You spawn in falling into a line of shards. Not only does it make it obvious that you will be collecting those, but also that they will guide your way.The first gap is a jump test and is wide enough to cross with a single jump. It should get the player familiar with how far a single jump is.Here, boxes block your way, and the player must figure out that these boxes can be destroyed by their gun. Also, it’s set up so that it’s difficult to shoot the boxes without shooting one of the torches. So, if the player hadn’t already figured it out, they would learn here that the torches are destructible and drop items.This is another jump test, but it can only be crossed with a double-jump. this is to teach the player how far a double-jump in this game goes.Now having the knowledge that they can destroy boxes, the player is given opportunities to exercise. Most obviously by shooting to the boxes to exit, but also to access the shards in the upper left. The player with also have to shoot boxes if they fall down the gap, in order to free themselves. There are hints at a splitting path here, as there are inaccessible items both above and below. This is to have the player on the lookout for how to access these other paths. This will also teach players that they can shoot through platforms, if they choose to shoot at the enemies above.Here we see the way to the top path: the platform to the left. But, there is also the more subtle entrance to the lower path. The torches are meant to imply to the player that the pit is not a deadly one, and they will be rewarded with the health and shard pickups shown earlier. That is, after defeating the more aggressive enemies that lie below.The enemies in this winding section are still until you jump up to their level. The player only has to deal with one first, but there is an additional enemy added each level, so the difficulty ramps up as you go. As this is the final challenge of this level, these enemies are also the more aggressive variants. I hope to alter their color or design in the future to indicate this.After that is the end of the level. Who knows what awaits you there…
