to add to what deca was saying i noticed a lot of deliberate flow changes to aid with emphasis as well. most of the map follows "forward slider flow" where objects after sliders are placed in the general direction its facing e.g 01:22:996 (2,3,4) (if you are an avalonite this is the "pointer" it's actually why visuals and movement are very interlinked). This is what gives the map this very "smooth" quality/texture - and as a consequence when this flow is disrupted it creates greater emphasis.
The other thing which i feel is relevant are the more elementary flow changes (reversing circle direction, backing up on itself etc.) which are used alongside or in place of the aforementioned. For instance in chorus 1 01:49:244 (1,2,3,4,5,1,2,3) - where a whole circle is made at 01:49:244 (1,2,3,4,5) and then broken by reversing the direction at 01:50:608 (1,2,3). Some more instances which I won't bother with elaborating as they are pretty self-explanatory are 00:59:134 (4,5,6,7,1), 03:10:376 (8,9,10,1), 04:29:122 (2,3,4,5,1,2,3) etc etc.
oh also shoutout this pattern 04:24:690 (2,1,2,3,4) - it does what i mentioned and it also has a funny rhythm which somehow works. thanks for reading again
i dont think this review/analysis is going to do the map justice but im gonna speak my shit anyway because this map is awesome. There are likely many more things to say but here are the 2 main/most obvious things that i got from the map.
1. usage of sharp to shallow angle movement motif. its a very simple idea - a sequence of objects (usually circles i.e jumps) starting with sharp angles between objects "resolving" to wider angles for increased impact - which the map uses all throughout but mainly in key moments of the song. This is really the *sauce* which both elevates and holds the map together. Within this main motif theres many "sub motifs" as i like to call them, a specific instance of the idea which is repeated, perhaps giving a stronger identity to individual phrases.
Lastly, I have to talk about the outro of the map 03:46:677, the climax for what everything is built up to. This is where the motif is turned up to 11. Pretty much every pattern here is some form of it. this one 03:49:816 (2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4) is probably the coolest one to me. I was totally stunlocked the first time i was going through this, and still now i smile ear to ear when i experience it. its truly magical
2. slowing down pacing to make resolutions more impactful. this compliments the powerful sharp to wide movements to create even greater impact. Whilst changing pacing is present in the entire map there is extra done for specific moments, particularly for the ends of choruses. Many of these examples im about to show are patterns which directly precede one of the earlier timestamps, showing how these 2 ideas are used in tandem.
03:49:119 (1) - oh this one is even more insane im realising because it also highlights the introduction of the electric guitar afterwards
03:56:793 (1,2), 04:00:282 (1,2) - these last two, they stand out to me because of the pretty funky rhythm and the first having THREE 1/1 gaps in a row straight afterwards contrasting the second which has the climax of the map straight after it. crazy work
That's all I have to say for this review. I do implore others to explore for themselves! thanks a lot of reading if you got here <3
its undoubtedly well executed but i find it hard to see this as more than just a loosely-strung-together idea/pattern gallery.
its like every individual section is inoffensive enough to not clash with eachother but theyre not meaningfully building on eachother (makes it feel like theres no clear """message""" to the map (not sure what the word for this is)).
as such even though the map is doing **so many different things** it feels hollow, or short-sighted to me in actuality.
something something "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is what im not getting from this map.
the individual ideas arent really doing anything **that** cool or fun for me either. there are some maps that i really enjoy which are just glorified pattern galleries (shoutout axarious aim compilation) but those maps are atleast doubling-down on making some straight bullshit whilst everything in this map seems to (purposefully or not) be very "safe" so consequentially uninteresting to me.
i still give it a 2.5 because it for sure has a place and i can understand why ppl like it :p
Probably my favorite map from azphyx, and for sure the map for which I feel the most emotion for. The map manages to give me this unstable, anxious, jarring feeling through its use of harsh intensity changes and rhythm which subvert the players intuition. This matches well with the dreamy angsty feeling of the song (imo). The map does still have resemblance to the traditional flow of how a map represents the song, just with some different methods.
As with any good analysis of a map, I shall divide it into its parts. There are 3 main sections, 00:19:904 chorus, 00:44:136 verse and 01:05:517 chorus. Additionally for the chorus sections I will divide them into 4 equal "phrases" (e.g for chorus 1 the phrases are 00:19:904, 00:25:606, 00:31:307, 00:37:009). Within the chorus's these 4 phrases are the overarching structure, with each numbered phrase in chorus 1 matching its counterpart in chorus 2 (although this is not to a tea as there are differences).
Naturally, I'll start with phrase 1 where we have the more traditional representations with there being a steady flow and overall constant rhythmic density. Here we have the usual tag-style gameplay with big sliders for vocals on downbeats 00:22:755 01:08:368 and plenty of improvised rhythms to add more spice. Although there is an intensity drop here 00:24:180 (3,1,2,1,2,3,4,1,2) and here 01:10:150 (1,2,1,2,1,2,3) to match the song and create bigger impact for the next phrase, overall rhythmic density is still maintained - keeping the steady pacing of the section.
Where this steady pacing is subverted follows in phrase 2. Both phrase 2's have this major disruption in pacing with 00:26:675 (1,2)00:28:456 (1) and 01:12:466 (1,2)01:14:070 (1) slowing the map down majorly. It's nonsensical and feels intuitively wrong but it is that exact jarring-ness which gives it emphasis, and contributes to the angsty feel of the map. Where the phrase 2's differ is the beginning with the 1st phrase 2 keeping the pace 00:25:606 (1,2,1,2) - but the 2nd doubling down on the jarringness with a huge 2/1 slider 01:11:219 (1). The other smaller difference is the ending with the 2nd being a bit less intense to suit the song dropping many musical layers. (ALSO i want to note that these buildups with matching sharp angle movement are cool 00:30:595 (1,2,1,1) - 01:16:208 (1,1,2,1))
With phrase 1 being "normal" and phrase 2 being "jarring", phrases 3 and for 4 combine these elements.
The first half of phrase 3 follows the natural flow, being high intensity and acting as the resolutions for the build-ups beforehand (particularly in chorus 2 where its the peak of the song). This high intensity is then totally juxtaposition-ed with these intensity drops 00:34:158 (1) and 01:19:771 (1,1,2,3,4,5) and what's crazy to me is how both of these achieve the same goal of being uncomfortable, jarring, whilst having totally different rhtyhms.
Phrase 4 has a similar first half to phrase 3's first half. However in phrase 4 of the first chorus the smoother gameplay is kept towards the second half whilst the second chorus becomes jarring in the second half with 01:25:473 (1). this changeup i can see to make a more dramatic, conclusive finish to the map as well as matching with 01:11:219 (1)).
With the choruses covered, I shall now move on to talking about the verse. Here is what creates the real magic of the map. for the *most part (*ill come back to where it differs later) there is *very* constant but slightly increasing pacing. this pacing is so constant its practically void of emphasis, a stark contrast to the choruses which are flooded with emphasis (maybe even overboard with emphasis depending on your tastes). To accompany this we have this idea of sliders pointing in the same direction usually in groupings of 2 00:45:561 (1,2)00:48:769 (1,2)00:46:987 (1,2)00:54:470 (1,1) etc etc. The movements of these are to match well with the vocals (i cant really describe exactly why but im sure it is apparant to others too).
Now there are 2 sliders which disrupt this flow. The first of which 00:49:481 is more minorly disruptive You can certainly feel it's presence but it doesn't steal the show rather it's purpose is to set precedent. The second 01:01:954 is so incredibly jarring, especially when straight after an overmapped triple and nearing the end of the section where it *should* be building in intensity, not dropping. This is what glues the whole map together, a reminder/callback that there's going to be this jarringness.
Now whats funny about this review is I haven't even talked about the visuals yet, an aspect of mapping which azphyx is famous (or rather infamous) for. This map is also a showcase of his mastery over visuals, being able to create his own spin-off of the tag style seen in unique sliders like 00:19:904 (1)00:25:606 (1)00:34:158 (1)01:05:517 (1)01:08:368 (1) etc. This visual beauty on it's own has it's merit but I also really enjoy how well it suits the other aspects of the map. To me tag as a style is built on imbalance, on being "messy" and unorthodox. This suits the rather counter-intuitive and out there aspects of the gameplay.
Anyway, that's most of what I have to say for this map. If you've read all of this thanks a lot you are cool in my books (even if you end up rating it a 1 anyway) :3.
to add to what deca was saying i noticed a lot of deliberate flow changes to aid with emphasis as well. most of the map follows "forward slider flow" where objects after sliders are placed in the general direction its facing e.g 01:22:996 (2,3,4) (if you are an avalonite this is the "pointer" it's actually why visuals and movement are very interlinked). This is what gives the map this very "smooth" quality/texture - and as a consequence when this flow is disrupted it creates greater emphasis.
the most extreme disruptions are when objects directly reverse the direction, and it's exactly this that the map uses in intense moments like at the ends of choruses 2 and 3 03:15:830 (3,4,5,1,2,3) 04:40:882 (1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3) and also halfway through each chorus 01:34:927 (4,1,2,3), 03:00:831 (5,1,2,3), 04:26:224 (5,6,7,8,1,2,3). Theres also instances of this in other parts of the choruses but more notably in the last 1/4 of them, i suspect to build more energy/emphasise the repeating vocals 01:44:131 (4,1,2,3,4,1), 01:45:836 (4,5,1), 01:47:540 (7,8,9,1), 03:13:785 (1,2,3), 04:35:940 (2,1,2,1).
There's also instances outside of the choruses like in build-ups before them 01:11:406 (7,1,2,3), 02:45:491 (6,1,2,3), 03:34:238 (3,4). These ones at the bridge section realy stood out to me 03:56:055 (1,2,3,4), 03:58:101 (1,2,3,4), 04:04:237 (1,2,3,4), 04:06:282 (1,2,3,4) - since they are done on the repeating vocals *like* the ones in the choruses and are accompanied with these 1/1 gap stacks 03:55:715 (6,1), 03:57:078 (4,5), 03:59:123 (4,5), 04:03:896 (3,1), 04:05:259 (4,5) creating this really awesome 1 2 1 2 structure (this was what really sold me that the mapper was definitely deliberate with it, even if not COMPLETELY consistent).
The other thing which i feel is relevant are the more elementary flow changes (reversing circle direction, backing up on itself etc.) which are used alongside or in place of the aforementioned. For instance in chorus 1 01:49:244 (1,2,3,4,5,1,2,3) - where a whole circle is made at 01:49:244 (1,2,3,4,5) and then broken by reversing the direction at 01:50:608 (1,2,3). Some more instances which I won't bother with elaborating as they are pretty self-explanatory are 00:59:134 (4,5,6,7,1), 03:10:376 (8,9,10,1), 04:29:122 (2,3,4,5,1,2,3) etc etc.
oh also shoutout this pattern 04:24:690 (2,1,2,3,4) - it does what i mentioned and it also has a funny rhythm which somehow works. thanks for reading again
i dont think this review/analysis is going to do the map justice but im gonna speak my shit anyway because this map is awesome. There are likely many more things to say but here are the 2 main/most obvious things that i got from the map.
1. usage of sharp to shallow angle movement motif. its a very simple idea - a sequence of objects (usually circles i.e jumps) starting with sharp angles between objects "resolving" to wider angles for increased impact - which the map uses all throughout but mainly in key moments of the song. This is really the *sauce* which both elevates and holds the map together. Within this main motif theres many "sub motifs" as i like to call them, a specific instance of the idea which is repeated, perhaps giving a stronger identity to individual phrases.
a few of these are as follows,
01:19:816 (1,2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2,3,4), 02:32:200 (5,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2,3,4), 03:39:351 (1,2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2,3,4) - used at the end of choruses, for the final resolution
01:16:415 (6,7,1,2,1,2,1,2,1), 02:28:886 (1,2,3,1,2,3,4), 03:35:863 (1,2,3,4,1,2,3) - used before the ends of choruses (abt 3/4 in)
01:08:654 (7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1), 02:21:212 (3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2,1), 03:28:188 (1,2,1,2,3,4,1,2,1) - used halfway through the choruses. here whilst there are the sharp angles it goes a lot less wide afterwards then the aforementioned. perhaps because its not the full resolution just the halfway point
01:05:688 (3,4,5,6,7) (this one is kind of a stretch), 02:17:723 (1,2,3,1,2,1,2,3,4), 03:24:700 (1,2,1,2,1,2,3,4) - used 1/4 into the choruses, similar to the ones used 3/4 in
There are also a few notable individual instances, like these ones 00:56:095 (1,2,3,4,5,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9), 02:07:258 (1,2,3,1,2,3,4,5,6) which build up into the choruses, this one 01:43:886 (1,2,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2,3,4,5,6) a *massive* sequence for the ending of the verse going into the pre-chorus and this one in the verse 01:33:770 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,1) - which actually does the idea in inverse (wide -> sharp)
Lastly, I have to talk about the outro of the map 03:46:677, the climax for what everything is built up to. This is where the motif is turned up to 11. Pretty much every pattern here is some form of it. this one 03:49:816 (2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4) is probably the coolest one to me. I was totally stunlocked the first time i was going through this, and still now i smile ear to ear when i experience it. its truly magical
2. slowing down pacing to make resolutions more impactful. this compliments the powerful sharp to wide movements to create even greater impact. Whilst changing pacing is present in the entire map there is extra done for specific moments, particularly for the ends of choruses. Many of these examples im about to show are patterns which directly precede one of the earlier timestamps, showing how these 2 ideas are used in tandem.
01:18:421 (4), 02:30:979 (1) 03:37:258 (3,4) - for sure the greatest drop in pacing fitting for the resolution for the end of the choruses.
01:04:468 (5,6), 02:17:026 (3), 03:24:002 (6) - more notable pacing drops, 1/4 through choruses
03:49:119 (1) - oh this one is even more insane im realising because it also highlights the introduction of the electric guitar afterwards
03:56:793 (1,2), 04:00:282 (1,2) - these last two, they stand out to me because of the pretty funky rhythm and the first having THREE 1/1 gaps in a row straight afterwards contrasting the second which has the climax of the map straight after it. crazy work
That's all I have to say for this review. I do implore others to explore for themselves! thanks a lot of reading if you got here <3
its undoubtedly well executed but i find it hard to see this as more than just a loosely-strung-together idea/pattern gallery.
its like every individual section is inoffensive enough to not clash with eachother but theyre not meaningfully building on eachother (makes it feel like theres no clear """message""" to the map (not sure what the word for this is)).
as such even though the map is doing **so many different things** it feels hollow, or short-sighted to me in actuality.
something something "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is what im not getting from this map.
the individual ideas arent really doing anything **that** cool or fun for me either. there are some maps that i really enjoy which are just glorified pattern galleries (shoutout axarious aim compilation) but those maps are atleast doubling-down on making some straight bullshit whilst everything in this map seems to (purposefully or not) be very "safe" so consequentially uninteresting to me.
i still give it a 2.5 because it for sure has a place and i can understand why ppl like it :p
Probably my favorite map from azphyx, and for sure the map for which I feel the most emotion for. The map manages to give me this unstable, anxious, jarring feeling through its use of harsh intensity changes and rhythm which subvert the players intuition. This matches well with the dreamy angsty feeling of the song (imo). The map does still have resemblance to the traditional flow of how a map represents the song, just with some different methods.
As with any good analysis of a map, I shall divide it into its parts. There are 3 main sections, 00:19:904 chorus, 00:44:136 verse and 01:05:517 chorus. Additionally for the chorus sections I will divide them into 4 equal "phrases" (e.g for chorus 1 the phrases are 00:19:904, 00:25:606, 00:31:307, 00:37:009). Within the chorus's these 4 phrases are the overarching structure, with each numbered phrase in chorus 1 matching its counterpart in chorus 2 (although this is not to a tea as there are differences).
Naturally, I'll start with phrase 1 where we have the more traditional representations with there being a steady flow and overall constant rhythmic density. Here we have the usual tag-style gameplay with big sliders for vocals on downbeats 00:22:755 01:08:368 and plenty of improvised rhythms to add more spice. Although there is an intensity drop here 00:24:180 (3,1,2,1,2,3,4,1,2) and here 01:10:150 (1,2,1,2,1,2,3) to match the song and create bigger impact for the next phrase, overall rhythmic density is still maintained - keeping the steady pacing of the section.
Where this steady pacing is subverted follows in phrase 2. Both phrase 2's have this major disruption in pacing with 00:26:675 (1,2) 00:28:456 (1) and 01:12:466 (1,2) 01:14:070 (1) slowing the map down majorly. It's nonsensical and feels intuitively wrong but it is that exact jarring-ness which gives it emphasis, and contributes to the angsty feel of the map. Where the phrase 2's differ is the beginning with the 1st phrase 2 keeping the pace 00:25:606 (1,2,1,2) - but the 2nd doubling down on the jarringness with a huge 2/1 slider 01:11:219 (1). The other smaller difference is the ending with the 2nd being a bit less intense to suit the song dropping many musical layers. (ALSO i want to note that these buildups with matching sharp angle movement are cool 00:30:595 (1,2,1,1) - 01:16:208 (1,1,2,1))
With phrase 1 being "normal" and phrase 2 being "jarring", phrases 3 and for 4 combine these elements.
The first half of phrase 3 follows the natural flow, being high intensity and acting as the resolutions for the build-ups beforehand (particularly in chorus 2 where its the peak of the song). This high intensity is then totally juxtaposition-ed with these intensity drops 00:34:158 (1) and 01:19:771 (1,1,2,3,4,5) and what's crazy to me is how both of these achieve the same goal of being uncomfortable, jarring, whilst having totally different rhtyhms.
Phrase 4 has a similar first half to phrase 3's first half. However in phrase 4 of the first chorus the smoother gameplay is kept towards the second half whilst the second chorus becomes jarring in the second half with 01:25:473 (1). this changeup i can see to make a more dramatic, conclusive finish to the map as well as matching with 01:11:219 (1)).
With the choruses covered, I shall now move on to talking about the verse. Here is what creates the real magic of the map. for the *most part (*ill come back to where it differs later) there is *very* constant but slightly increasing pacing. this pacing is so constant its practically void of emphasis, a stark contrast to the choruses which are flooded with emphasis (maybe even overboard with emphasis depending on your tastes). To accompany this we have this idea of sliders pointing in the same direction usually in groupings of 2 00:45:561 (1,2) 00:48:769 (1,2) 00:46:987 (1,2) 00:54:470 (1,1) etc etc. The movements of these are to match well with the vocals (i cant really describe exactly why but im sure it is apparant to others too).
Now there are 2 sliders which disrupt this flow. The first of which 00:49:481 is more minorly disruptive You can certainly feel it's presence but it doesn't steal the show rather it's purpose is to set precedent. The second 01:01:954 is so incredibly jarring, especially when straight after an overmapped triple and nearing the end of the section where it *should* be building in intensity, not dropping. This is what glues the whole map together, a reminder/callback that there's going to be this jarringness.
Now whats funny about this review is I haven't even talked about the visuals yet, an aspect of mapping which azphyx is famous (or rather infamous) for. This map is also a showcase of his mastery over visuals, being able to create his own spin-off of the tag style seen in unique sliders like 00:19:904 (1) 00:25:606 (1) 00:34:158 (1) 01:05:517 (1) 01:08:368 (1) etc. This visual beauty on it's own has it's merit but I also really enjoy how well it suits the other aspects of the map. To me tag as a style is built on imbalance, on being "messy" and unorthodox. This suits the rather counter-intuitive and out there aspects of the gameplay.
Anyway, that's most of what I have to say for this map. If you've read all of this thanks a lot you are cool in my books (even if you end up rating it a 1 anyway) :3.
wow this took too long to write oops