Everratic's Reviews

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Recent Game Reviews

3 Game Reviews

Billy Bob: Green Hill Zone

2020-12-28 22:32:06

I like the music and scenery. I find it difficult to do the objective though.

larrynachos responds:

It's certainly more fun with a controller, I struggle with the keyboard controls myself. Thanks for the review!

Playing With Letters

2017-02-15 23:53:16

This was by far my favorite game out of the few I played tonight! :D I got lost on some levels, though I completed the other ones within ten seconds. I searched for some of the answers, and I was actually disappointed in myself for doing so because I realized I was on the right track; I just needed a little more time. I can see the mental benefits of playing what you call "psychology" games. I realized that on each of the difficult levels, I tended to think outside the box for about the first minute or so, but over the course of a few minutes, my thinking would become more rigid, and then solving the puzzle seemed impossible. I recognize this tendency of mine from my high school math courses: if I was able to solve complex algebraic problems within the first one or two attempts, I would seem like an expert, but if I failed the first couple of attempts, I would seem like a quitter.

The puzzles are well designed. I think the game's difficulty is perfect, and I actually like that the levels are not in order of increasing difficulty. The storyline seems to be generic (I don't know why I'm saying this when I've barely played any games of this genre); however, the narrator is a very interesting character! It's interesting how you were able to put yourself in the position of such as person in order to make the narration so engaging.

Did you make the typeface? You might not want to follow my advice on this because, as I told you, I have poor vision that can't be fixed with glasses, so I'm of a small minority, but the text was extremely difficult to read. The size is fine; the problem is that the individual letters aren't distinct enough. I think there should have been more contrast in the type design.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you very much! For playing the game, and for leaving this nice review :D

The difficulty definitely doesn't increase exponentially, which is an interesting touch on my part. I'm not even sure myself exactly why I did it, but I do remember me wanting the first puzzle to be first, and the last puzzle to be last. So when one of the more difficult puzzles was already at the start, perhaps I decided to focus on an interesting game, instead of a perfectly balanced one :)

Don't worry abut looking up answers; a lot of people have done that. Who knows, maybe I would've myself too? If one is unlucky, sometimes a certain puzzle simply doesn't click, whereas the following two might do so immediately. This game also requires quite a bit of patience, I'm sure, along with some free time.

I've come to the conclusion that the difficulty is apt too, and I'm glad you feel the same :)
Since there are about an even amount saying the game's too easy, and too hard, and those who think it's good, chances are it's fairly balanced in that respect, for what kind of a game it is.

I too would place these in the more abstract and difficult to define, "psychological game" sub-genre. Quite obviously, since I've been inspired by games of that same nature. I'm especially happy that you liked this one a bit more than the other games you played last night!

The story itself is quite simple indeed, and has a continuation in the sequel which I released last year. As you analyzed, I placed the focus on the narrator, villain, or what have you. I guess specifically, on making the dialogue interesting, while still being relevant for the "puzzles", if you will. As we've talked about, I enjoy when games have a good atmosphere, which I tried to accomplish in this game. Partly, through the music I composed for this game, before even making it!

I actually took some steps to be able to go into character (some of which included listening to certain types of music, and performing thought experiments). That probably wasn't necessary, but if the result is good I'm not going to complain :D

Sorry about the font. Your criticism is very vaild, not only because of your vision, since other people have complained as well. I think the style was the right to go with, as that got a fair deal of praise. But the actual execution could've been pulled off better. A lot of people try pressing "2" instead of "Z" in the beginning, for instance.

Thanks again for your well thought out and written review! I appreciate it very much :)
Perhaps someday when you feel like it, you'll try out the sequel ^ ^

Break the TV

2013-08-25 02:34:46

The music's quality is really bad. If you fix the music quality and reupload it, I would love to play this game again :D

EggysGames responds:

I didn't think it was that bad :S

Recent Audio Reviews

510 Audio Reviews

Gently into the night

2024-07-18 12:58:17

I totally agree with etherealwinds! It's deeply emotional and spurs me to contemplate my life. I almost never hit the download button on NG, but this is an exception because I never want to lose access to this track. I look forward to your NGAUC submissions!

mjattie responds:

Thanks for the very kind words!

[AIM] I Keep Daydreaming About An Island

2024-06-22 19:59:24

This is lovely!

Happy Days!

2024-06-19 16:11:43

This is very fun to listen to! It instantly boosted my mood haha. Congrats on reaching your follower goal!

I'm glad to hear I'm an inspiration. It's cool to know that you tried recreating sections of my songs. I never heard a cover/remake of my music so it would be fun to listen to.

I have some mixing comments:

- The mix feels overly bright. I suggest experimenting with -1 to -3db bell cuts between 2k and 16k hz on all the instruments to get a feel for how it affects each sound. Some instruments need that brightness whereas others can sound much better with a warmer tone. Overtime, you can develop a taste for how bright or warm you like each instrument.

- If you haven't already, I suggest filtering the reverb sends with a lowcut 6db slope between 300-400hz and a high cut with a 6db slope between 4k-7k hz. This ensures that the reverb doesn't get too muddy or bright. If you're using delays, some of them have a built-in EQ filter where you can apply the same setting.

- The bass range is fairly weak. The kick and double bass blend together into a mush. You can try to find a kick that sits nicely below the double bass and EQ the double bass to give the kick some more breathing room. Using a lower key for the composition can also help give the double bass some more presence. Also remember to cut out some of the double bass' mids to make room for other instruments that need to occupy that range. If you darken the orchestral instruments, especially around 4k, you can boost that area on the kick so it pops out and has more presence.

- In regards to the arrangement, while composing, I suggest occasionally taking a global view of your composition where you can see all the notes simultaneously. Look for any overlap or lines that are too close together. Each musical line, whether one instrument or a blend of instruments, should have plenty of breathing room without competing with other lines.

Tangerine responds:

Omg, thank you so much. Mixing has always been my weakest skill with music! It's probably about time I start taking it into consideration a bit more xd.

I'm always a bit fearful and iffy with the low end because I am scared to make things sound too muddy. But a piece does feel weak and substanceless without the bass. But I guess it ends up muddy anyway. I'll play around with it a bit more!

Thank you for the feedback!!