The Sonic Generations Review Topic

[SilentDoom]

You know what I also really dislike? Is the fact that some of these reviewers are acting like Modern Chemical Plant is the best designed Modern level in the game when it quite clearly isn't. Why is this the case? Because it lacks the spice of life. It lacks VARIETY in the 3D sections. A lot of the 3D sections consist of literally nothing more than either grinding on a single rail (not even multiple rails going back and forth, ONE rail), or boosting forward in a straight line, with maybe a quick step section chucked in for good measure. Whilst the 2D aspects of the level look pretty fun, the 3D aspects (for the exception of that very hard to reach path at the beginning and that very brief end section) are very one dimensional.

But then on the other hand they bash levels like Seaside Hill and Crisis City. Seaside Hill in particular looks fantastic. Apart from looking amazing, there's a massive variety of things to do in both 2D and 3D sections. It's pretty hard to describe, it's much easier for you to just watch the video yourself:

There's so much to do and a good amount of freedom to move. One of the things that has made Sonic games great in my opinion is varied level design, and this seems to be an element that EVERYONE misses (well, lots of reviewers and fans alike). Even with perfectly replicated classic game physics, the games would suck if it wasn't for the fact that the level designs were interesting and offered unique platforming sections and gimmicks, whilst offering a good amount of challenge. The levels in Generations do this, the later ones in particular. And what is this about "unclear bottomless pits". Are they fucking serious? There are GIANT RED SIGNS saying indicating where a bottomless pit is. How the heck do you miss shit like this?

One thing I quite dislike is how simplistic these reviewers are when it comes to Sonic level design. Any time a level offers some sort of complexity beyond running fast in a straight line in 3D it's automatic fail. This negative bias needs to stop.

[Johnny Boy]

From what I can tell, Gamesreactor Norway doesn't go on Metacritic.

*unloads shotgun* oh never mind then. Lol

[i don't like pie]

How much does a game have to communicate to a player about pitfalls when they literally put signs saying...there is a pitfall? Are you dense?

callin it now the next sonic game every time you come across a pit omochao will pop up and warn you in the most annoying way possible

then we can sit back a watch reviewers complain that the game held there hand

Edited October 31, 2011 by i don't like pie

[Jeffhog]

That's weird... This was supposed to be "Sonic: The Genesis Years"! THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?

[Sami]

Turbojet, that was such a fantastic dissection of that shitty review that I don't think I have anything to add on. xP

I'm busy today with homework and my own reviews (Sonic Heroes at the moment, don't worry, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBe00FAaado, if I may pat my own back ). I don't feel like wasting my time with stuff literally everyone's already raging about.

I call Gametrailers.

[Dark Qiviut]

GameInformer's review is an insult against journalism. It's a celebration of Sonic's 20 years, not of his first four.

Absolutely. It's a celebration of Sonic's history, good AND bad. They're celebrating the series without prejudice, which is fantastic for reaching out to its audience.

Basically, GameInformer's review can be broken down to this.

Green Hill: YAY! Sonic 1 all over again!

Chemical Plant: YAHOO! Speedy Gonzalez in murky waste!

Sky Sanctuary: OMG! BEST GAME EVAR!!11!1

Speed Highway: YES! Even more speeeeed!11! Wait, it's from the Dreamcast Era? Eh, okay.

City Escape: Follow me! Set me free! Believe it! A great game in 3D!

Seaside Hill: Hey, what the hell?! Why THIS! Okay, okay. It's just one level from one bad game.

Crisis City: *calls Sega* Dear Sonic Team, why do you put in a level from the WORST GAME EVAR in Generations? Give me my money back!

Rooftop Run: Great, even more recent shit! Who put ME in charge of reviewing this?!

Planet Wisp: Sega, more Classic levels, not Modern junk.

That's it! Stupid Sega, Stupid Sega! No—more—Modern—levels! Classics only now and forever, you pathetic idiots! 6.75 score for your pathetic level choices. You fail!

Seriously, that review was stupid. Their complaint is just as bad as the ones whining about Sonic's Shitty Friends.

That's not why they gave Paper Mario 2 a low score. That would actually have been a much better argument. The reason they gave paper mario 2 a low score - after a gushing text review I might add - was because they thought it was too kiddy. Seriously, the entire text of the review was glowing, calling it an amazingly fun game that made them laugh, then they gave it a low score with the explanation that they review games based on the way they think their audience expects the game to score, and that since their audience was into adult games, they wouldn't like paper mario 2. They later backed this claim up a few issues later in an editorial where they said that they don't take their own personal enjoyment of a game into consideration, they give scores based on what they think their readers want the game to get. They said that, since most of their readers play gritty games, they wouldn't like a light hearted game like paper mario 2 and scored it low to keep their readers from playing it.

You've got to be kidding me! REALLY! That train of thought is absolutely STUPID! Play the game and critique it on material that work, don't work, and needed fixing. Criticizing it and giving it a score based on your audience and not objective merits is pathetic journalism. God almighty!

Edited October 31, 2011 by Dark Qiviut

[turbojet]

I call Gametrailers.

I honestly wanted Sterling, but he said some things that I agreed with such as the game being too short, but I see it as a way that there is no way Sonic Team can create longevity.

In reality, I think you do a better job at dissecting these arrogant assholes than me.

[SilentDoom]

Dissident and turbojet

TSSZ's Ultimate Paladins of Justice

Dissecting bad reviews from idiotic excuses for journalists one awesome rant at a time

[Old dead account]

More complaints on shitty friends? I can't believe... Even the mere appearances of Sonic's shitty friends seem to be a poison on the franchise even though interactions with them are both optional and inconsequential. Whatever happened to the days when complaints about shitty friends were really legit criticisms of the shitty alternate gameplay they presented? or hell, even against how annoying their voices were? Now it's all bitchy whining about said shitty friends because they... remind the reviewers of the dark ages and how badly those Sonic games have raped their feelings. Because that's the only possible thing I can think of to even attempt to legitimize any complaints against the shitty friends. There's no alternate gameplay with them, their voices have vastly improved, and you don't even have to interact with them.

Hate to say it, but I don't think we'll have other playable characters for a long time, if ever again. Unless you count what's left of Sonic 4 (probably) having Tails & Knuckles playable, Sola-Sonica games will continue. *feelsbadman.jpg*

And the bawws against the modern levels? More classic elitism and butthurt about recent memories of rape a bad game BAWW. And the difficulty complaints in the later levels? Those little boys ain't man enough to take Planet Wisp by the horns YEEHAW!

[LATER BUDDY]

I'm going to cancel my subscription to GI. I can't remember the last preview I could be bothered to read, every game they review is mainstream and already publicized, and they're horrible at reviewing platformers in general.

But their magazines make such great drink coasters, D;

[turbojet]

I'd like to point out our very own Svend's article and how well it is written.

Sonic the Hedgehog has been on many different adventures in his illustrious 20-year career as cartoon superhero. Some have been less successful than others, obviously. But we won’t dwell on that, because it’s Sonic’s anniversary! You wouldn’t want to make the blue blur sad on his birthday, would you?

Luckily for him Sonic Team, the mascot’s once-abusive father, has come out of rehab a changed developer and has come bearing the gaming gift ofSonic Generations. And luckily for the rest of us, it’s a fantastic trip down memory lane that will warm the hearts of fans old and new.

This grin-inducing nostalgia trip begins the second you load up the title screen and hear an updated mix of Masato Nakamura’s original 1991 theme ring through your TV speakers. In an attempt to satisfy a divided fanbase, the decision was taken by Sonic Team to allow players to control two versions of Sonic - the Classic short pudgy hero from the Mega Drive era and his taller, slender Modern counterpart.

How do Classic and Modern work together at the same time, you ask? Well, in a strange story that sounds a bit like something from Back to the Future, that’s how. Thankfully nothing’s got to be done about anybody’s kids (we’ve already had interspecies snogging in the Sonic series, so it’s probably for the best).

A dark monster called the Time Eater is floating through pockets of space and sucking the life out of some of the key locations from Sonic’s past. Both old and new forms of the blue blur, along with his friends and foes, all get pulled into the void, and must work together to rebuild the space time continuum.

It’s all presented with the same beautiful flair and character that we’ve come to expect from recent Sonic games. You can always count on stunning graphics and engaging music in Sonic Team productions, and Sonic Generations is no exception. From Green Hill’s fantastic recreation of waterfalls and totem poles to Planet Wisp’s stunning fields and fusion of colour, each level is a great showcase of the eras they represent.

To see these stages played for the very first time as Classic or Modern Sonic is as surprising as it is delightful. Crisis City as Classic sees you fighting billowing winds from an apocalyptic tornado, while City Escape’s urban surfboarding segments are replaced with good old fashioned 1990s skateboarding. Modern Sonic blasts through Chemical Plant by grinding along rails while factories explode in the background, after being flung down a water tube and free-falling down an industrial chimney.

After re-introducing classic style platforming in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and not quite getting it, Sonic Team went back to the drawing board for Generations and it clearly shows. Everything about the traditional Nineties’ hero seems faithfully plucked from the annals of classic SEGA history - his light blue hue, his voiceless mannerisms, and most importantly of all the gameplay physics are as close to the old-school as you could possibly get.

Stages are brilliantly designed and show a real understanding of the Mega Drive classics, even when tackling later stages inspired by more recent Sonic games. Momentum-based platforming is the order of the day here, but it’s the level arrangement and branching paths coupled with adequate rewards for wandering off the beaten track that really add depth to the proceedings. It’s when you start hopping from rotating platforms and spinning off of ramps in Speed Highway and realise that this could have been a bona fide stage in a Mega Drive title that you appreciate the effort that Sonic Team has gone into in Generations.

Modern Sonic levels have always been a little jarring for the gamers who remember the series in its more traditional format, and in recent games such as Sonic Unleashed and Sonic 2006 the 3D experience has certainly been less than stellar. But Generations follows the precedent set in 2010’s Sonic Colours and improves on it - yes, I’m saying that playing a 3D Sonic game is actually enjoyable.

It’s all in the aforementioned level design. Wide open spaces give the impression of a less narrow platforming experience, while there are multi-tiered failsafes at every turn so that you won’t instantly die if you try to ‘Boost to Win’ and miss a jump cue for a grind rail. Not that there are many pits to fall down in the first place - a pleasing feature of Sonic Colours.

And there’s a concerted effort by Sonic Team to ensure that players understand everything in the game without it coming across as utterly patronising. Button cues appear whenever a slide, stomp or light speed dash has to be performed. Omochao, in a rare case of not being annoying, assists by giving vocal advice about bosses, and bottomless pits are identified by big orange warning signs.

Sonic Team has clearly tried hard to refine the Sonic Colours 3D gameplay experience, and that should be applauded, but that has come at the tiny price of the dev being somewhat less bold in trying more expansive stages with Modern Sonic. It’s something that I would love to see the developer tackle next, because Sonic Colours really showed what the team can do when given the chance to get really creative.

And while there are plenty of diversions from the main route in every level of both Modern and Classic stages of Sonic Generations, some of them are more significant than others. A few of Classic Sonic’s upper routes require you to be running at a particular speed and using momentum-based jumping and enemy-bouncing to reach, while one or two Modern Sonic paths still ask you to remember when to press that jump button.

Having said that, there are some excellent and meaningful paths to explore if you’re simply willing to spend some time looking - Sky Sanctuary boasts three distinct routes towards the end of the stage, and Seaside Hill is possibly one of the most open stages in the entire game (and it's beautiful to boot).

For all the sheer fun it provides though, Sonic Generations is not a game that will last you very long. There are nine full-length zones, with a Classic and Modern stage to each of them, along with seven bosses and a whole host of side missions (each with varying level designs) - but it will still take the experienced Sonic fan a mere few hours to spin through the main storyline. Like most of Sonic’s best outings, the arcade platforming bliss comes at the expense of the game’s longevity.

What will keep players locked and replaying well after completion will be the level of fanservice. Expect pumping remixes by Cash Cash, re-interpretations of classic tracks by Jun Senoue, power-ups from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, collectible concept artwork and a selection of side missions featuring inventive uses of Sonic’s usually-annoying friends. And that's not to mention speedrun tactics, online leaderboards and just about the smoothest version of the original Mega Drive Sonic the Hedgehog that you’ll ever get to play.

SPOnG Score: 88%

While the storyline itself doesn’t quite reach the climactic highs of past epics such as Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, that doesn’t stop Sonic Generations from being both an excellent ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation of the blue blur’s past and the best Sonic game of the past decade. This is a must-have for anyone who has ever had a passing interest in SEGA’s mascot.

See that? It is a thing of beauty. Not only does he explain the gameplay, but he gives us examples and cues on how the game handles. He doesn't insert any bias or prejudiced that he,himself, might have against the game or the series. He reviews the game for its own merits. You wouldn't know that Svend was the founder of this board looking at this review. There is no fanboyism. He helps the reader understand what the game is. This is how it is done. He makes a statement and backs it up with examples. There is clarification after every sentence and an explanation after every claim. This is why Colleges force students to take English Comp immediately after they graduate highschool.

[Dark Qiviut]

But their magazines make such great drink coasters, D;

[Crazizzle]

GI is alright at representing the popular consensus on mainstream hardcore titles, but they aren't trustworthy (due to being tied to Gamestop) and review non-hardcore titles very harshly. It's funny though, I believe they were relatively kind to Sonic '06...didn't it get the same score Generations got? 6.75?

[i don't like pie]

They also make great tissues and toilet paper.

[Ferno]

who likes paper cuts?

[Scar]

:x ....

*clutches butt in a protective manner*

Now I'm imagining how much that would hurt- curses!!

On topic: Still waiting on Gamespot's review.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

More complaints on shitty friends? I can't believe... Even the mere appearances of Sonic's shitty friends seem to be a poison on the franchise even though interactions with them are both optional and inconsequential. Whatever happened to the days when complaints about shitty friends were really legit criticisms of the shitty alternate gameplay they presented? or hell, even against how annoying their voices were?

[McGroose]

Current score on metacritic is 77?

Bullshit.

[Xenos]

Current score on metacritic is 77?

Bullshit.

This game is doing worse than I imagined...

But we still have craploads of reviews next anyways.

[Dark Qiviut]

*sigh* I really hate it when reviewers complain about Sonic's "shitty" friends. That logic is just as stupid as Tim Turi's review from GameInformer bashing Generations HD for having levels aside from the Classic Era.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Dark Qiviut

[KrazyBean]

That GI Review made me puke in my mouth a bit.

Such DISGUSTING journalism.

Edited October 31, 2011 by KrazyBean14

[sonfan1984]

*sigh* I really hate it when reviewers complain about Sonic's "shitty" friends. That logic is just as stupid as Tim Turi's review from GameInformer bashing Generations HD for having levels aside from the Classic Era.

[Neon]

Sonic Generations got a "Buy It!" from ThisIsMyJoystick.

http://thisismyjoyst...ic-generations/

Brilliant review.

Description for the Buy It rating:

BUY IT: The reviewer believes that the game sits between very good and excellent. Games with this badge of honour will be what we consider nearing perfection. If you are really into games that offer the experience that this does, then it is an absolute must-buy. Hell, it should still be under consideration even if you aren’t, such is the quality of the end product.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Neon

[Mega]

Does that site count for the metascore?

[Anon]

Not only was that review utter garbage, this "journalist" had the audacity to spoil the last cut scene of the game. I was trying my best to avoid spoilers since the leak. Thanks a lot, GameInformer.