3294 replies to this topic

[Discoid]

Anyways, I don't think there will be a playable demo, but there will be a trial just like Episode 1. That means we cannot have a taste on how the game really plays until the same day of the release of Episode 2.

Of course; their expert marketing campaign wouldn't work if they released a demo:

*1 year until release; no footage yet*
"IT'LL BE AWESOME GUYS"

*6 months until release; massive backlash from footage*
"DON'T WORRY THERE'S A NEW BUILD! IT'S GREAT!"

*2 months until release; new build nowhere to be seen*
"WE'RE LISTENING! DON'T WORRY IT ISN'T SHIT! DON'T WORRY IT ISN'T SHIT! DON'T WORRY IT ISN'T SHIT! DON'T WORRY IT ISN'T SHIT! DON'T WORRY IT ISN'T SHIT! DON'T WORRY IT ISN'T SHIT!"

*Release date; new build barely changed anything*
"We can't change it, sorry."

[Ming Ming Suzy]

Ep1 lacked replay value, so its hard to justify paying that price ($15) for Ep2. Especially with Sonic CD which is a far superior game being so much cheaper. I wonder how well Sonic CD 2011 is selling compared to Ep1?

Well maybe for you, but not for the thousands who will probably get this game from $9.99 to $14.99. Despite the anger from classic Sonic fans, it was a major success.

For Sonic CD 2011, it's too early to say because Episode 1 has been out for over a year. But yeah as it stands I'm pretty sure that CD 2011 isn't even close in terms of sales.

EDIT: Looked at the wrong info for Generations, yikes. Removed what I said out for now.

Edited by Spice on the Starlight, 01 March 2012 - 12:50 AM.

[Balding Spider]

You know what? With the HA bridge in episode 2 returning, any remaining optimism I've held out for this game has been abandonded. Which really sucks since it has much more going for it than episode 1. The new Badniks, the graphics, the level tropes, all good. If it only wasn't for the Dimps grade level design. I didn't like it previously and I don't like it now.

[Meow]

I am never overly negative when it comes to Sonic games generally, I am pretty open most of the time and can set aside some personal frustrations I have with the series and still find enjoyment.

But I really have to bring this up.

We all rail on these players for absolutely sucking at Sonic games, yet when we were all kids for the most part we could pick up any of the classic titles and play them through without a whole lot of trouble right? Obviously some people aren't really gamers and so I can't really expect them to just 'get it'. However in this case I am almost beginning to wonder if the jump itself is not natural enough for people to understand and perhaps the level design is becoming a little convoluted for the type of game it is supposed to be - which is a momentum based platformer.

The jump looks like it doesn't give you a lot of time in the air. With my own experience I've always found Sonic's jump in the classics to be a little floaty, giving you a decent amount of time in the air, but not enough for it to feel off. I'm no physics expert so perhaps I am probably describing things wrong. But in these videos to me it appears as though Sonic is quick to accelerate up into the air and just as quick to come crashing back down. Unfortunately this doesn't leave a lot of room to change your direction in mid-air, as it seems like a ton of people are having issues on the segments where you launch of a spring, have to turn around and hit another spring. It seems spaced to the point that you have to homing attack to get it.

Not only that but the level design even encourages these types of problems from the videos. You and I might get a bit of a frustration when playing through it, but we can still play it because we're kind of used to this by now. But to a casual player they keep on dying. To me this isn't good game design, and IN MY OPINION - the jump should feel the most natural and be the easiest thing to use. To me the jump button can either make or break a game for me. I'm really quite concerned when watching this about that fact more than anything else.

Hell it even seems to extend to Tails' flight, since it looked like you can stop and use him to fly you up into the air...only for him to get tired extremely quickly. Not to mention it almost looked jarring when it happened and seemed to disrupt the flow of the game.

To me this is a bigger issue than whether or not Sonic accelerates the way he should going down slopes, or even if the roll is correct, because I can look past those to a certain extent. But when your primary method of getting around and destroying enemies is a jump and it feels really off, then I get a bit worried.

Overall I am still looking forward to this game, but I'm really cautious about it. I didn't mind Episode I at first when I began playing it, but that was due to a lot of personal hype and wishing for it to be amazing rather than genuine enjoyment. Once that initial period wore off I realized it was really mediocre and I definitely don't want to fall into that trap again this time. I'm going to cautiously look forward to this one but so far I'm not entirely sure what to really think of it all yet. I guess I'll have to have some hands on time with it down the road to see for sure.

[Ming Ming Suzy]

Anyway it always bothers me when people mash the jump button and air dash or whatever. Waaaaay too many people are doing it. It's almost a design flaw.

Saw this late but I need to say this. Maybe these *ahem* "gamers" are confused with the double jump that was used in Sonic Colors.

[Blue Blood]

Saw this late but I need to say this. Maybe these *ahem* "gamers" are confused with the double jump that was used in Sonic Colors.

I sincerely doubt it. People have been forever mashing the jump button in Sonic games.

[Ming Ming Suzy]

I sincerely doubt it. People have been forever mashing the jump button in Sonic games.

So they must be confused with Sonic over Mario games.

[Tiller]

So they must be confused with Sonic over Mario games.

?

The base Mario doesn't have a double jump either...and had similar jumping mechanics to Sonic. Both used jumps as the primary attack to dispatch enemies and the longer to press the higher the jump. Mashing A to jump a whole lot in Mario wouldn't get you far either.

Edited by Tiller, 01 March 2012 - 02:14 AM.

[Ming Ming Suzy]

?

The base Mario doesn't have a double jump either...and had similar jumping mechanics to Sonic. Both used jumps as the primary attack to dispatch enemies and the longer to press the higher the jump. Mashing A to jump a whole lot in Mario wouldn't get you far either.

I know Mario couldn't double jump. I just moved on to a new reason.

Also I know mashing A to jump in Mario wouldn't get you far, but you can go much farther mashing A with Mario then Sonic. And in Mario (Super Mario Bros.) you will have to jump a lot of times in that game. Maybe that's where they got their habit from. But maybe I forgot to tell you guys that I'm kinda messing around here.

Still don't know how these guys call themselves gamers when they play like a 5 year old that just got their hands on a controller.

[Discoid]

Still don't know how these guys call themselves gamers when they play like a 5 year old that just got their hands on a controller.

Five year old is still a bit much, actually. My four year old niece made it past Emerald Hill Zone almost as efficiently as they would.

...

And she was holding the controller with her feet.

Spoiler

Yeah, I know I said it before. It's worth repeating.

[Nix]

>Homing Attack Chain over a bottomless pit.

They didn't fix a single goddamn thing. Fuck it, I'm out.

[VizardJeffhog]

am i doin it rite

Well, you missed the guideline where you'd have to have killed yourself in a stupid fashion, but you get plus points for shitty camera quality.

+REP

[Dreamy Luigi]

Still don't know how these guys call themselves gamers when they play like a 5 year old that just got their hands on a controller.

I started playing video games at 3 to 4 years old and I was a great player at that age.

[Solid SOAP]

What I don't get is how many things they did wrong, when they've done so much right in the past...

Why is the homing attack there? Why is there so much automation? Why is the level design so generic? Why are there only 4 levels? Sonic Advance 1, 2, 3, as well as Sonic Rush all had great level designs without homing attacks and just shitty annoying crap like Bubbles chains and such. Why start now? I would honestly prefer it if Dimps just made Sonic Rush HD with Episode II's visuals, at least they're currently good at making Rush games.

[Tiller]

What I don't get is how many things they did wrong, when they've done so much right in the past...

Why is the homing attack there? Why is there so much automation? Why is the level design so generic? Why are there only 4 levels? Sonic Advance 1, 2, 3, as well as Sonic Rush all had great level designs...

Gonna stop you there. They've always had issues with level design after Sonic Advance. Acts became rollercoasters everywhere with nothing coherent or memorable in level structure at all. Compare Sonic Advance's Neo Green Hill zone's level variation and changing set pieces (beach, hill, forest area, roads) to something like Sonic Advance 3's Route 99. WTF is going on in acts like Cybertrack? The acts never had their own set in level pieces to set it apart so it never felt like progress was being made. Tons of death pits and questionable bullshit enemy placement to book. It seems to end up a garbled mess of slopes and routes. Also, Chaos. Angle. Act. Three. Nuff said.

That said they were still fun. Things got a little out of hand with 2 and 3 for me. Still they're vastly superior to Sonic 4 in feel, animation, and actual gameplay. Sonic 4 Ep1. Sonic is just so static in comparison. Thankfully Episode 2 fixed that, but not the most important stuff.

Edited by Tiller, 01 March 2012 - 04:52 AM.

[Eternal Xtreme]

Five year old is still a bit much, actually. My four year old niece made it past Emerald Hill Zone almost as efficiently as they would.

...

And she was holding the controller with her feet.

Spoiler

Yeah, I know I said it before. It's worth repeating.

Waaay off topic but your niece is a beast!

[-Clara Oswald-]

Well maybe for you, but not for the thousands who will probably get this game from $9.99 to $14.99. Despite the anger from classic Sonic fans, it was a major success.

For Sonic CD 2011, it's too early to say because Episode 1 has been out for over a year. But yeah as it stands I'm pretty sure that CD 2011 isn't even close in terms of sales.

EDIT: Looked at the wrong info for Generations, yikes. Removed what I said out for now.

I think generations is close to 2 million sales and Ep1 is well over 1 million. So yes Ep1 (and generations) has been a massive success in terms of sales (which for SEGA is what matters). Ep1's success mainly stems from calling it Sonic 4 which is an insult to the genesis games. Sonic 4 probably should have been called Sonic Arcade.

[VizardJeffhog]

Floating unattacking Bubbles and a bottomless pit underneath.

...




In all legitimacy... guys, I'm not exactly all that surprised that we have this, given Dimps' track record. *sigh* Might as well make do...

[Woun]

---
New badniks soon...

[VizardJeffhog]

Dat gif!

And can't wait to see the badniks!


So I guess that this kinda makes Concept Art Friday a bit obsolete, or at least heading towards there...