yeah lmao everyone here is either like "OMG THIS IS THE SECOND RETURN OF CHRIST" or "oh... so it's just a game about running around" looks like I owe a studio an apology...
Yeah, this basically. Dimps always got screwed over and had short development times. If they had been given time, I can guarantee their games would have been better. Generations 3DS is competent but you can tell the budget and timeframe was small. Imagine if they'd have been given time and more money.
Eh, I'd say 50/50; some of the more commonly cited flaws from their Sonic games (bottomless pits and weird enemy placement) where already present in SPA, just not as notable.
I really dig the overall ascetics of it all, but sonic's moveset seems reaaaaally reminiscent of the boost games, which is a real shame. Still looks really exiting, it's so weird to see sonic team actually try for once. I think what I like the most about it is that there isn't any obnoxious fan service so far: no green hill, no classic sonic, no recycled badnick design, no low effort 2d sections... we haven't got a game like this since 2008, it feels so sureal. I'm REALLY looking forward to this one.
So my immediate first thoughts watching Frontiers gameplay. - Boost gameplay but in an open world. - Running through the environments should be fun. - Animations are not fluid at all... Overall...eh, could be worse but not necessarily what I would call "an evolution" as advertised. This honestly defines Sonic's entire existence doesn't it. People either really like it or really hate it with no in-between.
Of course this game has a lesser focus on speed than the more linear games and a greater emphasis on exploration and puzzles. What were you people expecting? Generations gameplay in an open world? I'd be unironically fine with a game like S4E2 or Gens 3DS
they also made the Advance trilogy right? because Advance 1 and SPA both I consider to be 100% on par with the classics and Mania
Mixed. Like there was some moments where Sonic grabbed onto the wall and then ran which felt natural, then other moments where he snaps into running, like I can see the engine's "wallRun function()". And oh the curved slopes that run up the big structures... the jitter and sound of the camera snapping back behind Sonic is.
I mean.. it's basically what it is. No proper Boost, instead you just get brief bursts of speed, but it really does look exactly like they transplanted Forces, sluggish physics/movement and all, and plopped it into a test world with wall running and then make the player slow down every so often to do puzzles or climb things. And it doesn't really look like they gel together whatsoever.
IGN did say that they're revealing more of the game throughout this month, so I'm sure we'll see more stuff that isn't Sonic walking around. For this showcase, I was majorly let down by how Sonic seemingly controls. All they seem to do is plop Sonic's boost moveset into a large open area. I think it looks fun when you're going at full speed and messing with the gimmicks, but when you have to go slow, it seems like it's gonna suck. I also think the... level (Would you call this open-world as a "level"?") looks very "test-map"-y. You got this naturalistic environment to run around in, and then there are these video game ass platforms floating up in the air with seemingly no rhyme or reason. It comes off as very amateur to me. I'd like to think once I see all the systems coming together (Such as combat and the "cyberspace levels" that are supposedly in the game), I'll be singing a different tune but right now? Sorta disappointed. I'm seriously tired of how Sega can't get Sonic to control well or even design interesting levels for him anymore.
I've watched a few more times and I can't get over the design of the signpost in the game. They have literal signposting while making the sign look awful. If this is what they revealed to whet people's appetites, I am pessimistic.
Nothing like some dashpad into 90 degree dashpad into spring into launcher ring automation to really set the tone. This is undeniably another boost game. The stomp and quickstep are in, not to mention an aura-less boost. The player really likes to say within the initial walking speed. Sonic appears to be able to stop on a dime. Sonic doing BotW climbing looks very funny with how much effort he puts in only to just start running like no big deal. Whatever rolling move was done is essentially a close to the ground homing attack. There are shitty signposts next to every puzzle just so you know it's a puzzle. Wish we got a clearer view of the spiky wheel enemy, they look cool. There are some items that you appear to get, like pink hearts, orange spiky hearts, and a blue water-balloon fruit thing. A few purple coins as well. I hope the yet-to-be-named Spincycle has more reach than what the player did to those torches, doing them one-by-one looks tedious. The way the camera jerks to back-view and then side-view when getting on the hamster wheel looks very bad. There are tiny little creatures that make cute noises by the hamster wheel. As is, it looks far too shoddy to justify a day-1 purchase imo. Probably going to be another game with friends pulling straws to see who actually picks up the game, like Forces.
Okay, so here are some rambles: First off, the UI is clearly hidden. Not particularly surprising, but I imagine it's indicative of things SEGA doesn't want us to know about yet. It seems the main moment to moment gameplay will centre around collecting those weird little hearts. Sonic does grab a more reddish one at some point that seems to be a health refill but obviously the rings are still around and I think it'd be confusing to have hearts as both a collectible and the health system. Honestly I don't think the floating rails look *as* bad up close. Sonic punches a box open near the start of the footage, so his melee combo seems to be a dedicated button, Mario 64 style. Spoiler: Image Looks like this enemy chases Sonic at high speed when he approaches. The player quickstepped out the way to avoid it and it does look like it's turning to continue pursuit before Sonic hops on the rail. It shares the same eye aesthetic as the white ball enemy from the teaser so yeah it looks very much like our enemies are coming directly from cyberspace and could have a lot of attack variety, which is promising. Spoiler: Image The three enemies over to the left here look to be our Bubbles stand-ins for homing attack chains, but they have some spikes rotating around them so thankfully it seems they won't be mindless homing attack fodder. Interesting to see how some of crates have been strewn around the place. Add to that the oddly metallic architecture that fits neither the island nor cyberspace, perhaps there's some reality warping at play here. I'm not really sure what the player needs to do to turn the statue to open that one door? Sonic doesn't seem to do anything or react to any input so...? So as well as launching enemies, spin cycle has a general wind effect that is going to be used in puzzles. I imagine there's a lot they can do with that and given the degree of control you seem to have over Sonic while using the manoeuvre, I think they could get pretty engaging. The torch puzzle also seems to spawn some kind of fruit? Tinfoil hat, but I think this could evidence that we're getting a Chao Garden! Spoiler: Image Hmmmm, that's not the usual "?" icon. Looks more like a treasure chest. Spoiler: Image This looks like some kind of sand timer? Wouldn't be surprised if it pops up a speedy obstacle course, a la Mario Odyssey, but much bigger. Spoiler: Image Unseen NPC(?) over on the right here. I imagine we'll be getting multiple islands, perhaps each has its own type of NPC. Overall, things look alright. Would've liked to see some combat, but I imagine that's going to be the next big showcase. I can understand some of people's grievances with what we're seeing, but I think this gameplay is probably from last year. This event has probably been in the works for at least a matter of months and it's not like SEGA will be recording footage to give IGN at the last minute, especially when they're going to want to doctor what we see and such. Assuming it is from last year, I can see why the game was pushed back to this year, but I'm still optimistic these things will be ironed out (or perhaps have been already), before it's in our hands.
A few pages back I was ragging on people about the “marketing complaints”.... well whoever okay’d this gameplay clip is a buffoon (that is unless the game sucks and there’s no way to make it look good) What an underwhelming and confusing first impression. No clarity on how Sonic plays. I’m not fully convinced that the rolling attack is a variation of the homing attack... but I’m also not sure what’s actually happening there. Sega needs to put out a clip, with more clarity within the next two weeks.
The statue turn bit is probably a weird thing resulting from the hidden UI. I guess Sonic can come to a complete standstill before certain objects and press an interact button of sorts for those puzzles.
I’m convinced that Sega’s tolerance of fangames is directly related to their inability to put out quality products. Could u imagine the outrage if Sega Cease and Desisted fangames when the official games suck? I think it could result in the end of the fanbase... and I think sega knows this
So, to share some thoughts: I actually don't mind the boost -or whatever it is now- coming back; in fact, I believe it's really beneficial for this kind of game. And I do like how it seems to be implemented here; less of an overpowered move to plow through the levels and more as an option to quickly travel the landscape, while leaving the slower, but more controlled normal movement for platforming, puzzle solving and light exploring. And I like how the Spin Cycle looks, seems to be really smooth to execute and control. But yeah, I would have also preferred to see some combat and other biomes from the island, like those shown in the screenshots from December. Aaaaand I hope this was footage from a last-gen version, cause I'd be shocked if this is how it'll look like on PS5. give sonic to me and only me
I think I was among the more hyped folks when we first found out sonic was gonna be open world. Back then, I basically couldn't even fathom that they would just transplant the boost style mechanics and gameplay feel into an open world. I thought, EVEN SONIC TEAM would know immediately that just wouldn't synergize at all. It's the stuff of fangames. They really just did exactly that. I'm completely blown away in a way that doesn't feel too comforting. Let me say this immediately: I expect this will still be a "good" game, i don't expect anything remotely bad or even mediocre like Forces. But the window of this being a 9/10 game is closed for me based on what I saw, and the fact that this is releasing this year. I wasn't expecting a revival of SA1 mechanics but this just does not look very fluid. It looks like the world will be interesting to look at and explore but once you've collected most of the goodies you'll get bored and stop playing. To have made the movement fluid would have meant that the player could spend hours dicking around aimlessly and have a blast, that's how you create replayability. Again. I still expect a decent game but I'm not blown away and my excitement has come down quite a bit. Lol the one thing I thought they'd just HAVE to do this time, they refused to do it. I'm fairly convinced that the people at SEGA think of Sonic more as a "gotta go fast" meme, and it shows in everything they do. These are not the folks that dreamed up the Sonic CD opening. I'm not a classic only curmudgeon, I just figured that Sonic could do a better job with fluid, momentum based movement than Mario or Zelda.
