Rating Curve

If the gameplay in the cloud section and some other sections were more engaging, this would have probably been my absolute favorite level. I have no clue how djudjeito ascended this much, from Pluto to this is an incredibly crazy jump in quality from what was already an incredibly crazy jump from his previous levels. This level feels like it tapped into the subconscious murky water in my brain and unleashed them to the real world. It really feels unreal seeing this level fully realized. Do not sleep on this one folks.

So damn awesome. Really lives up to its name with its gameplay and mechanics. You really do feel like an experimenter tweaking and looking around this level from all possible vantage points, looking for any cracks and crevices within the gameplay. This level single-handedly changed my whole worldview on what a GD level could do. All these years I had been missing out on the innovation that gameplay can offer. I'm really excited to see what this level leads to for many other creators.

not very good I think

So powerful...

I don't think this level stands on its own. Many people praise this for its song representation, but to me the song feels like it does all the heavy lifting. It drags on certain set-pieces and ideas for way too long and doesn't develop them in any meaningful way. The first third of this level is an egregious example of this. I do really like the next third of the level though, I feel like this is where the minimalist, home-grown aesthetic felt the most at home, with the waves, winds, and the city. Then the last third of this level returns to all of the issues that the first third had.

Had the level kept the energy of the middle portion of the level, it probably would have been something special for me.

I'm so glad to see Mattewgame return and especially with something so potent. There are a couple areas which feel a bit inconsistent with the theme for me (not exactly sure how the rockstar boss fits with the overall narrative) but for the most part this level stays true to its message regarding hate, atonement, and moving on from the past. And this idea gets brilliantly paired with the gameplay and bossfight mechanics, which is a type of gameplay I've been really wanting to see in GD (that blend where the gameplay works to service the ideas rather than operating outside of them).

I'm still a bit hesitant on possible plagiarism, and I do wish that Mattewgame provided inspirations and references. I'll hold on to hope that he stayed true to his own creative ideas though.