Would You Rather A Modern Or Classic Style Game For The 30th Anniversary Game

If you look at it or anything like that then there’s really no point in discussing it. Why even think of or aspire to see anything from Sega if we’re certain it’ll fail?

I think it’s why people lull themselves into the classic or modern identity, since it’s safe. But I’m a bit exhausted of that haha.

Besides, Sonic Channel art as of late is fantastic. I would trust them with a stylized route.

 

The way you view a character is not just a matter of looks. Sonics animations were smooth and yet perfectly in tune with what happened on screen. But as video games shifted from 2D to 3D, this smoothness slowly but surely had to take a back seat. Realistic graphics and animations became a thing, and guess what? GHZ does neither of that. For Sonic to work on an action movie level, they had to change his appearance, and by doing so, they also sacrificed a certain level of smoothness. In the name of action, so to speak. I see no problem trading action for some more smoothness.

 

Do we have any insight at all into the political situation regarding the brand? It's easy to chalk up our perceived slights to unknowable, all-powerful "Suits." But how much do we really know about why things have been run the way they have, who's really in charge, what they're thinking, etc? It's maddening not knowing which way the wind is blowing, especially in the wake of a runaway success like Mania, which has to have made them reconsider their perspective and approach to things, and especially after Zippo's leaks presumably having been blown out of the water, right?

I try my best to be as articulate as I can be about what I find lacking in the series every time an official survey rolls around. But do we have any idea as to how meaningful feedback like that is to them? As well as things like video essays and forum posts like these? Is there a point to any of it?

 

Not really. Most of the discourse is around the few names fans actually know, and it's doubtful that the few Iizuka quotes we've gotten over the years paint even 1% of the picture.

We can only make assumptions based on the end products.

 

Fair enough to the people who cleared up their stance on the CG usage as of late. I wouldn't be as extreme in saying "ugly" but I can at least agree with the general sentiment of it.


I feel like that as maddening as it is to see such a stylish series like Sonic settle for a rather bland direction, its probably a cost saving measure. Its costs probably next to nothing to just slap a CG render on a product and call it a day, while using a static pose. Even Nintendo got into that with Mario after 2002, as Mario's design has pretty much been the same since.

Now obviously I can't speak for how much money the series has behind it, but its really disappointing to see a series that used to exude so much style, just settle something so plain.

And the sad part is that they CAN be stylish, its not a matter of incompetence. They just don't want to, and are content with cutting corners.

Its really annoying and sad at the same time.

 

I know Mania was a side game and Forces the mainline. To be clear you’re not the only person I’ve seen saying this. I understand what you mean. Maybe Mania has given them some extra motivation but I don’t think it made them feel inferior or whatever you wanna call it to those developers.
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As for the character models. Some of the 3D renders are too simplistic. They could use some sprucing up. Those who clarified though think the Modern designs are actually ugly (not the cgi quality, the appearance) which I just cannot agree with.

His proportions definitely fluctuate some. How in movies some characters have a slightly different look in sequels for whatever reason (new build, different handling etc.) Chucky is a good example. Those who watch these movies will probably understand what I mean. The general, base design of Modern Sonic and friends look good to me though.

The environmental art style is a different thing. I agree they could have more variety. I personally like the Lost World style. I like the cute cartoony look but that’s just me. Ya know I never realized til now but it’s like a legitimately 3D, Sonic 3D Blast. It’s the exact stylization. That’s cool. It was due to early 3D before but still cool imo.

 

Funny how things change. I recall the noughties when people here hated Uekawa's art and the Advance sprites. It seems the current art style is always the worst thing ever

Not saying that people are wrong about the current style. I think something like this looks perfectly fine, but renders like this are just ugly. The art style feels like it has been getting blander since Unleashed. It's like they've been aiming for a more subdued and "marketable" look now.

The games themselves similarly feel kind of "sterile" now. It's like the old games always tried to be cool and provide spectacle, whereas the current ones are ashamed of being Sonic games, so they try to avoid that, resulting in a more artificial feel to them. And not just in terms of visuals. It also extends to things like presentation and characterizations IMO.

 

i just want a game that's fun to play

 

I think we're all on this page. But that rather frustratingly seems like a difficult bar for SEGA to reach. And I think that as far as celebrating 30 years of Sonic goes, simply being fun isn't enough. Unless you think that Sonic is fine where it is. Which I mean is fine, you can think that. Lots of people will vehemently disagree though.

 

To answer the question that is the name of this thread, I'm not a fan of the classic games so I'm basically looking forward to Modern by default, even if I'm betting on it being a great big suck pile if Forces is any indication.

 

It'd be enough for me. The last few ST games weren't fun at all lol

 

Lol don't get me wrong, "fun" would be a huge step up. I'd rather a fun game than a train-wreck that tries to revitalise the series and fails miserably. But at long as the subject is what we'd like to see in a personal preference scenario, I'm gonna set the bar higher. Just because SEGA can't their act together doesn't mean I'm going to settle for less. I'll take a fun game and still ask for more.

 

I mean, asking for something that was merely "fun" is what gave us Sonic Colors, the game that simply, briefly interrupted the Dark Age. Without any loftier ambitions, they slid back into making insulting trash like Forces.

 

There's literally no reason why this series can't produce quality titles like any other series. Budget and time can be worked around.

The only reason we get these lackluster games is generally due to a lack of foresight.

 

In my opinion, what may be lacking to the franchise, as of late, is proper vision and interest on it within SEGA.
Iizuka and close associates may actually want to bring Sonic back up, but if the higher-ups have little interest, they're stuck.
Also, if they reached a point they trust more on fan opinions and memes, the franchise seems as good as lost on its tracks...

As much as they may want the franchise to stay as open as possible to new ideas and creative paths, if there are no specific core settings as guidelines of sorts to the overall franchise it can any kinds of ways. As we've been seeing this last decade games-wise and community-wise.

 

I didn't think that game was that fun though.

 

You know, as I've said many times lately, I have been out of the loop with the "modern" games in the franchise for many years and intend to catch up on them, for better or worse, throughout the year, but it really seems to me, as of late, from everything I've seen from various reviews and videos that Unleashed was the last time Sega really tried to push Sonic's "cool" side, with that action packed, high speed intro and art renders like this. Even though the Unleashed model seems to be the basis for every game in the past decade, they seemed to gradually make changes to it until it was just ugly in Forces with the overly long torso, shorter legs and classic-length quills and light blue color.

 

I want to see that good ol' late 80's Japanese new jack swing/swingbeat style applied to the aesthetics to the world. Make it wonderous, pure, and "alien". Put that natural aesthetic against the evil and cold mechanical/industrial levels -- like an environmental commentary in today's society.

I'm basically asking for Sonic 1 again. lol