Rating Curve

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

I can’t shrug off the thought that half the level is unfinished, not much different from ilrell’s “level sketches”, but this is way too much of a bop to play it down. Some parts do need a bit of a touch up, primarily the first few parts, but any time a visualiser is on screen you can ensure the level is doing its duties. The colours are fresh and vibrant to fit the warmth of the hard hitting snares, it’s a lovely synergy with all the sharp silhouettes that scream rock like no other. It’s a highly addictive experience, it’s a shame the weaknesses are too present to arise much more of my honour

I dont like the jittery bg pulses and how the level is stuck to the ground the entire way through, theres a good lacking bit of intensity, but these designs are too good for much left to complain about. There’s no excuse to end the level this early on in its song though, it’s most certainly scrapped on base of a whim

Could've been an all time classic with a bit more care put into it, some phenomenal ideas are held back by a few weak ones. Will need to do some better evaluation eventually before I can fully disclose my thoughts tho

Despite how dreary this level may seem on surface, what makes riots demise so special is its cooling aura, no other pointless remake could ever possess the depressing lifelessness it holds. From the name’s implications to the ridiculous buffs and its blurred, gloomy atmosphere it becomes clear what this level is aiming for, bloodbath was never enough of a threat, this is its return and this time it ought to suck the soul out of your body with its satanic breath. This, ofcourse, does not make the level much better, but for what counts I find it funny

Tickle is such a lolcow, for better or for worse, but regardless of what anyone may say I do genuinely respect his efforts to keep up this obnoxiously confrontational attitude in his art. This level is wonderful because it highlights everything about tickle as a person in such a subtle manner, none of it seems too peculiar until you’re familiar the creator behind it, compared to his other work the lack of random ocs and bleeding colors make it not nearly as eye-gouging to look at. Probably will stay my favourite work from him, even if my liking of it is completely ironic