Keen 6 Most Favorite Level?

[proYorp]

Which levels would you say are the most enjoyable for you? What element or combination of elements in those levels make them fun to come back to?

Level reference list: https://keenwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/Keen_6_Levels

Vote for up to 3 options, preferably as many as you can think of since we only have a small user base to collect data from. You may change your votes later if you change your mind. There is no time limit.



Thank you to everyone who has participated in these surveys. I've gotten some very useful data out of them, the effects of which will be seen whenever I release certain projects of mine. We've also gotten very good community debate and discourse out of these discussions which I am very happy with. Since there seem to be forum threads that are exempt from the "no-bumping" rule, if I could I would like to open these to ongoing discussion for whoever is so inclined, if for no other reason than to allow myself to participate in the rest of my own polls. I might not until I start working on a project involving Keen 5 or 6 tbh. Another good reason for infinite discussion runtime is that as time goes on and more users collect together to participate, the data will become more refined and accurate to the representation of the majority opinion.



The previous polls in the level rankings series are here:
Keen 4 Least Favorite Level?
Keen 4 Most Favorite Level?
Keen 5 Least Favorite Level?
Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?
Keen 6 Least Favorite Level?

[Nospike]

For nostalgic reasons I have no choice but to pick Bloogton Manufacturing. I actually like the level layout, as a kid I found it intriguing and exciting whenever I managed to progress through the level all the way up to "the part with the hexagons". Vertical levels often tend to suck but this one is done fairly well, makes good use of the pogo allowing for shortcuts and every part of it is distinctive so you don't get lost. The repeated climb towards the exit after you've cleared the entire level is the only part that feels not fun.

Bloogwater Crossing is the perfect first level. It's fun, captivating, easy but not boring, the graphics are beautiful, it feels lively. It also has a fairly unique aesthetic that's never repeated again IIRC. This sets it apart from the first levels in Keen 4 and 5.

I had to think about my last vote a bit but decided to go with Bloog Control Center. Even though it isn't the best level from a level design standpoint (many unspoken rules are broken - door puzzles, enemy spam, oddly hidden secrets...) it's one of the most memorable levels in any Keen game thanks to its crushing ominous atmosphere. I used to be scared sh*tless of this level and I can still feel it when playing it today. Definitely stands out. In a way even the odd design choices kind of contribute in a beneficial way to this level, it almost feels like you're playing a different game.

And as an honorable mention that isn't included in the poll anyway I'd mention the hidden section in the BwB level, I felt so cool when I found there was a secret area and was instantly knocked back down by its difficulty. I still can't consistently make that jump through the 3 lasers.

[proYorp]

Bloogton Manufacturing. [...] The repeated climb towards the exit after you've cleared the entire level is the only part that feels not fun.

You know, I bet a really easy fix for that would be if there was a door after the yellow key that pops you back up to the top, since you can't get to the key until after you've made it to the top and flipped the switch anyway.

[Nospike]

Exactly, or they could've used the dummy door at the level start for this somehow. It's a fixable problem, like many issues with Keen 6's levels, it was clearly rushed in development.

[childofhale]

Bloogville - Big and atmospheric, the inside garden and black area are nice
Guard post three - I especially like the undergound hallway
Recreational district - Bipships are a good enemy and the night sky is beautiful

[Soul Monster]

Bloogwaters Crossing: Like Nospike said, this is a great level to start off with that has some very nice imagery. While some of the items can be tedious to get at times, it's all optional, and only serves to add to a little extra challenge that you can easily bypass if you so choose. I also agree that there's an aesthetic to this level that we don't see anywhere else in the game, and after reading up on this stage on Keenwiki, I found out that this is the only level in Keen 6 to feature water, not to mention that it's the only stage in the series that captures the essence of traversing a lake (even 4 didn't include that somehow). I like the layout of this level too, it captures that feeling like you're jumping around on rocks to cross a river.

Bloog Control Center: I have to agree with Nospike on this one too, it may not be the best stage in the game, but there's just an atmosphere to this level that makes it stand out. The imagery, the music, the puzzles, it all creates a very creepy element of horror to this one. There's a lot of stuff in this stage you don't see anywhere else in the game, like the hanging eyeballs, the hands coming out of the ground, and that weird background during the door puzzle (which used to frustrate me to no end as a kid).

Blooglab Space Station: One thing about secret levels that I like in the Commander Keen series is when they try for a more unique look and feel (including unique graphics, a different layout, more obscure enemies etc.). This one I think does a very good job at that. I like that it includes some of the more obscure enemies like Blorbs and Flects, and that the part which involves your view being obscured while riding a goplat is done much better here than in BASA, as it's a matter of choice whether you take that path or not in this level. I think the music helps add to the atmosphere (and I seem to be one of the few people on here who actually enjoys Into The Future), and gives it a bright, whimsical feel to it. It's not an overly long or challenging level either, it's a short romp through a space station, and it gets the job done in standing out among the Keen 6 levels.

[StupidBunny]

Wow who are the three people who chose the Bloogton Tower?

Anyway mine in loose order are:

Guard Post One: We've talked a lot about how "cozy" certain levels in Keen are. There is at least one in each episode that, for whatever reason, I love to just hang out in, not to progress or to play but just to be there and to enjoy the vibe of the place. For me, it's definitely Guard Post One, and I can't really say why. Part of it, I think, is the super mellow music, but I also love the simplicity of it, the building that's just a single tunnel with a storage room up top, lined by little blinking incandescent bulbs and illuminated by giant fluorescent lamps, warrened out underneath with a tight-but-not-claustrophobic cave that has just enough branching and exploring to make it fun. I don't know, it's just a great time palling around with the little Blooglets and such. I even wanted to build a walk-in replica of it at some point in my childhood once. Absolute triumph of a level.

Bloogville: Another place that feels really lived-in. It's a funny map because it showcases everything that is best and worst about Keen 6, at once sporting a rich atmosphere and visual design like few other games have while also being a huge pain in the ass to play. I forgive the latter part somewhat because 90% of that ass pain comes from the criminal excess of Giks (which were a mistake to begin with) crammed into long narrow hallways where they're almost impossible to avoid. But why am I complaining about this one? Check it out, it has an indoor forest! Bloogville has an arboretum! It's a great example of a level that feels way bigger than it actually is because of the interconnected layout and multiple optional areas. Even the giks can't stop me from loving it.

Guard Post Three: Who would've thought the bridging levels would all be my favorites? I guess I love the defense tunnels in CK5 too (Burrh is my favorite "hang out" level in that episode). LIke childofhale said, the underground tunnel is wonderful--again, just really cozy and inviting. It may have the best gameplay design of any Keen 6 level, really intricate, interconnected, and just lots more coziness especially up in that attic overhang area there.

I angsted over which level to include in the #3 spot a lot, actually. I'll give honorable mentions here to

Bloogbase Recreational District: I love all the Bloogbase levels, but this has to be the best because of Eat at Joes and those awesomely ridiculous posters of the rock and roll Bloogs. Also because Bipships are cool.

Bloogfoods, Inc.: Because it has a giant sandwich and a book with a reference that was already old as hell in 1991.

Bloogton Manufacturing, Inc.: Because nostalgia.

The Second Dome of Darkness: Like Bloogville, another level that feels like a real place and about which I had all kinds of lore building. Was it some kind of experimental City of Tomorrow, or a separate Bloog society that inhabits the underground domes? Is Fribbulus Xax a giant brain? Like Solaris? Super fun to run around to what I imagined were the apartments and cafes and such crammed into this tiny Dome society.