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xiaomao

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Reviews

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63/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
9/10
VISUALS
5/10
GAMEPLAY

I really, truly miss the 2.0 level aesthetic. Twister did an excellent job of replicating the design styles of many levels from the time faithfully - the structuring is similar, the details are a mix between 1.9 and 2.0, the effect work is simple but clean and concise, and there's entry movements on nearly every structure characteristic of so many levels from the time period - but he also uplifts and expands on the style with a lot of elements that only became prevalent in 2.1 and onwards. The first drop part is the clearest example of this, with the tech line details, wavy spike killgrounds and the side to side flashes not being prevalent prior to 2.1, however they do still very much fit the aesthetic and thus I think they add to the level rather than detract.

My main issue with Sheol Death is, oddly enough, the gameplay. Most of Twister's levels are very fun, and I think if Sheol Death were easier it would be the same, but the balancing on this level is really quite frustrating. There are tons of choke points (particularly the wave-heavy sections and the first dual section) that feel significantly harder than the rest of the level and make both learning it and playing from 0 quite stressful. Levels on the Insane/Extreme Demon border can be very fun (see Overdose by Arb, one of my favourites), but balancing is pretty paramount to making them enjoyable especially with this 2.0-esque high-CPS style of gameplay.

Despite this, the level is easy enough that the gameplay isn't a huge issue for me. I really do enjoy this level, and it's a great, faithful callback to the era of 2.0 while also very much showing its hand with the amount of progress the community has made in 2.1. I would recommend this for Epic, and I think it's a must try for anyone who wants to beat something in the upper Insane Demon difficulty range.

82/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
8/10
VISUALS
9/10
GAMEPLAY

I unfortunately have not played the game Inside is based on, Sayonara Wild Hearts, but this level has some of the best design balance and structuring in any extreme demon. Every part has one or more specific structuring ideas that are kept throughout the part (namely the web of sawblades around 0:15 and the robot at 1:18), which makes every part feel memorable and gives each of them a defining characteristic. All of the designs highlight and expand upon this structuring, like the angular, jagged highlights used in some of the structures around 0:54 and the circular pulsing structures at 1:45. This both provides good balance between the base and highlight colours used in every part's designs, while also just being generally visually pleasing because everything appears to "fit" together nicely within and outside of the blocks.

I do wish there was a stronger sense of progression, as aside from the backgrounds consistently having a similar sense of depth throughout the drop parts, not much ties them together. I'd have loved to see more tangible elements within the level like the structuring or designs be used to tie together elements of the song that only appear in either the intense or calm parts, or possibly more colour/pulse work to achieve the same goal. Additionally, while the gameplay is generally quite fun and well-balanced, some parts have very awkward timings created by the unconventional structuring that become choke points, especially the really tight robot click in the first part. These aren't deal-breakers, but I'd like to see Hypno improve and expand upon the style he chose for this level going forward, as what's here has potential to really be something special. I'd personally recommend this for Epic because of this.

11/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
8/10
VISUALS
5/10
GAMEPLAY

The first part alone of Altitudinem gamva makes me wonder how far we as a community would have come if we were stuck with 2.0 for 8 years instead of 2.1. Nearly every effect used in this level is highly technically impressive in some manner. The perspective shift in the first part and the wavy background at the beginning of the drop are my favourites because at first glance they just genuinely seem impossible to recreate in the 2.0 editor, showing just how skilled Serponge was even as far back as mid 2.0. Even aside from that, the perspective shift makes it feel like the player is climbing a huge spiral staircase, which is both a cool visual and a concept I haven't really seen executed at a high level since except for Still Life by Empika. The wavy lines give a lot more punch to the bass notes of the song and make for a great supplement to it, as well as filling some of the negative space left by the rather sporadic structures. The level's focus on effects does leave most of its other elements lacking, though, and it ends up feeling more like a tech demo or sandbox for Serponge to experiment with effects rather than anything more cohesive or directed. I quite like this sort of level as they bring about a strong feeling of nostalgia in me, but I do really wish more care was put into either the gameplay or the miscellaneous designs and air decoration to make most of the parts feel complete rather than a vessel to show off whatever effect Serponge made. Regardless of this, Altitudinem gamva is still a fantastic early level from Serponge, and it's awesome seeing how far he has come from this already high point.

32/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
7/10
VISUALS
9/10
GAMEPLAY

Dem Journey has a ton of polish for the time it was made, and a lot of the work put towards the colours, effects and backgrounds was quite ahead of its time. Goose really excelled at carrying forth the song's energy throughout the level, which is due to a combination of its gameplay and the aforementioned elements. The mini cube at 0:34 is a great example of this, with the glow beams and flashes in the background synced to the piano and the floating orbs to match the deep, reverb-soaked backing synths of the song. The drop does this just as well, with the first part using tons of movement, the flashing glow beam and constantly shifting/flashing colours to express the newfound energy of the song. It really feels like every part of the song has something in the level representative of it despite the designs and structuring being generally unremarkable, although still clean and quite well polished, which makes Dem Journey quite a joy to play and watch. I do still wish the level had more of a cohesive theme regarding its designs and colour usage, though, since the quality and style varies pretty drastically from part to part in a way that doesn't really fit the ebb and flow of the song's energy. I'd also have liked to see more movement throughout the level, as even in the drop it's only used in 1 or 2 parts, leaving the others feeling oddly static without anything from the song or visual style to justify this being the case.

Dem Journey is an awesome blast from the past, and a very fun, well put together 2.0 demon, albeit with a few minor issues regarding its cohesion, design choices and usage of movements. I'd love to see more levels like this nowadays, as they feel reminiscent of a simpler time in a lot of aspects, which I'm very much nostalgic for.

55/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
9/10
VISUALS
6/10
GAMEPLAY

Visually, ANNIHILATED is one of the most batshit insane levels I have ever seen, and I love it. The whole level takes place in a flaming, crumbling factory, with fire constantly filling the bottom half of the screen, with tons of movement and flashy effects syncing with the song's percussion and leads. This creates an extremely intense atmosphere that makes the player feel like they're running for their life to escape certain doom, which is awesome considering how fast and intense the song gets in the second half. The copious use of large rotating grounded sawblades and huge drills slamming the ground in combination of the fire makes the whole lower half of the screen feel like a death pit, adding to the running-from-certain-death feeling. I also love the way the gameplay is integrated into this, with the large piston-like structures connecting groups of orbs and the gameplay platforms being barely big enough to support the player giving the impression that the player is running through a machine that was not built to sustain them. The corridor style of gameplay also adds to the mechanical atmosphere, as logically this sort of factory would have a fixed upper and lower limit for where the player and internal structures could be placed. However, in terms of playability the gameplay has a lot of jank in regards to icon placement and orb timings: lots of clicks (mainly in the dual midway through the level) have the player in positions just barely offset enough from the orbs and platforms as to feel constantly awkward and inconsistent. While this adds to the hellish atmosphere of the level by making the player feel like they're fighting against the level to live, it does hurt playability by making the intended click pattern far less obvious and harder to execute consistently.

I also wish the level had a break part or two, as the constant high energy over almost two full minutes is both very hard on the eyes and tends to make the detail blend together. The bright, flashing effects sometimes wash out the background details, and the transitions often hide or muddy the detail work through custom cube transitions or similar. Regardless, though, ANNIHILATED is a fantastic, chaotic experience and one I'd like to see receive an Epic or Legendary rating.

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sorry about this gang