Rating Curve

I really like this level! I think this was my favorite level for the Event Levels before levels started coming out after Button Masher. It's got a silly theme with some really fun gameplay, and it has ducks, which is a nice bonus. Duckstep does a lot of little things that add up to be a great experience, like using jump orbs to spell quack, using spider pads in a way I hadn't seen, and having small details that show a good effort was made, and I think it paid off! I don't have many gripes with Duckstep, apart from the gameplay being a bit standard at times and not too interesting, but that's a pretty minor complaint all things considered. Also I like the ducks. Who doesn't like ducks?

This level was honestly a bit disheartening to replay. I do think it's better than some give it credit for but some elements of Noel Electra really do not work. I'll start with some positives. I know a lot of people aren't a fan of the hyper-realistic art style in a lot of modern levels, and while that's valid, I personally really like the look of it. I think the theming is a perfect midpoint between a snowy wonderland and a harsh icy climate, and hey, it's around Christmas time (at least at the time of Noel Electra's release) so that fits too! I think some of the camera controls are weirdly floaty and unnecessary but not actively harming the experience before the drop. I like the part where you're on top of the train, and afterwards when you go through the train cars themselves, each one with a little bit of a theme, like a mechanical car, an icy car, and a botanical car. I think the animation going into the drop is cool, but this is where the level becomes a bit of a train wreck (see what I did there?). The drop is an absolute mess of gameplay that feels very unfair to the player with a lot of sudden camera triggers and direction switches with very little indication on what will happen. It is actively not fun to learn nor play, and a lot of deaths felt a bit out of my control. On top of that, there are some bugs which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if this wasn't the hardest and most chaotic section of the level. I also find the square orb use to be really odd, serving as click indicators with not a lot of reason to use them as opposed to something else like arrows or anything. I think the way the train discombobulates is really cool and compliments the song well but it unfortunately doesn't save from the pretty unenjoyable section, and it's a pretty significant portion of the level. I will say I do love the fadeout with the bells letting you take in the atmosphere, it's a very nice touch, and the endscreen with the demolished train is pretty cool. While I do think Noel Electra has a neat style some good ideas, the execution of the later half of the level was quite rough and a bit disappointing which leads to a pretty mixed experience.

This was another event level I admittedly didn't remember much about before replaying it. I think Backstreet Boy really lives up to the hype, and in spite of some jank it's really cool and energetic level! The song and decoration create such a sleek atmosphere with some cool ideas like the rails you grind on with your head..? Not sure exactly what to call them but they're neat. I think the vertical spider isn't the most interesting visually with some pretty forgettable gameplay, and the last 20% feels a lot harder than the rest of the level (though that might be a skill issue on my end), but I think this is really strong level with a stellar theme and execution in spite of a couple problems.

Despite some weak and questionable decisions with it's gameplay at times, Cheat Codes soars in it's execution of it's apocalyptic theme and I really like the clean style of the level, and the way the easy demon creatures look. I expected parts like the sideways spider to be pretty annoying, but honestly it's not bad at all because of the simplicity of it. Vertical parts are very hard to nail so I'm not going to hold it against the level for keeping it simple there. I don't really like the first UFO and like it, some minor sections of the level have the problem of not making it clear what is and isn't an obstacle, but it's pretty sparse so it's easy to overlook. The buildup before the drop and the bossfight was very weak gameplay-wise, but nothing that actively felt poor in quality, just kind of there. I had fun revisiting Cheat Codes, and I'm glad I did because it's a lot better and cooler than I remember.

I'm pretty split on Ruins. The level didn't leave much of an impression on me the first time around, so I went into Ruins mostly blind. The beginning is a quite dark and makes jumps a bit unpredictable, which unfortunately is a pretty significant problem throughout the level. For me, Ruins wasn't that fun, with a lot of it being incredibly simple, but occasionally having camera triggers that can be quite obnoxious, leading to some moments that feel pretty irritating when you die. I feel like this level would be around a 7 star in difficulty if the gameplay weren't so unclear at times. On the other hand, I think the theming is really well done, and I like a lot of the robotic elements. I especially like at 20% the demon which is from Cheat Codes, the Event Level directly after Ruins, and that shows a bit of continuity in this level I really like. I can't say the gameplay is that bad once you get it down, but it unfortunately really sours the experience despite strong theming and some very cool visual effects. I think the strong elements in this level propel it enough to be pretty solid, but just barely not enough to be a level I overall like.

Upon revisiting Retrospective, I liked it a lot more than I remember! I think the sleek tech-y look of the levels looks nice, and I really like the flow of the level! ...For the most part. Despite some really strong moments during the drop, the start and end feel pretty clunky and the camera controls really dampen the feel of the level. I'm not an expert, so I wouldn't know exactly how to make the camera movements feel more fair and allow the level to telegraph what's coming up more clearly, but I feel like that's an aspect of the level that could be improved, and I'm not a big fan of the UFO near the beginning with the sudden gravity change. However, I do think this level pulls though and manages to be solid, in spite of some strange moments with it's gameplay.

A pretty solid demon entry to Event Levels. Admittedly when I first played this, I was not a fan, finding the flow of the level to be super clunky and visually hard to separate what is and isn't an obstacle. However, a repeat playthrough of Citadel is a much nicer experience, also allowing you to bask in the stellar art direction and theme. I still think many obstacles are visually hard to tell if they're harmful, and I don't think using particle effects to guide the player is a particularly good solution, but once you do learn the way this level plays, it's decently fun, apart from some strange moments during the drop. I suppose the main takeaway from this is despite it not being the greatest experience to learn and practice, once you get it all down, it's a pretty good level with some inspiring ideas, especially the split-screen part and the overall haunted castle theme of the level.

The atmosphere in this level is really nice! I love the nighttime city theme, and the overall details in the background. I do think the gameplay towards the middle and especially the end can be pretty wonky and unsatisfying to play. I'm also not a huge fan of the first and third coins, and feels pretty awkward to get. Despite the awkwardness that does plague a decent chunk of Geometry, I do think this level's strengths outweigh it's weaknesses, and is overall a pretty good level!

A nice simple level that uses Back on Track a motif in a tasteful and new way. I overall love the details in the earlier and middle parts, especially the miniature level foreground element. I do think the end clashes a bit too much with the other parts of the level, but it's not bad by any means. A really nice start to Event Levels!