The humans in sonic unleashed.

[redmenace]

Are you talking about the town areas? You don't get a map of the entrance stages.

And I was speaking in General, not just Unleashed.

Town areas yes, there's a map while it loads up, at least in the HD version. It shows the track of the city, with the world map and stage entering locations. You don't need to ask around to find it either, they don't open with keys or exploding monkeys, they're already accesible (or at least, those you're supposed to go).

Here, right at the begining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdj_O6zETd4

Edited May 28, 2009 by redmenace

[Phos]

Yeah, the town areas are simple to get through... if you know what to do. If you know what to do, the towns are little more than a few moments of walking and and extra loading screen. That's the best case scenario.

The game gives you no hint that the areas are largely optional, seemingly with the hope that you'll waste a bunch of time in them thus making the game longer. The people on this forum knew all bout the town areas because we were following every trailer and interview released about this game. However, your random guy who buys this game has no idea that he's wasting hit time talking to people, that there's not really anything essential to buy at the stores, or that little of what anyone says has any effect on the game.

Then you get to the entrance stage. The game kind of tells you what these are, but doesn't really tell you what you're supposed to be doing. They're easy at first, but by the end, they've become needlessly complex, and it's compounded with the problem that these later places never really shows you your objective. I didn't have trouble doing them myself, but they're just another useless bit of chaff used to bury the game part of the fucking game.

[Djawed]

what i hated about the towns was that sonic couldnt move freely and just walked through the small paths. I mean let it at least feel like a sonic game and i think that that is what made the sa1 hubs special

sonic adventures hubs were better... I'm sure if the hubs were remade in HD today they would look fantastic and i think even with unleasheds controls the hubs would be more fun than unleashed's

Edited May 28, 2009 by Jaouad

[redmenace]

Yeah, the town areas are simple to get through... if you know what to do. If you know what to do, the towns are little more than a few moments of walking and and extra loading screen. That's the best case scenario.

The game gives you no hint that the areas are largely optional, seemingly with the hope that you'll waste a bunch of time in them thus making the game longer. The people on this forum knew all bout the town areas because we were following every trailer and interview released about this game. However, your random guy who buys this game has no idea that he's wasting hit time talking to people, that there's not really anything essential to buy at the stores, or that little of what anyone says has any effect on the game.

Then you get to the entrance stage. The game kind of tells you what these are, but doesn't really tell you what you're supposed to be doing. They're easy at first, but by the end, they've become needlessly complex, and it's compounded with the problem that these later places never really shows you your objective. I didn't have trouble doing them myself, but they're just another useless bit of chaff used to bury the game part of the fucking game.

I guess I see your point, only hardcore Sonic fans would care if the hubs were optional or not. For the casual fan, having a hub optional or not isn't what they care about. The complex part... uhm, perhaps, but I had no problem finding my way through.

About the hubs being gigantic... I don't think so. It frustated a lot of people in 06. Why bother with needless space that is filled with nothing? About SA, Station Square was contrived, as was the Egg Carrier inside. Outside there were some cool open areas, but you have that in Unleashed as well (Mazuri and Holoska).

Edited May 28, 2009 by redmenace

[YelloGecko]

I think the "Pixar" style of the Unleashed humans fit Sonic's more cartoonish style better. The anime style simply began to evolve into a more realistic and serious look for the humans, to the point of overkill (Sonic 06). Scaling back on that brought the games back to their more fantasy-based roots, allowing a little more flexibility in blending the two perspectives together.

Besides I think it'd be easier to buy the concept of an anthropomorphic hedgehog in a more cartoony setting. I mean, what's makes a guy like Professor Pickle anymore "embarrassing" than an egg-shaped mad scientist, who honestly looked even more outlandish in "real life" (the look was cool @ first, but looking back on it, Robotnik's suit really does NOT translate well)? So yeah, I like the direction of Unleashed. Let games be games for once.

Edited June 6, 2009 by YelloGecko

[Tailikku]

Personally, the humans (besides Eggman) in Unleashed reminded me of the Mario series and the Chun-nan elder bore a startling resemblance to Professor E. Gadd.

[Rally the Cheetah]

Heh, I said it when the game came out and I'm sticking to it, I really love the human designs. And though it's already been said like a million times now it fits. Sonic was made for Western audiences and as for the "anime look" thing, well how many animes have you seen? Not all anime characters are pretty bishies like Cloud or are Neko maid girls. In fact most of the truly memerable characters are those with exagerated features (Master Roshi from DBZ with his facial hair and HUGE shades, Yubaba's giant head from spirited away (though true she's a spirit so I guess it can be argued she's supposed to look strange and creepy). True I suppose they could've made them all have the huge anime eyes and classic spikey hair but hey, I think it adds some realisim to keep them with normal looking attire and hair styles. As for Pickle looking ugly, well I don't know about you but I think he's one of the more anime inspired characters. I could be wrong but I think the whole large eyebrows completly covering the eye was more a eastern style invention than western style. As for the HUGE nose, well both styles can have that, just look at Cyborg 009 or Astro boy for examples. I don't know, maybe he is a bit ugly but hey everyone's entitled to thier own opinion. I personally love Pickles as Weentos (I'm sure I spelled his name wrong but I can't think of it right now) and think they are a charming addition to the human cast. But that's just me.

[Djawed]

The topic was dead but im bringing it back to life YEAHH!!!

Ive been playing phantasy star online since it came out on dreamcast back then. Today i play a private server and i see a lot of sonic characters running around. I think sonic and all fit perfectly in the game next to the anime fantasy characters. The theme (futuric robotic clothes armors and cities etcetera) doesnt though.

I think a game with characters looking like phantasy star as npc's but with normal clothes would be nice. Something like this.

This is phantasy star universe. I think it really fits

agreed or disagreed?

Edited September 22, 2009 by Jaouad

[JezMM]

Phantasy Star people are just anime characters if you take away their futuristic clothes. It'd be like Sonic Adventure or Sonic X. Those worked fine - better than the creepy humans from 06, but I still think Pixar style fits best.

[The Adventurer]

This is phantasy star universe. I think it really fits

agreed or disagreed?

Mehhh...Not so much. Like a lot of people will tell you, Sonic 06 was disliked because it put an inherently cartoony character (Sonic) in a 'realistic' setting. of course, the realism of Sonic 06 is subjective, and I think there were some parts of it that were honestly cool. The idea of surfing a street sign down the side of a collapsed skyscraper while dodging killer fireballs is awesomeness in the tradition of Sonic Adventure 2, even if the level itself was hard to play (bugs, controls, annoying dialogue.). But then you get just plain bad ideas, like the kiss of life and a realistic Eggman in spandex. I'm not incredibly familiar with the Phantasy Star games, but it looks like that kind of setting would be too similar to 2006 for a lot of people.

Besides, just because the humans look like they came from a pixar movie doesn't mean they have to be childish or bland.

Amirite?

[Djawed]

The phantasy star look isnt realistic at all. I mean sonic x was sort of anime too but it was really bad. When it was anounced i hoped if there were humans the would look somewhat like phantasy stars. No they looked like how a 3 year old would draw a person.

I can imagine an awesome anime with phantasy star looking humans

Pixar wouldnt work... it just wouldnt..

Humans shouldnt be so weak as chris was. Id like to see a universe where humans also can be strong just like the main character from psu. He also has this attitude and i think sonic and him would get a long so well

Edit: im talking about ethan waber. the one in the green/white outfit

@The adventurer. sonic 06 humans are not comparible with phantasy stars.

Edited September 22, 2009 by Jaouad

[Diogenes]

Phantasy Star characters look pretty much "generic anime" to me, which doesn't mesh with Sonic's style at all.

You've gotta go with cartoony exaggerated characters, because Sonic is cartoony and exaggerated. No matter how cool he may be, he's still a Mickey Mouse, a Felix the cat, and he'll always look out of place unless they take that into account.

[The Conductor]

The phantasy star look isnt realistic at all. I mean sonic x was sort of anime too but it was really bad. When it was anounced i hoped if there were humans the would look somewhat like phantasy stars. No they looked like how a 3 year old would draw a person.

I can imagine an awesome anime with phantasy star looking humans

Pixar wouldnt work... it just wouldnt..

Humans shouldnt be so weak as chris was. Id like to see a universe where humans also can be strong just like the main character from psu. He also has this attitude and i think sonic and him would get a long so well

Edit: im talking about ethan waber. the one in the green/white outfit

@The adventurer. sonic 06 humans are not comparible with phantasy stars.

Um...Sonic X was an anime, weither or not you liked it doesn't change that fact.

[MobileChicaneX]

Im just gonna say that the humans in SU where UGLY! seriously they looked atrocious, revoulting.

A lot of you guys are saying that this works with sonic but SA1/2 and Shadow could get the humans to look pretty decent and fit in with the sonic characters so i say they shouldn't use the unleashed style for humans NEVER!

Just use the sa2 style of humans they didn't look completely real and didn't look completely crazy.

[Djawed]

Phantasy Star characters look pretty much "generic anime" to me, which doesn't mesh with Sonic's style at all.

You've gotta go with cartoony exaggerated characters, because Sonic is cartoony and exaggerated. No matter how cool he may be, he's still a Mickey Mouse, a Felix the cat, and he'll always look out of place unless they take that into account.

come on that doesnt make sence. There are all kinds of animes where normal humans play the main role and exegurated characters fit in perfectly. Why wouldnt it work the other way around.

I think its all a matter of if its going to be done in the future so it can be demonstrated. It could work you know.

Maybe chibi humans... Something like this from ragnarok, maybe a bit taller and less childish

I think they would look good side by side together. I mean the pixar styled characters just dont look like the action types. They look rather weak. Now if they would implement a human to be a good friend with sonic going on an adventure with him you wouldnt wanna see a pixar styled head..

Id think iit would look stupid

Im just trying to improvise on a better idea

Edit: just to remind you, dont take that picture litteraly. I couldnt find a good example, but ill try to find something.

Edit: A better one i think

Edited September 22, 2009 by Jaouad

[Mollfie]

I think it fits perfectly. If they were anime styled it would be like Kingdom Hears =X

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Anime can be just as cartoony and silly looking as it can be generic, or realistic. So I don't think having anime style humans would be that bad.

I'm not sure he would do too well in Phantasy Star, but they could surprise me and make it work. Ragnarok looks like it could work well for Sonic too. Not to mention that Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy among many other Disney characters were able to blend in with the the anime nature of the Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Heart. So if a cartoony character like Mickey Mouse can do it, and act less like a cartoon and more like serious and shadowy character (and actually SUCCEED in it I should add), well I don't see how in the world a character like Sonic can't do it.

But I still don't see much of a problem with the Pixar-like humans.

Edited September 22, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[JezMM]

What the hell is up with all the ugly or stupid comments anyway? They don't look any uglier or stupid than Eggman does (which I'd like to add, I don't think he does at all).

I wouldn't mind if they crazied up the humans a bit more in fact. Eggman looks really ridiculous, but most of the Unleashed human characters were quite "safe" with their designs, with none of them really contradicting each other like Eggman's design did. In fact Prof. Pickle was the only really cartooney one on the same level as Eggman.

[Djawed]

What the hell is up with all the ugly or stupid comments anyway? They don't look any uglier or stupid than Eggman does (which I'd like to add, I don't think he does at all).

I wouldn't mind if they crazied up the humans a bit more in fact. Eggman looks really ridiculous, but most of the Unleashed human characters were quite "safe" with their designs, with none of them really contradicting each other like Eggman's design did. In fact Prof. Pickle was the only really cartooney one on the same level as Eggman.

dont you think that is the problem, how does it make him unique like he is supposed to be, or he was. I mean professor pickle just nailed it

Edited September 22, 2009 by Jaouad

[Sean]

Kingdom Hearts's style was anime? It's supposed to be Final Fantasy... which isn't exactly anime styled. There are obvious traits but it's not so blatant that I'd liken it to an animation style like other games take after.

I'll also add that the FF characters' presence in the series, mainly in KHII, pissed me off.

[redmenace]

dont you think that is the problem, how does it make him unique like he is supposed to be, or he was. I mean professor pickle just nailed it

This thing about Eggman being special because he's weird does have a point, but I don't think making humans very realistic would work either. I guess reinforcing Eggman's unique features (fat like a ball, very thin legs and arms, enormous moustache that defies the laws of gravity and very huge feet) and complement the humans with just one unique feature would be quite enough.

[Djawed]

I never asked for realism. I mean if you consider some sort of anime style realistic?

Realistic was sonic 06. Sonic unleashed tried something else and i found them both wrong. I think what i mentioned earlier could fit perfectly.

People in this forum described sonic as goofy or i also saw utterly redicolous being mentioned.

Is that really what we think of him. I mean i think he looks awesome. He doesnt look goofy but is actually a well designed good looking character in my opinion.

Eggman does fit with the description though and i think that makes him unique yes.

But why should the humans resemble him. Why cant the general human also look cool like sonic does. But in a human way than

Also what if they did implement both humans and animals in a sonic game. Why would the humans have to be so ugly besides the animals.

Edited September 22, 2009 by Jaouad

[Dr. Mechano]

Goofy and cool aren't contradictory.

Sonic is both- I mean, he's all lanky and weird, and his head's about as big as his body. I'd call that fairly goofy-looking. Yet there's a sleekness and coolness to it that balances his overtly-cartoony nature.

Eggman has similar appeal- He's a physical anomaly of disproportional madness, but still the snappiest dresser around. He may be wacky, but he is stylin'!

I'm all for this "goofy yet cool" approach to design.

Edited September 22, 2009 by Dr. Mechano

[Djawed]

Hey mechano.

Yes it was you who called him that

So what do you think of the idea? I mean since humans do play a big role in sonic games lately. DOnt you think there should be humans that also look "cool" besides sonic.

In unleashed there is no human adventuring together with sonic but "if" he did, dont you think that none of any human in unleashed's style would actually look good beside him. Now that would look goofy i think . I thought tails together with professor pickle was a big no.

I mean think of any human in unleashed. Think of the most normal looking ones.

Nobody i know who is not familiar with the franchise would be a fan of that. As a company you want to attract more people. I was attracted by sonics cool looks, i get attracted by cool looking characters like ichigo from bleach.

I find the anime style to fit perfectly with sonics coolness. And the ragnarok style is just an example but i am sure something unique can be done in that kind of direction.

Edited September 23, 2009 by Jaouad

[Dr. Mechano]

"Cool" is a subjective term, Jaouad. I think Eggman is quite stylish and cool, myself- Perhaps you might disagree.

And he's technically "adventured with" Sonic before (Occasionally as an ally, usually as an enemy), without causing any major stylistic clashes. Sonic and Eggman definitely look like they're from the same world- They're cartoony and disproportionate. 2K6 was the one exception, where Sonic still looked like a bright cartoon character and Eggman (along with other humans) looked as though he was from a totally different game.

I rather like the cartoony nature of Sonic, Eggman, and by extension, even the normal NPCs. It adds to the surrealness of Sonic's world, I think.