I've still never played DKC3, but as a kid, the biggest turn off was just the new characters. It shouldn't matter, in the end they're just sprites you use to jump. Yet, I looked at the cover, saw there was no Donkey or Diddy, and went, "meh." It's like any movie sequel where the main actors didn't return. The brain just kind dismissed it, even if it deserved better.
Well, while the review brings up some very valid arguments, the whole commentary about DKC3's first world is... pretty bad. For one, it relies way too much on vague non-criticisms with little-to-no substance, with words like "uninspired" and "forgettable" being thrown around while not properly explained, which is a huge issue. If something is bad, then explain to us why it's bad. Bring up some level design elements to back your position up, don't just say it's bad as if everyone is already in-tune with you. The only level you bothered to do so was Murky Mill, and even then, you stumbled a little bit while describing the level's faults: for one, Ellie only gets scared of the rats if they're directly under the spotlight in the foreground. She can safely stomp on the ones that are in the dark. This is important, because on the last section of the level you highlighted, you could've just waited until the spotlight moved out of the way of the rats. No backtracking was required, which is the case in several other parts of the level as well. With such a poor argued position, it's pretty much hard to take seriously the assertion that Murky Mill is the "worst level in the DKC trilogy", specially when "gems" like Web Woods exist. You know, a very open-ended slog in which the optimal way to play is to keep at the top of the stage doing nothing as Squitter? With a very bad bonus that requires the player to backtrack a large portion of the level? How about two of them?! Also, the DK Coin is on the goalpost, as a one-frame prize, forcing the players to possibly playing this level for hundreds of times to get it? Yeah...
