haha! I give InsanitY 3! I am above these nostalgia-blinded fools who say InsanitY is a “good level”

Okay, to be completely honest, I can see the appeal behind this level. For 2.0 standards it’s pretty impressive visually, and it doesn’t play poorly, per se. So yeah, I can see why people like this level…

I can also see why people like BER ZER KER and I sure as hell don’t like that either.

InsanitY is a level that places too much emphasis on the visuals, loses a lot of atmospheric merit on overly-flashy and intense details, and just feels poorly thought out as a whole. All that is to say, nothing in this level really makes me feel anything. The level is definitely very focused on this kind of violent “serial-killer” theme, and while I think that’s novel in concept, I feel like there’s really only so much you can do with it before it feels stale. The level starts off with a hoard of saws that gradually get closer to you over time, takes a small break, throws a chainsaw in your face for a bit, takes another breather, and then ends with… another cluster of saws? There’s very little development, and very little appeal. By the two minute mark, the level has basically just done the same thing over and over again, and it’s just a waiting game for the level to end… or rather, an exhausting battle as you hope for the level to end. This level constantly demands full focus, because a lot of the level is extremely input-intensive and exhausting. Never-ending wave corridors, awkward and spammy UFO click patterns, and a highly repetitive dual ball with no memorable element, really giving you no down time in a section that is blinding and frustrating as you direct every ounce of attention in your mind towards the barely visible platforms flying by. The level just… isn’t fun. It’s monotonous and uninteresting, while still requiring so much focus that it becomes super stale by the end. Like, you can argue it’s absurd to criticize a level for requiring focus… but it becomes a hell of a lot harder to do that when the level just doesn’t look appealing.

Ultimately, my point is that InsanitY is, like… 2.0 slop. I think this is still better than the likes of BER ZER KER, or WANNACRY, or Alien Dream Emulator, or any other overdecorated flashy nightmare level that plagues the modern creating scene, but it still just feels terrible. The gameplay is 100% an afterthought, and all emphasis is placed on the visual effects, making the level an absolute chore to play. Still don’t hate it; I don’t think it’s as “soulless” as modern levels, but the slop factor is in full effect here, making for a highly uninteresting and mediocre experience.

The chaotic visuals mixed with seemingly tricky gameplay feels really satisfying, the visuals are a bit lackluster in some parts due to the object limit back then, but honestly it always feels like a breath of fresh air after you come out of a chaotic blood pumping massacre, and the spaced out gameplay solidifies that too.