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Sonic Frontiers Thread - PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by MykonosFan, May 27, 2021.

  1. DefinitiveDubs

    DefinitiveDubs

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    Not that I necessarily defend the practice of rehashing stage layouts, but I'd like to point out that Mania's GHZ reuses layouts from Palmtree Panic.
     
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  2. Laura

    Laura

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    Okay so after watching a lot of the videos I'll post my balanced thoughts.

    On Cyberspace. The Green Hill Zone stage looks bad. Chemical Plant looks like a simplistic version of the Gens' level. The Sky Sanctuary stage is a little better than the Green Hill one. Still simplistic and shallow but a step above. If the levels get increasingly complex than this may not be a Forces' level concern. I also feel like we are missing out on a lot of context. If these levels are Sonic's memories, they could do some interesting things with asset and level design reuse. But honestly I doubt it, but never know. Either way, it looks like Kishomoto Boost, with the downsides that brings.

    On the open world. Hmm. I don't really know at this point. Honestly it's just hard to tell. My instincts are that it doesn't look great. I don't think combat in a Sonic game is a good idea but they have clearly put effort into it. It looks better than Boom combat! I mean it looks slightly above servicable. I like that there is a bit of complexity to dodging and attacking. But it just doesn't look very good. It's not Devil May Cry is it? But then it doesn't even look as solid as say, Nier Automata, which had a good combat system but not an incredible one. That should be the standard really.

    On the exploration front, it just looks a bit weird right now. Like you go across a plain of grass and there's a spring which shoots you through some hoops and you get rings. Umm okay? Why? Maybe some of these off the path areas will give you collectables, but it looks a bit shallow. Jump on a spring and be automated through a brief little area with generic platforms. Or do a small amount of platforming. I dunno, doesn't look inspiring. I do appreciate that they seem to have put some thought into the progression of the open world. It doesn't appear to be just a big open field and you are plonked into fumble about. So that's good. I do find it funny how you have very slightly different ways of getting across the fields. Either run through or jump on a spring which will shoot you through a hoop through. Lol but okay. But I just don't think the exploration side of it looks very engaging.

    To be honest the open world design could be a surprise when it comes out. But it's entirely dependant upon how good the combat feels and, crucially, how well designed the open world becomes as it progresses. If it stays like this then honestly I think it might just be a bit dull.

    But my main concern is how fragmented Frontiers might feel. I am concerned that the open world may be predominantly combat and exploration based and the cyberspace levels are going to be where the speed and platforming is. I don't like it when Sonic separates core design philosophies so sharply in this way. As much flak as you can give Colors, Gens, Lost World, and Forces, they didn't do this in quite the same way as previous games in the franchise. Gens had Classic Sonic and Lost World had 2D/3D but on a general sense all the levels had similar emphasis on speed and platforming. As opposed to Unleashed and before, where multiple characters played wildly different because they had different design philosophies.

    I'm concerned because it could create a system where if one pillar fails then the other pillar isn't substantial enough to stand up on its own. People are saying the cyberspace levels are an afterthought but I dunno about that. Even with the asset and level design reuse, it takes a long time to create those stages. Especially if there are a lot of them. And I don't think they are really supposed to be seen as just a mild diversion considering the entrances are substantial objects to find in the open-world.
     
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  3. hiadlzupfer

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    I just had this weird thought - Imagine a Sonic game, looking and feeling like Frontiers, but as the game progresses, as you beat levels and destroy bosses, the game more and more turns into an ACTUAL Sonic game, with colourful levels, an Adventure style soundtrack and BADNIKS - kind of like the film "Pleasantville" where the characters wake up in this dystopian black and white TV show, and through music and love they it slowly grows colourful

    But I guess the 8923745923842nd Green Hill, 796394234234th Chemical Plant and bland Zelda-looking levels are they way to go, according to "Sonic" Team...! *sigh*
     
  4. SuperSnoopy

    SuperSnoopy

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    Slice of life visual novel, coming soon...?
    Mind elaborating on this? Not doubting you, I'm just very intrigued.
     
  5. JW.

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    Yeah, as I said before the whole automation thing is incredibly off-putting to me. No point in making an open world and then just have the main character bounced across it without much input. It seems like most of the gameplay will be automated unless you're running on the ground, in the sense that to travel you either go on a rail or hit a bounce pad. I can't see that being compelling for a long period of time honestly.
     
  6. Flare

    Flare

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    It's an interesting discussion on reuse for different purposes (saving costs, throwbacks, etc) - which sadly has just turned into Twitter fights. Mainly because Twitter isn't a good place for discussion :P

    What probably makes it more heated is because Forces already did this already with visual tropes, and now it's a step beyond that, and because well... Forces hardly was a good example of good reuse which other people have pointed out other developers achieve. -

    Also I guess that because the visual direction of Generations, Forces and now Frontiers started with Unleashed, it feels like less time has passed between them.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2022
  7. Deep Dive Devin

    Deep Dive Devin

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    Here's some of those movement sliders. Still surreal to know these are even here.
     
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  8. MontiP

    MontiP

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    In regards to the "layout reuse" discussion we are having, I might as well add that 6 out of the 21 Game Land stages in Colors reuse level layouts from freaking Sonic 1.

    Btw, I'm largely indifferent with this whole discourse; in fact, when I realized the layout of the tutorial was Windmill Isle 1, I was like "oh damn, this is literally the tutorial of Unleashed. huh". Not frustrated or anything, just intrigued.
     
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  9. Zigetch

    Zigetch

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    That's the first cyberspace footage I've seen that I actually find exciting since the player's not holding back on using Sonic's abilities to tear through the stage. Looks like there's a decent amount of alternate paths through the levels too.

    I don't really mind the refurbishing of previous games' stages as long as there's enough difference from the original to set them apart, and so far there's a fair amount. The music's apparently going to be completely new. And I really hadn't tumbled onto the realization that the layouts were based on previous games' until others had pointed it out, haha.

    The more I see of this game the more I like it. I was indifferent to Forces from almost the very beginning, but this one's different. It looks like a lot of fun. Kind of nice to see a new 3D Sonic and actually genuinely look forward to it.

    Also I love Sage.
     
  10. Flare

    Flare

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    Sage is great! I love her design, another 'human' character that looks like they belong with the Sonic characters.
     
  11. Zephyr

    Zephyr

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    Are Chao not part of the series' pre-existing lore?

    Hey, I'm just glad to finally have Generations on the Switch. :V

    [​IMG]
     
  12. BadBehavior

    BadBehavior

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    And the hopium supply for people clinging onto the cyberspace levels has officially run out. (Unless we wanna go through the same "It's only the tutorial, it'll get better" rigamarole that we did with Forces)

    Maybe if they were just marketed as side challenges, merely one element of the package, especially with the knowledge that they are deliberate throwbacks to Sonics past like Gameland, rather than traditional Sonic action stages separated by the "filler" of the Open-Zone, the backlash would have been lessened. With the latter, we have an expectation of good design of the level and unique theming. Neither of which are being met from what we've seen so far.

    Regardless, it is nice to see Sega porting Unleashed to PC, albeit in the most roundabout way possible. :V
     
  13. MH MD

    MH MD

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    I mean….they ARE marketed like that! Like all they have officially showing in great capacity is just the open zones, they never really ever focused on the cyperstages like….at all, just look at any official material they released or any interview, 99% are all about the open zones

    like…it feels a case of fanbase expectations based on leaks and hopes getting so out of control that it overshadowed what those stages really were in reality, not even SEGA actually cared in marketing tham as these big main thing of the game like….at all.
     
  14. Turbohog

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    Level layout release is a whole new low. I'm honestly impressed lmao. I personally don't think the "open zones" will make up for it. So far, they just look like generic empty open worlds with springs and rails copy-pasted randomly.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2022
  15. raphael_fc

    raphael_fc

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    I remember people in this very thread thinking that the "open-zone" area was like SA1's hub world while the cyberspace levels were the main portion of the game.
     
  16. Linkabel

    Linkabel

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    But they have been shown in an officially capacity, from interviews, screenshot to recently the new story trailer.

    Not denying the open zone has been the main focus, but let's not deny their messaging has been that if you want to play Frontiers in a more traditional way then the Cyber Space is the way to do it.

    I'm also not liking the "this is just like game Land in Colors" since it's obviously supposed to be more than a bonus mode. From the Game Informer interview:

    The interview goes on to say Kishimoto teased that you could advance through the game through other means.

    But that just brings me back to my point that Cyber Space stages are more like the shrines in BotW.

    Sure they're "optional" but you will need to eventually clear some of them if you want to experience all of what the game offers and don't have time to sink in getting upgrades/weapons through the open world.

    I'm pretty sure Frontiers is going to be the same way.
     
  17. Mana

    Mana

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    Anyone else find it kind of funny that there's been very little criticism over how the game plays and feels from people at events who have actually gotten to try it out but some people online are debating the games quality and how it controls, quite negatively, even though they haven't had a chance to play it themselves?
     
  18. Deep Dive Devin

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    That's just fandom, dude. People who care about things form opinions on them.
     
  19. The Joebro64

    The Joebro64

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    Game's been saved, everyone who dislikes it is cringe unbased and bluepilled
     
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