Rating Curve

one of the most unique and interesting Space Gauntlet entries so far, and I am so happy to say that this is by far one of my personal favorites. this level's direction is far from what has been already presented, and it aims for a unique and lovely experience similar to other levels of the same quality. Out of Place stands alone in comparison to most entries.

I'd like to begin and mention the artistic choice this level aims for, with a vibe similarly set as "Planispheres", where the main focus of this level is how the player begins rising to space in a cloud section, where there are angels sitting on some clouds. I really like how the creator implemented some pulse-work in this cloud section, with bright pulses on the more noticeable drums and laid back dark pulses on the undertones of this level. the texturing of the angels and the overall background is very well-executed, mainly because of the theme's general execution in this part.

I would also love to point out how the level introduces the general "space" theme most levels aim for, in a unique and excellently way. a transition of a man "breaking the fourth wall" and tearing apart the cloud part, only to then transition into outer space. the spinning foreground & background elements of this level are incredible, with an amazing attention to detail that makes you play the level more. the color scheme in this part is incredibly well executed as well, and it also has some blue tinting that functions as an overlay, which I feel it's executed neatly throughout the following parts. not only that, but towards the drop section of this level, the energy that this level emanates in comparison to the song's energy is lovely throughout, with a more lenient yet livid color scheme that represents the part's general energy throughout. I love the song representation in this, as the lyrics themselves add up to the energy to it. that, and the scaling & rotating art assets in this level, it's all lovely!

as the level progresses forward into the prelude section of the level, it fondly reminds me of Hollow Knight's art style, with the way the colors are laid out and the outline thicknesses and style. there's a lot of neat design choices & details throughout this. however, the pulsing / fading doors in the background make this part feel Out of Place (lol) with the part's general design. it does make up to it with a neat transition to the next section, but I personally feel there should be a better background choice to this part, as I personally feel it doesn't fit.

following the above, the planet section in this level is the one that sold me out the most, with very intriguing planets that do feel extremely worked upon & polished, the texturing in these planets is greatly executed, and the overall ambience of this section feels so fitting with everything that was previously mentioned. the colors in this part however tend to feel a bit muddy because of the constant hue changes past the red orb, before then it was really appealing for me, but I can see how the creator meant to use those hue changes following the red orb. just wish it was a bit neatly implemented throughout.

briefly, people might suggest, as it's popular knowledge, that levels focusing mostly on visuals perform poorly in regards of gameplay. but I personally believe that the difficulty the creator aimed for this level is neatly executed, and it's really fun throughout! it's not as easy as other entries are, where they solely focus on the visuals in this, but it's not as hard as other entries tend to be. while I understand that the visual & gameplay balance is mostly outweighed by visuals alone, I really find this level very great to play!

with everything wrapped up, this level is by far one of my favorite entries in this level by a long shot. the artistic theming this level goes for fondly reminisces levels like "commatose", "Planispheres" & "space I guess" with incredible pulse-work, attention to detail and superb song representation that really left me completely speechless. I'd love to suggest this is by far one of the greatest levels released in 2025 so far. least I have to say is that I am looking forward for this level to receive a mythic rating & placed in the top 5 entries of the Space Gauntlet!

reposted from my YouTube description x)

when I first saw this level as a preview from BrainETR, I already knew this man was cooking some heavy stuff, and I'm so glad I wasn't left disappointed. the wait was definitely worth, and I am very happy for the result of this level in all possible ambits.

so, I want to start off by saying that the song choice of this level was excellent and it perfectly compliments the theme choice of this level, alongside with the design choices. it feels as if it was your average BrainETR level, but amplified and worked upon all possible aspects, from the design quality, to the background choices and quality. there's so much to go through this level.

the general designs are inspired from the original music video of the song, notably at the spider section, where the background tiles are really similar to the music video's tiles. I love that attention to detail, because it makes the level feel more connected to the song, bringing up a lot of grateful consistency throughout this level. I would also love to point out that the color scheme implementation is on point, and the glow usage to compliment the colors & designs themselves are amazing! from the color pulsing to the glow beams in the borders of the screen, the glow in the structures that pulse to the rhythm of the song, the transitions, it's all lovely!

I'd love to also say that this level doesn't drop in quality throughout. for a 8 star level of such length, you'd expect the quality to drop throughout, but everything is connected & well-polished. the song lyrics make excellent justice and are excellently executed to the song's upbeat feel to it. the gameplay also is very engaging throughout! most players would 1 attempt this level, which allows for a good chunk of the playerbase to enjoy this level throughout.

overall, this level is such a great entry for the space gauntlet, and it really does make me happy that levels of this quality are being introduced and worked upon. I've had the pleasure to see other entries and previews from other creators with their own projects, and I can't wait to see all of it through! HideOut stood up the most for me in all general aspects and for the quality this level goes for, I look forward for this level to receive a legendary rating.

the review below may contain spoilers for Over Again by PAHC.
please play the level first before reading!

a greatly executed puzzle level that goes beyond the concept of a "puzzle" level, and leans towards an ARG-esque, which expands across levels, accounts, and even lore from the creator's previous projects — Over Again tends to reach for bigger horizons the more you explore what it has to offer beyond a simple 4-key password.

it's no big surprise for those that follow PAHC's general projects: they tend to aim for more abstract and unexplored "gimmicks" that most traditional levels tend to leave unearthed due to the lack of proper execution, more notably in levels like Vertigo & SAVE AS. Over Again exhibits a similar product like in the level PAIN CONTROL BUS, but expands it upon the general boundaries of the game. I tend to be a professional sucker for ARG levels/projects if they're done right and are interesting enough for my personal liking, which, this level checks all boxes and even more I didn't even know I had. the overall script-writing in this level is absolutely incredible, and keeps the player very engaged to understand the narrator's general thought-process and actions against the player. for such a level being done in such short notice, it baffles me how under looked this level is.

I really like how PAHC implemented other creators' levels as a way to branch out the project even further, not only his. levels, from literal years ago, that were made without this project being conceptualized in the first place. going as far as to make an automated e-mail system that reads a story of a player who tries to do their best to be someone in the community. not only that, but to hint out more puzzle pieces for a custom-made code system with symbols that affect the codes themselves THROUGH the previously mentioned player's levels that were already narrated by PAHC in the e-mail, and even more hints that are accessible mostly through the main level as you keep exploring and discovering. all within the boundaries of Over Again. the level's quality still surprises me to this day, because of how well laid out it was.

overall, these kinds of levels are extremely subjective to those who wish to play it and participate in the level, I'll admit. but the effort put into executing such ARG levels of such quality is not to be shunned down, and I personally believe & understand that PAHC has done a superb job in the realization & making of Over Again. it's a great last level of his for the time being, and I am eager to see what he has yet to offer for the community. an excellent job in all considerable aspects.