Rating Curve

i don't know how it took me as long as it did to find out about this level, haven't heard anyone talk about it, but damn this might be one of the coldest levels rated this year. from the presentation to the gameplay this goes unbelivably hard. it feels like a spiritual sequel to kidsmoke in some ways but also stands on its own as a project full of personality and charm. i love when animation is implemented well in gd levels and it really works here, the transitions look awesome and there are so many details and references hidden in the corners of this level that you can only spot if you look closely. its also clearly telling a story while not shoving it down your throat, it leaves you room for interpretation. it plays as crazy as it looks, its the type of level that demands you sit down to learn it. once you understand the gimmicks though it plays so smooth as the execution isnt really that hard. really creative gameplay though it might be frustrating for people approaching this thinking "its an easy extreme, i should be good enough to do this quickly". it also syncs really well. i was thinking of giving it a 10 but it does have one big problem: lag. tons of objects, meaning its going to ask a lot of the device you are playing on. i had to play with around 120 fps on average. also this level is fucking cursed it literally crashes your game if you try to leave. i've never seen something like that but it fits the level so well i think it might even be on purpose? overall, cursed in the best way possible.

dont know why i waited so long to review this. kidsmoke is one of the absolute best levels uploaded in the entirety of the 2.1 update. its that good. the atmosphere is so well done, through the simple but effective animations, the flashes, the gameplay even. combined with the banger that is dedrater by kingbastard, it all works to make a level that actually manages to intimidate you a bit which i think is quite hard for a gd level to accomplish. the level has a pretty straight forward narrative that it shows you without being too obvious or in your face about it. the two highlights of this level in my opinion are the wave at 37% that everyone talks about, with the confusing fading in and out and the demon taunting you in the background. such a simple but effective gameplay idea i love it, also the cube at 82% is such an intense part that is rarely mentioned: the leaves falling, the demon smiling, and the shadows covering up parts of the gameplay, it leads to the end of the level perfectly and might be my favourite part of the level overall. only reason i'm not giving this a 10 is that the gameplay, while it fits the level perfectly and i can totally justify it being what it is, isn't the most fun thing in the world to play. throughout the review i mentioned how a lot of the gameplay is obscured or hidden in some way, and while it works perfectly for a level like this, it can be frustrating when playing. still i personally think its consistent and fair once you sit down and learn it, not bad by any means. as a fan of radiohead, i totally recommend this. please play this awesome level.

this might actually be one of the most fun extremes in the entire game. its really, really good. its good enough where i would have loved it even if it had subpar deco, but nah, awesome deco aswell. nothing too crazy when it comes to that, but it doesn't have to be. the use of trasparency makes the simple designs work well with the theme of a "diamond" disco, the structures look like they are made of crystals, the movements and the fade in / out effects look awesome too. sync is great and makes the level really satisfying to play, song goes hard, transitions are really really good, this level makes me so happy its such a good time overall.

this was the first 2.2 level that genuinely impressed me in both terms of decoration and mechanics. i remember this being the level that made me realize what people could really do with the new editor. this was also the first level that i think managed to pull off the "static" decoration effect and made it work well. the song fits the atmosphere of the level so well too. despite the waves going in different directions the gameplay is actually still very intuitive while also not being stupid easy. the difficulty is perfect for a level like this, a decent challenge but nothing too hard. if this was an extreme demon for example i feel like practicing this wouldn't have been enjoyable (this might be a me problem but i remember not being able to make start positions work for this level). banger overall.

when i think about the 1.9 update, a lot of bangers come to mind. this is one of those. truly, one of the best levels of the update. woogi was one of the greatest when it comes to interesting structures and designs, and this right here might be the peak of his creativity. the designs never stay for too long and quickly change from structure to structure, yet they always work well with eachother and just look so good. somehow, there's never a structure that sticks out like a sore thumb. this level just gives off amazing positive vibes. one of my favourites for sure.

this, is krmal's masterpiece. this is how you create a narrative in a gd level. no cutscenes, no writings. even without the decorations, you could still be able to understand the narrative of the level thanks to how the gameplay is structured. one of the greatest levels of all time.