Shadow Stage 3 is Brutally Strict for Grading

[L4DTank101]

I've been trying to get an S rank on this stage after watching a YouTube video on how to do it, and after at least a half hour of restarting the level, I finally complete the level with no errors. Here was my score:
Overall score: 1674600
Time: 01:16.35, 934200 bonus points
Rings: 294, 88200 bonus points
Retries: 0, 400000 bonus points

And here was the score of the person from the video I watched:
Overall score: 1717900
Time: 01:13.61, 944100 bonus points
Rings: 295, 88500 bonus points
Retries: 0, 400000 bonus points

So basically after I completed it with that score, it gave me an A rank. I got an A rank instead of an S because I was short 1 ring and I took 3 seconds longer to complete the level compared to the video. And the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bar for the rank wasn't even almost to the black part, it was right in the middle of the bottom part of the circle. I did that much worse because I missed one ring and took 3 more seconds. Seriously?

[ZylpheRenuis]

You got to also collect the Red Star Rings + Number Gates in order to make the grade to S.

[L4DTank101]

Ya, that might be why. I just did it again with almost the exact same score but I got an S now.

[Allard]

Originally posted by L4DTank101:

Ya, that might be why. I just did it again with almost the exact same score but I got an S now.

Ultimate victory

[Steve]

Maybe most stages should grade this strict since I read somewhere on these forums that S rank is too easy to get.

Is Virtual Reality level hard enough to be worth the new criteria for S rank??

[L4DTank101]

Originally posted by Zephos:

Maybe most stages should grade this strict since I read somewhere on these forums that S rank is too easy to get.

Is Virtual Reality level hard enough to be worth the new criteria for S rank??

Honestly, some levels are ridiculously easy to get an S on while others are VERY hard without the daily xp bonus. A couple of classic Sonic stages are so light on grading that I can get like 1 or 2 retries and take 5 minutes to finish the level and it still gives me an S rank.

[UrAverageJoeSchmoe]

Try activating a daily bonus before trying it. If you can score at least a B yourself, the bonus will bump it up to an S.

[L4DTank101]

I don't think the bonus applies to Shadow missions, it didn't when I had it.

[Crasher TN - gB]

Originally posted by JaCrispy76:

Try activating a daily bonus before trying it. If you can score at least a B yourself, the bonus will bump it up to an S.

It doesn't work with Shadow's Episode.

[UrAverageJoeSchmoe]

Originally posted by Crasher TN {₵Ø฿Ɽ₳₴}:

Originally posted by JaCrispy76:

Try activating a daily bonus before trying it. If you can score at least a B yourself, the bonus will bump it up to an S.

It doesn't work with Shadow's Episode.

Ah.