I initially loved Commatose and thought it was the best of 2024, but now that I've had time to fully let this level sit in my head, it's not as good as I thought it was. It mainly comes down to the overuse of the jump indicators and some of the effects being way too flashy and obstructive to the gameplay. I also thought that the ending with all the orb spam and auto orbs was lame asf and should've been replaced with a wave part. Despite these flaws, I still really enjoy this level and its progression. This level is more like a 7.5, but I'm rounding it up because the part that comes immediately after the orb spam genuinely gave me goosebumps the first time I watched it, and was one of the most emotional parts I've seen in a GD level from that year.

At first I think it was nothing special, but then I watched a showcase video…

Oh, Rply. The man I first met when he made a poor experience in Greenagain has made my favorite 2.2 level of all time.

Firstly, I need to thank him for introducing me to commatose as a song. I'm not sure why the most secret levels with NONGs always manage to come up with absolute bangers (Cityfade, Well Rested, Etc.) but i'm thankful for it. I've been obsessed with commatose as a song since this level came out. Sure, levels do that often, but i'm sure it never goes unappreciated to the creator. Moreover what makes this great is that Rply actually put thought into his gameplay rather than just leaving it unreadable or unoriginal and boring. Gameplay is especially important when your level spans nine and a half minutes. Now, I haven't beaten the level myself, mostly because I have a massive skill issue, but I have run through it a couple times in practice, and I am SHOCKED by how well the sync works. Particularly in things like the UFO part and some of the orb timings he puts in.

It's not a stretch to say that nobody who currently plays Geometry Dash builds quite like Rply does. And I still haven't figured out how to pronounce the dude's name (reply? replay? what the fuck?). Rply strays as far away from the cleanliness and visual standards of most Geometry Dash creators and instead opts to just place down random shit that comes to his mind when he hears the song. Exactly how I would do if I still played. It especially works in the context of commatose, because it's a pretty varied song overall, thus there's a lot of room for interpretation. I like how Rply mostly sticks to the teal and orange color palette like it's seen on the plastic death album cover. The so-proclaimed "abyss angel", also on the album cover, is also a key element of the level, as it shows up almost everywhere. I love when creators use details like this in proper context, it adds undeniable charm to the level.

Another cool thing Rply does is take advantage of the UI trigger for some further song representation or other sort of visual elements that don't distract from the gameplay, but definitely make the level feel more complete. It's interesting, too, because as far as I have been able to tell, nobody has used the UI trigger quite like this. I'm really hoping it sticks around, though, because it has amazing potential. Overall, amazing gameplay, amazing decoration, amazing song representation, amazing song itself, god damn it Rply. I'm such a glazer it's unfathomable.

Such unorthodox use of 2.2 features and objects to create decoration that is unseen in literally every other level in the game. There is nothing like commatose, and there will most likely be nothing ever like commatose. While the 9 minutes should become grating to sit through if you die to the level's ever-increasing difficulty throughout, the amazing song by glass beach and nigh-perfect visuals means you never get bored. Really a triumph to make a level this long THIS unique and consistently captivating, which is why I believe commatose by rply is one of the best levels ever made. (no glaze)

I actually had no idea what this level was I just saw a lot of reviews on it. I assumed it was one of those modern levels that blow up because it has "realism" or the typical eye candy slop deco. But I wanted to see for myself what this level was and the whole 9 minutes of this blew me away. I was not expecting any of this in the slightest. I almost never, and I mean very very rarely, give a fully possible level, such a high rating, because they almost always stick to this standard. They all are some sort of copy of another level. They all stick to some sort of format so they can get that rate. This level is its very own thing and it blows away almost every other level I've seen in this game by a long shot. And to top that off it does it for 9 whole minutes. Not one second of this felt boring, not one second felt like I had see this somewhere before. Every bit of this felt interesting, unique, captivating, and I was amazed the whole time. I'm really happy I saw this and I want to say that rply did a marvelous job on this. To make such a good level like this is hard. The song is amazing as well which I didn't even talk about yet. The music representation in this is absolutely amazing. I was really not expecting that either and I have very high standards for music representation. The deco as well stays in the realm of geometry dash. I feel like I'm watching a geometry dash level, and thats exactly what I want. This doesn't try to be hyper realistic in order to look good. It experiments with its own unique style while still feeling like "Geometry Dash" Every single aspect of this level is literally perfect. I don't really know what else to say this is just really really good.

commatose is one of my favourite songs of all time and now one of my favourite levels of all time. an expertly made representation of the song, not copying from glass beach, taking inspiration and vocalising the creators emotional resonance with the song.

In the levels exposition i appreciate the use of red pads to sync with the song, and the use of slow dash orbs to reflect the vocals. Once the level introduces colour you get a feel for the atmospheric nature of the level, and can truly appreciate the creators passion for glass beach.

Once the level reaches the drop, like the song, there is a tonal shift reflective of that of a fever dream, a light nod to the state of commatose, sleeping and dreaming, which i admire. commatoses intensity gradually increases with the song, the deco becomeling more full.

After the drop part there is a spider part, which bridges between the two drop parts, and around 4 minutes i am greeted with one of the best parts in any Gd level, the digital decoration reflecting the fluctuations in the lyricists voice is masterful.

The player is then enveloped by a creature, in preparation for the next act of the level and song. the dual to come is atmospheric and beatiful in almost every way, the swing reflecting heart fluctuations.

The way in which the proceeding part utilises verticality is frankly a beautiful build up for the next section of the song, the robot which follows is also atmospheric and beautifully made, reflective of the songs intensity in this section, and it follows the previous ascension by descending.

The build up to the finale here is beautiful, and the orb section matching the songs rapid emotional outbusts is perfect, the cube to follow is amazing, the radiant sun contradicting that state of commatose represented by the slower sections of the level. A perfect finale and climax to the level as it slowly fades out.

Incredible level.

I've kept an eye on rply's previous works such as time plus tragedy and Trick Room, as he already built a unique style and showed competence with effects. Although great, the aforementioned levels were not groundbreaking; rply was going to be another addition to the list of creators who would gradually show their full potential in the editor over the coming years. Needless to say, commatose completely blew my expectations out of the water. Despite its lengthy runtime of over 9 minutes, commatose keeps the player engaged throughout, beginning with a slow-paced predrop that some might argue to be boring and unnecessary. Personally I felt that this part contributed heavily to the slow build-up of energy up to the climax, as well as introducing the environment of the level to the player, as the similar light-blue, orange colour scheme is repeated throughout the level. All that follows afterwards needs little description. Movements of structures and effects are extremely well-orchestrated, giving a sense of order even in chaos. The ending is also notable where the level comes to a crashing finish, decaying into unorganized structures following the song. Unbelievable level all-around. Probably my favourite level of 2024.