New concepts in level design… gameplay has never been this flat!
This level essentially could be plotted out with a program that creates filler material and changes directions when told to: Right, down, left, down. Sure, while travelling the lengthy horizontal parts (which you can easily skip over as Jazz – this level is so incredibly biased) you have to jump, but if you pay attention, you notice the design is really just “move forwards”. This level would not be misplaced in a Mario game. As for the little nuances in the flat paths, they mainly consist of the author taking whatever weird tile structures are prebuilt in Inferno and putting them into the level.
What’s good? There are a few interesting parts like the coins/1up at the spikes, and (considering the lack of fastfire) the blaster powerup isn’t the worst idea.
Pros: Not too much. Read the last paragraph.
Cons: Design way too boring.
Rating: 4.7
Zooooooom… ouch.
With a design so strange, what can the gameplay be like? Surprisingly, not too bad. The flow is really annoying, due to the constant idea that “a small cliff is a good obstacle”, but for the most part, it’s decent. Bilsy, of course, has an awful arena, but I suppose we’re used to this by now. ….and I can’t think of anything more to say.
Pros: Not too bad.
Cons: Not too good. Bilsy is bad.
Rating: 5.2
Yum! Yay! Die!
Getting steadily better here, placement is really rather good indeed. There aren’t nearly enough weapons, but enemies seem placed logically throughout the level, likely to cause damage. There’s an ingenious bit at the top of the level where you can find bats, which aren’t noticable unless you’re skipping through the level as Jazz, at which point they swoop down and hurt you. Brilliance. The ravens are always good, and the land stuff does its job as well as anything with such limited intelligence can.
In the style of the original SP levels, goodies are placed generously in this level, available for just a little extra effort. There are a few bomb crates, the extra life needs extra work… all nice, though maybe a little too easy. My main complaint is the trigger crate, which is depressingly pointless.
Pros: All fairly good.
Cons: Not enough ammo, trigger crate is bleh.
Rating: 6.5
I can see the sky from here! Isn’t Kansas wonderful?
One of the more disappointing parts of this level is the eyecandy. Layer 4 consists mainly of ordinary walls (and a few trees), with far too many open spaces. This would be fine, but the open spaces are just that – open – no interesting filler stuff. Maybe a little more cave would be good… but really, the level seems far too empty. And imagine what it would be like with low detail…
As for the other layers, they’re extremely bleh. The author copies (maybe literally) the original graphics from Inferno for this level, leaving a primarily empty background. The lighting even causes the walls to partially blend in with the background, making this a very annoying/boring level to look at, on the whole.
Pros: No tile bugs that I noticed.
Cons: Extremely bleh.
Rating: 4.5
What’s new, and should you care?
Very little is new. I can not think of a single thing in this level I have not seen before, to tell the truth. …wait, the bats. Ok, the bats are new. But the rest of the level is extremely hum drum and blah and old and that sort of thing.
Once you’ve played this level once, you have little reason to ever want to play it again. The annoying design, mediocre eyecandy and less-than-amazing gameplay combine to create an unexperience which should remain unrepeated. You may, in fact, give up before finishing the level. It’s just that dull.
Pros: The bats are new!
Cons: Boring.
Rating: 3.0
New joy wait upon you; here our play has ending.
Here we are in the summing up, and I can think of little to say I have not already said. This level is good for a first level, but in no way deserving of such ratings as an 8.5 or 7.7. In short, this level is a wonderful representation of the poor quality we are forced to put up with these days, but it’s not wonderful in too many other ways.
Pros: The placement! The placement is good!
Cons: So… dull… must keep… eyes open…..
Rating: 4.5
Single player, by 
