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Sonic Frontiers Thread - PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by MykonosFan, May 27, 2021.

  1. ChaddyFantome

    ChaddyFantome

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    Thanks for the clarification. I'll keep an eye out for it.

    I simply disagree. To me, it dumbs down what is supposed to be a positioning and timing maneuver into just a QTE and make sit feel way less organically an extension of Sonic's moveset as a result. I'm of the opinion it has also sired bad habits regarding the Homing Attack in Sonic players ( and the developers to be frank) as a result. The homing attack used to be like any other mechanic in a platformer. A move the player had to get a feel for to master it as opposed to just being an obligation. Really, the issue is more that it has historically overlapped with other buttons and resulted in players panic mashing and sending themselves flying to their death in the past.
    But hey, I'm not of the belief this is a widespread opinion.

    Interesting. We already know the homing attack is on it sown button by default as we have seen multiple instances of it being used from the ground. If it is remappable, that will be neat.
    Remappable controls are always a bit of a double edged sword because it leaves the opportunity for players to give themselves worse control schemes. Tat said, I am a pretty big advocate for them in general because I like the option to customize and tailor my experience in this respect.
     
  2. Overlord

    Overlord

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    Ironically enough, this actually makes me feel better about the combat stuff. Games like this I inevitably end up descending into button mashing, if there's a way to actively avoid it that just means I'll be bored for a few seconds rather than be bored AND have sore fingers.
     
  3. ChaddyFantome

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    I have a theory that the D-pad might be used for assists. Perhaps Sonic's friends unlock new abilities for him similar to the Champions in BotW? Nice mock-up btw.
     
  4. I was not expecting that:
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  5. Cooljerk

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    I don't remember where, but I saw someone who wasn't too familiar with Sonic games in general mention that you could click the left stick to "boost along rings" which, to me, sounds like the light speed dash. They mentioned it in a way that indicated they were upset that the game didn't inform you of this and thus apparently many missed it.
     


  6. Around 0:28 is one example

    Just pointing out that whether the homing attack takes timing, positioining, or otherwise skill to use is moreso a level design issue than a reticle issue.

    Further, I recall a time when I was trying to give Sonic Adventure another chance, a game i previously wrote off as mindless, easy, and boring, and in my book basically did 100% it. (I didn't bother with Big's A missions or the chao stuff.)

    And I got to say. When trying to complete the speedrunning a missions, there are few things more annoying than trying to spamdash through a level, jump, and then try to air dash (sonic's jump physics in that game cause him to start seriously slowing down the second his feet leave the ground, and the air dash is one of the only ways to get around that) only for him to lock onto something I'm not even pointed at and home in on it, killing literallly all momentum....

    No, I'm not with that. And I don't think that's good.

    Now, that might just be a problem with the lock on system in that game rather than the actual reticle, but I am still inclined to have it. Not to see if I am locked onto something. But to make sure I am NOT locked on to something.

    As far as determining that I am locked on to, I am fine with it taking the skills mentioned earlier, even independent of level design. In fact, I think that's how it kind of works in SA2. But you need to properly communicate to the player that it does take those, as well as provide some indication of what the right way to do it is, which Sonic has never done
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2022
  7. Starduster

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    Man, being able to summon Sonic's buddies would be fantastic. Odds are it'd be Tails, Amy, Knuckles and Shadow (or if Shadow isn't in this game, maybe doing all the (hypothetical) fishing sidequests would unlock Big?), and I think they could expand on the system by having them come out and follow you around by default, pitching in with combat and when they're out, then you press a button that performs a mobility action (Tails air lifts Sonic, Amy's hammer can function as an on-demand spring, Knuckles climbs up a cliff with Sonic on his back, Shadow could temporarily buff Sonic's speed or Big could fling him with the fishing rod for a huge long jump).
     
  8. Shaddy the guy

    Shaddy the guy

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    Positioning and timing an attack is a nice ideal, but one for an idiom that has never existed. The homing attack is simply not reliable enough for something like this to be more viable than simply letting the player know what they're about to hit. Maybe that attack can exist, but nobody has made it yet. I can guarantee that even if it's "less immersive", a player with an indicator is more likely to hit the target they're aiming at than one without, and that's more important than whether telling them what they're aiming at is personally immersion-breaking. Also, mashing the button shouldn't send you flying to your death unless there's nothing to lock into in the first place. If the devs want to turn delaying your attacks so as not to make Sonic completely fucky into a legitimate mechanic, they both have to explain that to players and make the difference reliable and repeatable.

    Oh, the light dash. I forgot about that since Lost World and Forces didn't have it. I'm gonna be honest and say I don't want that on the left stick. Stick click actions should usually be for moments when the sticks themselves aren't liable to being pushed by the player at the same time. Maybe it's just because stick buttons feel awful on all controllers forever, but the idea of having to push down on it while I'm already using it to position Sonic is gross. The cyloop doesn't seem like it does much with just a single tap (nor do the things it's for seem to be situated around rings very often), they should have put light dash on that button instead.
     
  9. JaxTH

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  10. Snub-n0zeMunkey

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    This is genuinely surprising to me lol. Since the game was supposedly in development before the movie released I kind of wonder what the combat looked like before they took a new approach based on the movie.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2022
  11. RikohZX

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    In hindsight what's the last Sonic game to even reference the fact that Sonic's got sort of a speedy wind element thing about him besides obviously Knight of the Wind? Because I can see the Sonic movie influence in things like how the Cyloop operates.
     
  12. Snub-n0zeMunkey

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    I might be wrong but I think Generations made some kind of vague point about Sonic being like the wind.
    upload_2022-6-14_21-16-3.jpeg
    Frontiers is kind of bringing the sonic wind stuff back in full force which is pretty cool I think
     
  13. Antheraea

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    I was picturing like, a realistic-looking Sonic circle wind attack and remembered the opening cutscene to 06 hahahahaha
     
  14. Plorpus

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    I wonder what exactly inspired them? I can’t think of much that was different about Sonic’s abilities in the movie other than the blue electricity thing. In fact, other than that the only major difference about the character I can think of is his personality.
     
  15. DefinitiveDubs

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    That makes a lot of sense. So much sense, I almost hate it. Suddenly, Amy talking to Sonic as a disembodied voice makes a lot of sense if that's what it is, because Mipha and the other guardians do the same thing.

    Amy heals, Tails launches Sonic really high in the air (or lets him levitate a certain distance), Knuckles creates a protective shield, and then a fourth character does a very strong AOE attack. Shadow?
     
  16. foXcollr

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    This is an interesting set of impressions. Overall, they said they are hopeful more than anything, and their experience was generally very positive, but they still see a path where the game could be pretty mediocre, and the impressions they received from talking to other people were extremely inconsistent and ranged from phenomenal to awful. At the end, one of them says the demo felt like it could be a 7/10 if the full game takes it in the right direction, and if they iron out a lot of rough edges (I'm assuming this means the technical problems and visual issues, etc) it could be an 8/10 or 9/10.

    Talking points of interest:

    1. They again mention the sliders for control values, such as acceleration. They mention it's actually in the menu itself, so it doesn't seem like a debug feature.

    2. One of them had the chance to play both the "high speed" and "action" modes, and said they are surprisingly different from one another.

    3. The level design and progression are described numerous times as being more similar to Mario Odyssey than BOTW. They state that there is a lot of freedom in what you are allowed to do and when, likening it to having a bunch of moons scattered around the level, but you only need a certain amount to continue onto the next level.

    4. Here's a neat part: they say they were surprised at multiple points to see the appearance of certain characters / things. They mention one part in particular where one of them handed the other one the headphones and told them they needed to hear something, and they both nerded out over it. Whatever it is, they made pretty clear they aren't allowed to talk about those things.

    5. One of them talks at length about how automated and linear 3D Sonic games have always been, and says that Frontiers is much different in the freedom it gives you. He says there are a lot of linear platforming "challenges" and "lock-on" sections for you to do, but says he likes the freedom the game offers by allowing you to choose which challenges you do and where you choose to go.

    6. They both describe the game as being very janky and buggy in its current state.

    7. Allegedly, SEGA/SGF reps actually moved furniture around to cut off certain angles and prevent people from filming the demo.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2022
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  17. RDNexus

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    They sure are trying HARD to keep as much under wraps as possible.
     
  18. SuperSnoopy

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    Slice of life visual novel, coming soon...?
    Sonic Frontiers: Happy Home Designer
     
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  19. Dark Sonic

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    Ya it's weird. Overall this one seems ok why so secretive?
     
  20. Londinium

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    So, how long do you all want to bet before someone says 'SEGA HIRE THIS MAN'?

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