Rating Curve

Song rep feels almost forced in certain parts. Really poor use of orb chains for song rep. The well-defined input-per-sound structure doesn't really bode well since the vocals are so echoey and flowy, and all the other sounds used for the orb chains are also very resonant and reverberative -- this extreme dissonance created that's never really resolved is a major problem throughout the level. Progression-wise the song is very repetitive, yet the designs wear out somewhat quickly due to them not scaling well across long expanses of time; they're cool to look at for maybe 20 or so seconds but they never really evolve or progress within each part and hence get somewhat stale. Even small changes in the pulses or jingles in the movements would go a long way. A paradigm is thus created where this city should feel brimming with life up to its eventual rapture due to its constituents - it doesn't.

These main issues within the level's design ethos really take me out of the otherwise very impressively crafted world Maxxormen has created. Not lower because the start of each part, and the transitions between each part are consistently very very good. An exception to the above also exists within the level, being the randomised cube part. Easily the best part of the level.

i thank kneecaps for introducing me to nelward like a year before this level was released

(5.5)

Gameplay is extremely well-thought out and pretty much carries the score; I just wish the visuals were overall more interesting throughout. Glitch part and the fill-less squares are pretty cool. Surprised this doesn't use the colour yellow at all - kind of a massive oversight? (4.5-5)

Second half drops the ball a bit