With each subsequent release, bli continues to solidify himself as one of the biggest creating titans of the game in recent times, showing his prowess in both art and optimization to a fervent degree. No doubt has the community been hungry for bli's first 2.2 level, but for many, it might have been a surprise that bli's latest masterpiece is a Stereo Madness remake.

Rage Quit was designed for Waboomania's Stereo Madness contest, where 100 creators were challenged to recreate a limited duration of Stereo Madness, with each qualifying competitors being tasked to build for larger offsets and, eventually, the entire level. bli was one of the finalists, and unsuprisingly, won the competition with their level, which has some of the most jaw-dropping transitions that I have seen since the release of the 2.2 Update. From the punching of the iPad, to the player breaking out of the screen and into the matrix, to the fake error screen, Rage Quit offers a plethora of visually stimulating elements to unpack, to the point it's kind of overwhelming. My jaw dropped when I witnessed every transition and eye-catching effects that succeeded each other in rapid fashion, and that excitement seldom receded as the level continued to throw in effect after effect. By the end of the level, I was stunned with what I had just witnessed, and I'm sure a majority of others have felt that way too.

However, once my first impressions have receded, I found it difficult to achieve a remotely similar level of carharsis after rewatching or replaying Rage Quit. I don't deny that Rage Quit is, without a doubt, a technical masterpiece, but it also doesn't feel like culmination of bli's creative potential, nor did it reach the level of emotional resonance I was expecting from a level (or creator) who would be the fan-favorite to receive the coveted Mythic rating. As such, I found myself teetering towards the lesser value in the Legendary rating. My rationale lies in how the level struggled to establish a lasting, personal connection with me beyond the initial awe that I felt upon my first experience watching the level. As stunning as the level is, and quite frankly being one of bli's most technically impressive works that he released thus far, in many ways, it felt like all that I had to experience from Rage Quit was merely caught that one overwhelming experience I had the first time. For many creators, the art of creating levels have long been about the trial-and-error process of designing and releasing levels that were imperfect yet human, allowing for personal connections on said levels and paving way for growth and evolution. This feeling is one that I felt was lost in Rage Quit, as the level manages to capture a sense of perfectionism that, while leaving me with no real negative criticisms, deprives the authentic, human characteristic of the level. We value art for their abstractness and authenticity of feeling human, but when something is manufactured to look perfect, the personal connction is often lost.

I recognize that I am one of the oddballs for viewing Rage Quit in a mannerism that isn't congruent to what most may think, but I also recognize that first impressions are often the strongest impressions. For many, that first experience was a sensational, unreal, and cathartic experience that was unlike anything previously experienced in a Geometry Dash level, which makes sense as to why it's a fan favorite. No doubt, bli is a sensational creator and he knows his audience well; he is very capable of designing such extraordinary visuals to rightfully capture the spotlight, and that in itself is a talent. For these reasons, it's no surprise that Rage Quit got a Mythic rating. However, if you were to ask me personally, I still yearn for a level that shows bli's true capabilities, a level that is free from gimmicks and public marketing and is instead a true testament to bli's ambitions, artistry and passion for the game that he has achieved great success in.

• Review sourced from Viprin + Paste

Makes my blood boil every time i see this level, i guess it accomplishes its goal. It goes without saying that the visuals are obviously stunning, but it just doesn't feel like a geometry dash level. To me, its literally just a youtube video in gd.

technically flawless, but very much lacks character. i like the ipad falling animation

I love the idea of remaking an official level's gameplay 1 to 1 with visuals that are as far from the original as possible. I expect the fun to come from using your knowledge of stereo madness to get through difficult to read sections.

Unfortunately, the actual gameplay is a very nerfed stereo madness which completely ruins the point. Would've been a 10 but that turned me real sour.

Obviously the visuals were fantastic, tho they do degrade over the level.

A very divisive level that has came out in recent months. If you aren’t aware, this level was made for a Stereo Madness remake creator contest hosted by Waboo, with the total prize money of $1000 for first place.

This level’s main identity is being a visual showfest. That alone doesn’t sound very exciting, as there are hundreds of other levels like this, but I actually really enjoyed many of the visuals shown here, particularly its 4th-wall breaking elements. I especially loved the part at around 56% with the person going crazy and destroying all the monitors; Its such a batshit insane part that I can’t help but love how overboard Bli went with it. The fake death at the end also admittedly caught me off guard when I was first playing it, such a fitting finale to the level. And of course, Bli’s insane optimization skill continues to impress.

On the other hand, there are other parts that kind of feel like they were just made for the sake of it, such as that “high-tech” part at around 18%. It’s visually stunning, but it doesn’t really feel as properly themed as other parts in this level, making it feel overall less cohesive. Both ship parts also have this effect of rapidly changing the backgrounds and styles through several flashes, which is fine enough, though other levels have executed parts like this better. I think it would be way more fitting to have these backgrounds themed around GD block designs, or even other aspects of a mobile device, rather than just detailed, albeit generic looking environments.

As for the gameplay itself, yea its quite literally just a slightly nerfed version of Stereo Madness. This seems to be where most people take issue with the level in regards to its gameplay, and that’s understandable, it makes the gameplay feel rather unoriginal. However, whether this was intentionally done or not, I feel like the gameplay just being a reskinned Stereo Madness acts as both nostalgic and a subversion; I actually cannot think of a better level to remake that a theme like this would go with. That being said, the gameplay isn’t without its gripes; A few parts in the level don’t have any musical sync at all, making them feel awkward, and costing the level a bit of that Stereo Madness charm. And I didn’t think the aforementioned “high-tech” part needed to be entirely auto. It’s a pet peeve of mine when 2 star levels have completely auto parts.

Overall, its not a top tier level, and it definitely has flaws, but I found myself to have enjoyed Rage Quit a lot more than I expected. I’d argue the level is overhated, with many seeming to claim that it has absolutely no merit, due to it being made for a creator contest involving money, and others even think its the “worst level ever”. This is such a disingenuous mindset to have; Just because money was a reason for someone to make something doesn’t mean it has no thought at all put into it (By that logic, we would deem any piece of critically acclaimed media to be nothing more than cash cows).

But to be entirely fair, I think this level didn’t really deserve its mythic rating (and im 99% certain that’s why its even so controversial in the first place lol), mainly due to it lacking the substance and depth found in most other mythic levels, its better reserved for being legendary instead. Though it actually isn’t the weakest mythic in the game rn imo (Throat of the World can comfortably take that spot).