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Design Critique

A topic by Alessia Ianni-Palarchio created Apr 25, 2022 Views: 44
Viewing posts 1 to 1

I will start by saying right off the bat that Klaviering is gorgeous. The minimalist aesthetic feels very intentional, and the clean crisp environment matches the crisp motions, and how staccato each note of the music feels.  Adding animations for each new track of music makes it feel much more lively a space, bringing life to the environment as there is added depth to the music. It also feels like an abstraction of a piano, with the alternating black and white blocks, and having them in motion only when the music is active for that zone gives the impression that someone is 'playing' the piano as the player explores. 

Starting off with this view emphasizes that, and is such a good way to teach the player what to do without the need for any sort of tutorial. Their objective is framed on screen, and it's encouragement to go up and explore it immediately. Then the player knows from then on that they can interact with these pyramid shapes, and to keep an eye out for them through the level.

I do wish there was a way to turn off the different tracks as well, since some of them sound less harmonious than others when blended together. Either by re-entering the same area, or by giving the player a toggle choice. Maybe a more curated walking path could also help with this, giving the player some freedom to explore, but not allowing them to activate too many dissonant clips at once. 

I do also feel it might be too easy to fall off parts of the environment. While it isn't very punishing in that the player will re-spawn at the starting areas, sometimes I did want to look at the animation from a certain vantage point, only to easily miss a platform edge that started to move after a new music segment was activated! I do wonder if there could be a few more 'safer' areas to stand along the perimeter of the level to make it easier to look back and admire everything in motion with the music!