Are the chances of Sonic going back to Boost-gameplay higher now after the reviews for Lost World?

[Narukami07]

After this....i.....i just........well......yeah.

I really want to be wrong about this....but i just know that Sega aren't going to be happy once all is said and done.....

Edited October 18, 2013 by Narukami07

[KrazyBean]

Yes, but they might incorporate the parkour, speed tiers and spindash into it.

[Ratcicle King]

Joking aside, I'd say they wouldn't go right back to the boost gameplay after this, the only time they threw away a gameplay after only one game and started from zero was 06, and that was for pretty obvious reasons... They took a risky route, Im pretty sure they took into account that there would be some backlash, specially after playing safe for three games straight.

[Autosaver]

Please no.

 

The boost gameplay started to get old. I was getting tired of holding forward and boost. Sonic Lost World while flawed seems to take a lot of player input. Instead of shelving the new gameplay, they should just refine it. If it's slow, make it faster. If the controls are flawed, fix them.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Refine and improve. That's the way to go.

[FourCartridge]

Maybe. One one hand, Sonic Team knew what they were getting themselves into when they made a new gameplay style. Not every shot is a home run. SEGA might think Boost gameplay is popular though with critics and would design the next game with that in mind.

 

Sales might tell a different story, but I'm not sure this might sell well.

Edited October 18, 2013 by FourCartridge

[Narukami07]

Please no.

 

The boost gameplay started to get old. I was getting tired of holding forward and boost. Sonic Lost World while flawed seems to take a lot of player input. Instead of shelving the new gameplay, they should just refine it. If it's slow, make it faster. If the controls are flawed, fix them.

Thiiiis....

But with Sega being fearful enough as it is, i doubt they'll ever want anything to do with LW's gameplay outside of Parkour ever again.

[Autosaver]

SEGA will only abandon it if it bombs. Knowing Sonic's audience, kids will pick up the game and love it. It will still sell well regardless of quality.

 

Maybe they're trying to slow the gameplay down for their big announcement. You know, the third Wii U exclusive

Sonic Adventure 3

[LATER BUDDY]

I don't think so honestly, at least not back to the same exact boost type that Unleashed through Gens brought us.

 

I actually think this might stay for a bit but improved on with each installment. While I haven't played the game myself I feel like I can understand with reviewers on how some level designs and flow could be improved upon, but I think the basic things to something great are already there. Maybe make the speed tiers a bit faster, make parkour and other moves more seamless some how, etc.

 

I just think it'd be a shame to can the ideas SLW brought on, since they were bold and I feel like a lot of them are really nice game changers, just needs some work possibly but would like to try it out for myself first before I commit to that.

 

I will say though, I'd be interested to see how these gameplay styles fair in a normal level design type. As much as I like the floating islands and such, it'd be interesting to see in a more regular manner.

[Narukami07]

SLW should still sell good since even the bad mainline sonic games still did pretty well outside of Japan (obviously). But i'm still worried......

[azoo]

I'm thinking that they may just make it a bit faster, is all.

Speeding up both of Sonic's running cycles (and/or removing the difference between them) may be their first step. While the run button helps seperate the speeds enough to make a decent pace, you could always design the levels to be built for speed, platforming, and climbing/navigating all at the same time; rather than leaning on one side or the other.

As for the speed difference; it could always just be where Sonic accelerates to top speed via running, and then goes ever so slightly faster in "parkour mode", rather making the emphasis on the trigger to be based becoming your button-press for wall running and vaulting, than making it specifically a run button (much like Assassin's Creed, for example).

I can imagine the other thing they'd probably expand on is making more varied environments. And that will probably mean slopes come back in full force, since regardless, they were all over the place in the classics, the Adventures, and the boost games. The levels in Lost World with the most sloped areas seem to be the most fun to traverse from what I can tell (actual players vouch for me here if I speak the truth), and I think they should play on that since slopes and loops are what makes Sonic... well, Sonic.

Of course, going in the direction that they are, they could easily play off of cleverly using the Spin Dash / rolling to your advantage with the level design while abusing parkour to help blast through stages. Yes, wishful thinking wanting rolling mechanics to return full force, but going by the rail mechanics in SLW its definitely not something they can't pull off.

And while I do think that they (really) should continue using a large variety of stage gimmicks, I think they should be suited both towards progressing quickly through a stage rather than being so much in the way.

But yeah, thats my idea on how they might expand forward. Basically, take the high octane speed and progression of the boost-era games and mix it with the flow-based platforming of this game and make something more fresh and refined.

[Doctor MK]

If SEGA are smart, they'll look carefully at the criticisms made about Lost World and refine them for the next game.

 

If SEGA panic and throw everything out the window, we'll end up with Sonic the Boosthog: Episode 4.

 

Place your bets folks, place your bets...!

[Autosaver]

I feel like the boost gameplay really screwed up the perception of Sonic. All what people think and want is Sonic zooming across fields at the press of a button. The old gameplay of speed and platforming was thrown away for intense, reflex action.

 

When Lost World tried to go back to it, it got shat on.

[Narukami07]

@Dockter MK.

A Perfect, viable scenario would be the former.

What we're most likely to get in reality may be the latter, unfortunately.

I feel like the boost gameplay really screwed up the perception of Sonic. All what people think and want is Sonic zooming across fields at the press of a button. The old gameplay of speed and platforming was thrown away for intense, reflex action.

 

When Lost World tried to go back to it, it got shat on.

It's so fucking depressing as hell, i just don't want Sega to be forced to go back to Boost2win out of fear when it could cause potential stagnation for the franchise....

[Candescence]

From what I can tell, the main and more reasonable criticisms seem to be mainly focused on ill-advised attempts at 'variety' later on in the game, not enough lives, wisps being mostly badly implemented, and trial-and-error level design. Everything else seems to be due to reviewers complaining about the game not being fast enough and not properly getting the controls.

 

 

Personally, I really hope they continue down this road, but I think the biggest lesson that Sonic Team should take from this is that they should focus on the core mechanics and forget about trying to deviate from it for 'variety's sake. That would be perfect. I will just throw a table if they go back to the boost gameplay, Generations was the peak, and they have literally nowhere else to go with it, in terms of gameplay and what more one can do with it, it's a dead-end.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Shirou Emiya

[JezMM]

They'll release a sequel with similar but majorly simplified gameplay to address the criticisms of it being too hard, and will then be criticised for it being too easy.  They'll then release a third game that finally perfects the formula, giving us only 9 levels to enjoy it before abandoning it in the very next game.

 

Worked for Unleashed gameplay!

 

grumble

[Jin.]

Am I the only one begging for the boost to come back?

...*sits in lonely corner again*

[Milo]

They'll release a sequel with similar but majorly simplified gameplay to address the criticisms of it being too hard, and will then be criticised for it being too easy.  They'll then release a third game that finally perfects the formula, giving us only 9 levels to enjoy it before abandoning it in the very next game.

 

Worked for Unleashed gameplay!

 

grumble

 

The on-raIls gameplay wasn't entirely ditched, you still had a modified variant of it in the mach-speed levels (i.e. Desert Ruins Act 2) along with the platform-eccentric 3D and linear 2D levels.

[JezMM]

The on-raIls gameplay wasn't entirely ditched, you still had a modified variant of it in the mach-speed levels (i.e. Desert Ruins Act 2) along with the platform-eccentric 3D and linear 2D levels.

 

Indeed, and they're the most fun levels in the game for me.  Too few of 'em but I'm not gonna disrespect the new direction, just wasn't for my personal tastes.

[Splash the Otter]

i really hope this doesn't happen. I hated boosting, and if it comes back just because some whiny critics can't accept that Sonic isn't about speed, I will lose any faith I had in Sega.

[jeremycarrier]

only after it bombs

 

and considering its on a dead console

[Potada]

I really hope this doesn't happen. I hated boosting, and if it comes back just because some whiny critics can't accept that Sonic isn't about speed, I will lose any faith I had in Sega.

 

While I never really hated the boost, it really did feel unnecessary. I managed to get through every Generations level and almost every boss fight without it (why u gotta boost so much, Shads?). The last gameplay style really could have benefited from a boost nerfing.

 

As for what I've seen of this new gameplay style, it has me pretty excited. All the parkour and spin-dashing and whatnot really makes me hope it sticks around for a while. At the very least, it deserves a chance to try to grow and refine itself.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Potada

[Milo]

only after it bombs

 

and considering its on a dead console

 

if sonic 06 can sell a million, i'm sure this game will do fine.

 

also worth nothing that the wii u does look to be improving, i'm sure this holiday season the wii u will pick up some much-needed momentum, what with the price cut and super mario 3D world and wind waker HD being available

 

even if the wii u version doesn't do so well, the 3DS is quite popular, so sales on that platform could make up for things if the wii u versions performs below expectations. it helps that a consensus seems to be forming that the handheld version is superior to the console version

[Indigo Rush]

I rather enjoyed the boost games, so I wouldn't be too terribly upset if we got more of them.

 

On the other hand, I will be disappointed if they don't at least try to refine and mend what they've been working for Sonic Lost World first. They have quite a few things to change, but I'd hate to see them totally trash the parkour system and the concept of slower platforming.

[jeremycarrier]

The handheld versions getting worse reviews than the Wii U version...