Power Reviewer
The gameplay by itself isn't great, but the deco makes it miles worse. You're practically expected to memorize the entire second half of the level because every single structure had to move in from somewhere instead of already being there so you could see it. And the deco doesn't even look all that great anywhere except the buildup. It just looks like a bunch of orange and then a bunch of indigo and then a bunch of orange again. Especially in the drop. The predrop at least has some interesting ideas like the structures that look like little bugs. The drop has absolutely nothing going for it.
Plays more like a 9-star than a demon. Not that that's bad, mind you; the gameplay was pretty good except for the really sudden transition into the computer screen part that probably caused a majority of my deaths from 0. It could probably get away with being a 9-star if it weren't for that part and the bossfight — scratch that; it ought to be a 9-star; those parts don't make it that much harder. The deco looks rather unsettling (particularly in full detail, where you get to see all the spots of blood), but I guess that adds to storytelling.
Surprisingly legible for such a chaotic level. Everything feels like it's going really fast, and yet I was able to beat it in two attempts without practice. If that's not good use of indicators and broadcasting, I don't know what is. The theming matches the atmosphere of the song nicely too.
Had a blast playing this one. The gameplay feels a little awkward in places, but I don't really care; it's still fun. I'd rate the deco lower if it wasn't for the switch about halfway through; the complete change in style (as well as the rainbow style the second half uses) makes the level stand out more, and everything matches the aesthetic the song gives off at that point (especially the chaotic midsection).
Incredible. Just incredible. Not sure how this didn't get mythic. The visuals are stunning — I was floored by the part where you play as the ship while you have a ball that's just suspended there. The gameplay managed to feel way harder than it actually was; it was a little learny, but not too hard after a practice run. And I barely had any noticeable lag during the last part, which is super impressive for a level with so much detail throughout. I was surprised I didn't lag during the aforementioned ship/ball part. Definitely the best NCS x GD level yet.
Strangely enough, the thing that feels the weirdest to me about this level is the deco. It looks very good, but something about it just doesn't feel like it matches the song. It'd probably go great with a more techy-sounding song, but Retrospective is not a particularly techy-sounding song. It feels like it wants more vibrant colors. The gameplay's mostly alright (albeit a little bit hard to read in places), and again, the deco is high quality; it just doesn't match the vibe of the song.
This is officially my favorite Circles level of 1.9. For such an old level following what was a fairly rigid trend at the time, the theming is remarkably good. All the little sun motifs throughout the level (and even in the drop) really emphasize that this level is about the sun. The gameplay's pretty fun as well, and the memory in the cube part feels really creatively put together; I can't think of another level where you have to hold through a fake so you can jump off a block later without hitting an orb. Overall, it really stands out from all the other generic Circles levels from 1.9.
Super fun level. Everything is synced really well, and it just feels good to play. Even the three triple spikes before the drop feel synced. That one part with the screen distortion towards the end is really hard to read and basically forces you to rely entirely on music sync and muscle memory, even while learning it, which isn't great, but it's also the only complaint I have at all about the level, and I feel like the fun gameplay everywhere else in the level makes up for it. As for the deco, that feels good too. It looks really nice, and it really sets the right mood to match the song. Definitely makes you feel like you're on an adventure. The one thing that stood out to me the most was the effect that happened with the guillotine blades in the wave part, which was probably the part that felt the most intense. Overall, great level, and a good choice for the event.
I like it. It's got a lot of fun and unique gameplay ideas, and it feels like there's many different ways to do each room. Kinda feels like it was designed for speedrunning. The deco's pretty simplistic, but it does fit the atmosphere the song creates.
Super fun level. The gameplay syncs really well with the song, and it's impressively sightreadable for something so fast-paced and flowy. The deco works pretty well with the song too; I like that it conveys the idea of violence without actually being violent in any way.
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sorry about this gang