people love to get wrapped up in the many numbers that surround levels. object count, length, number of hours spent—whenever one of these numbers is extraordinarily low or high, the wider community will lose their minds about how impressive it is, even if the level itself suffers as a result. personally i think levels should speak for themselves, and creators should just make these numbers whatever fits their level the best.

the biggest appeal of ivorystar waltz is its colossal sample count, sampling from 735 different levels, so it's ironic that this high sample count is also to its detriment. putting 735 different things in a level of this length is pushing it, let alone when they're disjointed samples sourced from all different kinds of levels that are held together by clear tape and purple glue. so many random samples were added for no other reason than to increase the arbitrary number of samples. as a result this level is messy and busy as hell, which doesn't at all work with the calming, serene vibe the level is going for. i do think sampling can be done to great effect in gd levels, but it's evident that this level uses sampling not as a means of artistic expression but as yet another number to flex.

i know we're all sick of hearing radio brought up when discussing sampling in gd, but it's worth noting how so much of the charm from it comes from being able to pick out the source of each sample. the more minimal decoration style gives each sample lots of breathing room, and made it so 7ak had to creatively work each sample together to create a cohesive final product that actually looks good; it feels like a celebration of all the creativity of the gd community. ivorystar waltz feels like its creator shoved all the community's creativity into a blender and didn't let off until it all became a textureless, gray mush.

edit: lowered my rating by a point after reading the ivorystar waltz document. it's so soul-suckingly corporate—not an ounce of joy or passion can be found within it. truly a miserable read