference - if the arm hits the main body of the pack, which is glued to the flap, that flap will probably still break.

A better preventative measure is to weaken the winches pulling up the backpack and also the connectors on the arms of the monsters. This will make it harder to break it.

It should really come down to emitting the backpacks again. It's the only way to be sure.		2009-08-31 15:04:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497

i liked the first one
so i think this one wil be better i hope (i try it out over a couple of minutes)		2009-08-31 15:09:00

Author:
Unknown User

Hey Javi,
Thanks for inviting me to try the level before publishing...
I tried the published version yesterday with my daughter?s account (that?s why I don't appear in the scoreboard xD)
As you know I was very impressed with the first part, and this second (sounds like a ?typical topic?) it's even better!
I love this terror dark atmosphere you're able to implement in this series, and some of the details in this second one are memorable; the change of illumination just before the waterfalls, and the shining light representing the exit of the cave are just small genius details able to inspire a whole level by itself.

I?m glad you left ?the door opened? for a third part xD, I?ll be very glad to play it, heart it, and rate it :star::star::star::star::star:, which is what I've done with the two published episodes.

Waiting for the third part!!! xDD		2009-08-31 18:39:00

Author:
poms
Posts: 383

Amazing level with very good atmosphere, even if I couldn't finish it...
After you see the creatures there's the part with the backpacks.
I was killed by the first creature and respawned, so I had to take the lower path.
I grabbed the backpack and managed to survive the first creature, then I grabbed the second backpack, but the creature, this time, hitted it and destroyed it, so I had to get out of the level.

5 stars anyway		2009-08-31 19:24:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

I can't believe that that many ppl are having trouble with that section. I'm going to make the "emitable" tonite. I'll keep you posted..2009-08-31 20:05:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

These are accidents that happens in LBP, but somehow there's always a solution.2009-08-31 21:49:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

Alright guys and girls, as I said before, I just republished the level.
I pretty much fixed the bugs mentioned.(I hope..)

-I added the "grab the flashlight" line
-Fixed the music bug at the "flare" section
-Increased the radius of the magic mouth before the vines
-Pretty much fixed the backpack section
-Last magic mouth is now hidden

Thanks guys for the feedback! I just noticed that my level turned into a 5:star: level!! Thanks a lot! Glad you liked it.		2009-09-01 04:07:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Loved it! Played through it 4 times already. I think you may have fixed what I noticed though. 2nd backpack can get wedged in the walkway if you are too far to the left and you let go to lower it again it becomes wedged and you have a visible magic mouth at the end. The only other small thing is there is a jump where the roof opens up where you jump from left to right. I consistantly land in the back plane and have to nudge down a layer. It's not too hard but it's a fairly precise movement a few in my party got hung up on. Might want to change up that rock's profile a bit to make the jump down easier or so that the front plane is higher and you default to that plane.

Great creature and cinematic section too. Character design is really nice. Lighting is wicked cool. fantastic waterfall area and nice challenges in there. The flare is genius... let's see night vision & flares - what will you come up with next? I can't wait to see!

Loved it for all the reasons I loved the first times 10. 5 stars & hearted (this one got you the author one for me for consistency too.) congrats on another awesome level and keep 'em coming!!		2009-09-01 06:08:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

Played this last night and thought it was absolutely fantastic.

Intro was something special indeed.

I loved your lighting throughout the level with all the flickering lights adding to the tense atmosphere.

You had some great "shock" moments with those guys jumping out at you.

I did have a little trouble sometimes figuring out where to go but its a dark cave and thats part of the gameplay

5 stars and heart for you. Great job.

If you have time for feedback I'd love if you could play my new level "Snakes on a Dame". Thanks.		2009-09-01 09:43:00

Author:
wexfordian
Posts: 1904

Thanks for letting me know Morgana!
I didn't noticed that bug in the backpack section.. What I fixed was the fact that the monsters were destroying or just taking the backpacks away. Not only are they ugly, but they're thieves too.. I guess you're referring to the area next to the spawn point, left from the 2nd backpack, right? I'll change the profile of the ceiling so it slides up when you're pulling.

Now about the collapsing roof section. Mrsupercomputer had told me before about the profile of the rocks made it a bit hard to jump. Is the problem trying to get across or just dropping from the 3rd layer to the 2nd one?

I'm glad you noticed the lighting details and you liked the flare section. I love to include light as one of the main characters of my levels. Specially this one! I added water reflection in the waterfall area, and some areas have a nice changing glow. I was going for "Beautiful" & "Creepy".

Thanks again!		2009-09-01 15:39:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Getting across wasn't the problem for me it was that when I got across I was in the back layer and the shape is such that you slide left down the wall then have to just hop foward to get into the middle layer. It's a pretty small area where you can shift planes there.2009-09-01 15:47:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

AMAZING LEVEL! I loved the first Descent level and I've been patiently waiting to see the follow up. The amount of detail and lighting throughout the level made it very creepy and memorable. I felt that the first Descent was missing more creature appearances and you definitely ramped that up in the sequel. The cavern portion with the water below was gorgeous. The light reflecting on the pillars really gave the water a more realistic effect. One of my favorite parts was the close up of the first monster. I had no problems going through it and didn't encounter any bugs. This is one of my favorite series throughout LBP and I'll eagerly wait for the third edition.

:star::star::star::star::star: and hearted!
Keep up the great work!:eek:		2009-09-01 16:47:00

Author:
NoVaKaiN16
Posts: 17

This one was a lot better than the first, I even hearted it . I loved the parts at the beginning when the monster was there and when you went back he wasn't. The intro was really great. The pop-ups did get repetitive after a while for me and I was looking for more gameplay. It was still good though, I gave it 4 stars and as I said before I hearted it.2009-09-01 18:08:00

Author:
brnxblze
Posts: 1318

Javi Haguse,

You already know how I feel about these beautiful, brilliant levels but I thought I would post you a nice comment here. I absolutely LOVED this second installment(of three). The extraordinary detail and amount of time you have put in this really shows, and I am in awe with your skill. After you published the first one, you have no idea how many times I would restart your level just to try to get a picture of my sackboy and the creature when you find Sarah's camera! I still never got a good picture though . But anyways I am going to list some of my favorite parts of the second Descent:

- The creature silhouettes are spectacular. Love em'!:star:
- The scattered bones in the cavern added to the eerie feeling! I couldn't help but think to myself, "Ah! I hope a creature doesn't come out!":star:
- When we got the close-up of the creature's face! Great job on keeping the creatures accurate with the movie!:star:
- The entrance was great! I think that titles for levels have become a bit.. redundant in the way they are presented, but yours worked! :star:
- The only thing I wasn't TOO fond of was the waterfall part. I just thought that in the movie the cave was dark, gruesome, and eerie and the waterfall just dulled down the eerie atmosphere:star:


As you can see 5 stars! Multiply that by 82461928 and that is how many stars this level deserves! I can't wait for the third installment! Does Sarah live?! Does she get mutilated by the creatures of the cave?! Ah! I can't wait!

2009-09-01 23:53:00

Author:
GrahamLif3
Posts: 386

I finally finished the level.
I admit I tried to broke it in every way but everything was fine.
(Actually I mangaed to run under the first monster while running on the right, and I jumped on the rope, instead of shimneying under it)
Five stars.
I enjoyed it very much...I was so near to the end the first time...		2009-09-02 07:59:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

going to play this................. now im on tell u afterwards looks good so far2009-09-02 21:01:00

Author:
geddez12
Posts: 338

played it and i loved it those gollum things were freaky what im wondering is y has this got 500 or so views its amazing!!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars and hearted u deserve it2009-09-02 21:16:00

Author:
geddez12
Posts: 338

played it and i loved it those gollum things were freaky what im wondering is y has this got 500 or so views its amazing!!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars and hearted u deserve it
Thanks a lot!
I actually released it this past Saturday and its been growing ever since! I've never gotten so may plays in so little time. I also noticed that somehow it got to pg 4 of the Cool Levels! As of right now I have 690 plays!

Thanks again and glad you liked it!		2009-09-03 04:35:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Wow, congrats Javi on 600 plays 2009-09-03 05:48:00

Author:
Aurongel
Posts: 221

Thank again,
I really have no clue how it is happening or why? but now, for some reason, my level moved up to page 3!! It hasn't been a week and I already have about 800 plays! ITS RIDICULOUS!! I gotta thank everyone out here that tried my level. Couldn't have done it without you guys!!		2009-09-03 17:10:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

I had to heart this level - absolutely excellent work.2009-09-03 17:57:00

Author:
Jagrevi
Posts: 1154

Wonderful work yet again. While I loved the first level, this one really outdoes your previous work. The last level felt more like a walking gallery of creepy, but I enjoy how you added a few platforming elements to this one.

I loved loved LOVED the creature reveal! The way you slowly moved the camera upwards and then closed in on his face, what a truly wonderful moment! Also, your level actually made me jump a few times, most notable when that first creature pops out of the wall.

I like how you handled the flashlight sequence as well, and then the parts with the flair was very well done too. How did you make that section of the level flicker? I tried doing something like that for my level, but my effect turned out nothing likes yours. Also, I liked how your falling platforms didn't just fall, but kind of crumbled as well. I thought it was a good idea to have one piece of the platform fall first, and then another, it seems much more natural and it also really freaks a player out when a piece of the platform someone was just stand on falls apart!

Anyways, truly wonderful work here. If it doesn't get spotlighted again I will be surprised.

As far as the F4F thing goes, I would really appreciate it if you gave my level "The Adventures of the Prince: Chapter 1 The Attack" a shot. The link to my thread is in my signature.		2009-09-04 16:38:00

Author:
Frazer951
Posts: 117

i hope there will be a descent 3, i have made a crawler for u if u want it maybe for descent 3??? add me n i can send it to u2009-09-05 00:43:00

Author:
geddez12
Posts: 338

Played this last night. It's truly excellent.

Fantastic use of lighting and characters really set the scene. Anyone wanting to make an atmospheric level owe it to themselves to take a look at this level beforehand to see just how it's done. You actually got a jump out of me at one point too.

My only complaint would be that the ascent at the end has a couple of cheap deaths, with the claws coming out with no warning. A small point though.

5 stars and hearted.		2009-09-06 15:19:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096

Yup, I played it last night too.... wow, fantastic stuff. The ambience, the feeling of truly being in the dark and the apprehension of knowing there's something scary in there with you... and the ending. Awesome stuff.

I hope there's another sequel, because I don't want that to be the ending.
2009-09-06 21:37:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Yup, I played it last night too.... wow, fantastic stuff. The ambience, the feeling of truly being in the dark and the apprehension of knowing there's something scary in there with you... and the ending. Awesome stuff.

I hope there's another sequel, because I don't want that to be the ending.


Don't worry, there IS going to be a Descent 3. I'm just taking a little time off to really think what I want to do with it. I do have a few ideas that I want to include, but it is still a bit hazy.

Thanks again for the comment. Matt too!		2009-09-06 21:56:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Wow....I just can only say.....wow!, awesome use of lighting, great cutscenes and finally geat character design! Can not wait for part3!!2009-09-07 21:31:00

Author:
youtube1
Posts: 39

Wow....I just can only say.....wow!, awesome use of lighting, great cutscenes and finally geat character design! Can not wait for part3!!

wow.. thanks a lot!! Is there anything you'll like to see in part 3??		2009-09-09 15:21:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

ok my friend, I'm new here (just registered) and played your level.

As I'm from Belgium I don't speak English without errors but I will try my very best to express myself so please forgive me any language errors :-)

I am a huge horror fan and loved the movie the descent and I must say, the stuff you pull off in this level AMAZES me in every possible way.

Having created many levels myself I know how hard it is to make sure everything works, looks good and entertains and man, does your level deliver !

The flare effect was kick ***, the monster design superb and the lighting excellent. In fact, I believe the lightning is the most important thing when you create a dark atmoshperic level and you pulled it off :-)


what I loved:

the silhouette appearance, the monsters that suddenly attack you
the light where it seems the exit is close is wonderfully done and reminds me of the similar scene in the movie descent
the backpack part was a nice variation and worked fluently (you fixed the small errors very nicely)
the cutscene at the end was also exciting to see

what I didn't love that much: (notice my respect for you , I cannot say bad because frankly nothing was even remotely bad)

it was sometimes a bit too dark (you know in the parts where you have to crawl to small cave ways)
variation was lacking a little bit (although I do understand it because frankly you cannot do much in a realistic horror level)
The part in the waterfall area where you had to hang on the vines (or some sort) annoyed me a bit because at the end if you keep swinging and drop down you fall and land in the water.


all in all, wonderfully done !!

Please make more horror (movie) themed levels as I adore them.


what I would like to see in the third installment=:

a battle with the creatures using your knife or the flares
an escape scene where you are hunted by 5 or more beasties
a scene where you reached the outdoors, and drive away in the open sunlight only to notice seconds later that you are back in the dark cave and it was an illusion (like in the movie).

good luck my friend !		2009-09-09 20:59:00

Author:
nightwing
Posts: 422

Oh yeah um, maybe a section where you find sarah (at the end) but here legs are broken so you have to drag her to safety while avoiding monsters or you could make a twist ending where Sarah dies2009-09-10 17:58:00

Author:
youtube1
Posts: 39

just had another small idea:

you enter a central cave where suddenly it goes pitch black, you then see red eyes glowing and hear the critter's sound.

You know you're done for when you see silhouettes attacking (under a very small bit of broken cave light) when suddenly a small quake lets some rocks fall and crush the enemies and opening up a way out 		2009-09-11 08:29:00

Author:
nightwing
Posts: 422

Wow those are great ideas!
Thanks for the feedback!!		2009-09-12 18:10:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Like the first one, I loved it!
Really great work on the visuals, the atmosphere and the "creepy moments"

Nothing more to say!
:star::star::star::star::star: and Heart		2009-09-12 18:57:00

Author:
dajdaj03
Posts: 1486

Wow those are great ideas!
Thanks for the feedback!!
No problem, just adding to what should be another amazing level!		2009-09-12 20:31:00

Author:
youtube1
Posts: 39

Hi Javi,
I simply love this level, I think you really did an outstanding job - there were several points during the story line where I sat back gaping at how you'd done things: the red flickering line of the flare, illuminating horrid things in the dark; the sound work is top notch, without a doubt; the creatures are intricate and more ghoulish than can typically be made in LBP... you managed to use the cartoonish engine of the game to create quite a realistic sense of the crushing mass of rocks above you and a rabbit warren full of nasty monsters. Serious kudos.

I am still trying to find things that might be tweaked here and there, but you've made that job quite difficult. I suppose that long jump you have to make at the spawn point (the one where you appear after getting eaten during your upward climb at the end)... well I found the difficulty of the timing of that jump somewhat out of place in the rest of the level. Maybe I am just no good at jumps though. But I wouldn't mind if the gap were ever so slightly more narrow.

Of and this one is an entirely frivolous comment: when you first encounter the beast, the Sackboy says he had better keep quiet... so... on the third playthrough I tried to bounce around and make noise and jump and see what would happen if I didn't keep quiet. Nothing did.

I can't imagine, however, how the game would detect a ruckus... so. Nevermind.

Great work, truly excellent. It was a treat, without a doubt.

all the best,

~ oats-beef



------------------------------------------------------------------
My Level: The Accidental Astronomer
... which can't be find by search. Check for a comment on Descent 2.
------------------------------------------------------------------		2009-09-12 21:57:00

Author:
Unknown User

Absolutely amazing level my friend.

As mentioned on my review corner for your level(s), you did a very good job in creating a scary, yet fun level with cool effects.

It feels like a descent movie, It plays good and it has very neatly designed creatures.

For a full synopsis read my review

Please feedback on my levels boogeyman and space fortress 		2009-09-20 12:44:00

Author:
nightwing
Posts: 422

Thanks Oats & Nightwing! Those were awesome reviews.
I'm glad that you guys are still going in detail with your reviews. Some ppl are slacking in that department... lol.
If you guys want me to review one of your levels, please let me know!

Thanks again!		2009-09-27 16:47:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Well, these comments will not be new to you

but I just have to say, that this level is one of the most spectacular atmospheric levels I've played till now. Your visual style is brilliant and it adds so much the atmosphere - just WOW...

The scene where you reach a checkpoint and then the left side of the cave brakes down to let some sun-rays come into this dark place: AWESOME !!!! I've never seen such a realistic lighting like in this scene. It just looks sooo natural (due to great choice of light-colors....). The flares are a brilliant little idea too - very nice!!

What I loved the most was your ability to tell the story and to increase the excitement of the player. This whole level plays more like a little movie where I became the main-character!

This level is absolutely special and really outstanding. I hope that this level gets more plays than it has right now (something about 5,8k) - in my view it deserves 100k plays.....

Great work javi!!!
:star::star::star::star::star:

I'm curious to play part 3 ("asap") :-)

greets
Neo

ps: if you still involved in the F4F with this thread it would be nice if you can take a closer look at my talocan-level. Otherwise: nevermind :-)		2009-09-30 16:44:00

Author:
(___NEO___)
Posts: 206

I just played through this series tonight. Wow.



There's no point repeating what's already been said, but simply put: some of the greatest set-pieces I've ever seen.


I actually exclaimed "THAT IS GENIUS!" out loud several times while playing through these levels.


(luckily no-one was around)




I'm tempted to list all the best moments here, but that would be spoiling it for anyone who hasn't played yet. Simply put, these levels are ridiculously entertaining.

It's not often you see a level that's both visually beautiful and offers a fantastic play experience... But both boxes are checked here. I'm pretty sure I had more fun playing these than I did watching the movie


:star::star::star::star::star: + hearts


I'd definitely show these levels to players new to LBP, if I got the chance.
Apart from anything else, they demonstrate the amazing range of things which can be achieved in this game!		2009-10-01 02:19:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

WOW.. Thanks a lot for those reviews Tig-W & Neo,
I actually didn't know that I had 5,800 plays! since I haven't played LBP in a while.. I left it with about 4.5k.. I really appreciate your comments and will review your levels as soon as I can!
Thanks again!!!		2009-10-01 15:51:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

thanks in advance Javi - sounds great!

And hell yeah: you level definitely deserves way more plays and I pray that your effort and sweat that you put into this project will be rewarded with plays plays and once again: PLAYS :-)		2009-10-01 20:17:00

Author:
(___NEO___)
Posts: 206

thanks in advance Javi - sounds great!

And hell yeah: you level definitely deserves way more plays and I pray that your effort and sweat that you put into this project will be rewarded with plays plays and once again: PLAYS :-)

LOL I don't know about sweat, but definitely effort..
Thanks again		2009-10-01 20:35:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

WOW.. Thanks a lot for those reviews Tig-W & Neo,
I actually didn't know that I had 5,800 plays! since I haven't played LBP in a while.. I left it with about 4.5k.. I really appreciate your comments and will review your levels as soon as I can!
Thanks again!!!

Hay, nice job bumping your thread punk
I played both your levels, they're bloody brilliant, love the atmosphere, very claustrophobic just like the movie, and little touches like the monster moving behind the wall as you walk past were just perfect, very scary too, its hard to make a genuinely creepy level in a game like lbp but you pulled it off incredibly well, i havent played it in a while so i may be wrong, but maybe it could use a bit more detail, levels like this are all about the visuals and atmosphere, again i havent played it in a while so its possible that it is actually very detailed, i just remember it being a tiny bit lacking in places.

Anyway, amazing work, cant wait for part 3		2009-10-08 20:23:00

Author:
anpostteller
Posts: 16

I think I was playing this level when I was able to grab a swing on a string and on a thin stretch of vine on the wall. I was wondering if you tricked me visually or if you can actually glitch things like that. Thanks.2009-10-18 00:03:00

Author:
SnEaK-Tc
Posts: 52

I think I was playing this level when I was able to grab a swing on a string and on a thin stretch of vine on the wall. I was wondering if you tricked me visually or if you can actually glitch things like that. Thanks.

What, you don't have the "grabbable vine" material??? lmao just kidding!
Actually, is a little bit of both. If you want just pm me and I'll let you know in detail how I did it.. its pretty simple really..
Now, did you like it?		2009-10-18 00:49:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Turns out someone recorded a video of my level!
I posted it on the first page for all u to watch!!		2009-12-26 23:38:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

I've finnaly played it! Lol.

I really enjoyed it, the atmosphere and attention to detail, everything really.
There was just one thing that bothered me and that was when we first see the monster thingymajigy and it says to be quiet, I did the exact opposite and was expecting something but got nothing! But that really isnt much.

Great, great level! ***** stars. 		2009-12-31 22:24:00

Author:
AgentBanana
Posts: 511

Hey thanks!
The "be quiet" part was one of those dialogues that I didn't think much of it. Turns outs that ur not the first one to mention that to me
I actually thought that it was impossible to do something about it, until I played rtm's level. He pulls it off masterfully! Hopefully I'll be able to do something like that for part 3!

Thanks again for playing		2010-01-09 19:30:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Played Descent 2 last night - wow amazing! Must have taken you a long time to test what with all that darkness!

I saw the Descent 2 premiere at Frightfest 2009 this year in London - your game is a great interpretation, and the "feel" of the movie is conveyed very well.

5 stars from me - btw how did u do the blue waterfalls? They looked fab ;-)		2010-01-12 09:55:00

Author:
Catseyez
Posts: 68

wow .. its realy well made i like it. 5 stars.. dunno why i havent seen it before. but realy good m82010-01-12 11:19:00

Author:
Stormy31
Posts: 14

btw how did u do the blue waterfalls? They looked fab ;-)

Hey thanks for the comments!
Actually the waterfalls were one of the simplest things in the level. Basically, it's a long piece of glass attached to a stiff piston at the bottom, and just set it to 'flip'. Its a pretty long piece of glass btw!		2010-01-13 23:35:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Update!!
Just found a new video (in HD!!) that someone made of my level!!		2010-03-03 13:45:00

Author:
javi haguse
Posts: 744

Looks good well done, i think i will play this later today.2010-03-03 13:48:00

Author:
lbpholic
Posts: 1304

Update!!
Just found a new video (in HD!!) that someone made of my level!!

Cool !! Congrats! Though I never understood why you called this series Decent. I think it is much better than that.. Oh and you spelled Decent wrong too. (j/k. really bad joke!!)

Chimpanzee is an awesome guy. Really really nice.. I've played with him a few times and has recorded one of my levels as well. 		2010-03-03 14:00:00

Author:
jwwphotos
Posts: 11383

Ahhh Chimpanzee did the vid for Setbacks too, just before my birthday ^^. He's got a lot of subscribers on youtube and his videos seem to really do the rounds on other sites to, so it's really good publicity.

Plus, as jww says, he's a really nice guy too

On a side note, I'm not even sure if I ever finished this level lol.		2010-03-03 14:19:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497

After all this time, it's still one of the very best horror themed levels out there. I really hope we will see a part 3 in the not too distant future as this series deserve a fitting conclusion :-)2010-03-06 08:58:00

Author:
nightwing
Posts: 422

outstanding well done, I thought the movie was rubbish, but this level is a must play for sure.2010-03-06 09:12:00

Author:
Pattington_Bear
Posts: 777


LBPCentral Archive Statistics
Posts: 1077139    Threads: 69970    Members: 9661    Archive-Date: 2019-01-19

Datenschutz
Aus dem Archiv wurden alle persönlichen Daten wie Name, Anschrift, Email etc. - aber auch sämtliche Inhalte wie z.B. persönliche Nachrichten - entfernt.
Die Nutzung dieser Webseite erfolgt ohne Speicherung personenbezogener Daten. Es werden keinerlei Cookies, Logs, 3rd-Party-Plugins etc. verwendet.