Predator
Predator is a 2.1 Insane collaboration level published by Samoht. It is widely known for its placement in the Death Gauntlet, serving as a major skill check before the gauntlet transitioned into Demon-difficulty levels.
Description
Predator begins with a high-energy cube-and-spider intro (0–25%) that focuses on orb timings and includes the first key at 10%.
The intensity builds during a ship-and-ball transition (25–45%), as the mechanical beast looms in the background, leading into a short, high-speed Wave (45–50%).
The level's centrepiece is the boss fight (50–85%), a multi-mode sequence involving ship, UFO, and wave gameplay, in which the player must dodge the creature's claws and navigate tight gaps while collecting the final keys at 68% and 82%.
After the boss is defeated at 85%, the level concludes with a notorious cube-and-robot finale (87–100%), defined by heavy 'glitch' filters and static effects that test the player's memory and composure as the platforms become difficult to see.
Gameplay
Trivia
- Predator was originally an entry for the Monster Gauntlet Contest hosted by RobTop, where it placed 8th overall in the competition. Because so many high-quality boss levels were submitted, RobTop decided to place three additional winners in the Death Gauntlet.
- Despite its official Insane 8-star rating, the community often considers it one of the most difficult non-Demon levels in the game. It is frequently cited as the hardest level in the Death Gauntlet alongside The Behemoth, largely due to the heavy memory required for the 87% 'glitch' ending.
- While primarily credited to Samoht, the creator Xenoteric is often cited as a collaborator who assisted with the level's technical execution and optimisation.