Rating Curve

This level, like the name implies, radiates deadliness. I mean, come on, you literally walk on spikes! If that isn't a deadly thing to do, then I don't know what is. In all honesty, this level is actually really menacing, if a bit derivative of Clubstep. I debated a bit over whether I should give this a 7 or an 8, but I think that both its legacy and aura far outweigh its flaws. And, like, you walk on spikes!

There's something very voyeuristic about this level. I do like the flowers though.

For a very early 2.1 level, it still looks really good. The gameplay is so-and-so: the wave part in the middle is stellar, the moving objects can be unpredictable, and the duals are serviceable at best. The moving objects, when done well (such as in the wave or the first ship), are a shining example of how even moving gameplay can be done well, if you're thoughtful about it.

The CraZy series is, in my mind, predicated on the mixing of a modern style with horror aesthetics. CraZy III goes a bit too far with this and ends up as pretty much just a horror-themed level, which is fine, but what I appreciate is the juxtaposition of designs you'd see in a daily level years ago, and spooky clowns. I used to think that the RobTop styled part in CraZy was unnecessary and garish, but now I see that it's just another element to create an eerie, dissonant atmosphere. CraZy II also has modern designs, but it's all mostly grayscale, and the nascent visual style of CraZy III already rears its head in certain parts. If there's one upside, it's that the gameplay is pretty good.

Is it the best Death Grips level in the game? No, I think No Love by sprei still holds the throne in that regard, but this level, while ostensibly "sanitizing" its visuals to the extent that it actually got rated, is a really fun, frantic and chaotic level regardless, and while this style certainly wouldn't work with every Death Grips song, it definitely works here.

xiu_shoegaze level

Every so often, I think "Hmm, I should go for Allegiance", then I do a practice run on Allegiance and remember why I never do. Maybe it's gonna be a good level the 34th time? I genuinely do not understand how Nikrodox earned any sort of fame and respect in the community, given the fact that all of his levels are atrocious. He's a bigger fraud than SpaceUK.

A part-by-part review from when I beat this.

Dudex: There is a certain expectation you have to fill when making the first part in a level, and Dudex accomplishes it perfectly. It's fun, expressive, and despite being early 2.1, the decoration wouldn't really look that out of place in a modern level. 10/10

Serponge: What are you even doing? 4/10

Manix: This part reeks of early 2.1, and plays accordingly as well. There are many inconsistent parts, but it's by no means horrible. 6/10

Rustam: You don't even need his name to immediately recognize his style, and his habit of putting detailed setpieces in his parts; here, the awesome skull, which is sadly very inconsistent to pass. The rest of the part is also very easy for an extreme demon. 6/10

nasgubb: For the part of the song that it's in, it serves as a perfect break and buildup into the second drop. Not much more to say here; his style is simple, yet effective. 10/10

ZenthicAlpha: The dual and the rest of the part can get decently consistent, but the movement is still very janky. For what it's worth, at least the spider spam isn't horrible to play. The decoration is also quite nice for early 2.1. 7/10

Viprin: 0/10

Pan: The dual is a massive chokepoint, the wave is inconsistent, and the cube is janky. Despite all of that, it's not completely atrocious, so it gets a positive score just for that. 5/10

Evasium: This part also reeks of early 2.1, even more so than Manix's part, but somehow, it's actually very fun to play, and the end, with the ship leading into the robot, which in turn leads to the wave, is a perfect leadup to the third (?) drop of the song. 9/10

Etzer: Just like his part in Digital Descent, it's clear that he really doesn't care anymore. It's shoddily made, and the gameplay is painfully easy. Why does the CPS get lower as the song gets more intense? 3/10

Terron: This part is just plain cool, which anyone can clearly see. This structuring, as far as I know, has not been tried after this, which is a real shame. A perfect finisher to the level. 10/10

The average score, then, rounds to a 6/10.

There are definitely some gameplay complaints to be made here, but luckily, I fluked this level from 6%, so I can't really say anything about that. It's a neat design level, and I like the subtle hits of glow. The ball part with the moving objects specifically is really well-executed.