Official Site || Level Archive
Even if it’s not exactly the prettiest level out there, Level 5 has some solid design choices. The initial stretch only has some standard platforming and quickly hands out new abilities, though even this part has a bit of a puzzle element to it when it forces players to find a safe route around an electrical enemy. Things get more interesting once you get the umbrella with a long downward obstacle course and some tricky gliding. The puzzle mechanics start to show up more clearly once players reach Level 4 and need to solve two switch code puzzles in a row. Finding the solutions to these puzzles is a small challenge in its own right and figuring out how to properly apply the hidden codes to the switches is another puzzling task as the answer requires the use of some deductive reasoning. The finale of the stage is the first part where Juni is allowed to break free from the otherwise mostly linear progression as players must navigate old areas in reverse with some new hazards in order to even find Level 5. Aesthetics are the only major weakness this level possesses as the standard Knytt Stories music chosen doesn’t mesh well with the graphics and the spikes can sometimes be hard to see, though I do appreciate the work that went into making the level transition ‘animations’ by rapidly swapping through several similar rooms like a video game version of a flip book.