Rating Curve

probably the platonic ideal of a 6/10 level. shows some prowess with the editor, but is very clearly made in the early era of its respective update. made by three super talented creators, but not in a particularly strong phase for any of them. fun and dynamic gameplay, but some chokepoints in the first half make for minor annoyances and there are a few ways to break it (i beat this with a swag route in that first mini ship where you just go over the gameplay and land on the yellow pads anyway when you transition to cube. that one is fun but there are some that just break the level). the earthquake theming is good, but the shake is generally pretty annoying. for every bad thing there's a smidge more good. not an unpleasant experience beating it however.

not very well put together

First 12% is excruciatingly boring, next 9% is excruciatingly obnoxious. Then it gets fun! But most of the experience is spent dying over and over to the first wave and drudging through a piss easy and dull cube section. The ending is masterful, a perfect exercise in nerve control (i fluked it though :3c). Deco is overrated as well tbh.

another day in the office in one of the few creators that blends 1.9 ephemera with contemporary style with such virtuosity! minimal at times but that enhances the feeling i think. deco clips out in spots but shit, it looks great at doing what it does. pretty fun too i gotta say for a level this simple and easy

Oh FUCK this level is a throwback. Very happy it was able to get rerated because this level is really fun. Peak early 1.9 piss easy demon gameplay. Visuals are a bit naive and clip at points but sometimes the intensity is really sold. The ship parts in this level are all so fun, and the more effect heavy parts are peak stuff from the era between decorating techniques being fully agreed on and the pre-1.9 era with heavy limitations. The fast cube parts with orb-heavy gameplay are just FUN! I feel like I'm flying. Good music coordination with the wintery synths and the aurora borealis colors and glow. I like the song too which definitely helps :P Wish the dual wave didn't slow down and kill the momentum but it's only like 6 seconds so I'll live.

SH3RIFFO had a really creative style in the short period he spent building. R U I N S really cements that. It's unpolished in the way that a lot of early 1.9 levels can be, but has a really unique approach to structuring and a solid sense of visual storytelling. The block palette is so minimal, but the desolate atmosphere with the uncanny yellow glow is sold perfectly. You really are traversing ruins of some past civilization. Gameplay can be a little rough at points but the wave is iconic to me and one of my favorite parts in any easy demon (minus the swastika I guess lol).

Would it be accurate to consider this one of the most important Geometry Dash levels? I think it deserves the title. FunnyGame making a 6 minute level was an extremely bold move that pretty much invented an entirely new style of gameplay. And a lot of levels that go for a behemoth length feel like they're padding to fill out the song, right? Not this one. Lonely Travel is a genuine journey that takes the player through an incredibly diverse and inventive smattering of settings and moods. There's a really solid sense of progression as the level slowly becomes more uplifting and colorful in the back half. Really great connection with the music too. I wouldn't consider this level perfect, however. The decoration is inventive, and has an impressive level of detail and creativity for something that never goes above the object limit despite its length. That said, some block choices I would describe as naive, such as the clouds in the cube part halfway in. That part also has somewhat jank gameplay, as do a few others. Truth be told though, this level is impressive enough to warrant its reputation. A fun time for its length though not a perfect one.