Rating Curve

quid's commitment to never bothering with sync beyond visual gestures really annoys me with this one. you would think a level like this would be really fun to play since it's just clicking to the beat, but it ends up being a chore. with the visuals being only slightly above quid's generic glow style it kind of only leaves the gameplay ideas to be judged, which are good but not enough to carry the level above a 6

sizable improvement to antichamber in terms of visuals. have not played the level so i for now will remain ignorant towards the gameplay's possible faults. this is, however, yet another quid level that makes me wish someone other than quid made it (very hard to defend a level in which the creator calls themself lolipeedrinker)

in an era of hyped up releases, event levels, list demons, mythics, what does a level really need? well, that's a loaded question; and not one i'd necessarily even ask myself if it wasn't for this level. i don't dislike polished works - in fact, most of the time i love a good balance of polished designs, colors, energy and concept in a level - but sometimes it really does feel like i'm defining and saying all this for some other person to reason through and understand me rather than for me to understand myself. er- i'm going on a tangent, sorry, let's get back to the original question - what does a level really need to be appealing? to play its own role, to attract some eyes, to fulfill its purpose?

well, i don't know. really, nobody does. people make guesses and throw ideas out and toy around until they find something they think works for them. you iterate over guesses upon guesses, prototypes and concepts, through rigorous playtesting, feedback; until eventually you get some end product you can show off to your friends and other players. but this iteration process isn't just some simple linear process - no, it never is with art - there's ups and downs, failures and successes, personal standards, self-doubt, perfectionism, all of that nonsense. don't you just want to forget?

vast waters is what it feels like to forget. well, that's not to say HangyKing just rid themselves of all forms of pressure or standards while making this - no, far from it, given this level was made immediately following it back's initial backlash upon its release and rate. but vast waters is what that feeling is, in essence. vast waters is the feeling of driving home as a kid, looking out the window of your parents' car, imagining a cool level in your head as your eyes pass the countless lights under the night sky. vast waters is listening to a song and imagining some cool colors and visuals and gameplay to go alongside it. vast waters is about creating a level in your head. ..except, well, it is a level, in the game.

vast waters is .. just a vibe, really. it's the pure essence of having ideas and making them. it's free of the polish anyone would put themselves through to look appealing to others; but it's still an incredibly memorable and great looking level. it feels like a realized dream, in a way - it's what creating should be, and it's what all creations should turn out to be. just pure masses of creativity molded into a cute shape and passed along. vast waters is the pure essence of artistic creativity

i'll have you know that the blockchain doesn't lie

vent art in geometry dash is hardly a new idea, especially as of recent. the inclusion of WhyMeWhyMeWhyMeWhyMe in an official gauntlet especially comes to my mind as a recent example, even if it's a rather unfortunate one. at the time of its release, though, this level was very special in its regard, even more so still with how much it stands out against split72's typical portfolio as a creator point grinder.

i don't think i could say anything about the actual execution of this level that hasn't been said - the buildup works well, the reduced color palette and other self-imposed build constraints meshing well with it, and the actual climax feels impactful and deserved. there's lots you could do better, there's lots you could do worse - but the execution isn't at all what i value here, rather it's the vulnerability of this level.

i mean, fuck, go to any split72 level's comments, and especially the unrated ones. people will hate them for all sorts of unjustified reasons - being near the top of the creator leaderboard certainly would inspire such hate. and despite all of that, despite the sheer amount of publicity every action you do has, despite how much at the worst of times it might seem that the entire community doesn't like you or your work, to release a level as vulnerable and honest as this is very powerful. it's important. i appreciate the level so much for existing above everything else

it might not have the deepest meaning, it might not be the best execution of itself, and it might not be the most emotional thing you could make, but the fact it exists at all is plenty for me to love it for what it is