Sparks Cry of Mercy does a really nice job carrying its song's energy, and has a more raw, unrefined edge that I think works very well with the very messy song that's used. A lot of the block designs are semi-transparent, which historically tends to mean muddy details and a lack of "solidness" to the structures, but two choices were made that I think help the designs out drastically; the consistent use of black "outline" sections, and the general bright colours and subtle details used in the semi-transparent sections. The darker outline portions contrast very nicely with the rest of the level and helps the structures stand out, and the usage of glow and the line-based designs help both break up the large chunks of flat black as well as to add more texture and detail to the designs. The interior semi-transparent portions themselves all have some sort of subtle detailing, similar to reflections bouncing off of glass, and are coloured brightly enough that they aren't muddied too much by the rest of the level and serve to accent it instead.

I also think the less polished nature of the level works in its favour in regards to the gameplay. The structures are all very simple, and there tends to be a lot of negative space between them (most noticeable around 0:49) that relies on the background as filler, but Sparks Cry of Mercy has such fast-paced gameplay and bright colours that I think attempting to remedy these issues would have drastically lowered the gameplay clarity. The simple shapes and excess of negative space combined with the aforementioned contrasting block designs all help the player easily intuit exactly where the gameplay is and what will and will not kill them, which in my opinion is a necessity for fast, high-CPS gameplay and contributes to an overall excellent playing experience for this level. The lack of heavy shaders or camera controls further solidifies the level's already good readability, which is a nice bonus.

Some individual parts do make an effort to stand out - there's a fake 3-way "dual" at 0:51, a dash orb that breaks through one of the structures at 1:13, and some other nice novelties that are very cool additions in their own right - but overall I think the level does get monotonous. The colour scheme stays the same aside from the red in the first part, the structuring and design styles are the same, even the background structures are reused fairly consistently. While cohesive, I'd love to have seen some more usage of slopes, or another spin on the outline sections of the structures, or even a different mechanical/electronic style altogether for some of the more intense parts. However, I'd consider this a relatively minor issue, and overall really enjoy Sparks Cry of Mercy. I will be keeping an eye on ISGAgaru's levels going forward and look forward to more from them.

My favorite insane demon in the game. Easily.

sparks cry of mercy is a solo 2.2 insane demon created by SGAgaru who has been creating for years throughout 2.1, before releasing their first 2.2 level, being this. I absolutely LOVE this level, so incredibly much. SGAgaru was able to perfectly fit their old 2.1 style into the 2.2 mold and create some of the most energetic, fun, and thrilling gameplay I've ever played!! It feels like a blast of adrenaline just watching and playing it, partly due to its absolutely INSANE song representation. The decoration goes for this techy theme, which heavily reminds me of Delta Interface (in a positive way) and utilizes some super cool looking backgrounds to give a sense of depth to each part! It just feels like you're flying through the middle of a melting down core, trying to escape as fast as you possibly can, and I LOVE it.

The level has so many little details which add to the atmosphere so much, and introduces some awesome parts which keep the level apart from other similar looking levels! My favorite part easily being the triple ship part at 55%, even if it isn't the most accurate looking ships in existence, the gimmick alone makes me so happy and it's sososososo fun to play!! I also love the detail of both the other ships dying at the end while you make it through! And RIGHT after you use these black orbs to smash through these platforms to the song before being sent into one of the most energetic duals I've ever played. This whole sequence still thrills me so much just by WATCHING it, and I've seen it so many times already LOL

Speaking of the dual, oh my god it it SO fun. It reminds me of old Knobbelboy duals in a way with how free it all feels? Like there's only one way to go but its reliance on orbs and differing gamemodes definitely reminds me of old Knobbelboy. It's just so energetic in the best way possible and is a blast to play through!! I remember getting here from 0 multiple times and I have never felt more adrenaline or hype in my body then when I broke through the platforms and got launched into this 4x speed dual, it's genuinely so good. There's just so many little details throughout this level that makes it feel like if 2.2 came out halfway through 2.1 rather than after like 7 years. Most notably, the predrop! I don't know what it is about it, the block design, the background, the weird gameplay, but it feels STRAIGHT out of 2.1. It feels like the exact kind of part you would see in an old megacollab back in like 2018, and uses mostly red surprisingly compared to the rest of the level being almost entirely orange. It's a strange part in hindsight, but I can't help but feel it fits incredibly well with the rest of the level still! The gameplay is super satisfying to pull off and the atmosphere of it with all the numbers floating around gives it a vibe I just don't see anyone else but SGAgaru replicating.

Now for my favorite part of the whole level probably, the SONG REPRESENTATION. I don't know how SGAGaru did it, but this level genuinely feels like it was made for the song. Every click, decoration piece, and trigger feels like it was made while working together with the song artist themself to make this level. I wish I could delve into more detail but I think I've said pretty much everything I want to on this regard. It just fits so well with the level, and makes it a rush to even watch the level!

sparks cry of mercy is an energetic, nostalgic, batshit insane level that brings the best of both 2.2 and 2.1 into one masterpiece of an unrated level!! I'm sure this might look like glazing to some people cause "ohhh my god you playtested it of COURSE you love the gameplay". ALL I DID WAS TELL THEM ABOUT BUGS AND SKIPPABLE ORBS, THAT'S IT, THEY MADE THE WHOLE REST OF THE LEVEL. I highly recommend playing this as I beat it and it was one of the most thrilling experiences I've had playing this game. And please Rob,.,.., can we rate it,.,, I bed </333 this guy needs his first creator point after this many years of creating...