To me, it feels as if it has been a long time since a really high quality top 1 level stormed the scene. However, Limbo seems to be a breath of fresh air from typical top 1 extreme demons. It features fantastic decoration, original gameplay, and an epic final part with a concept never before seen in another level.
I am aware that Limbo is technically not confirmed to be top 1, but for the sake of this article, I will assume it is. My points are still valid even if this isn't the case, though.
With this, I think it is fair to say it is one of the most anticipated levels of this era. This is great because it feels like all other levels before this are just pointless remakes of older levels, so seeing a new original extreme demon is something to look forward to.
These are broad and obvious points, so the real question is: what exactly makes a level this anticipated? What can creators take away from Limbo to make their own original projects stand out? Well, the key is originality.
Originality is key
The effectiveness of originality is often overlooked. Let's take a look at some of the other top extreme demons to come out recently.
- Sakupen Circles
- Slaughterhouse
- The Golden
What do all of these have in common? Well, they are all remakes. No matter how good of a decoration each level has, they fail to stand out because of their lack of originality.
The only reason these levels have a little bit of hype is because they are top 1 extreme demons. But Limbo, on the other hand, is not only a top 1 extreme demon, but an original level that exceeds at aspects beyond just being hard.
In fact, the core gimmick that symbolizes Limbo is original. While it is not the first level to use memory gameplay, it is the first major level in a long time to use it.
Given this, the final part in Limbo cannot go unnoticed. It is a new leap for memory gameplay, relying not only on long term memory, but short term memory. This alone is such an incredible finale to a level that it makes Limbo a level one cannot easily forget.
The truth is, too many top 1 extreme demons nowadays are not original. They are either remakes or do the bare minimum to pass the community's standards. However, this makes levels like Limbo all the more special to Geometry Dash players.