Rating Curve

really wish i polished the second half of this more, if not i would easily like this more than elatedblossomltd. the entire first half of this is still my favourite thing i’ve ever made to this day

Whitehouse is certainly the most conservative of devin's three most recent levels that lean into surrealism (other two being devin2003 and world war), not really straying too far from his previous works although there is definitely much more obscenity present in this level compared to his prior works. Whitehouse also is one of, if not devin's most incoherent levels. Unlike his previous levels like scissors, which makes liberal use of duals, or old rust don't dry, which highlights man's impact on nature, whitehouse is just an amalgamation of all of devin's ideas with not much really connecting them together. Ironically, whitehouse's incoherency is what differentiates itself from devin's other levels; in hindsight it feels like an intermediate between his more strongly themed works, and his further experimentation with graphic surrealism in his levels. While I do appreciate Whitehouse's artistic direction, this incoherence makes it feel like a stepping stone for something greater rather than a truly fleshed out masterpiece. Still, though, whitehouse is still a 2003devin project at heart, containing all of the fluff that pervades his entire body of work, and it still certainly has a lot of substance to chew on.

Fusion is the first level in the 4-part Fusion series that is generally above average throughout, with the unique characteristic that it is carried by genuinely one of, if not the single best part created in the entire game -- the asymmetrical dual. This dual, despite clearly not a modern creation, has its roughness vastly improve its atmosphere. All the structures around the 2 icons remain motionless yet look wildly deformed and rugged, with their insides molten and the only solid components remaining looking glass-like. Red-hot lasers dance in a uniform pattern across the screen, torching the air itself and ensuring that the atmosphere scorches with an awesome intensity. And yet, in spite of all this, you miraculously blaze through, each icon weaving through each others' paths with improbable velocity, through otherwise lifeless air; not a thing in existence but you looks capable of surviving a millisecond in this man-made hellfire, formed within a fusion reactor.

While I do wish I could say as much good for the remaining parts, they are unfortunately a mixed bag in terms of quality. The first few parts have strangely ashy grey colours which don't look all that great in the context of the level, and after the aforementioned dual, you are just haphahazardly thrown into this comparably very lackluster UFO/ship hybrid section that feels extremely static, with no complementary change in the song. The rest of the parts are much better in quality, having some very neat effects and bringing back the bright vibrant colours, although they are plagued by minor issues and the level also never reaches close to its peak again.

Fusion, despite its extreme inbalance in quality, is still overall a very solid level, with the added bonus memorability of hands-down the best-looking dual part in the entire game.

Despite the fact that this level is themed around an angel, I don’t really feel comforted at all, actually. Quite the opposite. The foghorn at the beginning sounds really foreboding – more like a warhorn than the trumpets angels praise God with.

Speaking of which, the song is driven by these distorted snares that are really disquieting and contrast heavily against the subtly hostile expanse of void that is the backdrop. As the song progresses, the snares only get louder and more ear-piercing, and the decoration increases in complexity and just becomes more intimidating. The break parts in this level feel rather comforting rather than the rest of a level being a bleak featureless landscape, almost acting like a lull leading up to its climax.

seraph is not really that on the nose with its symbolism, opting for more celestial decoration than theological decoration, which only makes the encounter with the seraph more intense. I do find it strange, though, that the seraphim disappears for a while, but the level still maintains its intensity.

Still, an excellent level all around, and is very much up to standard for He Who Shall Not Be Named

cool level but this is why i dont play puzzle levels my brain is fried

not really a fan of a white guy dropping the n word in the song. awesome level tho