another overhated chase level, what im complaining about the gameplay is that some clicks are not very well aligned and some ship sections are too long and empty, the dual wave is actually pretty cool to perform ngl

In spite of its namesake and appearance in the Crystal Gauntlet, "Crystal Essence" hardly sticks to the 'crystal' theme, instead opting to pose as a glow level extremely typical of its era. I'll admit that it actually does look pretty nice, but it's ludicrously difficult to make a rainbow-colored level look anywhere close to terrible (unless you happen to be sweetdude or something). The gameplay of "Crystal Essence" is pretty 'meh' for the most part except for its rather infamous dual section where aligning the waves can sometimes be a bit inconsistent. I don't think it's abhorrent but it's noticeable enough that I understand why it would be annoying for many people (it would probably be more accepted if the level was bumped up to an 8 star rating). Its relatively 'grounded' style makes it quite forgettable in contrast to some of the other more striking levels encased within the Crystal Gauntlet, such as the sleek "Lustre", the highly-literal "Sanctuary of Light", and even an excessively glowy disaster like "Crystal Fusion". Nevertheless, it's just alright I suppose… Nothing to write home about except for the fact it appears in a gauntlet.

Honestly insane how overhated this one is, best level in the gauntlet imo. Where it falls flat is in the crystal theme, I don't quite think it executed the theme well enough, or abundantly enough, cause I can't remember a single actualy crystal being in the level.

The decoration is very captivating and matches the song wonderfully. Maybe there could have been some more variation between parts, but why change what's perfect right?

The gameplay is the level's main talking point, and it really isn't that bad, though the dual did not have be 3x speed. It was hard to read even after practice, especially the wave, which was the worst part of the level. Otherwise, the gameplay was really fun and would be much more well-received if it was not in a gauntlet.

This is the only Crystal Gauntlet level that has aged decently well into the modern era, very funny since ChaSe in many ways was picking up the torch from Namtar in that aspect. A bit forgettable but definitely a landmark early 2.1 level.

Very cool deco, but I will admit that the duals could have been more legible. I usually like ChaSe's gameplay, but the duals here feel a little learny for a 7*, and the wave in particular feels inconsistent.