As I enter the level, there is only one row I can walk on, so I take a good look of what the level is about. I can see the exit from where I stand right after I enter the level. Although the destination is clearly shown, how to get there and the environment seem a little bit complicated. There are 2 cube dispensers; the closer one drops on the hard ground then falls into the acid; the other one lands on the platform and bounce to a block then fall into the acid. There is also a button on the ceiling and there is a funnel pulling things from it. Since there is hard light, I walk on it to get a better view.
At the point, I discover the white block that the cube is hitting. meaning that I can use my portal to get the cube easily or use it to do something else. Before I get the cube I am going to see what else is in the level for me use.
There are a button, a cube, and portable tile. The button seems like it will trigger something and is something I can reach easily, so my top priority will be trying to reach to the button and see what it does. Before that, I am going to grab the other cube so it will not keep on falling to the acid.
So after I get the cube, and get to the bottom floor using the hard light and place a cube onto the button, it reverses the funnel and push things towards the button on the ceiling, so I place the cube and see what will happen. It turns out that when the cube blocks the laser, it enables the propulsion gel and another funnel. But as soon as it passes the laser, they become disable again. When cube triggers the button on the ceiling, the hard light is disable, which I do not want it to happen because I need it to travel around the level.
So then I go back down to the bottom floor, and lower the cube back. At this point, my priority would be try to keep the cube at the laser level in order to enable other items. To do that, I set up the portals and let the hard light blocks the cube, then I trigger the button at bottom floor again to push the cube to the ceiling.
And it works! It takes me a couple tries, and I have to use the button to push it and pull it back and forth while adjusting the level of the hard light. Another funnel is enabled and the gel falls into it and forms like a straight line. At this point, I have a very clear idea that I have to use the gel to speed myself up and jump to the exit. This also remove the concern of falling to death when the portals are cancelled by the emancipation grid, because they will not matter much after I make the jump in high speed.
So I change the one of the portals' location and the hard light is no longer at the same position, so the cube hits the button on the ceiling and gel is dropped.
When I walk back through the portal, a nice path is already set up for me.
I place a portal on the white tile that is facing the exit and another portal at the end of the path.
And I make it on the first jump and finish the level!
Overall, I think the level is well designed and not too difficult to solve. I often hear people make their levels very difficult to solve, and I think it would not be a good idea and might discourage/frustrate the player. I personally think a good level should be fun to play with, and educate players the different ways to play the game. And I think this level has something similar. The objectives were clear yet it took me some time to think about in order the puzzles. It was fun to use the button to move the cube up and down until the hard light was set at the right level. Also, I noticed that as soon as the cube hit the button on the ceiling, the hard light was disable right before the gel landed. If It took a bit longer, the gel would fell on the hard light and disappear along with it. And that would result in a level that cannot be completed. Base on this evidence, it shows that the designer has planned everything thoroughly and precisely placed each of them in the level.
This level is fun to play with, and I would only recommend it to increase the difficulty with more complex puzzles to make it more challenge. It could favourite some players who like to solve hard puzzles. But for casual players like me, the level is very good at where it is right now. After seeing James, our TA, played the level, I realize that there are more than one way to solve the level. I am not sure what is the designer's initial intention of how the items should be used, so maybe he can change the level a little bit to limit down to only one way to solve the level. Nonetheless, the level is good with what it has already.
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