avatar

Junior Member

OFFLINE Last seen
3 days ago
Time spent online:
1 day, 3 hours, 34 minutes

Filters

Difficulty
0100
Overall
88
Visuals
010
Gameplay
010

Reviews

Created Date
descending
-/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
-/10
VISUALS
8/10
GAMEPLAY

Just does everything right. Every part has a creative structure or design, varying from "oh, that's cool" to "this is absolutely brilliant" all placed over a black background and composed with splotches of pink and white. I love the contrast between the minimal, static designs and the over-the-top, trashy pop; not only is it a really creative and unexpected way to represent the song, it conveys the unique mid-2010s tumblr and forum aesthetic.

Unrelated, but this is the 2nd hardest level I've beaten in one attempt

-/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
-/10
VISUALS
-/10
GAMEPLAY

Does way more with the restriction of using literally only 1 block and some colors then I could have imagined to be possible. For a long time I considered this to be Xuser's coolest level, but I realize now that most of what he would make in the future builds on this concept to much greater heights, especially Orbdancer. I know it's an insanely annoying nitpick, but the green jump indicator blocks irritate me a lot; there's no reason this level couldn't have just been a demon without compromising the cohesiveness of the visuals, because I don't think it would have even played worse. Regardless, this level serves as an amazing blueprint for what Xuser would go on to build as well as a very respectable effort in its own right.

-/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
-/10
VISUALS
7/10
GAMEPLAY

Makes me pretty sad to see that the community attitude towards this level has hardly changed over the past 4 years, even in a space like this that has a least some sort of critical gaze. I guess that neutral-positive is better than neutral-negative, but I've always felt this level was really brilliant and one of the very few instances where something truly new captured the wider attention of the playerbase. As time as moved on, my favorite part of this level has honestly become the opening cube, from the ebbing of dim lights, vertical rise and fall, and admittedly, influence on my own ideas about what makes a good level (if you're curious, maybe you'll notice a throughline of discussion of structuring in many of my reviews). Basically, I like it a lot, and I don't think there needs to be much more to it.

-/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
-/10
VISUALS
-/10
GAMEPLAY

On nostalgia

I think it's safe to say that people have a complicated relationship with the past; we look back on memories fondly but revolt at media that exploits the feeling.

Next Yesterday is a level rooted entirely in nostalgia not for a better era of creating, but for a uniquely beautiful one. The level is mostly a montage of original parts made in the image of other creators, and while some of these parts have changed over the years through several major updates to the level, the love for these creators has not dissipated in the slightest.

Really, all of the emotion in this level comes from nostalgia, which a critical eye might be wary of. What makes it work for me is the execution; ilrell is an outstanding creator, technically speaking likely one of the best out there, and has such depth of knowledge in the field that every idea lands. It's not perfect, but for the concept I don't know if it could have been done much better (though I'm not a fan of a lot of the superslowed parts that were always a nuisance in 2.0). The wash of green over the whole level accentuates the nostalgic qualities for me--it reminds you that this isn't really a 2.0 megacollab, it's an idealized memory of one. When have you ever actually seen a cohesive 2.0 collab haha

I think nostalgia is too often decried as an artistic tool. Evoking the ethereal nature of a memory is no easy task, at least effectively. ilrell would go on to make more levels like this, but none of them ever quite matched the magic of the original to me.

-/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
-/10
VISUALS
-/10
GAMEPLAY

While I feel that auto levels as a concept are a bit uninteresting, given that GD is a game and all, this level captures an ethereal feeling through its lack of gameplay rather than in spite of it. The entire experience is representative of feeling out of control as the world dissolves around you, and tying in the medium to the meaning in this way is the best way to approach creation (from my perspective as the resident player). Outside of the unique structure of this level, cometface delivers intricate alien designs in an earlier form than he would go on to later perfect which grants the level a sort of primitive alien feel to the architecture and the dreamlike imagery cements the beauty of the experience. Take a breath, feel the release of gravity, and accept the bliss of your fate.

-/100
DIFFICULTY
8/10
OVERALL
-/10
VISUALS
9/10
GAMEPLAY

The approach to story and theming emulates many a known classic (like the alliterated weather levels from a little while earlier) but with such a fresh, breathtaking style and a vibrance in the gameplay and decoration that very few have been able to match. The only real shortcomings of this level come from para's underdeveloped editor skills at the time and a strange tone shift at the endscreen. On one hand, I wish para would have continued on this route, but on the other, I'm not sure he would have been able to ever quite capture this feeling again. electrifying

1-6 of 6
10results per page
Hyperbolus is not affiliated with RobTopGames AB or Geometry Dash
Hyperbolus © 2025
Connected via
Alakazam

GDPR Cookie Consent

Hyperbolus uses cookies and local browser storage to enable basic functionality of the site. If we make any changes to these options we will ask for your consent again.

Strictly necessary
Analytics and performance
Advertising personalization

sorry about this gang