Rating Curve

this quickly became one of my new favorite Space Gauntlet entries so far. admittedly, I've been somewhat slacking on the previews and even releases of most Space Gauntlet entries, but I've been mostly attentive on what gets released, and I am happy that I managed to catch this level early. as TwanDash being one of my favorite creators in the game, he doesn't fail to surprise me and provide with utmost peak to the servers.

so, in regards of Mission S, this is one of the most energetic and more colorful entries of the Space Gauntlet that I've seen & played so far, Mission S focuses primarily in providing energetic designs and effects in great consistency throughout the level and even the song. which, talking about, I personally loved the song representation & execution of such! the energetic peaks of the song with the panned out sections, with each part having something to show for and the song aiding with that amount of detail, is super incredible to me.

speaking of details, some assets are questionably executed with the objects used for them, more notably in the first two planets in the beginning sections of the level, where you notice rocks sticking out of the actual ring itself. while this may be an intentional choice from the creator itself, I strongly believe that it'd look fairly cleaner if the rocks were in the rings themselves. despite that small mishap, like previously mentioned, this level is fairly consistent in quality throughout! you may notice some stylistic contrast between parts, but I personally find the cohesion of the level's general colorful & energetic theming make up for the lack thereof!

the gameplay for this level tends to aim for the more easier side, only requesting a 3* rating, which allowed the creators to make the decoration the main premise of the level, rather than play-ability for that regard. there are also some alternate paths to go for, which will grant you pickups that will then be accumulated for one coin. while the main premise of the level are the visuals themselves, I would appreciate if there was some more attentive detail to the gameplay, since for 80% of the level, you don't know where you're going for the most part.

but nonetheless, I strongly believe that this level is one of my favorites from TwanDash! I really like this level and the execution of most elements throughout. things like backgrounds, foreground elements, song representation & execution, it's all neatly put in a charmful level. this level has some great personality, and for the quality this level goes for, it's superb! I look forward for this level to receive a legendary rating.

reposted from my YouTube description x)

this level has been stuck in my head for the longest time for all the right reasons, and even though the whole bollardills experiment has been exposed and concluded, the levels by the participants have been nothing but a great experience to witness, and the overall hunt to figure out who bollardills is, has been really entertaining to witness.

Love Valiant 2 by mel- erm, bollardills, is one of the few levels from the bollardills account that stand out from the rest, because of the overall message it conveys and the great execution of such simple yet effective and good-looking effects that are really pleasing to see and play — this level executes most elements very efficiently, which gives off a clean and polished look throughout.

the development and cohesion that this level conveys is really clever and well-executed, from the song choice to the design & effect choices, which even in a surface level, you appreciate the simplicity and overall cohesion between each part, and how interconnected everything feels — from the more simpler and joyful design style to the more abrasive and complex designs & effects that give an idea of what the theming of this level could potentially be.

the gameplay in this level is nothing from short, either. despite it being fairly linear and readable, it holds up a great gameplay standard, personally. some awkward gameplay sections are the 0:59 dual, which makes it easy for the orbs to mix up and whatnot, leading to a handful of unfair deaths. briefly, I personally feel that the dual section could've had more to it than what's presented. with the dual part being the song's calmer part after the first more joyful sections of the level, I personally feel that the dual could've had some more attention to detail rather than some simple gloom. and while it for sure fits, I would've loved to see a bit more thought put into it.

the last few sections of the level are what sold it for me entirely, in a good way. once you get an idea of the first few sections and how they are connected, the sudden change of styles with the overall saturated color palette, and erratic block designs that flash and flicker towards you, and with the song completely checking all boxes in terms of execution is, in my opinion, one of the few levels that focus on song execution more than any other level element, and it does it well.

but nonetheless, Love Valiant 2 is a superb level for the quality it aims for. with more simpler designs that feel tight-knit with one another, and the excellent song execution with the designs, I personally feel that this level has exceeded the general creating standards tenfold, with a great attention to detail that makes it extremely enjoyable and lovely.