Archive: 1 post

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This topic is intended as a way for me to discuss some ideas and thoughts, as well as a way to recommend (and receive) some examples of levels that really push LBP's User-Generated material forward as a medium of expression and thought. JonMartin's "Little Big Apocalypse" series - it's so far, up to 16 episodes and as he's refined it, it routinely pushes the limit with an eye for creativity, a distinct style and simply existing as the most elaborate and sequentially consistent series on LBP. It's the equivalent of an ongoing monthly comic book series, in the vein of independent fanzines and major umbrellas like Vertigo Comics. The levels themselves are part of the story, and follow neither a clean, geometric design, or a sloppy and rudimentary. It's gotten to the point where you can look to this on a bi-weekly basis to get your abstract, aesthetically awesome storytelling fix. Stampy83's "Torn By Darkness" - interactive poetry, given more power and expressive impact because it is interactive, playable and uses it's grim and menacing platforming as a feeling of impending doom and it's environment as a cold, heartless and desolate place to perfectly compliment it's literary content. The writing and the level would be effective pieces in their own right, but when combined they are something unto themselves and much more powerful in unison. I tend to agree with Teebonsey that it could very well express without words, but being a poet I wholly embrace the inclusion and view the level more as a medium for the words. (I'd also like to interject here with some self promotion, as I beat him to the punch with interactive poetry in my False Idols series. If it wasn't my own list, "Lost In Limbo" would and should be on here... and as a whole I don't think anyone's embarked into the depths of the metaphysical and spiritual realm as much as I have with this series) Subgnosis' "Ephemera part two: A Whisper Glimpsed" and Teebonsey's "The Movies" - I originally played Ephemera when it was posted on The Workshop boards, allured by the idea of animation. It was much more than that, as a level, and I feel that it's imagery is very artistic... on top of it's epiphany and moment of clarity with a short film (that is somehow immensely expressive and conducive to what follows it), the hustle and bustle of walking people and feeling insignificant under the heel of the rat race, clinging to cigarettes, skateboards, and basketball as a way to escape. The smoking woman, as captured in a picture for the level's icon is a work of art - the picture alone is worth a thousand words. What Teebonsey followed this up with, took it farther than anyone could have imagined, especially after trying it myself upon playing Ephemera. It's not so much the quality of the short looping films, as animation and films exist in much more complete forms elsewhere... but that so much was done with so little, defying all odds and breaking the limitations, using this wonderful venue we all have. It's proof that necessity is the mother of all invention. sighwhatever's "sackboy's inferno" series - I didn't think I would find suicide and the netherworld in LBP so soon. Just seeing a prequel episode, so short and focused on storytelling and segueway as the first episode was new to me and demonstrated that progressive plot with little focus on play was a direction LBP could be taken in. I am still, to this day so impressed by the production values of this series. It was as good as Little Dead Space, a month before Little Dead Space came along... the characters are wholly unique, wonderfully etched, sublime and sarcastic and part two introduced the moving checkpoint/teleporting death technique to LBP in a fully functional and unobtrusive way. By advocating suicide in a comical way, the technique was implemented to great effect, fully playable, and entirely in tune with the context. It's lighthearted in feel, but still has an aire of depth, darkness, and sadness to it... if Tim Burton were to make an LBP level, he would probably reference these. OCK's "The Legion" - although this is a somewhat lighthearted, less cryptic scene fully of fantasy and lore I feel it is a truly escapist and self contained world. This is mostly because of the story, that I feel the level embodies... the level merely takes the place of what your imagination were to normally do whilst reading such a thing. To quantify an entire universe of characters into short story, in a capsule so relegated by the thermometer is a feat. I was having a bad day a few weeks back, and after revisiting this level it took all my cares away for a short while. That's the power of a good book, and this is what this is... a fantasy. I pick this because it's a stand alone world, gracefully crammed into a small and playable space, to serve as a great example of what creators are doing with their public outlet. mostevilmilo's "Belly of the Beast: Demonic Darkness" - just for breaking down the colorful family-friendly visage of LBP once and for all, and managing to get a company endorsement and OK by receiving a much deserved spot on Media Molecule's picklist. It first invites you, and compels you to dig deeper, shocks and confuses you with the initial sacrifice, then disturbs you, and finally has you relishing it and gleefully murdering innocents. If it makes you pause for a moment and contemplate yourself, then in it is indeed art... if it doesn't, then perhaps it's all in the eye of the beholder. Either way, it's a fun level. Berg443's "Improvisation #1" - this is another oldie from around launch week, and it almost perfectly recreates a well known Kadinsky painting in all it's oblong and interpretative abstract glory. Makes it entirely playable through it's unorthodox pathway, and accompanies the entire thing with what was one of the first implementations of abundant musical sound effects in a level that wasn't designed to play a stand alone song. Each movement and action is met with a reactive sound that combines to continuously play a series of off kilter, jazzy piano notes and is reminiscent of certain 70's animation shorts that were done using very simple shapes, very limited colors and very jerky and abrupt movements. The names of any of these cartoons escapes me, but I remember them clearly and have always acknowledged them for their early art-house, film-school feel.

2009-02-20 01:56:00 Author: Unknown User

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