SEGA admits that they've been fucking up for the past decade

I want to believe, but until I see something that makes me go "wow", I won't. Saying that though, it's Sonic's 25th birthday next year. That will be a perfect time for SEGA to listen to their old fans and gain back their trust and bring out a Sonic game that is actually worth paying for. Sonic Generations is the only decent Sonic game since the Megadrive era (IMO), so Sonic Generations 2 would be nice but I don't see them doing that within a year (unless they've already started and are surprising us). But I mean, even a small 2.5D Sonic game that gives us the retro vibe would be good. A 10x better Sonic 4 game is what I would like to see. But they must listen to what we actually want and take their time perfecting it.

Either that, or give Sonic games a rest for a little while and concentrate on other titles. Another terrible Sonic game that comes out, and I will have lost all hope and faith.

 

On the topic of gameplay and rehashes, it really isn't an opinion. Gameplay at a glance level seems to "back to basics" but when you go beyond that its hardly anything like the classic games. Rolling and spindashing is gimped beyond belief. Bouncing amounts to jack. Sonic moves like a tank and can come to a stop on a dime (which was halfway fixed in Episode II-I say halfway as while Sonic was somewhat fixed, Super Sonic wasn't). There is little organic surface physics, with several scripted elements and automation papering up the cracks. You aren't going to get far in either episode if you try playing it like the legacy games. You're better off spamming the homing attack and using the (sometimes) forced combo moves for almost every action.

And this is by no means an opinion. Iizuka explicitly stated for Episode I that "we have not done a straight port of the gameplay, but rather updated it with actions which could not be done in the previous titles." Yet you can't call it a update, because the differences between the legacy physics and Sonic 4's physics are that stark. If the legacy physics were actually preserved in Sonic 4, I challenge that the vitriol leveled against this game would be half as strong at its best.

As for rehashes, you really don't think the game wasn't outright ripping content from the original games? Within 5 seconds of seeing Sonic 4 Episode I's zones, anyone could chant "Green Hill, Metropolis, Labyrinth, Casino Night, (Sonic 2) Death Egg." It's not just that they have a lot of similarities, they are obviously, deliberately copying the zones first, and shaping second. The direction wasn't to rekindle nostalgia as a celebration, it was to lean on the old memories as a dependency. Anyone could pick the old Sonic levels these were miming in 5 seconds. Splash Hill isn't confused with Emerald Hill, Angel Island, Mushroom Hill or Palmtree Panic... not at all. It's a Green Hill 2010, and the other zones are just as much no-brainers. Episode II was better with the first few zones, but not by much (Sky (Chase, Wing) Fortress and Death Egg...mk II).

That's specifically what I'm getting at with that quote. There shouldn't need to be another re-assurance of quality, and the quality shouldn't have had "go down again" in the first place. The fact that Sega had a slew of good Sonic titles preceding it and making it seem they finally got a grasp on things just makes the whole thing that disappointing.

And even if Lost World is technically Sonic Team's only game since then, it is most certainly not going to wipe out the association of the notorious Boom games with the main series. I really don't think it is stated enough just how much of a mismanagement fuckup -concerning all sides involved- that was the entire project that was Boom: Rise of Lyric.

EDIT:

If something happens to this game that causes it to get cancelled, I promise you I will address you as NostradamusDuck for weeks.

 

There's been special commemorative celebrations for Sonic's 10th, 15th and 20th birthday - literally nothing has happened to Sonic in the last five years that's worth celebrating.

A "hey isn't our franchise great" message from Sega doesn't hold much water, given that the franchise hasn't done anything great in years.

 

This. We're getting the Sonic Team developed game they've been working on for like forever next year without a shadow of a doubt. After the amazing Sonic Generations powered anniversary last time I have high hopes for their next game. Comments from Sega like this make me hopeful the game will be of supreme quality. Even if talk is cheap without compelling evidence at least internally they're actively recognising they need to be more stern and patient with quality control. Hopefully this internal change will have an immediate effect on the next Sonic game. The development period for the game is unusually lengthened and I'm hoping that means the game will be amazing.

As Aaron said they'll start talking about their anniversary plans next year so that should be when the game is announced. I remain optimistic and hopeful.

 

Until I actually SEE that they actually want to fix their problem, they can say anything they want. They already went through all this and yet Sonic Boom and Lost World 3DS still exist.

 

Y'know, we really don't need a big 3D Sonic platform-ish game every single year. We had that for quite a while. From 2004, we had Heroes, Shadow, '06, Secret Rings, Unleashed, Black Knight, Colors, Generations, and only then did they take a year off and do Racing Transformed.

I'd be perfectly fine with Sonic transitioning more into the style of most Nintendo franchises, and releasing two or so fantastic games per generation. I realize part of the reason we had so much Sonic for so long was because it was one of Sega's few profitable franchises, but that's really slipping at this point. Sure, fill in the gaps with some smaller spin-off titles and Olympic Games and (for the love of god, PLEASE) a cheaper 2D series starring Classic Sonic. The point is, I think Sega could learn a lot from Mario or Donkey Kong's release schedule, and I'm perfectly fine if Sonic Team takes four or five years between quality "A-team" releases. They can't keep rushing games out every year and damaging the brand like this.

 

We've heard this before and I am honestly not buying it until I see what they have to show at TGS. Even then I'll be wary.

You guys seem to give these companies a free pass sometimes, like they actually care about this stuff and I don't know, maybe you feel some sort of sympathy for them. Some publishers do care, sure - probably very few in fact - but Sega have proven time and again that the people in power, unfortunately, don't give a fuck.

I understand optimism and anybody who knows me will tell you that I'm generally 'cautiously optimistic' about almost anything. However, I cannot bring myself to be lured in by the same song and dance Sega have done several times over the years.

Feel I need to add this: The views presented here are opinion and do not represent the views of Sonic Retro as a whole. Obviously.

 

I'm one of the most forgiving, basically naïve people I know. But even with that going for me, I honestly just don't care what they say, even if it is the #1 person of the whole company. I just want to see a great game. As a lifelong customer of Sega and Sonic, as someone who literally has had his life shaped by the characters, sights, sounds and symbols found in Sonic starting in Pre-K (I would only sleep on the blue side of the mat during nap time because I wanted to lay on the "Sonic" side, not the "Knuckles" side, to this day I organize my school folders by color correspondence to Sonic characters or the order of the Chaos Emeralds from Rush/Rush Adventure, Escape From the City literally calms me down and slams me with nostalgia like a lullaby puts a baby to sleep, and many other things), I'm very upset that they can't seem to hold a streak of good games. I understand not every developer is going to be Nintendo, but giving a cartoon hedgehog guns because they thought it would intrigue western audiences? Seriously? And that person still works on the games.

Now, I'm not blaming it on one person here. I'm just saying that it's very upsetting to see, time and time again, crappy Sonic games. I don't care if Sonic's in the Arabian Nights or the tales of King Arthur. I don't care if he's riding a hoverboard. Honestly, I don't even care if he's a werehog (I do care if he's using guns, though. That's just stupid). I just want the games to be fun, like at least a B. Is a C gonna happen every once in a while? Yeah, probably. I'm sick of all these D and F games.

 

Sonic 4 to Sonic 3 is similar to Somari to Sonic 1. I don't want to be friends with anyone who considers Somari to be a good game.

 

Some of the level layouts are of redeemable value. And Star Light Zone had good music in it. :v:

 

What I meant by 'the result is the same', is that what should be the game's core mechanic (as it is advertised as a sequel to a series of games with this specific manner of physical movement) still doesn't nearly work as it should. 'Too much friction' or not, it's still laughably off, and indicative of the team's lack of care, time, and attention to detail, to something basic, and integral like character physics. It's almost like none of the programmers actually went back to the any of the source material to see what the controls even felt like.

 

While I have been in disagreement with many people on this thread, I do agree with you. I wouldn't even think about it, Somari was a crappy game.

 

I'm still surprised that Sega's bringing Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax over here; that was at the back of my mind for any game they could have chosen to localize. Still praying for PSO2 and the Shining series, but faith is literally non-existent.

 

I'm pretty sure there's already an English localization for South-East Asia, but I've heard it's got a worse translation than the unofficial fan translations for the Japanese servers.

 

The South-East Asia translation is hilariously inaccurate with the rest of the series.

For example, they renamed Force to Wizard and Newman to Elf.

 

When I heard about this story and saw the headline, all I could do really was sigh in frustration. I'm happy to know that they finally acknowledge this revelation, but still it urks me. I'm very much the kind of person who's willing to give people second chances, but I tend to go past second and seem to be giving too many.

If SEGA really does want to prove themselves, then they're really gonna have to work hard in order to get trust back. I'm not sure what keeps me coming back with some kind of belief that SEGA can fix themselves, maybe its Stockholm syndrome, who knows?

 

Well, isn't that awkward, oopsy.