[ti]Demon[/ti]Liquid Sky

Sorry this review is so late; I had some problems with Steam and had to go through technical support. To make matters worse, I lost the document my review was on, so I had to type it again. Thanks for waiting and sorry for the inconvenience!

First Impressions: A very cool effect demon level! For this level I’ll use a different judging method than in my signature: Gameplay is now worth 20, and there is also a criteria for Effects out of 10 (for where it applies).

0-29%
Gameplay and Sync: This section is split into two main parts, the gradient background segment and the cube red/blue background section. The gameplay for the most part is fluid and bug free; there are no major annoying sections as the portals are well placed. The transitions also match to the song; the higher pitched melodic beats are given gravity ball segments or fit a ufo jump pattern. My one complaint is the very last segment of this section, at the short ball drop: it’s a bit difficult at first to tell where to go. Making all blocks that can kill have spikes should fix this.
Gameplay: 18/20
Sync: 3.5/5

Design and Effects: The gradient background in the beginning is very common but fitting for the level. The block design is simple but the textures are handmade and blend well with the background. The thing I don’t like about this beginning design wise are the black bars. Although not obtrusive to the gameplay and breaking the background up a bit, they feel out of place and a bit boring, especially because they go on for a full 18%. If they didn’t cover the block structures, it would be super cool, as now the background feels cracked rather than “decorated on”, but these are simply suggestions and don’t need to be taken. I’m a big fan of the red/blue contrast and especially like the swirling ball effect. The purple block structures also fit the red/blue color scheme very well. One thing to note here is that the gradient between the completely black spike and the purple block is too sudden; as a result, it looks a tad bit unnatural and provides too much stark contrast on the eyes. The glowing objects with the spikes in particular are unaesthetically pleasing, although it’s common in levels nowadays. The section itself could use a bit more background deco (similar to the clouds/staircases in the ball drop), but it’s better to have less than to clutter your level up. Overall pretty good.
Design: 8.5/10
Effects: 9/10

29-62%
Gameplay and Sync: This long middle chunk is where the main difficulty of the level comes from, and I love it. The level plays very well to the song in terms of intense/relax moments using the speed triggers. I like the tight wave gameplay constant throughout. The transition to the ball, which is a bit buggy and annoying due to the orb spam, is the major complaint, but besides that, I really like the gameplay here.
Gameplay: 18/20
Sync: 4/5

Design and Effects: In this section, unlike the previous one, the contrasting black blocks are appreciated because of the fast motion. The background is pleasant to look at and the minimalistic block design highlights it well. I like the dynamic motion created by the black lines in the ball part but the dot structures are a bit too overused. The following ship’s block design is also pretty standard.
Design: 7.5/10

62-End
Gameplay and Sync: This section had my least favorite gameplay, because it felt awkward and inconsistent. The moving blocks can sometimes really throw off the robot’s vertical movement, and the orb timings before the UFO transition are not necessarily hard as they are annoying. The UFO jump pattern is a bit odd too. The obstacles in the sunset ship need to be clearer, especially because it is a sudden transition and they move at a different speed than the player. The rest is good, especially the ending, which is a nice cooldown. As for sync, the moving blocks match the tone of the song and the speed plays a role as well; very well done.
Gameplay: 14/20
Sync: 5/5

Design and Effects: I really like the dot structures, but there’s too much copy and pasting in the background of the robot section. The block design in the same section is pretty sweet. Besides the obstacles, I’m a really big fan of the sunset section: the effect is cool but not completely lag-inducing, and the silhouettes are well-crafted. The last segment’s block design is sleek as well.
Design: 8/10
Effects: 10/10

Total:
Gameplay: 50/60
Design: 24/30
Sync: 12.5/15
Effects: 19/20
Grand Total: 105.5/125
Rating: Feature-Worthy

Final Comments: Despite some gameplay inconsistencies and some copy-paste deco, I gave this level a feature worthy ranking because most of the gameplay is very fun (important in hard levels like demons) and the sync is insane. I also think this game needs more medium demons with more light-hearted songs than your standard techno. Sorry again that this review took so long, but I had to write it twice so please forgive me .