I would like to ask you to excuse me for any inconvenience, that is caused by my english skills, which are not perfect yet. 
I am not an english native speaker, which is the reason for possible spelling mistakes.

"Puzzle Layers": a map that combines great level design with a simple but new puzzle concept.
However, the map has several bigger mistakes, that can be fixed quickly though.

Map name:	"Puzzle Layers"
Map reviewed by:	Headaxe
Map uploaded by:	Zetobyte

Originality (14/20)

---

The map itself is actually sticking to a classic concept when it comes to level design and progress, but brings in a lot of unique ideas.
In order to get to the next layer, you have to craft or find a particular block and place it on a "totem".
As soon as the block is placed, you get teleported to a higher layer.
This new mechanic is nearly unused and very creative and original.
The map itself has a unique and beatiful look.
The combination of such a new puzzle concept and the unique map design was yet unseen.
Sadly the puzzles stick to classic and old ways in order to get the required block for the "totem".
Vanilla crafting, planting or simply finding is how you can get it, which feels like a real lack of innovation.
However, the map combines this classic features with new ideas very well, which results in a good map at all.

Atmosphere (16/20)

---

The map's atmosphere is simply amazing.
Floating islands with a beatiful design are all around the map, which is made of several floating layers with a big variety of designs.
With every puzzle you solve, you get a new environment and you can see even more of the well-made islands.
Sadly you feel a bit trolled, because in theory you would be able to just climb up to the next layer. This wouldn't happen, if there were enough barriers placed all around the map.
Besides that the respawn is bugged sometimes, so you simply die and have to cheat on the map to get back to the layers.
That can totally destroy the atmosphere and happens quite often.
But as long, as you don't try to cheat and simply stay alive the atmosphere is amazing.

Presentation (13/20)

---

The map has a good, but minimalistic presentation on PMC.
There are no videos and the thumbnails are not rendered, but at least edited with a professional editing program.
Rules and a description, which gives you a really neat overview are both on the PMC site.
However, some of the links are not working correctly and the description hasn't a uniformly design, which makes it look ugly.
No spoilers were used and everything is written in the normal PMC font.
No pictures were used aswell, even though they'd make the overview look much better.
At least all the required explenations and content are given on the page, so it is still a good description.

Ease of Use (8/10)

---

The spawn contains a couple of signs and buttons, that teleport you to the tutorial of the map or simply allow you to start the game by teleporting you to the first layer.
Before you start playing the map, you should play the tutorial, which explains you everything you have to know before playing the map.
Don't be confused by the wrong player perspective after teleporting, just stand still, turn around and step on the pressure plates that are connected with command blocks, which explain you how to play the map.
The tutorial explains you everything you have to know with good-looking tellraw texts and models of the object, that the commad block is currently describing.
However, if you start the map without the knowledge in the tutorial, you can't play the map, because you simply don't know what to do.
It would be really helpful if you could have access to the tutorial while playing the map, or if there wouldn't be the option to skip it at the beginning.

Parkour and Puzzles (5/10)

---

The map contains only one layer of parcour, so it is more of a puzzle map.
All puzzles have a nice difficulty balancing and even give you hints, that help you to find out which block is required.
In most cases you don't see the block you are supposed to break at the beginning, so you have to get an overview for all resources you can find on your layer.
What really ruins the puzzles is, that you can loose important resources by dying, which makes it impossible for you to finish the map without cheating.
Another problem of the map is the missing cheat prevention.
You can simply climb up to the next layer wthout solving the puzzle.

System (5/10)

---

The game system is really easy to understand.
All you have to do is placing or breaking a block ontop of the "totem", which is explained in the tutorial.
Very few command blocks and redstone circuits were used to keep the map running, so you don't have to expect any lag.
All redstone circuits are hidden and built in a compact way. There are no annoying torch or minecart sounds caused by the redstone -another thing you don't have to worry about-.
However, "keepInventory", which is an absolutely neccessary gamerule is not set correctly.
Sometimes you respawn correctly, sometimes not, what forces you to cheat on the map in order to stop constantly dying by falling into the void.

Level Design (10/10)

---

The map contains about 30-90 minutes of playtime, which is really much, considering the amount of work, that has to be done to create the map.
Map design and the puzzle mechanics are working together perfectly, every map contains a chest you can find, which is really not easy.
The best thing about the level design is, that it rewards you automatically with more area and more freedom after solving a puzzle, so you get motivated again and again to get to the highest layer.
Because you get more area, the puzzles get harder with every layer aswell, because there is more space you have to check in order to find all required materials.
A level design that combines rewarding and increasing difficulty in such a smooth and natural way totally deserves applause.