Rating Curve

most of mezbo's recent levels are fairly similar, all set to the same mood, using similar objects and featuring this sort of organic style of structuring that i find really compelling no matter how many times it's repeated. this one stands out for some reason though. it's got another layer behind what i'm used to, depth that i feel their other work is just barely missing; all the little flourishes and details in the decoration, things that i feel either fall short or are just absent in mezbo's other work, pull this level together and really make the tone work beautifully here. surprisingly it's even more simple visually than some of their other levels, as there's very little variation in design or color, yet it's still their most complete work. really nailed the "mood piece" thing with this, i rarely see levels that do it this well

very few levels in the game place their worth entirely in their ideas. this doesn't either to be fair, it certainly exerts some effort to Look Good while conveying its concept, but i bring this up because what makes high expectations good almost exclusively is the context of the level, making the decoration clearly the less important aspect. it's not something you have to read up on extensively to "get" (although pahc's review does provide good insight) because it does a stunningly good job of communicating itself; the dread seeping through the level shakes you to your core and becomes immediately apparent the second you hit play. that feeling never leaves through the level's short length, aided by not only the sharp red-and-black visuals but most importantly the fact that you are always aware of a box slowly closing in on you. once it finally comes down on you you just die, and the shock of dying a seemingly unpreventable death here is one of the coolest moments in the game. no fanfare, not even a death effect, the level just stops. that death is the concept i'm talking about and it alone sells the level. this grand deprivation of an ending ties beautifully into the idea of an inevitable, impending death and the commitment to this concept in a game where removing the "end" of a level essentially invalidates its level-ness is monumental.

it's just so fucking blue. oh my god it's so blue. real yves klein shit right here

recommend watching a video rather than playing because the compression creates these gorgeous textures and really gets the blue objects all muddy. beautiful

doesn't quite do the show don't tell thing right but everything before the ending is really good. also wish the burning bit had a little more flavorful object use because it is a bit bland, but it works pretty well regardless !

hands down the most fun i've had beating a level. gd has literally never felt this good to play

one of the great neodesign levels possibly because of the actual strength in its designs, something very few neodesign levels post-popularization of the style can claim. this is a level that knows what it is doing, how to do it, and how to make those things come together to deliver a complete work. not unexpected from xyuns

sprei and tenzk have a lot of really great levels but i think this is my personal favorite of theirs. the first half is wonderfully constructed, the lack of ceiling structures in particular really contributes to the immersion and grounds the world very well (something very few creators are mindful of !!) and every little detail or art, especially in the ship part, is really fantastic. that ending on the other hand draws away from fine details and instead relies on just the line-constructed wave structures and background to contribute to the whole, both of which are individually great; i do have to say however i think the part doesn't really convey the fact that the song's noise is in the Foreground very well because of the fact that the only real noisy element takes a backseat in how this part is composed (the structuring on the other hand doesn't pack the same punch) and as a result these two elements don't come together in the strongest way. regardless it's a very fitting climax and adapts the song nicely, even if it leaves me wanting a bit more it's clear it was made with love and for that reason i consider it a personal favorite

really love how much it feels like everything in this is glowing, the designs are super super creative and fit thematically really well. just great atmosphere overall. one of my favorite 7ak levels and one that is terribly overlooked !!!!

absolutely mind blowing song representation here. i talk about textures in my reviews a lot because i really like levels that take object use further than simply making structures to guide gameplay and choose to create textured objects out of them instead, and this level is such a fantastic example of that. the huge mass of objects you move through, gorgeously constructed, not only perfectly reflects the chaos in the song but it also looks a hell of a lot like schlagenheim's cover which makes it even cooler. also speaking of textures the backgrounds in this (mostly object collages) are really just bafflingly good, especially in the last stretch where the level's colors start distorting and the structures get progressively more bare. one of my favorite recent releases

masterclass in worldbuilding. organic plantlike designs ?!?! level progressively getting more surreal over a several minute runtime ?!!?!? clearly defined and structured color usage !?? it's like it was made for me