MCAlliance Reviews: The Dropper 1 & 2
A Long Way Down:
Reviewed by DaltronForce
In The Dropper, the rules are simple, drop down, and don’t die. And it’s this simplicity that makes the Dropper franchise so enjoyable and easy to play. The Dropper, created by none other than Bigre himself, was a whole new dimension in adventure maps. Instead of adapting a genre like survival or a Complete The Monument map, Bigre succeeded in creating a new genre. The task of surviving the falls to complete the entire map was a big hit, and the Dropper genre became a massive part of the adventure map scene, receiving critical acclaim.
Gameplay was fast and furious, barely giving you a few seconds to solve a puzzle as you fell to your death. Trying to get into the water was definitely much harder than it looks. Every level slowly cranked up the difficulty and puzzles grew harder and harder, but in a reasonable pace. It was extremely fun playing with friends, competing to see how many fails the other person would get. Every stage had its different specialties and puzzles, so every level was a whole new experience. Every time I fell, I looked to the ground, waiting for the ground to emerge from the clouded void. It was intense and my heart always skipped a beat, upon touching down. What made it even better was that I got that same edge of the seat feeling as I did in Herobrine’s mansion, without actually having mobs attack me.
Although the Dropper franchise doesn’t have a story plot, it doesn’t really matter. This is because the dropper is a fantasy puzzle game made just for fun and its elements are just like mini games. However, each dropper map did not last very long. I for instance managed to finish it in just under 40 minutes. But the Dropper is a map of the ages and it’s the kind you can play again and again with friends or just to experience the magic a second time.
One main problem the Dropper had was that it wasn’t frustration proof. As anyone would expect from a difficult puzzle map, The Dropper constantly had me banging the computer screen. Dying over and over again not only pushed me to the edge of my seat, but to the point where I wanted to change to creative mode. That urge to cheat is never a good element in any adventure map. But The Dropper has unfortunately joined the league of such games.
Perseverance was hard at many difficult areas, and it seemed that I always needed someone else playing with me to keep me up and going. This is not a big issue, but adventure maps should be enjoyed, whether in multiplayer or singleplayer.
Remember those amazing movies with horrible sequels? Well, the dropper franchise suffered the same fate. The Dropper 2 was a complete flop. Of course, it still had some of the elements from the first map, and I still had a great time playing it. But the map just would not stop committing more mistakes.
Now, after going through a lot of effort to survive the fall, you had to go scavenging around the map in search of the diamond you need to move on. This was a complete waste of time and I whenever I was about to do a new level, I got a headache. Surviving each fall felt less satisfying knowing that I had another lame task to complete afterwards. Tasks and places also felt repetitive from the first Dropper game. And stages became so instructional that I really had a problem seeing the puzzle at all.
Luckily, the first Dropper map is still able to pull the title out of the ashes and like I said, it’s still loads of fun to play.
Presentation:
The Dropper can exceed anyone’s expectations for its astounding presentation. My mind was filled with curiosity before I spawned into each new stage. With the map only giving you a title on what is to come. I can’t even begin to describe the builds in this map. The Dropper probably had some of the best builds I had ever seen before in my life. And that’s a tall order. It’s extraordinary use of optical illusions and perspective dazed my mind as if I were in some sort of fantasy land. It was especially well used for the puzzle element. And whenever I dropped, I debated in my mind whether to wonder in awe of the beautiful design, or concentrate on surviving the fall.
The wide and beautiful landscapes made me want to venture off and get lost in the mystical realms. But that exploration is not a major thing The Dropper wanted you to do. It usually tries to get you back on track to the main objective. Of course, to some extent exploration is needed, but it wasn’t a major factor. The Dropper franchise seemed to especially dump this down in the sequel, with places not allowing you to go anywhere further than where you’re supposed to go.
This brings me to my next point about Dropper 2. In the Dropper 2, set pieces are still great, but it didn’t seem as amazing as its first map. Set pieces felt stiff and boxy. Although there were stages which looked great, it didn’t have the element of strategy and it was like falling randomly and hoping for the best. It also lacked originality in its designs weren’t as creative as if it was hastily made. And the ending for Dropper 2 wasn’t even a proper ending to acknowledge that you beat the game.
But then again, let’s not forget about the first map which actually made the franchise legendary. And there is still hope for the Dropper to continue its legacy.
The Verdict:
I feel that it’s a pity that I have to review the franchise instead of the first game. If it was up to me, the first installment in the Dropper series would most definitely get close to a 10. But all game series have a flaw and The Dropper franchise is no different. But with it extremely fun gameplay and stunning set piece designs, it’s hard to reject the Dropper series as one of the best maps ever created.
+Astounding builds
+New and fun type of gameplay
+Challenging puzzles
-Bad sequel
-Frustrating after a while
Do you agree with our verdict? What adventure map do you want us to review next? Be sure to post your suggestions in the comments below. For more on adventure maps and news, keep up to date with the MCAlliance.
8
Great
