Death Moon is the crowning achievement in the catalogue of one of the very best to ever build in Geometry Dash. It feels unfair to compare this to other 1.9 levels because this was years ahead of its time. It achieves everything it sets out to do, with elegance, character, craftsmanship, and sophistication. It's aged like a fine wine, and uses many techniques that are still popular to this day.

Even though it could be classified as a dreaded 'red-hell-themed demon', it distinguishes itself visually through the use of art and effects. There's some really great line art all through this level, from demonic symbols to the iconic drop that appears in time with the song. The effects are brilliantly executed as well, from the rushing effect in the first section, to the alternating arrows in the middle, to the crazy spinning triangles, to the cycling background at the climax. It's no wonder people immediately started wondering if this was really a FunnyGame level as soon as it released - who else was capable of this? On top of the brilliant effects and art are surprisingly mature block and hazard designs as well - squares and triangles are often dropped for more interesting shapes, which makes the gameplay feel more interesting as well.

The gameplay in Death Moon is effectively flawless. It comes from a time of much simpler gameplay philosophy and style, so there's nothing mindblowing, but it's still full of creativity. FunnyGame obviously believed sync was extremely important and nowhere is this more prevalent than here. So many sections have brilliant sync in clever ways - it's all just so well thought out. Difficulty progression is fantastic as well, with earlier sections being a little easier than the fast-paced sections in the middle and towards the end. It's never unfair and the more unique sections (like the first dual and wave) keep it simple to avoid overwhelming the player. It's not a hard level, but players of any skill can enjoy this level, which is a massive achievement.

There's so much to unpack with Death Moon that it's hopeless to even attempt to cover it all in a single review. Many people regard it as the greatest level of all time, and for good reason too. It makes a mockery of most levels released today. Will it ever be topped?

It’s pretty fun, idk much about 1.9 since I didn’t play then so I can’t comment on the visuals

First review time

Death Moon is a level that pushed the boundaries of the game for it’s time. FunnyGame was able to make a lot of detailed art using 1.9’s limited objects and 4 color channels, while keeping the gameplay pretty simple. The red and black aesthetic, while overused, in this level the palette is used really well. It really feels like you’re trying to escape the place that i would assume is the death moon. This level has aged quite well, and i think is deserving of the love it gets.

However, even though death moon was really impressive for it’s time, there are some other 1.9 levels that come really close to it.

The gameplay in some parts can also be confusing, like the ufo at 60something, and the incorrectly rotated slopes, however the rest of the gameplay is pretty good and has little to no issues.

Overall, i think i’ve explained my rating, and i hope i don’t just come off as another death moon glazer LMAO