Rating Curve

A common misconception with 1.9 levels getting rated nowadays is that it's acceptable to simply build in an older existing style and still succeed in meeting today's standards. Putting this stereotype to shame, Zer0 is astounding and impressive, period.

Despite being made in a version of the editor that is outdated by several years, Zer0 not only meets the standards for design, movement, atmosphere, and uniqueness; it exceeds them by far, using four color channels to simulate movement, pulsing, and visual glitching. The beginning parts feel alive in multiple ways, both in that they somehow pull off horizontal and vertical movement animations simultaneously as well as seamless transitions between multiple fragmented parts, and also give the level a deceptively sinister personality. The pulses and design quality work fervently in the more intense parts, and despite the limitations on Z layering and the inability to move custom backgrounds in the 1.9 editor, the backgrounds and foregrounds agree with and complement one another eerily well.

The only part of this level that feels particularly weak by comparison is at around 40 seconds where the blocks glitch out and change as you move through them. Visually it feels emptier and less fulfilling, but it's important to note that with four color channels and no toggle triggers, any kind of further foreground or background decoration would either expose the hidden solid objects, or interfere with the use of color channels that make the glitching so seamless and immersive. Our community thrives off of the creative spirit of levels like Zer0 that succeed in executing sophisticated techniques and creating an immersive atmosphere, and the fact that Samu accomplished this to this extent with such limitations is astounding.

Review originally authored for Viprin+Paste