Would be a 9 or 10 if there was less lag

Also Audieo's part is a huuuuuuuuuge step down from what serponge and deffie did

I wish I had more profound things to say about Echo Delta but if this review doesn't suffice watch Interstellar. It's comfortably in my top 3 favorite movies ever and although I can't really explain why I think it gives a little bit more clarity to what this level has to offer over other space-depicting ones, especially the projects released for the space gauntlet contest. I've talked up less literal approaches to contest themes very frequently with the space gauntlet, a mindset that didn't really get me anywhere with Echo Delta since it is actually quite literal in that way. Space is the setting first and foremost, which is a fair enough starting point given the theme. However, Echo Delta takes the extra step to establish that setting in ways that I feel most creators are scared to, lest a boring beginning sacrifice an engaging playing experience. While I acknowledge that as a pitfall that Echo Delta falls into, the scale and texture of the slow opening carries so much weight on everything that comes after that it still feels worth it.

The whole level has a powerful sense of scale at any given point, either with zoomed out landscapes or the ever-present dead space that haunts the entire experience. When everything does come together and the intensity spikes, everything is dramatically supported by the tension built early on. Of course it helps that Serponge did make the song to be used in Echo Delta, but the transition from a serene opening to what later unfolds is so smooth that it's hard to pinpoint the moment where the intensity starts to feel inevitable, similarly to how Interstellar spends enough time building tension that it doesn't really matter that the movie doesn't yet take place in outer space. Every part past the first leg of Echo Delta has something to offer too, especially the explosive and masterfully well done effect work towards the end. The cube part before is also a highlight, where the tone is at its darkest and the gameplay itself feels just unstable enough to avoid being unreadable. I also sincerely adore the outro where the icon slowly shrinks into deep space, especially since it closes out the flow of intensity much more effectively than if the level just ended. I wouldn't say Echo Delta has a cohesive story or anything like that, but leaving the player with that image is as cruel as it is powerful.

This level is extremely good in both art and effects, and has amazing progression. A notable highlight is right after the second ship part, where the level shows an extremely convincing 3D effect. The song syncs and matches with the level very well too. There are also a lot of small details across the level as well. The gameplay is pretty good, though I dislike the random changes in gravity in the section right before the wave. It makes the level feel less sight readable.

Overall, the effects that these creators accomplished are amazing, to the point where this might be in my top 10 effect levels of all time. They absolutely cooked

Placeholder review I will write more on later. Art quality in this is very bad but it has cool progression and that one part has a neat sense of scale

I used to not really get it but after rewatching it many times and seeing all the little details I've come to like this. Audieo's part is a little weird at first since stylistically he creates very differently from Cometface and Serponge, but I've come to really enjoy the black hole part and the parts after. Love that the song for this was made for the level by at least one of the creators, since I feel like this allowed the team the freedom to expand upon how the level fits with the song. Once Echo Delta starts going, it only gets more and more intense. The entire level feels bold and intimidating, representing the fear of the unknown. The predrop helps this theme with its world-building, as you explore cosmic planets and designs that are fairly irregular to what is normally seen in most levels. I'm surprised many other gauntlet entries didn't really explore the idea of alien planets or alien technology, as I feel that the exploration through the unknown is a massive factor that inspires how space is represented in most media. I really love the progression even despite how different Audieo's part sometimes looks.

Serponge's parallax superstructure fading in from cometface's part is one of the most striking visual moments in any level ever. Seeing this cosmic behemoth in the distance only to realize that it's your destination inspires both fear and awe that persists until Audieo's first part kills the momentum, which is a shame because I think the rest of his parts match the first half in quality. Some of the most memorable environments I've seen in a level and likely the most menacing and looming atmosphere of any space gauntlet entry, possibly of any non-demon.

Literally forgot what I was even doing halfway through watching this. So incredibly boring. I'm gonna forgot I even saw this in 3 minutes.