Haus
by bonner123
Link:
http://lbp.me/v/k0j4we
I’m sure you had no doubts what kind of review I’d give you going in , so most of this is going to be things you already know, just put down in different, longer words . Did I like Haus ? Absolutely. Did I love Haus ? Most definitely. Is it the be all end all for me ? No , but no such level exists for my notebook, excepting a few LBP 1 levels which is a whole different house entirely . ( But the carpet has more dignity than I do , so take that as you will . )
To start I would like to lavish praise on your voice actor . I’m not sure if it’s you or someone else , but whoever it is did a really nice job . I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the German accent , not being German myself , but it was believable enough for me to accept . Somehow you've made the recorded lines less scratchy and low quality than I’d normally expect from a Playstation Microphone , which is a definite plus . I know generally those mics are terrible , so you must have gone through numerous tries to get this right . The dialogue is well written and hilarious , but to me veers a little close on the Portal side . While I commend it , be wary that Portal is sort of a touchy subject with its humor , and it’s hard not to compare HAUS to say , GlaDos or Wheately . Both are talking machines that want to kill you , and say so in funny ways . I would advise leaning more to the house side of things than the computer side of things if that makes any sense . The lines about not moving an Ottoman , or the carpet having more dignity are A+ . Lines about I am going to kill you with my mechanical deathtraps are a step away from the cake being a lie all over again , and then it’s not just flattery , but a fandom appeal .
But we’re not here to criticize ! Any criticisms at all are going to be nitpicks anyway , and if all I can do is nitpick , it means you've got me in a corner and I have little relevant to advise upon . So let’s instead go into something I REALLY like . And that awe-inspiring motif here is the visuals . Yes indeed , yes indeed .
Now everyone can just wave the little flag of “oooh looks pretty” all they want , and it does , but I have a better one for you . The design is not just intricate , it’s smart. It’s not just detailed , it’s outside the box . Wine glasses have wine , computers have keys , and even side facing televisions have moving pictures . I had to do a double take in one room to rotate the camera and observe a painting on a side wall . If I had a complaint in this department, it’s that all the detail is a double edged sword . Those who move along at the level’s good pace are missing out , and those that stop to take a look are never going to finish . In fact , for the amount of detail work you've got going here , the pacing is almost TOO good . I finished the level very quickly , and I know I missed out on a lot of visual surprises .
This is not my photo obviously, but look at that laptop . It’s got a screen , keyboard , DVI port , USB , numberpad …. And everything gets about that nitty gritty with its detail .
Platforming wise the obstacles are very clever , and they aren’t repeated . One of my biggest complaints with a lot of the super popular levels out there , is that they generally have the exact same obstacles all over the board, just slightly re-arranged and with a different look . Here, the environments are very tight , and the camera keeps close to your sackboy which is a HUGE HUGE HUGE plus in my book . Having a camera zoomed too far out can ruin an otherwise good level , so I thank you for keeping it personal , and taking the time to miniaturize the details to accommodate .
The obstacles were simple enough that I personally would not call the level challenging , but perhaps to some it may be . In fact I only had any vague notion of difficulty on one portion where you’re jumping over a swinging bar , and you must use the R stick to move platforms in and out to safety . It was a bit complicated for my uncoordinated fingers , but there was a good feeling of accomplishment after success . This is generally the case with every obstacle in this level . You can feel accomplished getting through difficult ones , and are rewarded by not having to go back through any . That another big complaint I have about a lot of Big Name levels ; there’s no sense of accomplishment in obstacles . Yes , you've got your sackthing bouncing around and you expect them to grab something as they’re changing layers , and if you miss you die , and if you make it , you just keep moving with a sigh . This level is much the opposite , in that it rewards you for going further by way of its varied rooms .
I have one more nitpick here , but this is a stylistic thing on my part . I found the lighting to be a wee bit harsh in this level . It sets the tone nicely , giving it a rusty , broken haze to meet the insane AI’s personality type , but it also made a lot of things look a bit washed out . It didn’t make a lot of sense to me , since several obstacles are in bright blue . I’m not even quite sure how to explain it, since I don’t think there are any filters being used. Just to me , the contrasts seemed a bit difficult to take in .
I think with good fortune and some decent PR this is worthy of an Mm pick , and I feel it’s only a matter of time before it receives one . The whole of the level is really top quality , and you can actually see how much time and effort has been put into this overall . I definitely have this hearted, and I definitely want to see more of the story unfold . I’m eagerly anticipating what new and creative platforming solutions you come up with for your future installments . And for anyone who hasn’t played it yet … why are you still here ? Why are you still reading ? Go get to a TV and play it ! Play it , and laugh . Or be sent to the punishment zone .
TLDR:
Navigation – Easy to understand, and I had a few amusing ‘Ooooooh THAT’S why that barrier’s there’ moments . Fun platforming with a good camera view .
Visual – Insanely detailed with all sorts of décor and props to behold and wonder . Lighting seemed a bit harsh , but was acceptable . I think it might have been keen to disguise your Cross Controller wormholes a bit . They seem quite stock standard when compared to everything else .
Sound – Voice acting was hilarious and well written . I’m not sure I would have picked that music track to be playing for the level , but it worked .
Gadgetry – Good gadgetry with some fun uses of remote control objects . (I will move that ottoman if I darn well want to , you crazy computer!) One of my favorite parts was using a controllable barrier as a shield against in/out moving wall panels on a bridge over a pit of black metal .
Glitches - No major glitches I noticed .
Story – There’s not much setting up going on . You just are there in the house , and then bam the computer’s nuts . I think it might could have used a bit more buildup , or perhaps a slightly more obvious motive .
