Rating Curve

Starting this off by stating that this is criminally underrated, as far as experimental levels go this is one of my favorite, i will forever appreciate levels that radiate with passion like this one does. Nothing here feels rushed, and the level constantly throws new ideas at you, making it really enjoyable to watch. I also need to comment on the song choice, LLAAPPSSEE is my favorite NG artist, and the song used in this level is one of their best works.

The first part is very sync based, the orbs chaining one after the other to represent the bass is a very neat idea. The first few percentage already lay down a lot of the color work that is done throughout the level, lots of pulses and hue changes, many varying saturation... The entire part feels very washed out, i think of it as a relic of the past. The foreground is a very bright yellow and different assets clash with each-other in a very neat manner. The dark blue background plays an important role, its simple, effective, and serves as a way to keep things readable. The very strong flashes starting at ~6% almost completely drown out the level in the previously mentioned bright yellow, i really like the executions of these pulses as they feel very powerful yet dont impair the readability of the level. The added streetlights are a really neat detail and the background becomes more detailed to match the song picking up in intensity. The wiggling outlines matching the very surreal looking sawblades help the part feel more "alive". A side effect of the background being made with shaders is that whenever you pass a size portal, you can see reflections matching the colors withing the background. This detail is very likely unintentional but it caught my eye and i figured it was worth mentioning. The sort of branch-like structures slowly taking over the level is a very awesome way to slowly transition into the next part while adding another layer of depth.

For the second section, the song picks up in intensity even more, the pulses become more harsh and the structuring is pretty much entirely made out of spike towers, making the part feel very "hostile". The star assets add a sense of verticality to the level that i appreciate a lot. While in this part, you are near the stars, previously, you were on the ground, indicated by the streetlights. The level doesnt give up its color scheme, but deviates from it slightly, adding color shaders to make really strong pulses that for a few instants completely deviate from the initial yellow and blue that was established in the previous part. Worth noting that the background uses a different shader effect. I wish the branches from the previous parts were more developed here. They only appear for a few seconds in clutters and i think that's a missed opportunity. But other than that the speed changes, the nature of the gameplay, and all the previously mentioned details make this part have really good song representation.

The break part is the most surreal looking one, it heavily focuses on sawblades and the level's established color scheme. There isn't much to say here, i appreciate the contrast with the very chaotic structuring and gameplay tropes clashing with the very calming section of the song. Some of the orb effects are worth pointing out too.

The section right before the drop is beautiful, it has so much anticipation and works so well with the song. The gameplay is simple yet effective, the background & structures serves as a preview for what's about to come with the drop, it just looks like it has so much energy built up, it makes the drop feel way more impactful. I like it when creators add assets around the icon, in this case, the particles orbiting the cube work really well.

The drop of this song is nothing short of amazing and this level does it justice, i really like spinning backgrounds and this one is no exception. The level gives up the yellow and blue color scheme to fully focus on yellow / orange, this really makes you feel like you are close to the sun, which the level is themed around. The structuring is yet again simple, which does wonders for this section as it is fast paced, and bright, which would have made it difficult to read of the deco was convoluted. Throughout this entire part you will find different "pillars" scattered in places that i also find very neat. Every asset in this part feels purposeful and fits in very nicely with the rest. The hue shift this section takes on in some places help the part not feel boring as it is quite long. This level has a trope of making some parts have progression within themselves, which is a really awesome detail. The long dash orb holds really stand out for me as i feel like they fit the song perfectly. The robot section picks up in pace and complexifies the structuring while still keeping the gameplay style the same, once again some very awesome progression. Long repeated jumps are another example of song representation done right, they perfectly encapsulate the song in my eyes. Around 75% the song reaches peak intensity and in some sections the level is completely drowned out by it's own pulses, a very daring trope to add to your level that i think was more than justified considering what LLAAPPSSEE has put forward with this song. As you float away you hit one final dash orb that transports you into the final section.

The last part honestly caught me off guard on first watch as it's a perfect follow-up to the part before. It's so pleasing to look at and the colors are amazing. The lighting ties everything together perfectly and matches the song. Details such as the trees are really well made and i really like the streelights making a comeback. For the last few percentages, the level gets darker, the gameplay snappier, you finally land back on the ground, and you float away one last time.

One of my favorite levels to come out from this update. Very inspirational.

Looking at the demon list today, Shardscapes is one of the only level that i find truly captivating. The atmosphere in this level is unlike any other, to say that the music representation in this level is "on point" would be an understatement. I've seen a lot of critiques about the gameplay in this level, often judged too simple and even "lazy", i have poured well over 60,000 attempts in this level, and i can say with certainty that these comments are just a product of willful ignorance as it is some of the most fun and engaging gameplay I have ever played.

In my eyes, the long cutscene / fade in plays a big role in making Shardscapes what it is. When watching a showcase, most people dont really pay attention to it, but the fact that every single attempt sits you through 3 seconds of nothing, coupled with the first 20% being relatively easy, really turns this level into a true test of patience. The median attempt from 0 is about 15-20 seconds long, which is very unusual for a level that is only around a minute long. The predrop is very finicky, lots of small calibrated jumps that really make you feel like you're traversing somewhere you don't belong to. I adore the way orbs are scattered through the level, there are very few of them, and they're usually the hardest clicks of the level, making them so impactful. The 21 and 31% orbs are something ive always wanted to comment on, in both cases, they're preceded by some of the hardest inputs in the predrop, and some staircase like structuring acting as a sort of buildup. It's hard to say if this was intentional or not, but it never fails to make these orbs feel really ""powerful"". Once again, before the long transition between the predrop and the drop, you have 38%, which is also among the hardest inputs in the predrop, This section serves as the last obstacle before the drop, in my experience, it really built up the tension as the clicks before are fairly easy, and coupled with the song intensifying at that section, passing it genuinely makes you feel relieved.

Then comes the drop. This is the most fun gameplay i have ever played. I adore the way it flows, the way the balancing is handled, it always keeps you on edge. Its a repeating pattern of a hard click / section being thrown at you, then a few easier clicks building up to another absurdly difficult click / section, again and again. From 0, seeing yourself get further and further and passing each chokepoint is just surreal, it built up nerves that i've never felt for any other level. If you play this level, and intend on beating it, you should expect dying to 44, 48, 50 and 54 a LOT. I have a combined 253 deaths to these clicks alone from 0. Some might say that this sort of chokepoint gameplay is "bad" and "unenjoyable", but i think that it makes the experience so much more interesting. 55-66 is relatively easy, this is the part where, from 0, you build up nerves anticipating the 67 and 68 clicks. Two of some of the hardest clicks, back to back. Passing these gives you a good shot at beating the level, which in most cases, only meant more nerves. After that, its just a matter of note choking. 70-83 is pretty standard, however, the green orb triple click is definitely notable as it just goes so well with the song. And 84% is also noteworthy for being a really difficult timing. The last few clicks of this level constitutes one of the best ending to a level ever. The green orbs, previously few far and between, now present themselves as 3 brutal chokeable clicks, followed by what i consider to be the most ""powerful"" double click in the game. The sync is great, the song representation on point, the deco fades out, and you land on a set of spikes, its almost poetic, the entire level you avoid them at all cost, i don't think i really have to explain why this is an awesome ending to the level. The fadeout is pretty long, a callback to the intro of the level.

Overall, Shardscapes offered an experience unlike any other, not just in this game, but in any video game i've played. If you want a level to spend tens of thousands of attempts on, i can't recommend it enough. I do genuinely feel bad for people who were good enough to blow past everything that makes this level what it is. In my eyes, beating Shardscapes in a few days just ruins the experience. Each drop attempt doesnt feel as special, and getting to the last 1/3rd just isn't the huge deal that it would have been if you had been grinding for hours to get there once. I am glad that Shardscapes was the level i spent 2 years grinding,

Completion

Playlist, Containing my entire journey

In my eyes this is simply phenomenal and some of his best work. It almost feels like the song was made for the level, The first section is a great introduction for what's about to come. The gameplay is original, and does the song justice, its bouncy, and has a lot of "verticality" to it, a trope that krmal explores in the next part. The color work in this part doesnt get enough praise imo, So many different kinds of pulses are used to best represent the notes in the song and it just completely carries the atmosphere. Its like the notes genuinely have an impact on the blocks. One detail i really appreciate is the portals being on low oppacity, it really helps them blend in with the rest and not feel out of place.

Onto the ship part, i feel like everyone has heard about the ship following the notes of the song so i won't bother elaborating on that. I usually find scan lines effects pretty boring, but it's mainly because they rarely match the song's energy, which isn't the case here as i feel like they're a totally valid asset to incorporate in this section. The structuring is really encased and almost claustrophobic, while remaining very simple and on grid. The level slowly opens up from there. The colors in this part are just as immaculate but this is to be expected from krmal. The sweeping effects and pulsing objects in the background help tie everything together, it's the last layer of detail the part needed to go from great to amazing.

The dual, while being the weakest part, is also the most experimental. I've always appreciated creative rainbow block usage, and this part is no different. This section takes a lot from the previous part but changes things around slightly to accommodate for the change in the song. Its a great segue into the drop.

The drop energy conveyed at the drop is some of the best i've witnessed in this game. The complex geometric shapes in the background make this entire thing feel surreal which in juxtaposition to the simplistic spikes and block designs creates an environment that is out of this world, just like the song. The gameplay stays relatively simple while still managing to work well with the song. The big star background adding another layer of complexity to it as the song intensifies is just the cherry on top, krmal went above end beyond with this. The verticallity of this part is a very nice callback to the first section. My only complaint with it would be the offscreen gameplay which can be excused by the limitations of the update.

Creators to this day still have a lot to learn from a level released 9 years ago.