So.... what happened when I wasn't looking?

[Chaos Walker]

My only home console is a Wii, so I really havn't had much chance to play Sonic Generations. I've watched many reviews, with mixed feedback (It was amazing? It was a flop? Make up your minds!)

I've been away from the community for a bit, but I know that these things probablyhave happened while I was gone:

1. People talk about how it compares to Sonic Unleashed/Colors

2. People point out what 3D Sonic still needs to do in order to instantly become better.

3. (Insert grip that ruined 20-30% of the experience that probably relates to platforming)

amongst other things.

Seeing as I can't just Google it (and reading back through every topic since I was last on would take... um... forever) I figured I'd just ask you guys. So in term of Gameplay, what did the community come away with from this one? How is our Blue Blur progresing?

Edited February 18, 2012 by Chaos Walker

[-Mark-]

From a gameplay standpoint, it's one of the best Sonic games out there, and in terms of gameplay certainly the best 3D Sonic game they've done (opinion). It refined the modern 3D gameplay to about as good as its going to get. It plays like Unleashed 2 with no werehog and better level design. Colours feels pedestrian in comparison to both.

The plot and last boss suck hard, and Planet Wisp is kind of underwhelming, which all drag the game down a little, but it's still brilliant overall.

In terms in overall reaction, it's generally been well-received both critically by fans, although somewhat worryingly it seemed to get heavily discounted very quickly. You can already buy it for less than half RRP, and that's almost been the case since less than two months after it launched. Oddly you still see the 3DS version selling quite well, despite being decidedly average at best.

Edited February 18, 2012 by -Mark-

[Solkia]

HI CHAOS WALKER!

Eh, it's a really good game, but it's really short, and the Control could use some work.

[Chaos Warp]

Generations is an awesome game, that takes a fairly-accurate-but not-quite, but still close and good enough to be amazing in it's own right Classic Sonic, and Modern Sonic, which is Unleashed Sonic, but with far improved controls, and awesome amounts of 3d platforming and alternate paths in levels instead of boost corridors, like this:

or this:

. (Granted, this player kind of goes slow sometimes in areas where it's possible to go faster) Granted again, some of the stages are still booshhhy, like Green Hill, the 3d sections of Chemical Plant, and Speed Highway (The last level has an excuse because it's SPEED HIGHWAY and it seems to present itself as the one SPEED SPEED SPEED level of the game), but it's still awesome, and the majority of stages aren't like that.

Aside from a lackluster story, it's an awesome game. Totally recommend to you or anyone.

And welcome back Chaos Walker! I remember you from my early days here...........

Edited February 18, 2012 by Chaos Warp

[Stritix]

The game is far too short, and far too easy. There's too much automation in some stages. The story is awful, and there is a lack of cutscenes.

They could have pulled it off much better than they did, but it's still a good game. I hope they ditch the Unleashed formula/at least make some big changes for future titles. It's getting very repetitive.

I'd give the overall game a 7.9/10

Edited February 18, 2012 by Spi

[Sami]

Though I find every preceding 3D game (people don't like to label Colors a "3D game" most of the time, so it's excluded from this statement because I love it and it's awesome) to be mediocre at best, Generations is the first I can honestly say I loved.

It's my favorite Sonic game, personally. Is it the best? Not really, by its own merits I still think S3&K is a better game, but I just had the most fun with Generations.

While people don't typically love it as much as I do, it's been generally well received. As far as the SSMB goes, you could probably count all the people who hated it on one hand. Two if you want to count he trolls.

[sonfan1984]

The game is far too short, and far too easy.

[Autosaver]

I don't think many people have said the game is bad.

Most people I've seen usually talk about it just being a "good" game. With games like Uncharted, Skyrim, Portal 2, and Zelda. It is totally understandable why people don't hold Generations as high as other games.

[Emmett L. Brown]

The game is far too short, and far too easy.

You are correct, madam. Fortunately, Sega anticipated your dismay and made Generations 99 levels long with some balls-hard S-ranks to get.

Hmmm? Oh, you just played the main acts and the one mission per zone? Well, yeah, that does make for a really short and easy game. Wait, a game that's both easy and hard, both short and length at the same time!? GASP AND HORROR! Can it be that Sega has made an accessible Sonic game specifically intended to cater to both casual AND hardcore fans!?

Stop the presses! Inform the people!

What? Yeah, that was kinda dickish of me. I'll stop the sarcasm now. A 7.9 is actually a pretty decent score for this game. It's pretty great, but it's not perfect.

[Diogenes]

I can only speak for myself, but I didn't like it. Modern Sonic's a better version of the Unleashed/Colors gameplay, which I find to still be shallow, and Generations seems to be pushing the limits of the formula. Classic Sonic...is bad. Almost Sonic 4 bad. Not in music or graphics but in the way that matters most it is unforgivably bad.

I'm in the minority, tho'. And if nothing else the series is still producing technically well-made games (as opposed to buggy shit like '06) even if I think their priorities and design are fucked up.

You are correct, madam. Fortunately, Sega anticipated your dismay and made Generations 99 levels long

About 7 of which I had any interest in replaying...

[Emmett L. Brown]

I'll freely admit the Doppelganger missions were nothing more than "Hey, here's what the Generations levels would be like if they had the diabolical ranking tiers of Sonic Adventure 2". I know I for one was doing forced restarts like I was playing Final Rush when trying to S-rank Modern Planet Wisps's doppelganger mission.

As for length and number of main levels. If you take out all the dicking around between each honest-to-good level in Sonic Unleashed, the game isn't much longer. Well, except the Werehog, because those take foreeeeeveeer. And Sonic Colors doesn't have much more full-length levels than Generations. It just has the same short ones as Gen's missions added as extra acts up to 6 per zone.

If you want to take that opportunity to argue that ALL the modern Sonic games are too short without the filler, then...yeah. Far too many modern games at all are too short, if you ask me. Seems western RPGs are the only genre allowed to make satisfyingly lengthy campaigns these days. Most recent game I bought was the Darkness II, and you know what my main problem with it was? Didn't take me much longer to reach the end credits than it took me to play through Sonic Generations sans optional missions.

Edited February 18, 2012 by Grumpy Old Guy

[Chaos Walker]

Haha, I am remembered. That makes me feel special. :3 I'm moving on to my own projects, but Sonic will always hold a special place in my heart. Next to that slice of pizza I was saving for later. _{(So you will never truly get rid of me.)}

Well, it's certainly encouraging to hear that Generations was yet another step forward for Modern Sonic's controls. I don't care much abot what Generations did to Classic Sonic, mostly because S3&K allready got that one down. _{(Still waiting for my HDified port with bonus features, Sega.)} I have been intently watching green eyes though, as he awkwardly quicksteps his way through recent years. So that makes me want to ask: how's Modern Soniku's 3D level design? I'm watching videos, and while 2D sections seems rather strong, 3D sections are kinda... eh. I think the best example of great 3D level design that I've watched so far is Sky Sanctuary, though I'm also just sort of watching, not playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKz3j1HnXxE

Edited February 18, 2012 by Chaos Walker

[Chaos Warp]

Haha, I am remembered. That makes me feel special. :3 I'm moving on to my own projects, but Sonic will always hold a special place in my heart. Next to that slice of pizza I was saving for later. _{(So you will never truly get rid of me.)}

Well, it's certainly encouraging to hear that Generations was yet another step forward for Modern Sonic's controls. I don't care much abot what Generations did to Classic Sonic, mostly because S3&K allready got that one down. _{(Still waiting for my HDified port with bonus features, Sega.)} I have been intently watching green eyes though, as he awkwardly quicksteps his way through recent years. So that makes me want to ask: how's Modern Soniku's 3D level design? I'm watching videos, and while 2D sections seems rather strong, 3D sections are kinda... eh. I think the best example of great 3D level design that I've watched so far is Sky Sanctuary, though I'm also just sort of watching, not playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKz3j1HnXxE

Seaside Hill's even better for level design. And most of Modern Sonic's levels are similar to SSH and this.

Edited February 18, 2012 by Chaos Warp

[Diogenes]

Sky Sanctuary and Seaside Hill are the best the Modern gameplay has to offer, and they're still mostly about boosting forward

[Chaos Warp]

Sky Sanctuary and Seaside Hill are the best the Modern gameplay has to offer, and they're still mostly about boosting forward

The amount of platforming in those levels would say otherwise.

[Diogenes]

It really doesn't.

And the platforming is boring anyway. Sonic doesn't have any interesting tools for when he isn't boosting (though I'd argue he doesn't have anything interesting then, either).

[Kuzu]

It really doesn't.

And the platforming is boring anyway. Sonic doesn't have any interesting tools for when he isn't boosting (though I'd argue he doesn't have anything interesting then, either).

Stomp?

[Diogenes]

How is stomping interesting?

[Emmett L. Brown]

Stomp, slide, drift, quick-step, wall-jump, air dash, light-dash, and home attack.

[Diogenes]

Stomp, air dash, light-dash, and home attack.

These are interesting?

slide, drift, quick-step,

These have any use at all when not boosting?

wall-jump,

The only good one and it's barely ever used, limited to a small handful of surfaces and only in 2D.

[Soniman]

People it's not the moves, it's how you use them.

[Emmett L. Brown]

These are interesting?

Yes.

[Diogenes]

And what is the proper way to use these moves that I have somehow missed?

[Indigo Rush]

Here we go.

I'm not particularly rooting for any side in this debate... I'm just gonna sit in the corner and eat some Wheaties.

Edited February 18, 2012 by Indigo Rush

[Chaos Walker]

I think I'd actually have been disapointed if an argument didn't start up. X3

Seaside hill was... underhwhelming in terms of 3D... 2D sections looked fine, but when the perspective changed things weren't quite as interesting.

I really think Sonic has the tools at this point (as mentioned above), it's just making them usefull and interesting with the level itself. If anything I'd cut out a couple moves from the set so there could be capitalization on a few. Say for example, only the stomp, slide, and homing attack were saved and levels were built around those.