>>11948372 (OP)
Incredible music and level visuals that expressed unique fantastical visions which were all styled entirely different from anything previously and from each other. Lots of subtle detailed and animated elements besides the gameplay objects which made the world feel alive, without being too distracting from gameplay objects. Vivid colors and a lot of work spent on making every part of the screen visually interesting. Rather than going for cartoonishly filtered realism, it's part fantasy and part abstracted memory of real places. Hidden items could give you a small advantage/bonus/skip but never felt required.
Multiple paths which had small but noticeable differences in gameplay instead of always
>platforming sky path vs normal path with some pits vs shitty pit path, possibly with water.
Focus on gameplay and secrets which utilized the physics system with slopes, ramps, and halfpipes instead of
>always pick higher path, jump across some simple moving platforms, spindash
The levels often had obstacles that punished getting into careless habits and not being ready for traps in a world meant to be filled with traps. No single enemy or obstacle alone was unfair once you knew about them, but it did feel as though things like cartoonish googley-eye robots and comically large spikes were intended to hurt you.
The level atmosphere also made it feel like there was a bigger world around you that you were diving into, like you would feel in a cool new city you're visiting, instead of just exploring some barren landscapes interspersed with assholes like some Tolkien journey. Good pacing, good difficulty level, and game doesn't overstay its welcome.
