Rating Curve

I've always loved how this level just tells you off for jumping during a very serious moment.

"Don't Cry" is a profoundly optimistic level from FunnyGame that is exactly what it says on the tin. It starts off black-and-white, shrouded in melancholy, consumed by a morose sadness, and it's only as the level progresses, towards the end that color — as well as hope — are allowed to bleed in and paint the level in a gorgeous and stunning rainbow of joy. Things may seem overwhelmingly terrible in the present, but in the end, it will inevitably come to pass. It's a simple level, but it bears a surprisingly resonant and uplifting message.

Don't cry, as your suffering and anguish will end…

"Just because you're with my mom, doesn't mean that you're my dad."

"DadStep" is a level which is so inherently absurd and silly that it probably doesn't deserve to be as good as it is. I never expected to be so compelled and amused by a ludicrous song about a guy who just really, really hates his stepdad. It's a level which should be much uglier than it actually is. The colors in it are all clashing and the block design is heavily discordant but I think the lack of order and chaos in this lighthearted joke level only adds to its personality. Not to mention, the gameplay is criminally good for a joke level. I'm not too sure why this level isn't featured (perhaps the song has something to do with it, but it's a pretty amusing song and I'm not really the greatest fan of most vocal songs within GD).

If you want to make a memorable joke level, you should at least place enough effort into it so it doesn't seem sloppy. This is something that "DadStep" thankfully seems to understand.

But seriously, this should be featured.

Everything comes to an end, so why even bother? "Dreary Premonitions" leans heavily into the 'dreary' section of its namesake, maybe a little too far for its own good, but it undeniably encapsulates it. It's an extremely nihilistic and negative level at its core, with deeply pessimistic messages such as "WHY BOTHER" and "IT'S ALL FOR NOTHING" plastered across it. I think a decent amount of people would find it too melodramatic, edgy, and on-the-nose if it came today, especially nowadays where this sort of unrelentingly brooding mindset is ridiculed (take for example how people have reacted to "WhyMeWhyMeWhyMeWhyMe" in the years following its release). However, at the time, I'd say it was an interesting level due to the novel and 'dreary' ambience it contained. "Dreary Premonitions" is not subtle in its intentions, but what is abstract about it is its narrative (if it even has any). At its core, it could be interpreted as a level about death and impermanence. An eye aimlessly darts around as it glitches and flashes a myraid of colors. An image of a battery slowly flickers as its life is drained away. A Wi-Fi signal is slowly weakened. A featureless figure sits on a bench, wasting away as the environment around it deteriorates. This level really wants to hammer into you that nothing can truly last.

I think the glitch effects are impressive for the time that it came out (I remember really liking this level when it came out due to the song, atmosphere and effects). Although, it doesn't feel too incredibly cohesive now that I think about it. It's a depressing level about how you should give up because nothing lasts forever, but does that really make everything we do in life redundant? Perhaps "Dreary Premonitions" is too narrow-minded. It does feature nice visuals but they're only very loosely connected to one another (even my reading of it as an interpretation of death could be excessive, it's possible it's just a collection of interesting visuals for the sake of it). It does end a little too abruptly, but maybe that's part of the whole 'everything ends' theme that ties the whole level together.

The song isn't necessarily the longest so I can't really criticise "Reflected" for its minute length. "Reflected" is a level which rose to prominence due to its presence in the GD World featured tab prior to its overhaul. It's a cute and short level with a fairly simple gimmick, but it manages to accurately capture the serene, peaceful nature of its song (which I personally really like, it's nice and tranquil and I sort of wish F-777 released an extended version). It's a calming level with not too much going on, but its simplicity is part of its charm.

Maximalism at its finest. I wish core levels made a comeback.

I've never necessarily been the biggest fan of most experimental or avant garde GD levels, but "Cacophony" surprisingly impressed me. I think it might be my favorite level of the "HTTCCoEaA" quadrilogy. Perhaps it's because it adapts my (personal) favorite part of "How to Take Complete Control of Everything and Everyone". The way the song builds up from the first cube to the final wave in this level is simply divine. In fact, it's a level which is heavily carried by its almost ethereal atmosphere, not only due to the incredible song but the level just has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes it all the more evocative. It starts off at a regular speed, ramps up its velocity as it progresses before it finally explodes and just lets it all out in its clashing yet skilful finale. "Cacophony's" final wave shouldn't be as good as it does. In fact, if it was in any other level, it would be nothing more than a hideous and discordant mess of colors. However, somehow, "Cacophony" is able to make it work. It slowly and meticulously escalates and allows itself to build up alongside the song before ending with a complete bang.

It shouldn't be as good as it is, but it is. I personally it to be much more evocative and atmospheric than its mess of a predecessor.

"Man Man" is a level that could easily be criticised for being cheap shock value. It's the Geometry Dash equivalent of an exploitation film, a discordant and sleazy smorgasbord of sex, guts and gore that only exists to provoke and offend people's moral sensibilities. In spite of it easily succumbing to such criticisms and scrutinies, you can't deny that it's a very well-made level with a brooding and nasty atmosphere that just makes you want to have a shower for having played it. The artistry and effort is undeniable even if the final product may come off as tasteless or insensitive to some. It's very shameless with regard to its nature of being labelled as "cheap", "schlocky", "torture p*rn" or any other negative monikers one could assign it. I mean, it literally has parts which are entirely encased within rotting flesh, a woman's decapitated corpse as its endscreen, buckets of blood which could rival the 2013 Evil dead remake and literal sexual imagery placed within it. 2003devin's audacity — with regard to his level-making — isn't more apparent in any level than "Man Man". It's a tacky smoothie of controversial imagery which I kind of have to respect for its boldness.

An almost 15-second long intro is absolutely criminal no matter what level it's for, and perhaps the gameplay is a little boring for a level that's 5* difficulty, however, "GaMoRa" is thankfully saved by its striking and stunning visuals. It's a very solid space-themed level from FunnyGame/GeoGame that still holds up well to this day, and you can't deny that it looks amazing even if its gameplay is a little bare-bones and basic.