Rating Curve

The conceit of the level is super cool, and for the most part, it's executed pretty well. It's clear that Xender and MakFeed explored the idea of decorating using only text as thoroughly as they could, from creating recognizable forms from the characters like the banners in the first part and some shapes that resemble gemstones later on to filling structures with actual words and phrases that I'm pretty sure are supposed to reveal the lore of the level and that would probably be very cool to read if one were to pause the level and read them.

The progression feels a little awkward, though, and I think that's mainly due to the bosses. It feels weird to have a bossfight anywhere but the drop, which this level doesn't even use. I mean, you've got the song playing all these pretty melodic synths, and while this is happening, there's some sort of robot or mech or something firing all sorts of projectiles at you. And there's also a part earlier in the level that's not really a bossfight, but there's something in the background kinda just awkwardly floating around and looking vaguely menacing while doing absolutely nothing else. Which just feels strange. I also feel like the level would be better without the random words that don't really do anything other than hinting at one of Xender's future projects. All that being said, though, it's a pretty cool level overall.

Impressive storytelling. The deco is pretty simple, but surprisingly effective; I guess the minimalism of it all allows the story to be told better and emphasized more. I like the way that fishing is used as a metaphor for a sort of endless chain of violence begetting violence begetting violence, and the level conveys that idea really well, with the fish eating the worm and the angler eating the fish and so on up the chain. And the pacing of it all matches the song so well you'd think the song was made specifically for the level. The gameplay can get a little boring at times with all the long cutscenes, but I think it's ultimately worth it for the immersive storytelling.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy"

Super interesting gameplay. The theming is cool, and I like the aesthetic, but the gameplay is what stood out the most to me. A lot of it feels unnatural, which I actually like here because it feels a lot different than your average level and because none of it is inconsistent at all. It also works really well with the song; Frums often writes really strange music, and I think that is best complemented by equally strange gameplay. As such, the gameplay really feels like it ties everything together; the gameplay matches the song, and I also feel like it emphasizes some of the deco choices somehow. Cool level; highly recommend to anyone wanting something very different.

Also, a neat little detail is that it displays your attempt count in Roman numerals at the start

Super cool level. My only complaint with it is that there doesn't seem to be much indication that it isn't an endurance challenge, but other than that, I enjoyed it.

The conceit of the level, once you figure it out, is super fun. The answers aren't always intuitive, but it's fun looking for them. The 8th chamber I didn't actually find all that bad; there's a progress meter in the background that shows you what you've done right and resets when you do something wrong, and all you have to do is experiment until you find the right combination. Realizing that the title is an instruction and not a description was one of my favorite parts. I also like how the deco gets more vibrant and lively as you progress, and the finale is executed really well, where you can just exit the lab instead of going around endlessly. And then it's super impressive from a technical perspective too. The way it just keeps looping around endlessly or stops your icon in place if you go through it in practice mode or saves when you've beaten the level and remembers it after you restart; all of those sound like they shouldn't be possible in a classic level, but here we are. I'm surprised this wasn't given a mythic rate with all the cool stuff in this level.

Beautiful level. Not entirely sure why I didn't review this the first time I beat it. The effects look great, and the amount of detail is super impressive for 1.9. I could argue that it still holds up decently well even today. I mean, obviously, it doesn't have the same kinds of flashy effects that are possible in 2.2, but it genuinely looks good and feels good to play. And the song choice was perfect — any other song, I don't know if I'd feel quite as good about this level. It kinda feels like a hug. And maybe a large part of that is because of the song, but the deco and the gameplay complement the song perfectly.

This is a pretty fun level. The theming is executed well — you go to a fair, you kinda wander around some, and eventually you ride a rollercoaster. The colors are very well-done and do a great job making it feel dark and mysterious; I especially like the strobing purple lights at the beginning. The art isn't necessarily the best I've ever seen, but it does the job, it's way more optimized than if the creator had tried to make something more detailed (and I think it's already got plenty of detail as is), and I personally think this art style fits the level very well. It's also fun to play; the atmosphere keeps you immersed in the level, and the gameplay matches the feeling of the song excellently. And the progression is good too. Overall, super cool level.

Pretty good level. The deco looks great for 1.9, and the gameplay syncs very well with the song. My only complaint about the gameplay is that the mini-wave part has a single inverted slope that kinda makes that one click a lot worse; other than that, I think it's good.

Super fun clicksync. I enjoyed learning and beating this level. The deco is also pretty good — not a whole lot of cat theming, but you do see some cat eyes in the first part of the drop. Really, the main focus is probably more on the gameplay; I think it's impressive that YraX was able to make such good clicksync in a wave part. There were a couple parts that felt like choke points, but I still had a good experience with this level.

Impressive deco. You'd be forgiven for thinking this was made during 2.1. The deco really matches the atmosphere of the song well, and it also looks completely awesome. I really liked the way all the colors changed at the buildup, and the 3D effect in the ball part during the drop genuinely feels really impressive, especially for 1.9. And the gameplay is super fun, too. I'm surprised this level isn't more well-known, because this feels like some of the absolute best 1.9 had to offer.