Rating Curve

This level is... neat. It's captured my attention for a while, but I couldn't put into words why until more recently.

First of all, this level absolutely nails the atmosphere, and with the relentless focus on impressive spectacle in newer levels, particularly extreme demons, this is an aspect that can be pretty easily overlooked. Its visuals do a lot with a little. The base designs, while competently designed, are not the star of the show here. This level is seemingly based around some sort of cave, with the beginning few parts having barely anything out of the ordinary. It seems like it was once attempted to be inhabited by humans, given the helpful lights guiding your way in the parts with more restricted vision. However, as the level goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that whatever this bizarre space is hiding, its conditions are far too hostile. Elements that seem like they should be stagnant begin moving, and the mood becomes ever more harrowing and frantic. Something is not right here, and while it's never quite clear what it is, you surely aren't sticking around to find out. The theme has the perfect amount of subtlety. I appreciate the decision to not have some sort of bossfight or anything too in-your-face, as the conflict here seems to be based around some formless, eldritch force of nature. That's an approach that I haven't really seen done in anything else, and is definitely something worth exploring.

What really lets this level down is the gameplay. It's going for a simpler vibe here reminiscent of pre-2.0 levels, which would be fine in many other cases, but I feel like there's not enough creativity or connection to the theme to make it stand out, and it's too polished to make it seem charmingly amateurish. It's just nothing special, which is a shame, because this is really what separates it from being great. Rather than being an interesting exploration of older gameplay in a more modern context, this just feels like it would be boring and disengaging. Many players' opinions seem to reflect this, so I don't think it's just my lack of skill talking here. This is the consequence of gameplay being an afterthought, because, despite how many creators seem to brush it off, it is still the central focus of the game. Whether or not you've put thought into it can be the sole reason many players will or won't play your level. And with theming this spot-on, this had the opportunity to be so much more. Overall, though, this level is still really interesting, despite the disappointing gameplay. Maybe give it a shot if you're really good at the game.