S.L.W. Screenshots (P. 54) "Grammar Errors? This game is a sequel to Sonic's Schoolhouse!?"

[frokenok3]

It's possible we may see more intensive graphics in the later zones. I'd love to see how the ice and lava ones turn out.

Yeah, i think its been a pretty long time since we had an actual Lava stage.

Also i think nobody mentioned but having an Ice stage means......Ice Physics xD

I wonder how they will be

[Blue Blood]

Fair 'nuff. Like I said, I don't hate what we have here. I just anticipated more Hedgehog Engine visuals is all.

 

I dunno. I think we're seeing GI in play here (big version):

 

Look at the colouring around all the white parts on Sonic, and even the underside of his spikes. Green light from the grass is definitely being bounced off of him here, and the Motobugs too in other screenshots. The environment itself is getting much less in the way of advanced lighting though, compared to this:

 

 

That's all part of this new style though. Pros and cons throughout. Comparing the two pics it's clear that SLW doesn't suffer from low poly geometry, blurry textures and some awkward shadows. Heck it's almost missing shadows cast by the stage geometry altogether (shadows cast by Sonic and objects are obscured by the grass), amongst the other big factor of scenery. It's a trade-off.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Blue Blood

[Scar]

@Blue Blood

 

Your second image is broken....

[Blue Blood]

@Blue Blood

 

Your second image is broken....

 

Not sure why, cause the URL was correct if you C&P'd the image address. Swapped it out for the same pic hosted elsewhere though.

[Marcello]

Can't say I'm a big fan of the art style. Unleashed-Generations and Ep.II looked nicer if you ask me. This looks too cartoony and stuff like the visual sound effects don't really fit. The geometry is too simple, I mean look at the pics Blue Blood posted(On the other hand his Lost World screen doesn't show much. The one with Mushu stealing the Caterkiller head is a better comparison) . I don't like the highway in the sky design either. And the zone is the most blatant Green Hill knockoff yet. I wonder if this is some Eggman built world.

 

The Viva Pinata like grass is cool, though.

 

My opinion might change over time or by seeing more of the game.

Edited June 2, 2013 by MarcelloF

[MegasonicZX]

Am I the only one who isn't seeing the big thing with the graphics, they both fit really well to me (not a big visual buff by the way).

[Autosaver]

Am I the only one who isn't seeing the big thing with the graphics, they both fit really well to me (not a big visual buff by the way).

You.

 

Shut your mouth.

 

You're not allowed to have an opinion.

 

(of course you're allowed to have an opinion - I agree with it too).

[KrazyBean]

Am I the only one who isn't seeing the big thing with the graphics, they both fit really well to me (not a big visual buff by the way).

 

I agree. I think that the game looks great.

[Double Agent Motobug]

I guess to me it's not really the cartoon-ishness to the art style, I think it's the lighting and textures themselves, 

 

When I looked at this the first time, I seriously thought they forgot to texture parts of the wall back there. X_x On further inspection there (of course) are textures that are more than just flat colours, but still. 

(I'm loving the cartoon'y explosion effects though! ...also I want to see another legit cell-shaded Sonic game. >_> Sonic Shuffle and SEGA Splash Golf don't count, mang.)

[Old dead account]

Truthfully, I can't decide whether I like Lost World's or Generations' artstyle more. They're both great in their own way and because of their differences I don't think they can be compared fairly. I also can't say which one is more fitting for Sonic either.

[Solly]

I honestly think both work for their respective games. Sonic Generations has more realistically detailed textures, which compliments its grounded, expansive settings. It's meant to look and feel big, and like everything can actually exist, despite the fact that grass and dirt obviously doesn't grow in checkerboard patterns.

 

Lost World is more whimsical and fantastic, with structures and foliage being made of basic geometric shapes. Both games look great but I don't think Generations' level of detail wouldn't really fit when you're running on winding tubes of grass in the sky. 

[Xenos]

Has anyone considered that the visuals aren't completely finished yet? I mean even when we first saw Green Hill in Generations it looked considerably worse than the final version.

 

 

 

There's already a gigantic difference in how detailed/good the pictures look here, I just think we should wait a while and see.

[Hero of Legend]

Has anyone considered that the visuals aren't completely finished yet? I mean even when we first saw Green Hill in Generations it looked considerably worse than the final version.

 

 

 

There's already a gigantic difference in how detailed/good the pictures look here, I just think we should wait a while and see.

Can you show us a comparison between early GH and final GH in Gens?

[Blue Blood]

Those pics aren't very good comparisons, since one's from a LQ trailer and the other an HD screenshot. GHZ in Generations didn't really change at all between the first screens and the final. Theyre merely changed the flowers at the end of the modern act and changed some platforms from cuboids to cubes.

[Autosaver]

Sonic Colors had the same thing going on. Shadows weren't implemented until we were closer to release.

[Crazizzle]

I remember people complaining about how Generations looked when the first trailer was released, and people saying it was jaggy and not as good as Unleashed.

 

 I'm not going to dig through the old topics to find it, but I believe it involved people scaling the images to a degree you would never see them in game and claiming they were ugly.

[Blue Blood]

I remember people complaining about how Generations looked when the first trailer was released, and people saying it was jaggy and not as good as Unleashed.

 

 I'm not going to dig through the old topics to find it, but I believe it involved people scaling the images to a degree you would never see them in game and claiming they were ugly.

 

More like SEGA released screenshots at sizes you would never see them and this made the flaws more obvious. People them scaled them down to more reasonable sizes (1080x, 720x and lower) and they still looked pretty poor. Generations is very jaggy and blurry though. It runs at a low resolution and gets stretched to fit the supposed HD resolutions.

[Xenos]

It wasn't a huge difference but I remember it being a little worse when the game was initially revealed. Then again, the trailers actual quality wasn't complete crap.

[Scar]

More like SEGA released screenshots at sizes you would never see them and this made the flaws more obvious. People them scaled them down to more reasonable sizes (1080x, 720x and lower) and they still looked pretty poor. Generations is very jaggy and blurry though. It runs at a low resolution and gets stretched to fit the supposed HD resolutions.

 

I reckon they sacrificed textures and AA for the sake of framerate. Unleashed looked a lot better overall, but you needed to be stationary. Every time you moved the horrible framerate kind of messed up the experience.

[Yugi Muto]

I reckon they sacrificed textures and AA for the sake of framerate. Unleashed looked a lot better overall, but you needed to be stationary. Every time you moved the horrible framerate kind of messed up the experience.

Another thing that will help with the framerate is presumably smaller bursts of fun stages but more of them. Some levels in previous Sonic games were MASSIVE and should have been broken up into separate sections like Colors handled it. Seriously some levels in 06 and Unleashed could have been an FPS campaign map, what the hell? xD

[frokenok3]

I am not good with tech stuff and graphics and from my point of view both styles look great.

I hope though that you guys are correct and they are aiming for a better framerate.

60fps would be amazing

[Scar]

Another thing that will help with the framerate is presumably smaller bursts of fun stages but more of them. Some levels in previous Sonic games were MASSIVE and should have been broken up into separate sections like Colors handled it. Seriously some levels in 06 and Unleashed could have been an FPS campaign map, what the hell? xD

 

Having large levels isn't really the problem. If I'm not wrong, doing large levels properly boils down to how effectively the rendering engine can load the stage on the move. I think that's principally what the Hedgehog Engine was created for (though I hear from some, that it isn't terribly good by today's standards).

 

For a Sonic game, I think that 12 stages with 2-3 acts from 3-6 minutes long is the perfect balance (if its possible to pull off within 2-3 years with moderately large levels). Maybe some extra gimmick acts tossed in as optional extras would be nice.

[KrazyBean]

I am not good with tech stuff and graphics and from my point of view both styles look great.

I hope though that you guys are correct and they are aiming for a better framerate.

60fps would be amazing

 

Oh yes, that's all I want. 60fps is IMPERATIVE for a fast paced game like Sonic.

Edited June 2, 2013 by KrazyBean

[frokenok3]

Oh yes, that's all I want. 60fps is IMPERATIVE for a fast paced game like Sonic.

Playing through the Unleashed Project Mod in 60fps was so awesome. I absolutely loved it. I love that smoothness and if sacrificing some stuff to make a better framerate is needed so be it.

Of course the best would be to have everything but i guess you can't have everything. In anycase E3 around the corner can't wait for more footage and release date maybe? Maybe we gonna hear bits of the music?

Edited June 2, 2013 by frokenok3

[Autosaver]

For a Sonic game, I think that 12 stages with 2-3 acts from 3-6 minutes long is the perfect balance (if its possible to pull off within 2-3 years with moderately large levels). Maybe some extra gimmick acts tossed in as optional extras would be nice.

Honestly, having other playable characters similar to Sonic 3&K could easily boost replayability.