Rating Curve

Probably one of the most overhated levels in the game. I really like the theming of this level, escaping a brutal takeover from an imperialistic alien species. The gameplay is honestly pretty good, especially considering how unsightreadable the level seems at first. It's also simultaneously very fun, engaging, and creative in its gameplay. It does end up feeling more like a cinematic experience rather than a level, but it's still fun to play. Again, basic gameplay without major issues should not warrant incredibly low gameplay scores. The mini-wave with the robot snake chasing you was honestly kind of annoying, though. Many say that this level feels like a bunch of quick time events with no real cohesion. But I think that this level follows good progression - escaping a cesspool of a planet via a ship going to space, only to be pursued by the dangerous aliens; this is not a bunch of "random events with no substance" like how some people say it is. It's indeed chaotic, but in a good way that makes sense. Do you guys really expect people to be lining up in a single file line from A-Z during an alien invasion. Let's be real, it's gonna be really hectic. Regarding the decoration, personally, it's decent, but I think trying another visual style would have made this level a lot better, maybe a more cartoonish one. Catering towards a realistic style makes it look kind of ugly and cluttered. Other than that, I feel like people are being too mean to this level just because it goes for a cinematic feel.

I want to give this level a 9, but the middle gameplay is not very fun. Everything from the robot after the UFO to that wave with the guillotines was not fun for me. I thought the camera controls for that spider were especially jarring, but other than that camera controls were properly used. Other than that, I liked the level. The concepts and usage of 2.2 features were all really fun and creative, especially the section where the screen was cut in half by the undead knight. The decoration is probably Subwoofer's best behind Crush, and overall, the theme fits the song very well. I really like this level and wish I could give it a higher rating, but due to the unfortunate issues in gameplay. Subwoofer is a very good creator with a distinct style and very creative levels, but needs to improve his gameplay, in my opinion.

I was shocked when I first saw Towerinator place 15th in the NCS Gauntlet Contest. I remember practicing the level before and hating the mini UFO. Why did such a "basic" level place THIS high? I then decided to practice it again, and my God, this is a good level. I still dislike the swing section and the wonky transitions that come off as unexpected, but the gameplay is good for the most part. I must say, though, the theming and atmosphere are incredibly strong. I think using JNATHYN's Dioma (amazing song btw) with its dark and mysterious tone, and pairing it with a tower/ruins theming helps the level's atmosphere a lot, making it seem as if we aren't supposed to be here. Though I didn't like the deco at first, it slowly grew on me, as the simpler block designs work well with this level's theming and backgrounds. Also, I wanted to add that the buildup to the drop was impeccable.

Though some aspects of the gameplay are not very good, this level is still very strong and deserves a legendary rating instead of the epic rating it got. As for its placement in the NCS Gauntlet Contest, I think it should have placed even higher, like 11th or 12th. Though Lyal's later level "The Beyond" is probably better because its gameplay is better, this is so far Lyal's best work, decoration-wise.

I'm not the biggest fan of hyper-realistic deco, but it's done incredibly well in this level. Decoration-wise, every part looks very visually appealing, possibly one of the best-looking levels in the game. The effects at the level after the drop are absolutely jaw-dropping. The gameplay is actually fun for the most part, even if post-drop is very unsightreadable. It's not super fun, but I was able to enjoy it a lot. I also want to say that I think this level does a good job of representing the "majestic" nature of the song. Now, why do I think it's not as good as some people think? Well, though the decoration looks very good, it has no real theme. If one wants to make a good realistic-style level, they should also add a nice theme for it to be interesting for things other than its gameplay. I think levels like Waterfall and And Ever do this nicely, but this level is lacking in that department. The creators say that this level is a representation of personal trauma, but this theming is very unclear to people outside of the creators.

Overall, while I do like a lot about this level, I wish its theming was clearer. This level should have made it into the Top 10. As for this level's rating type, which was very controversial, I am not sure if this level is legendary or mythic, it's really hard for my feeble brain to decide.

As with Kazey's previous endeavor, Chupacabra, the backgrounds are absolutely gorgeous, but unlike Chupacabra this level sacrifices structuring. The foreground of this level, especially after the drop, is almost empty, which really makes the level not as interesting as it would be with some air deco, instead of relying solely on the backgrounds. GP is pretty fun but I don't have much to say about it.

The drop part's effects are way too much (they even surpass WANNACRY in terms of flashiness) to the point where playing it is very hard but man I can't help but love the progression of this level, slowly building up to the incredibly climatic finale. While the block designs are minimalist it is made up for by the amazing backgrounds and animations showing Kazey's artistic skill. The gameplay for the most part is fun until the drop, which btw is so cool but flashy visuals + asynchronous dual make it hard to play

This is one of Knots's most visually appealing levels, the theming is cool around, and the deco (especially the block designs) is extremely clean (something normal for Knots, but it's incredibly apparent here). However, the existence of a 2nd path isn't very well communicated for a Discord Gauntlet entry, and even then, it just turns off the lights of a few parts. The gameplay is not fun to play, especially due to its length. Knots seems to struggle when it comes to making XL levels, and we can see it in this level. This is not a bad level, but there is room for improvement. It's one of Knots's better levels for its theming and designs, but could have had some better gameplay.

I think the one thing holding this level back is the stupid robot blue orb spam. I hated that part a lot, but I don't think it's enough to hold the level back since it's so short and everything else is enjoyable to play. Like, especially that dual, awesome section with great usage of parallax. The deco isn't the craziest thing and looks kind of messy at times, but it's still pretty good. Overall, great work, but my question is how Mr. Krabs rose to power and why he is so strong if it has nothing to do with the job description of being a principal? Also I think this level ends way too fast, it definitely could have gone a bit longer, though this is a very specific nitpick.

Interesting to make a level with only spider gameplay, but it can get repetitive at times

Also this will likely be in the Spider Gauntlet alongside Firework or sthg idk

The visuals of this level are incredibly, incredibly good. The gameplay, on the other hand, is a different story. Unfortunately, the main problem is the use of camera effects, which give the player barely any time to react. This is especially noticeable right before drops. If it weren't the awful use of camera controls, this level would get a much higher score. But I cannot deny that this level's art style and theming are absolutely fantastic.