Knytt Stories Plus (PC, 2020)
Graphics-6 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-6.5 Story-5
Level Design-6 Frustration-7 Fun-6.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-6
+
Some interesting abilities (hologram/clone - not attacked by enemies so can be used to bypass them and grab certain items) and level design (upwards airstream parts where you use the umbrella to float upwards (Super Turrican?) - later used in Ori)
Difficulty options (easy-hard but can only pick easy or normal at first)
Some shortcuts
Pretty good enemy variety
Various neutral creatures (can't interact with them however)
Includes a level/game designer tool
Your avatar glows when near false walls
Some environmental changes when backtracking (black eastern area after getting the eyeball to see invisible enemies and blocks)
One alternate ending (go to the top right of the post-game congratulations room then find the two keys that are left then go through the red key gate in the blue spiky area)
Plus ver.: Some new functionality to the level designer tool
+/-
Somewhat non-linear structure (can grab some ability items in any order (double jump and high jump, more?), alternate path above the spike creature that you're supposed to use the hologram to get past in the west - lets you bypass the final area)
Frequent save points (one slot per game only - leads to backtracking)
One hit deaths
Can't attack enemies
Flip screen (non-scrolling)
The umbrella makes you run a bit slower
Decent tutorial though it doesn't explain all mechanics and items
The hologram/clone goes back into your avatar when moving between screens
Unusually wide screen dimensions
Auto-grab walls
Silent protagonist
Some NPCs don't say anything
Basic world restoration theme
Cutscenes are basic slideshows with still images and text that you click through with the mouse
-
No map
Some control/interface issues (overly fast acceleration when starting to move and you take a couple of steps extra after releasing the d-pad, esc and enter take you out of full screen and alt-tabbing doesn't work, no pause menu means you have to use a key combination or the window menu for restarting from the last save point, can't remap the controls after you start playing)
Some tedious aspects (no fast travel, some one-way paths early on, too many empty rooms and not enough hidden paths or items, some backtracking if you try to go west after getting double jump and high jump before getting the eyeball item+from the east to the west of the world)
Trial & error (some pits make you fall to your death in the room below, some enemy patterns, the spike wall traps in the black eastern area and spike floor traps in umbrella area, spikeball enemy that pops out of the ground in the winter area)
The enemy sensor item is kinda lame (glows red when near organic enemies)
Very short (below 1h if you know where to go)
Notes:
-Original game is from 2007
Level Design-6 Frustration-7 Fun-6.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-6
+
Some interesting abilities (hologram/clone - not attacked by enemies so can be used to bypass them and grab certain items) and level design (upwards airstream parts where you use the umbrella to float upwards (Super Turrican?) - later used in Ori)
Difficulty options (easy-hard but can only pick easy or normal at first)
Some shortcuts
Pretty good enemy variety
Various neutral creatures (can't interact with them however)
Includes a level/game designer tool
Your avatar glows when near false walls
Some environmental changes when backtracking (black eastern area after getting the eyeball to see invisible enemies and blocks)
One alternate ending (go to the top right of the post-game congratulations room then find the two keys that are left then go through the red key gate in the blue spiky area)
Plus ver.: Some new functionality to the level designer tool
+/-
Somewhat non-linear structure (can grab some ability items in any order (double jump and high jump, more?), alternate path above the spike creature that you're supposed to use the hologram to get past in the west - lets you bypass the final area)
Frequent save points (one slot per game only - leads to backtracking)
One hit deaths
Can't attack enemies
Flip screen (non-scrolling)
The umbrella makes you run a bit slower
Decent tutorial though it doesn't explain all mechanics and items
The hologram/clone goes back into your avatar when moving between screens
Unusually wide screen dimensions
Auto-grab walls
Silent protagonist
Some NPCs don't say anything
Basic world restoration theme
Cutscenes are basic slideshows with still images and text that you click through with the mouse
-
No map
Some control/interface issues (overly fast acceleration when starting to move and you take a couple of steps extra after releasing the d-pad, esc and enter take you out of full screen and alt-tabbing doesn't work, no pause menu means you have to use a key combination or the window menu for restarting from the last save point, can't remap the controls after you start playing)
Some tedious aspects (no fast travel, some one-way paths early on, too many empty rooms and not enough hidden paths or items, some backtracking if you try to go west after getting double jump and high jump before getting the eyeball item+from the east to the west of the world)
Trial & error (some pits make you fall to your death in the room below, some enemy patterns, the spike wall traps in the black eastern area and spike floor traps in umbrella area, spikeball enemy that pops out of the ground in the winter area)
The enemy sensor item is kinda lame (glows red when near organic enemies)
Very short (below 1h if you know where to go)
Notes:
-Original game is from 2007