I have noticed that placing blocks help, but half the time I end up needing those blocks to divert water and have to go retrieve them, which gets just as sticky. Stage 5 isn’t even all that bad, it’s when the guns start hugging almost every available rest zone later on that I really cry foul. I legitimately enjoy the game, but when I’m more focused on the guns / enemies firing every which way instead of moving water from one spot to the next (the fun part), it just feels like it lost its focus somewhere along construction and become more of an unintentional punisher instead of a puzzler.

In Easy mode at least on level 5, the parabolic guns are usually firing slowly enough that you can drop a block in front of them after they’ve just fired – makes it a little easier since they’re the main frustrating ones 🙂 (generally the horizontal guns on that level don’t interfere too much I think if you stay far enough away from the gun itself)

I’m not sure why the controls don’t bother me (and I’ve only used the speed up function for advancing the water, never if I have to move), but I’m certain the subsequent review will mirror yours in every other respect.