Its had a few reprints over the years which havent really put a dent in the price, and I dont expect this one to do too much, either
Cyclopean Snare just taps a creature, both Puppet Strings and Icy Manipulators have better taps for less than 3 mana (one can untap creatures, the other can tap down non-creatures as well)
This Zombie Cleric hoses Human typal shenanigans, boasts the rare intimidate keyword, and also gives all your (non-Human) creatures the potent undying ability
Getting to shave a mana off of Fervor in exchange for a little risk on losing it when the creature dies is an interesting design, and I hope to see just a little more of this
But even with all that said, here's the thing: Level Up can be awesome for the right kind of player
For example, when Boon-Bringer Valkyrie enters the battlefield, you can either put a +1/+1 counter on Boon-Bringer Valkyrie itself, or you can put a +1/+1 counter on another creature and have that creature gain flying, first strike, and lifelink until end of turn