Digital Descent

### Creator(s)

Codex, Kips, Nasgubb, Terron, AbstractDark, Samifying, Manix648, Viprin (host), TheDevon, Etzer, Loogiah, LazerBlitz, G4lvatron, KrmaL, Vlacc, Serponge, Hinds, and Rustam

Verifier: Combined

Publisher: Viprin

### Pointercrate Ranking

#69

 Revolution is not always made by the ones who rule... This time the digital era is going down. Verified by Combined.
 — Viprin

******Digital Descent****** (commonly abbreviated to **DD**) is a 2.1 Extreme Demon mega-collaboration hosted by Viprin and verified by Combined. A "buff-date" to the level was also verified by him. It is the official sequel to Artificial Ascent and features twenty different creators, with many of them from the Artificial Ascent team along with a few new additions.

## Gameplay

* **0-3% (Codex):** Much like in Artificial Ascent, Codex builds the first part. The level starts off with a simple normal-speed cube section that later changes into half-speed, with many jump orbs scattered around. This part is not too difficult, as trap orbs are marked with x's and timings are not too harsh.

* **4-7% (Kips):** This part consists of a pretty tricky normal-speed ball segment with a lot of moving platforms and obstacles. It requires good timing and is designed in his signature cartoon-like block design, with blocks moving from the borders to the middle. There are no traps and only a few jump orbs need to be hit throughout the section.

* **8-11% (Nasgubb):** As the screen turns white, his part appears. Notably more difficult than the previous two parts, this part is comprised of a mini-ship sequence, with many tight spaces and gravity portals to skillfully get through. The entire part is also significantly darker than the previous two, although the many glowing objects help the player navigate through.

* **12-16% (Terron):** Terron's part begins with a half-speed spider segment, where the player needs to pass through a tight section full of pillars with small gaps. This then leads to a double speed mixed dual section, potentially referencing to his part in Artificial Ascent. A dual ship/wave mixed dual will take the player to a cube portal, and the part ends with the player passing along a platform with Terron's name, and then a red jump orb which brings the player to the next part of the level.

* **17-23% (AbstractDark):** The music hits the drop as the player enters AbstractDark's part. This part starts with a futuristic blue styled quadruple-speed spider section. The player is required to pass through multiple jump and dash orbs to make it through. His part then slows down to double speed and changes color to red as the player enters a UFO segment featuring many gravity changes, and then a short wave and ship section through large spinning hazards on the top and bottom of the "safe zone."

* **23-30% (Samifying):** This part includes multiple form changes that happen at a fast pace, with not all of the form portals visible. It begins with a quadruple-speed ball (that is presumably auto) that leads to a cube with a row of trap jump orbs. The player then becomes a ship, having to fly through a circular path (resembling that seen in God Eater). This then leads to a short but tight straight flying segment. The player is then transported to a very brief UFO, and then a tight mini-wave segment. The part concludes with a short ball and cube, and the text "Samy Out" and "GL!"

* **31-37% (Manix648):** The part starts as a dual wave segment with multiple size changes and safe platforms that the player can land on. The wave ends with both waves hitting a dash orb which brings them to a spider part. The spider section somewhat resembles TOE III in terms of gameplay, with the spider having to teleport on and off of slanted blocks. His part finishes with a tight flying section with multiple gravity changes and the decorations switching colors from white and black multiple times over.

* **38-42% (Viprin):** Viprin's part begins with a short but tight mini UFO segment which leads to a slightly longer ball section with very difficult timings. After the ball is a wave section in which the player needs to spam, and then avoid spikes using wave safe blocks and sync the clicks to the music. After this is a short ship section, followed by a robot where the player needs to jump into two gravity portals on the ceiling and floor to avoid spikes. His part ends with a cube section and a red jump pad which leads into TheDevon's part.

* **43-49% (TheDevon):** TheDevon's part starts with the player thrown into a long and confusing cube section, riddled with fake jump orbs and speed changes that they should be aware of. After the cube, the player comes to a very tight wave section with dash orbs, size portals, and invisible gravity portals to help the player through angled pathways. The part ends with the wave becoming a cube at normal speed preparing for the next part.

* **50-56% (Etzer):** This part is filled with different game mode changes and very Etzer-like background effects. It begins with a quadruple speed mini ship sequence with a single green jump orb in order to get to a very quick mini wave segment into an equally short robot and spider segment after that. Another robot jump takes the player to a straight fly into a wave transition towards another UFO segment with an additional two jump orbs, and a triple-speed maneuver flying segment as well as a brief wave segment to finish the part.

* **57-62 (Loogiah):** The part starts off with a fast-paced UFO with multiple gravity changes and some moving objects that leads to a slightly slower ship section with tight spaces, more gravity changes, speed changes, and even more moving game-play. The second half of the part consists of a dual cube section where the player needs to hit a pair of reverse dash orbs followed by a brief but tight wave section. The part is designed similarly to -Grindfury- by Hinds and Loogiah himself.

* **63-68% (LazerBlitz):** Designed in his typical style, Lazer's part starts with a ship sequence. Here, the player needs to pass through two tight pillars with gravity portals inside them. This then leads onto a cube with a single purple orb timing along with some gameplay that requires a small amount of memorization, and then a dash orb followed by a ball section with difficult timings. The part ends on a semi-auto cube, where the player only has to hit a few jump rings.

* **69-75% (G4lvatron):** Right after this semi-auto section comes G4lvatron's part which contains a quadruple speed straight fly sequence followed by a green jump orb and a reverse dash orb that need to be hit in order to reach the spider right afterwards. This tight spider segment is followed by a short ship sequence and a fast UFO segment with a couple of jump orbs and gravity portals mixed in with regular jumps. Finally, a wave with gameplay involving both types of dash orbs appears and takes the player into the next section of the level.

* **76-81% (KrmaL):** KrmaL's part starts with an awkward transition into a quadruple speed mini wave segment via a dash orb. This mini-wave is very tight and requires some well-timed clicks. The mini-wave transitions into a regular wave segment, in which the player must hit two custom orbs in order to deactivate the two gravity portals located in the narrow passageway up ahead. The player must then go through a short wave spam segment which leads to a mini cube section with game-play reminiscent of Heartbeat and Black Blizzard. His part ends after the mini cube segment is completed.

* **82-85% (Vlacc):** Vlacc's part is colored to the brim with orange/pink and consists entirely of a tight half speed ship sequence, with a few gravity and size changes along the way. Throughout the whole part, hazardous sawblades (both static and moving) will appear as threats that the player must skillfully avoid by taking more awkward routes than the ones visible at first sight.

* **86-88% (Serponge):** "SERP" can be seen in the background indicating his part, and the whole theme revolves around the inner workings of a factory falling apart. His part consists of a half-speed UFO section that begins with the player having to time jump orbs while obstructions block the player's vision occasionally. After this, the player needs to navigate through moving pillars lined with spikes with dots flashing in and out of existence all over the place.

* **89-93% (Hinds):**  Hinds's part consists of a long cube section with a lot of timing involved. The part contains numerous jump orbs that should be timed precisely along with some fake lining to mess with the player. While it contains lots of 2.1 decoration, it retains a very 1.9 feel to it, as many of Hinds's levels do.

* **94-100% (Rustam):** Rustam's part starts with a double speed cube section where the player has to hit some jump orbs with timing in order to reach multiple platforms placed throughout the segment. This then leads to a very short wave spam segment followed by a ball segment with some more timings, and a UFO segment with some gravity changes and art resembling skeleton arms sticking out of the ground and ceiling likewise. A final cube section then emerges and contains a few more jump orb timings before the last triple spike. Then, the level ends with an end logo built by Terron.

## Trivia

* Like Artificial Ascent, the level was verified by Combined.
* There are few Easter eggs in the level, as the logo.
* The name Digital Descent (DD) and Artificial Ascent (AA) is probably inspired by Bloodbath (BB) or Cataclysm (CC).
	+ The names also rhyme with each other.

* Viprin himself stated on Twitter that the level (aside from TheDevon and Etzer's parts) were to be buffed. This came off a request by Combined who wanted the level's inconsistent difficulty reduced, and so asked for the level to be buffed. The buff-date was verified by Combined on September 26, 2017.
* There is a sequel to this level called Cybernetic Crescent that was verified by Technical on January 7, 2021.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX8j8jG-Um8
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yKtq1PJeDQ