Rating Curve

Note: the gimmick got patched since the release of 2.2, the level wont play the same as it used to

I remember watching this layout many moons ago and being so fascinated with its concept, the level is filled with crash triggers and the entire thing is revolved around using them as obstacles that would result in the immediate death of your software, it's a way of creating tension unlike anything else in this game. It's not being blunt about its gimmick either, the level name acts as a warning for its hazardous content and leaves you only to guess what might await you inside. The first part has no real threat inside it, there are some spikes you can die to but the risk factor of messing up isnt quite there yet, it's almost acting as a sign telling you to go back before it's too late. The parts following that are exactly as they were promised, the stakes are high here and the music greatly amplifies this added pressure, nothing is directly telling you what might crash your game but the clues are there to make the danger speak for itself. The crash triggers arent just direct collisions either, as you go through the layout it starts teasing you to come closer with different objectives, like putting wrong toggle orbs right in front of you and adding a death meter with an inevitable count, the level is always trying to ever so slightly get you out of your comfort zone without adding unnecessary difficulty. The end sequence is a perfect final touch, something drags you out of the lifeless setting that left you with nothing but your own nerves to focus on, now into a more distracting and tauntingly cheerful landscape. The gameplay changes up to a rapid pace at last and yet you're suddenly disillusioned with this feeling of wary, there's no indication of a crash trigger in sight after all, you know for a fact you're not in the secure just yet but the level seems to insinuate their congrats in advance. It's amazing how a layout can make you feel this constant worry when playing it, it's only a game crash but so much more feels on the line when playing through it, it's a beyond unique experience.

This level hits frighteningly close to home, there’s usually only so much I can like about a level with this flat colored art style but I feel too compelled by the idea of this being a homage to the kinda fiction I grew up with. This song is one my favourites to ever exist, it’s stupidly edgy yet captures the thoughts of a suicidal person perfectly, feeling this kind of hopelessness so early on in your childhood distracts from the dramatic undertone and makes the piece hit like magic. The level itself represents the song in a beautiful manner, the aesthetics are reminiscent of something like a self-expressive visual novel or an illustrated AU, when reminded of it I’m imagining I’m looking into the escapism of someone deep in despair. I love how the level progresses, there’s this constant unease in the visuals and only finally unravels this sense of dread once at the first drop, after that comes a small interval of relief inside a cozy bedroom but it still holds the suspense towards something sinister. The ethereal purple at the end makes for a gratifying climax, it’s alarming and shining almost blindingly with its only escape being the dark nothingness awaiting on the other side of the tunnel, death can be the only answer. It’s all a great display of pessimism and anxiety, the insinuated narrative is as depressing as the song itself yet it’s so poetic with its approach. Looking at it purely as a conceptual piece, I find a lot of comfort in how incongruous to the game it is, the level doesn’t seem to belong with any of gd’s preexisting concepts and it’s because it’s such an outlier that makes it this tiny bit more realistic and unsettling of an experience. My feelings here are very personal, I don’t think the level is all seamless, but it means a lot to me regardless

Contends with death moon as funnygame’s best pre-2.0 work personally, it’s bizarre how well the song assists the immense complexity of this level despite being cant let go of all things. There’s so much grace to every little design, it’s highly addictive to observe everything going on