Sonic Lost World Reviews

[Doctor MK]

Regarding the Wisps - aside from a couple like Drill and Laser (once you discover how to actually bloody work the thing if you're using the touch controls), they're absolutely pointless with the exception of reaching the odd alternate route.

 

Asteroid? Controls like crap, has no real purpose.

 

Rhythm? I... I don't even know why this is a thing. It doesn't seem to actually benefit anything apart from crossing specifically-made gaps.

 

Eagle? Meh, it's the best of the new ones, I guess. Underused though.

 

I absolutely love Colours and I love what the Wisps brought to the table in that game. But here, they may as well not even exist.

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

I'll say what I said to Indigo, I suppose.

 

When you look at it from the outside, games are something extraordinary. Fantastic worlds, interesting characters, amazing adventures, all at the players fingertips. There's something almost nostalgic to it, even with new games. A good game, whether it means to or not, brings me back to that time when I wanted to be an adventurer, or the president, or fight monsters as the chosen one. Simpler times, yes, but no less important to me than the big grown-up things I've been embroiled in. However crude or downright awful my imagination was, the joy and wonder they brought to a knee-high Soma was unforgettable. For all its flaws, it was entertainment at its finest.

 

...I guess that's enough beating around the bush. What I suppose I'm trying to say is that a game, at its heart, is entertainment. If, failing all else, it succeeds in at least that, it was a game worth making. Technical faults may rear up, opposition may strike, but in the end, whether or not the adventure was worth it is a question left solely to you. Experience it for yourself, and draw your own conclusions.

 

That sounded bizarre coming from me of all people, but I thought it needed to be said, however awkwardly I expressed it. In a strange way, all this mixed reception reminds me of why I love video games in the first place.

[Chaos Warp]

I don't get that people think that we've been suggesting that Sonic will be full-on dead because of the mixed reviews. At least I know that what I've been saying that I'm worried about Sonic becoming the gaming laughing stock again, like he was after 06. We've been making slow progress in that regard but I'm worried that the mixed reviews will just shoot it all down again once more  . 

[JezMM]

Asteroid is much better used in the 3DS version.  Lightning is also super fun.  Haven't used the other new one yet.

 

Regarding the Little Planet/Lost Hex comparisons, Little Planet is still more explanation than we get for Lost Hex.  Apparently an entire planet exists within the clouds of Sonic's world and we haven't seen it before, okay.  Or if it's a wormhole they went through, you'd think Tails would at least make a small aside to "I can't believe there was a wormhole right in our planet's cloud cover".  Just, something, anything.

 

The bit that peeves me the most is Tails knows what is is and then we get not even a nod as to why.

[jeremycarrier]

It just a bit frustrating how inconsistent this franchise is. It feels like its one step forward, one step back. with every entry.They'll make the controls less finicky, but with lots of slow ill-fitting 2D platforming and dumbed down 3D sections in Colors. We'll try to do the best of both worlds, but in a tiny slight package full of filler side activities, mediorcelevel design, and a shit last boss. We'll finally hire some good writers and voice actors, and we'll waste them on Baldy McNosehair and insubstantial childish storytelling. They'll fix the homing attack having a mind of its own, then introduce LOTS of different targets for your homing attack to get confused in Lost World. They'll tiered speeds, but with zero momentum in-between the speeds, just hard stops that breaks up the flow. 

 

And just a hundred other different things they seem to be constantly improving and breaking and introducing

 

Like FUCK can they just do one game where they get the vast majority of it right? One game we can all agree was awesome? Is this franchise cursed to be various levels of "mixed bags" forever?

Edited October 18, 2013 by jeremycarrier

[LoiLoi17]

Still, this comment from the official Sonic facebook page describes exactly why I am so frustrated with these reviews.:

 

"I find it bullshit that many of the critics at E3 who played Sonic Lost World, praised the game for it's mechanics and it's gameplay, only to bastardize it during it's release. Way to get Sega's hopes up; pointing out all the flaws and such. Must be some kind of joke. It makes you wonder why the fuck they didn't even mentioned those complaints before? If you had problems with certain elements of the game, you could have informed Sega about the situations a long time ago... they had almost 3-4 months from it's release to make some final touhes! As video game critics, it is your damn job to write a review about the things you find troublesome during the gameplay, giving the publisher/developer inside tips on how to improve the game... but no... they didn't tell them that. Instead, Sega got their hopes up only to be lied to for almost about everything little detail of the game. Very disappointed at those critics... especially IGN and Gamespot."

[Indigo Rush]

So how long until Sonic Cycle 2.0 starts?

It starts now.

 

At any rate, I'm just going to not let it get to me anymore. If I enjoy it, that's what matters to me. I'll look at it objectively and love it for what's good and acknowledge where it fails.

 

Sonic doesn't have to be perfect. Really, it's been so long since an objectively "perfect" Sonic game, I am starting to wonder if this is all worth the rage it's inducing. General media outlets hate the game. What else is new? These are the same people that thought that Sonic 4 was a faithful sequel to Sonic & Knuckles. I think I can sleep tonight.

 

Listen, guys. Sonic Lost World just isn't perfect. Not many games are. But let's look at it from a more positive light - the game got so many things right, it's difficult to really shoot it down. The game has had some negative reviews to be sure, but for every negative review, there's a positive one, and even the occasional glowing impression. 

 

What's wrong with the game? Most of the Wisps are terrible to control. The learning curve for controlling Sonic is unusually steep. The pacing and level diversity is a bit too inconsistent. The story leaves a lot of details without explanation. It's not a perfect game.

 

But that doesn't mean it isn't good.

 

What is there to love about Sonic Lost World?

 

The visual atmosphere is fresh and energetic - for the first time, the series doesn't feel the need to tie itself down to a particular high def standard. They do what they want here, and it makes Sonic Lost World look like the most gorgeous Sonic game in recent memory! Sonic Generations and Unleashed did fantastic with their Hedgehog Engine, but to deny the raw beauty that Lost World has to offer, all in 60 frames per second is simply a crime. It's the most beautiful looking Sonic game I've ever seen.

 

The controls and level design, while flawed, are testing new waters and are exploring new ways to play Sonic. I love the boost games very much, but to see a return to a healthy balance with speed, exploration and platforming. Lost World has so many paths to take in some of the levels, it tries so many interesting and exciting design choices that impact how the game is played, and it goes through such lengths to make sure that no two worlds are the same, that I can't even think of how the next Sonic game can top it's  creativity.

 

Sonic Lost World has the best story in any Sonic game. I'm just going to flat out say it - the way Sonic, Tails and Eggman interact with each other is the greatest. Even though it leaves a number of things unexplained, it isn't afraid to get deep and dark, especially near the end. I won't spoil the ending here, but once you get to the last Zone, things seriously get intense. I just wish more Sonic games had this kind of depth and heart put into their storytelling. And the writing is just hilarious sometimes; intentionally hilarious at that! The childish corniness from Sonic Colors is gone, and we have a much better timing with jokes, slapstick and dialogue. It's just such a fantastic step up from the past few games that I can't even be bothered to worry about the flaws in the story.

 

See, for me, Lost World has so much effort and depth, so much heart and soul at it's core, that I can't even let such negative reviews get me down. If the game has flaws, that's a bummer, but can we really let something like that destroy what is otherwise a nearly perfect package? I sincerely hope the bad reviews don't prevent Sonic Team from continuing in this direction and refine what has worked in this game. There is so much potential with Sonic Lost World that even though I love the boost games, I would be massively disappointed if they stop trying new things and ditch the parkour and tiered speed mechanic altogether. There's too much for them to work with for them to give up.

 

On that note... I think it would make things a lot easier around here if we focused on what was good about the game more than what is bad. Not to neglect the flaws, but to spend more time giving Sonic Team and ourselves positive reinforcement for going the distance and treading new ground. I feel like this is the sort of Sonic game that Sonic fans will love, and that's fine with me for now.

 

This isn't the end of Sonic, far from it. This is just what we should expect whenever they try something new - sometimes there are missteps... but it's foolish to assume that there can't be any steps forward at the same time.

For the few who think it's a good thing that this game is failing, kindly keep it to yourselves. There's nothing wrong with not liking a product, and there are a number of reasons to not like Sonic Lost World - this is duly noted. But at some point if you begin rejoicing for the failures and neglect to praise the positives, you're effectively cheering for a noose to be wrapped around the blue hedgehog's neck. A limit needs to be drawn with how you react to negativity. 

 

Sonic is better than ever nowadays, and even when the newest game isn't perfect, it's still taking many steps in the right direction. It's a process that will involve occasional experiments. Bear in mind that Sonic Team 2013 is not Sonic Team 2006 - they learn from their mistakes, and then improve on the source material once they figure out what to do and where to go.

 

Who knows, maybe the next Sonic game will be perfect. Be positive, if you dare.

 

Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go eat a sandwich.

 

Edited October 18, 2013 by Indighost Rush

[JezMM]

To be fair the opening levels play pretty great.  It's only when you get to the latter half that the controls start to not hold up to the difficulty presented.

[Milo]

I swear, I hope this is the last game with wisps because, honestly, I'm seeing absolutely no reason for them being there and they feel like a giant gimmick, so they're annoying me.

 

This. I also think the 2D segments/levels in Sonic games are in the same boat, they just seem like a crutch for Sonic Team to use as filler to make up for the small amount of 3D platforming/mach speed levels. Maybe if they weren't so linear and weren't mostly comprised of "block" platforming, I would cut them some slack. But at this point I think the 2D levels should be reserved solely for the 2D games, we haven't seen a Sonic game compromised entirely of 3D levels since Sonic 06, quality of said 3D levels notwithstanding.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Yeow the Baneful

[Kuzu]

I don't get that people think that we've been suggesting that Sonic will be full-on dead because of the mixed reviews. At least I know that what I've been saying that I'm worried about Sonic becoming the gaming laughing stock again, like he was after 06. We've been making slow progress in that regard but I'm worried that the mixed reviews will just shoot it all down again once more  . 

 

Dude. Unless is a broken, unplayable mess like 06 was, you should seriously stop worrying. 

[Dummy Bear]

Still, this comment from the official Sonic facebook page describes exactly why I am so frustrated with these reviews.:

 

"I find it bullshit that many of the critics at E3 who played Sonic Lost World, praised the game for it's mechanics and it's gameplay, only to bastardize it during it's release. Way to get Sega's hopes up; pointing out all the flaws and such. Must be some kind of joke. It makes you wonder why the fuck they didn't even mentioned those complaints before? If you had problems with certain elements of the game, you could have informed Sega about the situations a long time ago... they had almost 3-4 months from it's release to make some final touhes! As video game critics, it is your damn job to write a review about the things you find troublesome during the gameplay, giving the publisher/developer inside tips on how to improve the game... but no... they didn't tell them that. Instead, Sega got their hopes up only to be lied to for almost about everything little detail of the game. Very disappointed at those critics... especially IGN and Gamespot."

 

This guy just summed up one of the biggest(if not THE biggest) problems I have with game journalism: praising previews followed by scathing(or mixed) reviews. The ol' bait and switch...

[sonfan1984]

Oh god damn it THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT WHEN SLW STARTED GETTING LESS THEN GOOD SCORES

 

IT'S FUCKING HAPPENING AGAIN, GOD DAMN IT INTERNET!

 

The internet is going back into it's "Sonic is dead and sucks and should die" phase because of this shit and FUCKING SHIT WE WERE MAKING PROGRESS GOD DAMN IT

 

...you know people on the Internet have been saying this crap for years anyway even when the series is progressively getting better and the games is well received? That's all it takes is one or two bad reviews for people to start trash talking Sonic and dismiss anything positive about it.

Edited October 18, 2013 by sonfan1984

[Autosaver]

To be fair the opening levels play pretty great.  It's only when you get to the latter half that the controls start to not hold up to the difficulty presented.

A lot of the reviews said the opening sucks...

[Doctor MK]

So, with all these negative scores taken into account... how many giant Sonic banners do you think SEGA will be sending out to reviewers as a joke this time?

 

[Indigo Rush]

So, with all these negative scores taken into account... how many giant Sonic banners do you think SEGA will be sending out to reviewers as a joke this time?

 

 

Poor Jim Sterling will be left out.

[Doctor MK]

Poor Jim Sterling will be left out.

 

Maybe he purposely gave Lost World a better score so he wouldn't get any more "surprises" through the post from SEGA

[NiGHTS]

At this point, im so used to "mixed" reviews. Most of us here LOVED Unleashed, and probably many favorites in terms of a modern Sonic game, yet it was very mixed like this. It was a drastic change from previous Sonic games, just like Lost World. Im sure to a "fan"s point of view, it will be loved.

[Milo]

Kotaku review. They like the 3DS version, the Wii U version not so much.

 

http://kotaku.com/sonic-lost-world-the-kotaku-review-x2-1448002806

[Space☆Tomoki]

Asteroid is much better used in the 3DS version.  Lightning is also super fun.  Haven't used the other new one yet.

 

Regarding the Little Planet/Lost Hex comparisons, Little Planet is still more explanation than we get for Lost Hex.  Apparently an entire planet exists within the clouds of Sonic's world and we haven't seen it before, okay.  Or if it's a wormhole they went through, you'd think Tails would at least make a small aside to "I can't believe there was a wormhole right in our planet's cloud cover".  Just, something, anything.

 

The bit that peeves me the most is Tails knows what is is and then we get not even a nod as to why.

This is actually what irritates me the most about Tails these days. He seems to always conveniently know nearly everything about what's going on, but they never explain why he knows that other than "lolkidgeniushurr". It irritated the crap out of me in Generations how both Tailses just HAPPENED TO KNOW how to restore the locations in white space just because.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Dark Tomoki

[Badnik Mechanic]

It irritated the crap out of me in Generations how both Tailses just HAPPENED TO KNOW how to restore the locations in white space just because.

 

Deus Ex Fox-ina

[Carbo]

I'd like to point out to everyone -

Try to keep the discussion in that topic and the review discussion here.

[Soniman]

Kotaku review. They like the 3DS version, the Wii U version not so much.

 

http://kotaku.com/sonic-lost-world-the-kotaku-review-x2-1448002806

 

So it looks like the 3DS > WiiU version thing is gonna be consistent it seems.

[#EndyGate]

Dimps wins again, another step towards my Sonic Advanced Rush. Sega, look into the profits and reviews and understand the necessity of giving Dimps their own new title again.

[Your Vest Friend]

I believe there's that comic coming out on Halloween that acts as the prologue to the game but I agree with you. If anything that prologue should have been included in the game even if it was just one long chastened with no gameplay.

Quite a few of us have it now, and Lost Hex is about as well explained in that as it is in the game.

[JezMM]

Just read Kotaku's review and I really have to agree with them.  Wii U is good and serves well enough as a new Sonic title after these years but 3DS is better.  If people are getting both I certainly recommend playing the Wii U one first so you can appreciate the 3DS' improvements all the more.

Edited October 18, 2013 by JezMM