Ok, so like... I think this is a good level, and I'm happy to see that someone made a gameplay oriented level for the SGC, but... am I the only one who finds this gameplay a tad awkward? Like, maybe I'm just desensitized to actual gameplay in 8* levels now because so many of them are free or... really bad, but this level didn't feel super smooth to me. Some orb timings are a little weird, the ship at the start feels sluggish to control, and everything seemed oddly out of proportion, making it difficult to judge distances. I guess it's a me thing, but I really didn't have a great time with this level because of how strange certain parts felt. Not to mention the lag, because I had some serious trouble with a couple parts of this level due to significant slowdown. I might just have to do with me recording content, since OBS has a bad habit of causing frame drops, but I can't help but feel like the level didn't need this much detail.

Aside from the optimization, though, this level looks beautiful. It strikes a good balance between complexity (however laggy that may be) and minimalist, with some designs being really intricate and pretty, and others sort of just looking like... standard GD objects. I like that. It's not a critique, I genuinely love that sort of blend since it doesn't try to hide the level's identity as a GD level. It displays a degree of appreciation for the game its made it, but still uses enough detail to stand on its own. Plus, it's not only about the visuals being beautiful; they're also extremely clever. Every little thing in this level oozes with charm, because the various diagrams and posters contain cheeky little easter eggs that also act as love letters to the game in which they're made. Specifically, the final section of the level has a couple nods to certain gamemodes, formed out of constellations. Flash's name is sneakily hidden in the final planisphere of the level. Hell, earlier in the level, little H's can be seen along a ceiling, textured like the tiles that are scattered across the walls, subtly hinting at H blocks you can use. I love the amount of soul that has been poured into this level, it honestly looks phenomenal. Absolutely one of my favorite levels in the game, visually speaking.

Maybe it's unfair to underrate this so much because of my apparent skill issue, but I sadly just didn't really love playing this. It feels finicky and unnatural, which is truly devastating when I know how much potential this level had to be excellent. Much love, Planispheres. But sadly, my gut tells me 7.

wtf i thought i rated this