Hollow.

Out of all the levels that I’ve played, I can’t really think of a level that did song representation better than this level. Every single details of the song are represented in a way or another in this map. QuazeryIceCube really did an outstanding job crafting this.

I’m gonna try to review every section in this level because I think that it is the best way to understand what the level was going for.

Before that though, I didn’t even explain what kind of level this is. This is a « memory » XL level that has a very unique approach to memory. Basically, you have to navigate through blocks that are seemingly placed randomly. That makes the level open with many ways to beat the level and many areas to explore. The decoration compliments the gameplay and the song very well. It is very simple but it also has a lot of charm. It sacrifices complicated visuals for song representation and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t think this level would work better if it did have a different visual style.

Anyway, now let’s talk about each sections.

The Introduction:

The first part is a great introduction to the level. It is a robot part with bunch of blocks and you need to find a way out. Already, you can already experiment with the open environment as there isn’t really a clear way to pass this section. Just like the song, the part starts very simply, with just regular blocks but once you get used to that, more and more elements starts to appear. All of those elements are colored differently, it’s like a group of instruments that have different functions but serve the same role but instead, it’s with different blocks. I really do like this first part, it introduces the concept in a very simple but effective way and the song representation is so clever and well executed. Though I guess there was one complaint I had, which is obviously the length of that section. It is by far the longest in the level and since it feels very similar throughout the entire part, it does drag from 0. It didn’t really matter to me though because honestly, playing this part is super fun and I also really love the song so yeah, it could affect some, but not me. Last thing I wanna talk about this part is the choice of the gamemode. Yeah no, there was absolutely no other way this level could open. Cube is generally more versatile than robot however in this context, robot is definitely the better option. It makes exploring the section way more fun and allows for more pathways to be used and found. Even with orbs and pads, robot would be the better option here and of course, this level doesn’t have any orbs or pads until way later in the level.

The Build-up:

This part is so cool. Again, very simple in ideas but well it works a lot. You start this section with a few more blocks to avoid as the robot. The twist here is that these appear with the song, meaning you have to memorize where the blocks are to avoid them. Then, what follows is pretty much an extension of what I just said. You enter a mini-ship section with blocks that switch back and forth with the music. This time, there is less emphasis on the exploration aspect, and more on memory. You have to know where those blocks are, not to use them like previously, but to avoid them. It’s a simple but effective way to build tension which is emphasized by the more closed area (the ship is not on free mode which limits the area). My favorite part here is definitely the later part of this section where you switch from ship to robot in order to convey represent the vocals which just appeared. And then guess what! When it says « it is hollow », you have to go through holograms, which are pretty much just hollow blocks. So I guess you can call them « hollowgrams », wait that’s the name of the song! That’s so clever. Jokes aside, this part is super cool, it definitely work as a build-up as there more and more things happening overtime which builds tension really well.

The Climax:

This is obviously the highlight of the level and one of the best memory gameplay part I’ve ever played. This section is a combination of the spirits of the two previous sections. You’ll have to explore this open maze made of randomly placed objects of bunch of kinds in order to escape this landscape of mini blocks like the 1st section and also to avoid all the obstacles that are in your way, like the 2nd. The addition of portals and pads makes this section feels like it is not meant to be played, that you are facing a confusing puzzle that you have no idea how to solve and where to even start, which definitely adds to the atmosphere of the part. It also makes this area very confusing in an « elegant way », without relying on fakes or other fancy tricks of the kind. And of course the best part about this section is the fact that there are like pretty much an infinite amount of way to tackle it. It makes the section like SUPER HARD TO LEARN but figuring it all is so satisfying. You have to explore as much you can, because you need to know which way will kill you and which way will lead to the end, but you also need to do that after learning because maybe you will find a more confortable way to go through the part. You have to make it work for yourself. Figuring it out is already a very difficult process and doing it from 0 is even more nerve-racking. Going through the robot part from 0 is like a long journey and once you get to the ship, your nerves are already up because you know what awaits at the end of the section. It gets progressively more tense as the gameplay and song introduce those vocals and then it all explodes at the drop. A lot can go wrong in this part, you could forget where to go, couldn’t get the setup that you’ve found or simply you could let the nerves get over you and lose your focus. It doesn’t help that the part actually gets harder as you approach the end because of those pads that force you to go to specific locations and finally you get to the two last pillars and if you managed to go through them, the level is finally over. This is why this climax works so well. It definitely didn’t happen out of nowhere, it is the natural conclusion of what happened before. Getting there is no easy task and getting out of there is even harder. I didn’t really mention it before but aside of song representation, I also think it has one of the best progression in a level ever. The process of learning this level is a huge task but a task that gets rewarded after you pass those two pillars and in my opinion, all of that makes this truly a great conclusion to this great map.

Overall, this is easily one of my favorite levels of all time. From the song representation, to the progression, to the experience, everything about this level is absolutely fantastic. The fact that I got so much of something with such a minimalistic approach really amazes me. You can easily tell QuazeryIceCube did their absolute best with what they were working with, I can definitely see the effort and care that went into this level. I really hope this map will be remembered because wow was it incredible (and i also hope robtop stops being hollowophobic and rate this already it’s been 8 months 😭)

anyway, yeah this map bangs, good job 👍

Quazery do be the DORABAE of today