I still have not activated key with Forces (from Humble Bundle with Sonic games, IIRC), but there is no way I'm going to activate it before they'll remove Denuvo. Wondering if this moment will come at all...
I got the pc version of Forces a while ago on a humble bundle sale, but the game never worked on my pc. Every time I finished the first stage, the game would put me back... in the first stage. A very curious bug that prevented me from ever playing the game on pc. I dunno if it has something to do with Denuvo, but I'll try installing the game again if they ever remove it.
When you say it puts you back in the first stage, could you further explain what happens? After the first stage is a series of pre-rendered cutscenes, the avatar creation menu, a real-time cutscene where your avatar is introduced, a dialogue box cutscene set over the map screen and finally the map screen where you select the next level (Level 2 Space Port should be automatically highlighted). At what point would the game put you back into the first level?
My description was a bit vague, my apologies. I finish the first stage as Sonic, and after the loading screen, I'm put on the world map with the only level selectable being Lost Valley. I can complete it as many time as I want, but I'm always being put back on the world map with this one level selectable. The game doesn't save any progress when I close it (i.e. I have to select new game and watch the intro cutscene again), and my options are never saved, they're reverted to default when I exit the option menu. It seems nothing can be modified by the game basically, like all of the games files are in read only or something. In all my years of gaming, this is the only game I've ever seen do this, it's actually kind of amusing
Excuse me for asking you this, @SuperSnoopy... You got the game legally, right? I'll just assume you did. If yes, it might be a crappy bug or an install fail from Steam. If not, you might've hit a anti-piracy measure or something. Re-Installing the game seems like a good measure for now. Or simply have Steam re-check the game's files for errors. Sorry, everyone, if this sounds too noobish of an advice xD
So, they removed Denuvo from Mania, but it's still there in Forces? No hurries buying it, then. I bought Lost World for less than 8€ when I pre-ordered Mania and still haven't played it (I'd like to check it out, but I'm never in the mood to), so I can wait until they remove Denuvo and the price is even lower. On a side note, I really wanted to buy the 3D remake from Trials of Mana that came out during the covid confinement, but it had Denuvo on it, so I'll wait for its removal on that game too. I hope it happens on both games.
There is no such anti-piracy measures in Forces, in fact i don't remember the last unique measures for any recent games, they just put denuvo and be done with it
Going back to how Forces became one of the 5 top downloaded PS+ titles in the last 10 years... I may have an explanation. 1: The way Sony's download service works is a bit funny. Say you get a game via PS+. You can NEVER* buy or redeem a code for that game ever again on the account that got the ps+ redemption. The reverse is also true. You buy or redeem a code for a game. If that game goes on PS+ in the future you can't redeem it. Because you already own it. Now if you have a physical copy. You can of course redeem a PS+ game and also buy it via the store. So the key thing here. All the people who downloaded forces via PS+... Did NOT buy the game or redeem a code to get the game digitally. All those downloads came via the price of a PS+ Subscription. Meaning prior to the game being on PS+. Very few people would have bought the game digitally via the ps store. 2: So how did Forces get so many downloads? Well... Covid 19 would be my guess... Forces went onto the PS+ service in March. Around the time most of Europe and the US entered lockdown and stay at home orders. Given how there were reports of online and gaming services seeing a huge surge in uptake. I'd bet most people who had a PS4 and loads of home time saw the free games for March and figured why Not? Notice how SOTC was also in March and that too made it onto the list. TlDr version:. 1: Nobody bought forces digitally. 2: People at home during Covid 19 lockdown got VERY bored. *There are a few exceptions to this and if you go through the pain of customer support they can help you out.
Well that's a sad thought. A lot of people who probably haven't played a Sonic game since their childhood, locked inside and nothing to do, downloaded Forces to see how Sonic has progressed. Forces was probably a lot of peoples return game, or first Sonic game. Oof.
If it makes you guys feel any better, I think Forces is actually a pretty good time for kids or more casual gamers. A lot of the factors that caused it to disappoint us so much make it really accessible for someone who's not so "Inside Baseball" about Sonic. Back when it was first offered on PS+, I saw a number of threads on Sony's social media channels from folks who showed nothing but enthusiasm for it - talking about how much their kids loved it, discussing how cool it was that "Genesis Sonic" was there along with the playstyle THEY remembered from the old days, that sort of thing.
I see people say "Black Knight was my first Sonic game and it was super cool!"; kids are WAY more immune to bad games than jaded adult gamers are. I wouldn't be surprised to see kids liking it. Tween me powered through all of Unleashed and enjoyed the whole damn thing
I did get it legally yeah, on humble bundle two years ago I think? I reinstalled it, checked the files and everything, didn't do a thing. That's gotta be some Denuvo fuckery.
So instead of a "normal mode" (which is actually an easy mode) and a "hard mode" (which is actually an easy less easy mode), the game could have two really different modes; one for the kids and the other with actual gameplay.
Haha, yeah... when younger fans are saying wild things like that and making me feel six billion years old, it's nice to remind myself that within the decade, it'll happen to THEM too. :P "Whatever happened to GOOD Sonic games like Forces!?" a kid who's 8 years old right now will say in 2029. "It's like Sonic Team just doesn't know how to make Sonic COOL anymore!"
Really, the main problem with Forces is that it's a rehash of Generations where everything is done so much worse. But if you ignore Generations, Forces isn't that bad. It lacks ideas and is repetitive, but it's also short, so the repetition isn't too much of an issue. And unlike other bad Sonic games, it doesn't have all the problems of frustrating bottomless pits or too many cheap hits. As disappointing Sonic games go, it's probably one of the better ones, just as long as you aren't expecting anything creative.
That's the thing about Forces. It's not the worst Sonic game out there. No matter how you try to spin it, it's simply not another '06 or Sonic Boom. But personally speaking, it's my least favourite Sonic game. I absolutely cannot stand it. It's a shameless and lazy attempt to make lightning strike twice on a number of levels. We've got the return of boosting after Lost World changed the gameplay style, a darker and more involved plot for the first time in over a decade, a large cast who are more involved in the plot, am edgy new villain, Generations 2 with Classic Sonic and almost half of the stages set in existing locations a rock vocal theme, an extra episode for Shadow... The list goes on. But it absolutely fails to capture the magic of any of those elements that its desperately trying to imitate. I'd go a far as to say that the entire team didn't understand the innate appeal of everything it tried to copy. Despite playing largely like Generations 2, the level design and controls are neutered. The plot doesn't involve the other characters very much and does a huge disservice to Tails. None of the returning villains have any plot involvement, even as clones. The new villain is basically Mephiles MK2, with none of the intrigue and has the most unceremonious cutscene death (it's actually totally unclear what happens). Despite being tied only to Mania, it creates numerous plot holes both with Mania and itself. There was absolutely no need to bring back three classic stages (two of which were already in Mania and Generations) and only having four new locations was pretty pathetic. And the avatar... Jesus fucking Christ no. I don't care how many people have their own Sonic OCs. It's something I've never engaged in, not even as a child. The Sonic series has so many cool characters to draw from, so why do I need to go about creating my own new BFF for Sonic? As someone who was never a big fan of boost gameplay, Forces being a return to that set up didn't ever suit right with me. But the fact is that it draws on so many parts of the existing game series beyond just the gameplay and pulls them all off worse than anything that came before. Its basically an exercise in being aggressively mediocre. Everything is functional and does what its supposed to do, but to the lowest standard it can get away with without being a bad game. Its just so cynical and lazy and misguided. I hate it. Not dissimilar to Sonic 4 in many ways, but the fact that came out after the series started to get better and was in development at the same time as Mania... Yeah, no. I can't abide it. My opinions on the game are totally biased and influenced by personal feelings towards the series, ngl. I don't expect anyone else to dislike it as much as I do or even for the same reasons.
But I think that is exactly the case. I even imagine Sonic Team discussing why people like some games, in order to replicate it, and misunderstanding everything. "Why did people like the classic games?" "Because it was 2D". "Why did people like Sonic Colors?" "Because of the wisps". "Why did people like Generations?" "Because of the two Sonics and nostalgia".
All of those are correct on the surface, but none tell the full story. Forces has this surface level understanding in abundance. To take just Generations as an example, it was received favourably because it was doing something new, exciting and relevant with its use of Classic Sonic, 2D and old levels. The nostalgia aspect hadn't been worn out at that point. Additionally whilst it was short and far from perfect, it was pretty sound mechanically. Forces only looks at the surface and sees Classic Sonic, 2D and old levels, and assumes that those three aspects are the key to success. It makes no effort to go beyond Generations with any of those aspects, doesn't improve upon them and actively makes them a lot worse in many ways. Relying upon nostalgia was done again in Mania, which also perfected 2D gameplay and Classic Sonic. Forces can't compare to Mania in those fronts and doesn't even do the job as well as Generations.
I really think the 2D stages were better in Forces than Generations at least. Last time I checked this wasn't a very popular opinion on this forum, and this is one I'm surprised not many people hold ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ like I can't be the only one, right? From day one, I hated the 2D stages in Gens because of their over-reliance on dynamic camera angles and scripted events. They felt like budget version of the modern stages with crappy control. I pretty much had no hopes for the classic Sonic stages when I played Forces for the first time, but I was pleasantly surprised. They're completely forgettable at best and mediocre at worst, yeah, but the level design is here at least. You have multiple paths and some surprisingly clever hidden areas. The camera never go crazy and the spindash was rightfully nerfed. And shit, I even think the physics are better than in Gens. They're not on the same level as Mania, but I can pull shit in Forces I could only dream of doing in Generations. I dunno, it's weird. The other complains against the game I can totally understand, but the classic levels weren't all that bad imo, and a huge improvement over Gen's.
@SuperSnoopy See I actually liked Generations 2D levels more in part because I enjoyed the dynamic camera angles. It made the environments feel more alive and organic, plus it made it stand out more than just a flat 2D camera, as if I wanted that I'd just go play S3K or Mania or any other 2D Sonic game lol. I will agree though, overall Forces Classic controls a bit better than Generations Forces, although it's a damn shame all the fun things from Generations went away like the elemental shields. Someone port Classic Sonic's Generations levels into Forces PC lol.
