CS3113 Shift

The mechanics are the highlight of this game. The levels are clearly built around them in mind, and it definitely works well for that purpose. I mentioned this previously, but the color of the background sometimes makes it hard to see the actual character. The only thing I think this is really missing is polishing up the environmental sprites and tweaking the art direction. Otherwise, it's really solid.

Ethan Don: The whole concept behind the player mechanics is really cool. The added depth to the puzzles because of the player's abilities was really cool. From a platformer perspective it felt kind of mario-esque with the ground pound and the float and jump abilities. I do think some of the particle effects for the transformation were a bit much but that is a really small fix. Overall really cool idea and it was executed really well. 

The concept of different states the player has to work with is unique from all the other games we've looked at this semester. It creates a very different playing experience since basic movements such as moving left/right or jumping are now split between different character states. I'd suggest widening the camera angle so it doesn't feel as claustrophobic. Overall, amazing game!

The game idea is definitely very unique and the added complexity by changing character states and abilities is very nice. The addition of the timer definitely makes a lot of sense and it is definitely fun for the player to try and achieve the best times across the levels by most efficiently trying to use the different abilities. I think adding some more environment backgrounds or textures would be nice although I do recognize the simplistic/old theme you are going for. One critique is that I think working with a camera a little more or adding a mini-map would definitely be good for the player experience.

Justin Rivera: The concept is super interesting! The timer and the nature of the game lend themselves well to speed running as well, so there's a tangible skill level when playing this game. It's a bit tough to tell where I'm supposed to go sometimes, especially since the background is monochromatic. But overall, the game is great to play.

Ashley Liu: The concept is very interesting but does take a little bit to understand and keep track of the states. However, once I had that down, the levels were designed really well to make use of all the character states!

Jack Liu:

 It's a great game. It took me three minutes to figure out the player's skills. There are actually four states the player can switch between to complete the action. It's a tricky game. I often get stuck in one place and don't know how to move. But it would be cool if you could master all four of them. At the same time, the eyes of the characters can also look at different places according to the mouse, which is very fun. And the game records the highest score each time, so that players can comåpare their scores. This encourages the player playing.

Anna Teng: I love the idea of having multiple states, and having to navigate and solve the levels by constantly choosing which one fits the situation the best. I also like the retro feel and the death animations, its super cute. One thing, and I think others mentioned it too, is that it is sometimes hard to see where the player is in relation to the level and know where to go because of this. So it might be helpful to zoom the camera out, or make the levels more compact. But overall, I think it is a great game, and I loved the game mechanics!

Michael Chen: You guys have made a lot of changes since I played your prototype. In both cases, I really like the game mechanics, and how player really needs to think hard on each level in order to pass the game. Besides the game mechanics, I like how you've added the timer and the funny animations when the character dies. Overall, you guys did a great job and I can learn a lot from this.  

Yilin Zhao: The idea of this game is really brilliant and stand out from other games. It's so creative that the player should change its shape to behave differently and pass the levels. You can even change the speed of the player while playing. Also, I like the detail that the eyes of the player can roll and look at the place it's moving to.  I'm lucky to have played the first version of this game and I can see that everything has improved drastically and is a huge success.

Anik Barua: Good game mechanics! I loved how the background color changes as you change different shapes. Also, how you implemented unique abilities for each character shape works perfectly. The dead animation where the shape divides up to multiple parts was a nice addition to game vibe. One feedback would be to move the camera a bit further so the player can see the environment, and know where it is going or falling. Other than that, great work with the game and it was fun to play!

Shangyu：

As a player, I am thrilled to see that this game supports controller gameplay. It makes the gameplay experience much more immersive and enjoyable. The game's simplicity and challenging mechanics, combined with the use of controller support, make it easy to learn but hard to master. It's clear that the developers have put a lot of time and effort into creating a game that caters to a wide range of players.

Personally, I find that playing with a controller provides a more comfortable and intuitive gaming experience. The addition of controller support allows me to fully immerse myself in the game and enjoy it to the fullest. I appreciate the effort that the developers have put into supporting controller gameplay, as it shows that they value the gaming experience of all players.

Hah-Young Kim: I love how you included different forms for the player, and the game feel for each form was done really nicely! For example, the jump form allowed you to jump higher, while the roll form enabled faster movement. It made the gameplay experience smoother and more enjoyable. I also appreciated how there were hints in the background for certain obstacles. These hints were helpful for me since certain obstacles weren't as intuitive to get through. Also, I love the eyes of the player! And how it follows the mouse of the player~ It’s a really nice touch to the game's visuals!

Heejin: This game has really interesting and unique style! Love that you added more different forms of the player character. At first, it was kind of hard to remember the numbers of those states, but I enjoyed this game a lot. Also, the eyes of the player are really cool that they are following the mouse! I like the art style and the background music. They fit well with the game! And I LOVE the death animation.

Yanglin Tao: I really like the player transformations and variety of game modes. The visual effects and animations from that part are fantastic. Although the different modes can be a bit confusing to start the game,  as you progress it becomes more and more exciting. Also, the way that the instructions are incorporated into the map is very innovative. Overall it is a very fun and challenging game.

Nishma: The idea of this game was really cool! The transitions between the different player states and how it matched up with the background was nice. The death animation was really cool, too, and I liked the overall layout. I think someone mentioned this but it would also be cool to add a background or something to show when the player is like moving in the air, like jumping or falling.

Yuxuan Lin (Kerwin): It is a very interesting kind of gameplay. The changes in modes between wheel, spring,  balloon, and rock gives the player different abilities. Players can proceed only by combining them together. The effects while switching modes was innovating as well, the change  in background color gives the player a direct message of the change. One of the best game design!

The game mode is very interesting. A player can control the characters in different game play. I would love to see more game content based on this gameplay in the future. 

Also, the art style is very uniform throughout the game, with a common pixelated aesthetic.

I really like the design of the character's eyes. Very anthropomorphic and very cute at the same time.