Which begs the question, when the frag are we gonna see Knuckles and Shadow again? ;_; I wanna see what these new writers do for them. To be fair, the story is a part of the game, and so these things do have their importance. If you're me, that is one HELL of a deal breaker, and the reason I only have a passing interest in this game. I think I'm actually more interested in the story and voice acting this time around than the actual gameplay. Wow, interested in the story of a Sonic game. It must be a cold day in hell right now.
While I'll grant that, if I want something focusing on character development and story, I'll watch a film or a TV show or something. I rarely care in the slightest about the story in Sonic titles, save the obvious insane choices (Sonic 06 springs to mind, but that game had gameplay issues anyway). If I'm playing a game, I want to play a game. =P
Ugh, why can't we Americans get anything awesome like this? I mean, we're the ones who rule the world! + - Kidding.
The special edition is coming to the US too I believe. Besides, we get the most awesome preorder bonus ever
I DO have complaints about the game outside of this tails fact (I don't care really, it's just a bit annoying) and it's that the game still plays itself and not letting it play itself kills you. But really, my problem is with the fanbase. Suddenly, boosting for instant speed, tons of dash pads, and scripted loops are okay. I want to know why these things apparently don't matter anymore. You moan and complain about these things in other sonic games, and you're still moaning about them in sonic 4, but suddenly it doesn't matter. If the answer is because it looks fun, then we should be thinking the same way about sonic 4. So then, what were the REAL issues the past few years? Because obviously these complaints about scripted loops, boosting, and dash pads were just covering up for something else, since they no longer matter. So, what gives?
It'd be awesome if there was some American Sonic convention and almost everyone attending came wearing those Sonic hats. Not even right in the building, just we all leave our homes wearing those hats like it's nothing then march our way into the building. Wear the goddamn hats proudly as if a badge of honor, and if things turn out well, the hat will be our glowing badge of glory that there actually exists a Sonic game fans didn't have much to complain about, was fun, and well received. Though I still am a bit worried if critics will pan it, or if in particular IGN, GameSpot, or 1-up pan it and then the rest of the smaller reviewers go with the flow like sheep. After reading IGN's not just terrible but downright wrong review of Sonic Adventure on Xbox Live (some of the stuff they stated like boosting through enemies and the game switching from 3D to 2D platforming sections where you just hold right is not just being critical, that is downright a lie and makes it feel like they just plastered the review together from their Sonic Unleashed review and stuck "Adventure"over the title.) I don't mean to sound like a "the reviewers are out to get this series" person, but the Adventure review was seriously nothing but pure bias against Sonic to the point they lied about the game then other reviews followed blindly. Which makes me worry even if this game is well-received with fans critics will exaggerate or even make-up issues to pan the game with and then give the game a lower score than Sonic Next-Gen. Again. It saddens me the one saving grace I can see is because it's on Wii, critically I mean. Also the DS version will get 8s and 9s and praised as the best Sonic game in years for being rush 3. And I am betting every review will talk about Sonic's shoddy track record instead of judging the game on it's own merits then compare it to Mario Galaxy. It'll happen too.
I don't care, I'm happy to see more Tails than in previous games but in the end it probably won't have any major affect on me at all. I dunno, I don't really care either way but if the 20th anniversary game is what I think it is (Sonic Adventure 3) I'm willing to be they'll make appearences. (Btw try not to start an arguement regarding Sonic Adventure 3 and how Sonic '06 was pretty much that, because I'm well aware of the connections between the two in regards to how the Adventure games and '06 play. I just feel like with the return of Crush 40, SEGA hinting a "big" game, the current revival of the Genesis games, and the fact that SA2 came out on the 10th anniversary are pretty big hints towards this game being an Adventure series revival.)
Please note that Unleashed was decent in terms of Daytime Levels. It's still average work at best, but hey, this in competition with 4 and it provides us with a new game. So in that sense, this is loads better. However, I do have a problem with the Sonic games that play themselves, and I'm very aware that Sonic Colours might end up being similar to them. That's why I'll only be renting the game to have a good fun run but never to own this. I got Mario Galaxy 2 I need to buy. That and Epic Mickey. Besides, can you get a refund on Sonic 4: Episode 1? I think not, since that be downloadable content. :v: Again, Sonic Colours will be an average but very decent game, but at least it will be better than Sonic 4. Besides... WE GET POWERUPS! That's gotta count for something. And when was the last time they didn't fuck up a 3D Sonic game with an overshadowing alternate game style in place of the game you want to play? Exactly. That's why I have high hopes for this game.
Not so much in this particular case because we're accepting of a game that sells itself on being the best parts of Sonic Unleashed being the best parts of Sonic Unleashed. It's when a game purports to being some return to classic form, but still winds up full of modern holdovers like (far too many) boostpads and such, that the complaining starts. A lot of us here don't mind the direction modern Sonic goes so much as we have a strong preference for another direction even as we enjoy the one Sonic is currently on. You know, when you remove Werehogs, swords, and fishing poles from the equation. Simply put, it's not that "plays-itself-syndrome" isn't something we'd like to see removed, it's just that it's not a deal-breaker in this case.
And also, to complement what Solar Paradox said, Sonic Colors isn't trying to be the continuation of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles here. It succeeds in accomplishing what it proposes.
If this game playes like Unleashed (and by all reports it does) then this really isn't the case. That was the biggest difference between it and previous 3D sonic games - when you didn't follow the script to a T, it was actually pretty easy to improvise your way out of danger. Sonic Adventure 2 onwards felt like you had to guess the EXACT way to let the game play itself or you'd spaz to death. Sonic Unleashed didn't have that problem. And I don't think Sonic Colors will either.
I plan to enjoy Sonic Colors for what it is while still keeping the dream alive for what I really want. Sonic Colors seems to mostly work for what it is. Sonic 4 on the other hand has physics that don't really work wrapped up in uninspired level layouts that don't really do anything too new or interesting.
Late reply but I will be honest, I never felt like sonic Unleashed played itself too much. In fact from what I played when I let it play itself it killed me from collapsing floors, obstacles, enemies, and I felt I was in control most of the time. However they have addressed or bettered a lot of these issues. The game still has "simulated" sections where it plays itself for a few seconds, but a few issues you brought up and other issues have been patched up. -FIRST, above all, this all is better because the level design is overall better. Yes, this is true play-themselves sections are flashy and only that, but the show-offy sections aren't as big of an issue if the levels themselves are designed a lot better. -Boosting: It now is not as important or as much a factor. You gain boost power ONLY by collecting white wisp and the game doesn't seem to be a boost fest, much more focused on platforming and the Wisp powers replace boosting as it is. This makes it that boosting is OPTIONAL and not required as it felt in Unleashed. -Messing in these automated sections may end in some deaths but often they have surprised us in alternate routes instead of endless pits. Some endless pits will appear but they warn you before they come, meaning we will know when an endless pit is about and have an option what route we take instead of taking the automated route. -Sonic 4's big flaw is it's called Sonic 4 so people want it to be what they think Sonic 4 would be. If they called the game Sonic Generation or something people would have accepted it better. I don't feel like this but I understand why others do, it's because it's Sonic mother-fucking 4.
Well this goes back to an old argument on the sonic 4 board, when I said it's not fair to judge the game on the name. However, people there assured me "that isn't happening". Maybe I'm just trying to prove a point that just because the game's name implies something, doesn't make it a bad game if it doesn't adhere to that title completely. In other words, it's not fair to say this game has few flaws when it shares the same "flaws" as sonic 4, which apparently make sonic 4 a bad game. Edit: I don't think unleashed plays itself either (at least not TOO much). I've just seen that complaint about unleashed a lot.
I never found these things to be problems, at least not in Unleashed. The real problem with recent Sonic games has lied in how they've all been fairly poorly put together, riddled with glitches and poor game design in general.
