/note: Fixed./
/note two, it is best to go to the last paragraph to avoid the long part of the review/
This Sequel to Iluz Land answers some questions, and opens some new ones. While the first featured many lands, the second only features 4 areas. In that sense, it isn’t bigger, but it is better. Also it is impossible to play as Lori.
Right off the bat you’ll notice that somethings here were ‘borrowed’ by Invasion of Deserto. The intro level runs just like the one in IoD, and that one bilsy related episode that Criminiclown. Anyways, the story is that Iluz Land was actually a trap(I love how it was called a scandal as well :]) which was set up by Devan. I can only assume that then trap was a VR simulation, but who knows. Jazz goes to Devan’s castle, named Castle Devanestien. And battles Devan, loses and is tossed in the Dungeon. Jazz finds that Eva is also tossed in a dungeon. You find a secret exit(Devan seems to have a tendency to leave those around. Hmmmmm) and promise to save Eva after you find and defeat Devan(Because he has the keys or something).
What follows is one of the best levels Iluz has produced. You’ll notice multiple pathways, and bats in decieving areas. Sometimes the bats have the advantage because of their number, or because they blend in with the scenary, some even wait out of your reach. This is a step up from Lost in Many Worlds. There are some hidden areas, and dead ends. The eyecandy is above average, and certantly is not bland. You must find a way out alternative to the front door, and that path happens to lead to the pack’s worst level.
The pack’s worst level should be skipped. It does not include any good pieces of info to the story and is not very well constructed. Take the level ‘Madness’ Put it in a bland frozen hell setting, and you’ve got this level.There are many instances where the challenge lies in defeating tons of enemies that are hurled at your face. Not very fun in my opinion. There is a Copter Carrot session, which is very bland and not worth the trouble. Fourtantly, this bland challenge is at the end of the level, so if you actually play this level you will know where the end is. Your rabbit will proceed to hop up some icy steps and will enter the world above.Also worthy to take not eof is unlike the game’s other 3 areas, the hell under Devan’s castle is only visted once, and good riddance. Outside you’ll notice that it has gone from a red evening to a purple night. There is a bit of story that is easily missed, a mysterious being named Somebody tells you to find some coins to use as fare to get onto Devan’s space station. The Bank is closed, so one must hunt down another way to get some loose change. This level’s quality is in between the first and second playable level’s. It is also very maze like. This area also borrows the most from IoD. One eventually finds the east caverns which leads to a showdown with Tuf. Tuf is apparently the only person around with money, and he’ll part with it if you defeat him. Beating Tuf displays the pack’s first backtracking session.The following level is essentially the same as the last, only with some key differnces. First is the starting point where you now can collect a coin. Next is the fact that the bank is open. Apparently lots of people needed to use the bank, because it’s crowded. The only way to make a withdrawal is to take out the float lizards, and take a coin from the safe. The next is either some karate kicks, or constant space bar tapping. You then return to where you met somebody now that you have enough coins, and he instructs you on how to use them. You are then taken to Spacestation Etta.
This level is like QoB. Infact, it’s alot like QoB only it’s on a much smaller scale, the emphasis is on finding many triggers instead of confusing locales, and there is a showdown with Devan. Defeating Devan takes you to a redux of the level where you must find a way out. Both levels are highly confusing with bland eyecandy and cramped areas. But it’s a nice change of pace from battling a line of 30 enemies. Escaping the space station returns you to carrotus, where it is morning.
Somebody is missing, but the castle is open. This level has the layout intact from previous backtracks, but you only need to visit a tiny bit of it. Which returns you to Castle Devanstien, which is also essentially an empty daytime version of the original. However a few bats are still left over. The real final battle is when you go to where Eva was being held, and you must defeat two Bubbas. Unfourtantly the pair makes for a lame final boss. Which leads to a credits sequence that basically screams sequel.
All in all, this is not a bad pack, however some levels are still lacking in quality. The enemy placement in some areas is a step up from past packs from Iluz, but the eyecandy could use some work in some levels. Also some areas were too empty while others were too packed with enemies. And he story was a nice touch, unfourtantly it can only be properly understood if one tries as hard as possible to find all of the text strings. For most players, this pack will be very mudane, but if you’re like me and all you’ve recently played is “Lost in other worlds” and other lowly reviewed levels, this pack is a breath of fresh air.
Final score- 5.2
Download reccomendation? Yes, but only if you’ve been playing levels that are rated under 3 points for the paste few weeks.
Review also serves as- an extensive journal of what I did in the X edition of Iluz land, so if you’ve been betatesting FSP 2 or some other stellar level pack like that, you don’t have to waste the time to play the levels.
[Apparently, FSP is regestered as FPS in my brain. Also you can now download the missing tilesets.-n00b]