Duckstep is a really peculiar level, being the 9th level of the NCS x GD event. Creators were chosen and asked to build a level in a short span of about 2 months, with Knots being asked to make a level with Duckstep by Teminite and Chime. It’s quite an unusual dubstep song, that essentially sounds like a joke more than anything to me. While Knots did what he could with the song, this was bound to make the level feel a bit strange, especially with it not sounding like something they would normally use, which is all outside of Knots control. Still, Duckstep got a Legendary Rating, so Knots clearly did a lot of things right.

As usual, Knots skills in art and graphic design shine as bright as ever in Duckstep. Knots surpassed simply being a GD creator a long time ago, as their graphic design skills are up there with the professionals, and I believe that Knots has the potential to have a great career as a graphic designer. The fact that they still spend the time to make amazing levels in Geometry Dash is super awesome, even if at times I feel like it can actually negatively impact their levels. Like other Knots levels, Duckstep has a few gameplay moments that are unclear due to the nature of their artstyle, making it hard to differentiate obstacles and background elements. Some moments like the first ship can also feel a bit static, as the amount of details better correlate to an image that you would look at rather than a moving piece.

Despite the small issues that would be challenging to fix with Knots style and the time given, Duckstep has many great moments to offer. While it would take too long to talk about them all, I want to specifically point out the parts near the end starting at 1:15. While I enjoyed the level for what it was up to this point, I think these parts where the song is the most intense are some of the best parts I’ve seen this update. The art is super in depth, and there’s a lot more movement that makes everything feel alive. While it already looks amazing, the giant Mecha Duck comes in to shoot lasers at you, and it’s incredible. Everything feels so intense and full of energy, coming together to make something incredible. While I think Knots has a bit of work to do with clearer gameplay and zooming in the camera more when it doesn’t need to be as zoomed out, Duckstep is still an awesome level well deserving of the Legendary Rating it received, despite the odd song it uses.