Rating Curve

Man oh man. Knots drops his first 2.2 level, and i'm hesitant at first, but I grew to love this.

Let me get some of the complaining out of the way first. Some of the transitions are wack as fuck. The sudden change to a temporary vertical ball was unexpected and slightly unwelcome, but you get used to it with practice. Some camera controls could have definitely used some work, the sudden snap to "broken_elevator" was not visually appealing in the slightest. Some color usage and movements are also a little weird (particularly in the latter parts). Okay, I think that's it. Now we get into why I love this level.

First of all, EXCELLENT theming. I like the idea of a computer program whose purpose is to help users cope with depressive problems and help people engage more, and managing to turn that into a level which looks awesome. I love some of the elements Knots puts in, such as the always on-screen UI, some elements of displays and computer programs, and all of the small details that make the level feel more full. Hell, as it would turn out, there's an entirely separate room for the coin route, which I didn't even realize EXISTED until I watched Nexus's video on the level. Definitely startled me, but it's definitely the most shocked i've been at a level in a damn long while. And despite what I complained about earlier, the actual color palette is great, and I love how it builds itself up as the level goes on. (Did you notice that the colors get added to the top left corner UI as they appear?) The designs are clean as always with Knots, and always innovative. I especially love the "do_not_blink" part.

The gameplay's nothing to write home about, but it is actually pretty fun, which i'm happy with. Sightreadability somehow isn't an issue, and I like how the kind of gameplay reflects the theming of certain parts. More creators should do that. Speaking of which, song representation is very good. I've heard some people don't like the song, but I really love it, even if it is a little goofy.

Come on, Viprin. Competition OVER. Pack it up, this wins.

So let's talk space, i guess. As much as i'm generally not for the meta of joke-esque names for levels, I think i'm gonna let this one slide. For something like the space gauntlet, which of course is going to have thousands of flocking creators prioritizing decoration over playable gameplay, HipVillain actually tries to make structures more obvious than most, thus leading to immeasurably more enjoyable gameplay than most space gauntlet levels we have so far. Hyperrealism creators, you know who you are. While I do think some of the click patterns the level throws may feel awkward at times, I can understand it given the very low difficulty cap of a measly nine stars is hard to make actually enjoyable gameplay to.

Okay, now let's get onto the looks. Song representation? Yes, but also... no? This level is a bit of an anomaly in that the song is kind of unable to be "represented" in the more typical ways you see out in the wild. It's the kind of song I could see used in an explainer video, almost. But, HipVillain just went with it, and it works. Parts give energy when they need it, and stay calm when that's what's giving. Visuals? Yeah. Fuck yeah. One thing I especially appreciate about this level is that it doesn't take a cliché approach to space. I compare it to what flash did for his entry, Planispheres, which used star charts to represent space. Here, HipVillain opts to tell an entire story of existence, written by none other than himself. He also opts to base the visuals around that story, explaining how we have uncovered the mysteries of the universe as far back as whence we first came. How often do you see creators doing that? Text is sprawled throughout the level, yet remains subtle enough to not be a distraction while playing. It's text that's more so meant to be read while watching a video, which is fine, albeit a little one-sided in terms of how to experience this level.

If this ain't in the space gauntlet, i'm gonna be very upset. I think this is easily the best space gauntlet entry we have thus far. Shit's making me wanna pay $5000 for an overpriced time travel ticket and begin simulating my own god damn universe where we watch as the discovery of space progresses.