Nullscapes

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~ originator

Nullscapes is a 2.1/2.2 solo Extreme Demon created and published by ItzKiba and verified by Zoink on September 4, 2024. It is the sequel to Shardscapes. Like its predecessor, the level is heavily focused on the robot game-mode, featuring challenging unconventional gameplay and timing. The level is considered the hardest robot-heavy Demon level in the game.

The level is expected to place in the Top 10 of the Demonlist when placed; the All Rated Extreme Demons List had placed it at #3 before removing it.

Gameplay

The level starts with a callback to Shardscapes, featuring the original song 'Slow Down'. The player faces challenging robot timings until 11%, where they must jump onto a spike, causing the screen to warp and display the text 'get out of my head'. At 13%, the actual level begins, requiring players to execute tricky micro and corner jumps through tight passages with spike pillars. Two final micro and corner jumps lead to the next section. The next section maintains the same gameplay feature but introduces orbs that randomly swap types. Players must time their jumps carefully to avoid hitting the wrong orb. Following this, the segment adds glitch effects to platforms and a blur effect on the screen to disorient players. The level fades to black, resizing the player's robot and swapping the background and platform colours. The screen intermittently blurs, and the platform has a glitchy effect. This section includes challenging timings from Shardscapes, difficult corner jumps, and unconventional orb gameplay with triple clicks, adding complexity. The level concludes with a staircase of corner jumps, leading to a spiked platform where the player becomes invisible before the level ends.

Controversies

Fixed hitboxes joke

On May 5, 2024, Kiba shared a screenshot of Nullscapes showing what appeared to be fixed hitboxes near an orb, sparking criticism from the community due to its effects on level enjoyability. Zoink, known for adding fixed hitboxes in his verifications, later clarified the shown hitboxes did not affect gameplay. Kiba admitted he had asked Zoink to add them as a joke to gauge the community's reaction, which was negative.

Click Between Frames blocker

On August 13, Zoink tweeted a screenshot showing an 82% death, referencing the Click Between Frames (CBF) mod on Geode in his copy's title. Confusion arose as to why the mod was referenced in the title, leading Kiba to confirm that the level featured an anti-cheat system to block the mod. This sparked a backlash from the community and drew criticism from players such as npesta, accusing Kiba of poorly handling the level. After the level was verified and published, players discovered that the anti-cheat system kills the player at 0%, with text urging them to play the level without CBF appearing at the bottom of the screen.

Kiba faced backlash for boasting about blocking the mod on Twitter; players were frustrated by Kiba's firm refusal to allow usage of the mod, even after the Demonlist had stated that records done with it would be allowed. He questioned why he received so much hate compared to Dorami, who faced no backlash for blocking the mod in his level, The Yangire. Community members explained that the difference was that Kiba was notably hostile and boastful, while Dorami wasn't. Kiba later created a Pastebin text explaining the reasoning behind the CBF blocker, affirming that he believes that CBF is illegitimate whilst clarifying that he does not dislike the mod.

The message accompanying the CBF blocker became a meme in the community which went viral and spread to the wider gaming community, including in Omori and Ultrakill.

Trivia

• The level is free to copy.
• The level contains 63,179 objects.
• The level is 1m 26s in length.
• The level was rated on September 7, 2024.
• At over 90,000 attempts, Zoink's verification of Nullscapes is the highest amount he has spent on a verification project, followed by Acheron (72,808) and Tidal Wave (49,534). According to Zoink, this is due to his weaker skillset in the robot game-mode.
• The description and the texts on the level may be a reference to the Among Us references meme which is often associated with the texts as mentioned earlier.
• The level was initially set to be verified by vulcanium4 and cobrablitz before Zoink took up the verification.

Videos

VerificationShowcase

File:VERIFIED -- NULLSCAPES -- ITZKIBA

The verification of Nullscapes. Credits to Zoink.

File:NEW TOP 5 VERIFIED - "Nullscapes" by Kiba

Full detail showcase of Nullscapes. Credits to fnm04.