Rating Curve

This level represents a very interesting phenomenon in the creator sphere where levels built by creators primarily known for being players are starting to be incorporated under a more thematic, high concept fold nowadays, which is quite different from levels like The Caverns, Reinforced Zone, The Shredder, Wolfstep, or the Plasma Pulse series. You usually see levels from creators like these serving as holistic tests of skill, with the difficulty and gameplay being the primary method for contributing to a feeling- these levels are designed in a similar way a cumulative test might- but with The End is Here you see a lot more sensibilities lifted from mainstay design/art creators.

I feel like I can't talk about the progression of this level without talking about Lovers Sadness; the progression is very similar, basically starting with tight-knit, intertwined duals, before diving into segments where you lose your other half. The main difference is in tone; whereas Lovers Sadness utilizes this to depict a cold, drawn-out period of isolation, this levels rips the second icon from your grasp, before you eventually lose them in the madness of the level's setpieces. I think the theming of space helps with this, where the loss of a relationship is treated not as this slow-burn, but rather as this immediate meltdown of the world around you; the world literally ends with your relationship. It's a very neat approach to a similar concept and I find it very sweet as a result.

It's not perfect, however. I think the last 10% is a neat portrayal of basically starting over again, but I feel it comes out of nowhere because there isn't very strong connective tissue between the previous part, whose main setpiece is a violent black hole destroying everything, and the next part, which basically "starts over again" with foliage and these tumbling boulders, but without the proper progression to let things grow. I also don't really like the indicators present during the duals; if you have a unique gameplay concept, removing the conceptual difficulty from a lot of jumps neuters its staying power a lot since you don't focus on the concept of the gameplay as much as you focus on the inputs and the moments when your icon lines up with the indicator.

I think this is a very good level though. I have a very soft spot for levels made by creators who are primarily known for being top-level players (creators like KrmaL or Smokes come to mind), so it always puts a smile on my face to see players also engage with GD’s creative pursuits as well. Doggie does have a lot of experience under his belt as a creator- see The Gins series- but I'm glad that he's not only sticking with creating but also iterating and improving his craft. Keep on killing it.

Very crusty. I like

A uniquely frustrating level for me. I'm moreso angry with RobTop than YunHaSeu about this though- it's kind of the perfect demonstration of the terrible impact the new tilesets have had on the game. The parts past the 1.9 section are physically worthless, but I won't lie I think there is something to be said about this level just being the perfect example to showcase one of Geometry Dash's long-standing problems. It's symbolic of the impact that a developer has on fostering (or stifling) the creativity of their community.