Rating Curve

Clearly, "Congregation" is best known for the jumpscare drop. Why not? It's one of the most shocking things ever to hold our eyes, and it's of the few perfect seconds in this game. The way the icon disappears to leave you hanging and reappears just in time for you to realize what's going to happen.

What Talk Talk's "Laughing Stock" was to 90s rock is Presta's "Congregation" a response to the growing uniformity of year 2021 Geometry Dash neo-modern style. Its importance is obvious, its mark is clean, and this level has not yet left the community consciousness. Watching this for the first time was as electrifying as the debut of "Nine Circles".

The neo-modern scene of mid-late 2.1, with releases such as MrSupremeGD's "Meta BoXes" (the first one I thought of off the top of my head), can be characterized by box style, in which an uncomfortable amount of square designs fill often-uncomfortably-constructed structures. In my eyes, this scene peaked with cometface's cosmopolitan masterpiece "WELL RESTED". Congregation serves as a grim and violating response to this.

Take the first and third parts, entirely filled with 1x1 and 2x2 blocks, a hallmark of boxstyle. The drop part is just so different. The blocks are still square, yet they're so haphazardly placed. They're connected only by pure association without any regards to actual geometric form or example. It's a response to the standard, the orderliness of neo-modern that stagnated into mediocrity.

"Congregation" isn't a unique example in terms of revolutions and responses, but it is the most stark. I really like this level. Thank you Presta!

I tend my own garden down in Johannesburg. Some things, like the beauty of the light between two noble branches and the extravagance of a field of flowers, only make sense directly in front of you. It reminds me of those olden days when my eyes lens still beamed a vibrance not off-yellow, and my house stood strong.

I had hoped my wife’s child be borne under the previous South African administration, for him/hers complexion would be of great benefit. Don’t get me wrong! I am happy with the new administration. Simply put things haven’t been the same. Alas my son came out a tad too late.

I leave my screen, turnt black with inactivity, betwixt us lies a moment of severe incredulity. Unsure of my future now, unsure of my future then. I must get my wife pregnant.

In the advent of platformer mode, levels like Crerro Kaizo, How to Platformer, IWannaBetheKamala are completely expected, at least by me, HerbertTheSherbert. With this stage I can only imagine how uniquely moving it must feel to open a new railroad for our collective train of thought, to invent a new dimension of gameplay. It reminds me when the Ottomans invented kebabs for the first time and caused the Europoors to search for “new land” (which had already been discovered by Indians (not like Native Americans, search up Babur the Great)).

Sincerely, amazing! This is one of the most philosophical levels I’ve seen!

I like to imagine this as an allegory for pregnancy. You start in a quiet space of unknowns of what the future will be, like a passionate couple. Then You get thrown into the ship part. Then at the end, which is so drawn out, like 9 months, pregnancy, you are met with an encounter of peace and quiet again, like the baby is born.

How kiwipenguin thought of this is so important! I’m impressed beyond belief.