Full disclosure, I basically hate video games now and I only ever play them for 3 hours before setting them down and never coming back because it's all shit I've done before HOWEVER the buried lead here is Dying Light 2's first look also dropped today, and that's a platformer that has me bashing my head against drywall like I'm on angel dust I'm so excited. The original was my go-to example of open world design done right. I only started playing Switch games a week ago so the jury's still out on Odyssey and BotW. I've got high hopes for the former.
If this leak is true, I'm very, very intrigued and cautiously optimistic. Having played Bowser's Fury at the start of this year, I think that's a fantastic little romp that is a really brilliant showcase of open world exploration and freedom with a focus on more authored and structured content, perhaps because Mario's core abilities never really change. He's always going to have access to the same set of moves at the start of the game as he does at the end of it, so I think that ironically makes things easier to design around because you don't need to worry about sequence breaking. Anyway, ultimately I'm excited to see something different from Sonic. I love Generations and I'm excited to play through Colours again this year, so I'm glad similar stage designs could be returning within this game (and in a manner that solves the asset problem in a contextually appropriate manner), but I've found myself feeling more and more in recent years that boost formula just isn't healthy for this franchise long term as the core gameplay paradigm. Also, while the CG trailer is basically nothing, I do think it looks *gorgeous*. I was so disappointing with Forces' CG trailers looking like playdoh, but this trailer nailed the aesthetic I like to see. Not about to count my eggs before they hatch with regards to no Classic Sonic though. I'm hoping, but I don't dare take it for granted. Either way, I can't wait to see something of substance from this project.
There are lots of ways to mitigate this including modular design and simply editing assets after they have been placed, but you are right on just about every front. I too am drooling on UE5
I do not want a fully realised open world Sonic game. Well okay maybe I do - I want Takashi Iizuka and his team to waste time on a project I won't care about, so that they don't have time to fiddle with a Sonic Mania successor. I want them so pre-occupied that they forget to force more copy-pasted levels from the early 1990s into the project. Also it would make a fun Zero Punctuation episode.
I think it's only a matter of time before they do lean in on and take a stab at the "open world 3D platformer" genre that's taken hold in the indie scene, even if this game isn't the one to bite that bullet. But I'm cautiously hopeful that it is. I've stated before how much fun I think it'd be to be playing Breath of the Wild, and being able to turn into a boulder and roll into a camp of unsuspecting enemies. Or to spin dash up a hill, jump off into a large jump, and glide off toward my destination. I'm expecting more "Breath of the Wild with a Boost" than "Sonic Utopia with a Budget", unfortunately. But let's see! Definitely agreeing with those saying that this is the most interesting thing they've done since 2008. Ready for the disappointment, now.
One positive about open world with realistic environments - we might finally not see Green Hill or Chemical Plant or more unnecessary rehash
I cannot see current Sonic Team making a successful open world game. I hope that the leak isn't true or that someone else is actually developing it lol
Honestly the jump to open world is exactly when both of these would be very welcome to me. Imagine crossing borders from Green Hill Zone into a neighboring zone. Not saying I want to see this. I'm just saying I wouldn't hate it if they did it.
Scale. BotW is really rough on Switch. I'd prefer they focused on more powerful hardware if they truly plan to do open world.
What a waste of time. A CG trailer with Sonic in a field? I'd rather they not show anything until there's gameplay IMO.
Well there is a rumour going around that Ninty might announce a more powerful Switch Pro tomorrow, but then I guess Sonic Team would still have to develop with regular Switch in mind
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m personally happy to see the Mario pastiche aesthetic of Lost World and the hodgepodge of Forces has been dumped in favour of something more grounded and detailed.
I think open world has potential. It could bring back that element of exploration the series has been lacking for a while. I do agree that an open-world game is a lot easier to screw up than a traditional platformer. The latter is far easier to control the experience of the players, while open-world level design has to balance that with the sensation of freedom the player should have. Breath of the Wild is a master class example of how it can be done and it took them 5 years to get it just right with help from developers who had already been doing it for years with Xenoblade. From the looks of things, this game has probably been in development for just under 3 years and will be finished sometime in 2022. It's Sonic Team and their reputation isn't good, but I can at least admire the ambition this time around. I will direct you to the aforementioned Xenoblade series in addition to Breath of the Wild. The Switch may not be as powerful as other current-gen consoles, but it hardly hampers the ability to create engaging open-world games that are designed very well. Likewise, it doesn't hamper the ability to design fun movement options as Odyssey and many many other games on the platform have clearly demonstrated. It all comes down to the competence of the developers here, not so much the hardware.
I think a comic tie in is a given - the more interesting question is whether we’ll see comic characters show up here. I think SEGA has a willingness to tie the brand together and I reckon their more hands on approach to the IDW book helps the chances of characters who they were more involved in creating. Tangle in particular fits like a glove among the game cast so I’d love to see her brought to life in a game. She and Whisper made it into the mobile games so this seems like the logical next step.
Couldn't agree more. God I hope we're past the "generic" era. To be fair though, Team Sonic Racing looked pretty good/detailed, it's def the best the series looked since Generations.
The thing I really wanna know is, who's gonna direct Sonic 2022? Will it be Morio Kishimoto again? Not a big fan of his games so far, apart from Colours. But then again Hidemaro Fujibayashi went from directing Zelda Skyward Sword to Breath of the Wild and those games are like night and day so maybe I shouldn't pin all the blame on Kishimoto.
Making an open-world Sonic game would basically mean getting rid of the acts. Not sure if I'd like that. Open world-ish acts sounds a lot more likely. But I must say, I hope that whatever's in the pipeline the director sticks with it for once instead of altering the base idea in favour of something more uh market-oriented?
