Rating Curve

Got really mixed feelings on this one. On one hand I really like the art style and urban theming the team went for. The way the lyrics synced to some of the setpieces in the level was really creative and I really wish more creators were willing to do this. However, the song confuses me so much. Everyone behind this project knows damn well that the GD community is made up of people who listen to bass music and video game OSTs, and have little respect for hip hop as an art form. The song feels more like a mockery of hip hop than a genuine attempt at it. The issue I have with this is that you're reducing a 50-year-old genre of music that's allowed people in marginalized communities to talk about their real experiences into a cheap novelty. The subject matter, the delivery (especially the way EVW pronounces "brotha"), even the title rubs me the wrong way. The beat is also really overproduced, but I guess that's expected when you tell an EDM producer to make a hip hop beat. The vinyl scratches and drums are kinda cool but besides that there's just too much going on. It's a fun playing experience if you don't think too hard about it, but this is hyperbolus and I can't help but give this anything more than a 5.

Great taste, awful execution. I really appreciate the fact that xender attempted to tell a story through a GD level. It really does take vulnerability to tell a story in Geometry Dash. The story of White Space is a personal one, and I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to downplay it. However, it was executed very similarly to other epic levels in the featured tab, ultimately undermining the story. A lot of the story gets lost in translation, due to all the flashing effects and transitions, leaving me more confused when playing it than actually feeling something. The car crash cutscene coupled with the ending feels less of a satisfying conclusion and more of a last ditch effort to get the player to feel something. Even xender himself said that he originally had just the story in mind when building this level, but his impossible standards eventually caught up to him. God, it just makes me wonder what xender would've built if he wasn't so harsh on himself. Anyways, I'm sure this level resonated with some people, and good for them. Maybe I'm just jaded towards xender's approach towards level creation, but I got nothing out of playing this unfortunately.