Junior Member
We lowering the average with this one 🗣️
Real talk, I actually love this level on a conceptual level. The concept of playing rooms that endlessly repeat and trying to find some way out of them is actually really novel, and I think it was executed pretty much perfectly here. And that’s not even mentioning the great aesthetic, with some cool machinery and symbolism to give a testing facility vibe. It’s ominous, but still feels pretty straightforward and approachable to a casual audience. My only real complaint with this level is just that it’s, like… not very fun? It’s not because it’s super awkward or janky, so it has that going for it, but the level really lacks substantive gameplay once you’ve figured out all the puzzle solutions. It often boils down to “click an extra time in this one place with semi-accurate precision,” really meaning that after you play the level once, or hell, play through a puzzle once, there’s very little else to do in it. The rating mostly comes down to matter of replay value. After discovering the main route… I mean, what else is there really to do? Deaths feel kind of monotonous, since there’s not much to engage with beyond a first attempt.
And speaking of death, that really brings me to my other major complaint with the level. I just find this level to be too hard for what it’s trying to do. Sometimes, to get that essence of “replay value,” I might hand this level off to a friend or family member to see them try it. A couple have made their way through, but more often than not, they hand the phone back to me because the gameplay was just too difficult for them to grasp. By easy demon standards I still think this level is pretty chill, but I would honestly argue that this level just shouldn’t have been a demon. Maybe that could be done just by nerfing the difficulty of the trials, but I think the much more reasonable approach would have been to add some sort of makeshift checkpoint systems. One that, when you die, will just put you back in the trial you’re on. I think that would make the concept stand out far more, because in its current state, it feels a bit overshadowed by the stress of dying and running it back from square one. This would be especially beneficial at the end, since that part just plays normally, making added deaths just… extraordinarily frustrating.
There’s definitely much to love about this level, but I think the structure is highly flawed. With some tweaks to the gameplay, mainly through some light nerfs, this could have been a really great time. Currently, though… while I don’t hate it, it’s rare that I ever have a desire to revisit it.
Such a hard level to review man. I. LOVE. This atmosphere. It’s so bizarre and ominous, but really minimalistic in its approach at the same time. I really like the tiny details that pull this level together. All things I’ll cover in due time, but not right this second… because first I have to talk about this god-forsaken gameplay.
Good. Lord. Considering that heatherhayes has made some real bangers in the past, I must say I am truly disheartened to see the gameplay in this level blundered so hard. The biggest flaw is the fact that there are just no real spikes in this level. Tiny squares act as the hazards in this level, and they are overwhelmingly frustrating to deal with, because it’s so hard to differentiate between platform and obstacle. Some of the jumps are so hard to judge because the things you’re avoiding don’t accurately reflect a distance you’re used to making. It’s a task that seems easy, and maybe I’m just not built for this style of gameplay, but if you ask me, it’s way harder than it needs to be. And that’s not where my frustration ends with togetherness, because after the already finicky minicube at the start, this level has the nerve to throw you into a floor-to-ceiling spider section with very little reaction time between clicks. I’ll be the first to admit that I did not realize this level had a NONG song on my first playthrough, so having that click-sync definitely would have helped, but just… why. This is NOT a good gimmick. Please don’t do this, it’s bad.
Anyway, that’s where my complaints end pretty much because this atmosphere is absolutely fantastic. I love how innocent and childlike it seems on the surface, but how it also distorts itself over time, really selling that liminal vibe. It’s the kind of imagery you would expect to see in early childhood, with the little stick people and carnival attractions and neon colors, but there are little elements in there that seem to tear the level apart at the seams. Notably, the little couple seen at the start of the level. They’re cute, right? Well, yeah. It’s a very cute theme, very cute level. And as time goes on, you’ll see the little people at the start try on some different outfits. First some new hairstyles. Then a little tuxedo and long hair. Then a nice hat and some… facial hair? Then… missing limbs? Different sizes? Multiple heads? It’s so abstract and uncomfortable, despite just being a couple of little stick people. It’s ultimately a little thing, but so interesting in how it’s executed and I really like how weird it feels. I should also note that these changes apply to the little carnival games too, but I think the lack of human character does lessen the effect in that regard. Still a neat touch though.
It’s such a shame that the gameplay absolutely murders the experience of this level, because the minimalism is really powerful in the atmospheric essence of this level. But sadly, it’s so hard to appreciate those little details because of how deeply infuriating the intricate gameplay. Real talk, this level would have greatly benefitted from having no spikes (blocks), only using ground tiles for the gameplay. Think False Horizon as an example. Otherwise, though… this level just bothers me. But, I still have to appreciate the ending of this level, since I think it does conclude nicely. Instead of an intricate, timing based section, the final stretch is just a slow flight through the city, acting as a backdrop to the ferris wheel that serves as your “obstacle” here. It isn’t a difficult part, just requiring a little focus and flight control to get through. I think it does make the ending of this level all the more special, because it’s a gorgeous conclusion to an otherwise deep and uncomfortable experience. Still a 5 overall, as I quite like the concept and feel of the level. If only the gameplay were a little better, I could have seen this much higher.
Truth be told I never really understood the appeal for this level. Like, obviously it's historic since it's an old FunnyGame level from early 1.9, but I don't think that's necessary relevant considering the better levels that released after, notably La Campanella and Death Moon. This one is just kind of middle of the road for me though. Not bad of course, but I've never once revisited it after my initial completion, and honestly can't remember anything about it without a video except for the very obvious section with the red glow. Otherwise, it's just kind of a disposable level to me. I can understand why it's historic for being part of a REVOLUTION... but I can't understand it being seen as a classic today. I know it's a weak review, but I just don't have anything thoughtful to add really.
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sorry about this gang