Sonic Lost World: Analysis, Fan Reception and Defense

[Indigo Rush]

Good evening, SSMB.

 

 

So Sonic Lost World is nearing its release date in October, and it is actually becoming one of the more polarizing hype rides we’ve been on. It’s not as messy as Sonic 4, yet I feel like, at least this moment, Lost World is getting a lot of criticism (both constructive and weak) for changes in gameplay, level design, art style and gimmick usage. I would like to take the time to kind of condense everything about this game’s polarizing aspects into one topic so we can address each of them more directly in one particular thread instead of all over the place.

 

But before we start reading and discussing now, especially since this game is so polarizing right now, let's all remember...

 

 

Seriously, put on some smooth jazz and relax...

 

*aherm*

 

Okay, so... 

 

I am of the opinion that Sonic Lost World will rock my socks once I finally get my hands on it. While I won’t go so far as to say that it’s the end-all-be-all perfect 3D Sonic game we’ve been waiting for (I’m not even sure what that is supposed to be, actually), it still looks like it’ll be a fantastic entry to the main-line “proper” Sonic titles. But the opinion of one doesn’t change the fact that the game has flaws. Now these flaws may not be enough to totally destroy the game, but they certainly will cause some dissension among the fanbase, as we have seen already. What exactly is it that we are all uptight over?

 

I think we should break it down to these categories… and I will do so in separate posts over time...

 

Gameplay

How the game plays, the changes made to the overall formula and control of Sonic in a 3D (and sometimes 2D) world. This includes level design as well, since that seems very different now. Also, Wisps make a return.

 

Visuals

How the game looks and feels, the decisions for a more pastel-like and less-detailed art direction. Some people miss having the Hedgie Engine around (or something just as luscious) so there is some division.

 

Originality

How the game uses and reuses locales and previous elements of both Classic and Modern Sonic games. There are a lot of throwbacks to previous games, but how much is too much?

 

 

So let’s get right down to it. First off is gameplay.

 

GAMEPLAY

 

 

Sonic Lost World is the first game in a while to take strides in developing a new way to play our favorite blue speedy hedgehog. It is a traditional Sonic game in the sense that you run at fast speeds, jump on top of enemies (among other methods of combat) while dashing through loops, springs, boosters as well as collecting gold rings to increase your score and protect you from harm. At its core, it is definitely a traditional Sonic game in this sense. Even more so than Sonic Generations and Sonic Colors, I’d wager; the Spin Dash is back and we see Sonic dashing around at high speeds in his iconic spinball roll. Now it doesn’t look like the Classic “spinball physics” will be emphasized (if they are even here to begin with) but it is nice to see Sonic implementing more traditional methods of speed and combat.

 

With that note, the Sonic Boost that has been present in most Sonic games since Sonic Rush is completely absent. For many of us, this is a definite improvement. Levels are now less likely to turn into linear hallways with little moments for exploration. To Sonic Generation’s credit, they handled the Boost in a respectable way in regards to more alternate paths and exploration, but the total removal of this move was probably the best choice that could be made in this new direction for Sonic.

 

Now, here’s where things get a little complex. Sonic not only has his Spin Dash, Homing Attack and traditional Spin Jump, but his run is toggled by holding down one of the triggers on the game pad. For many, this is a definite plus. It allows us to control Sonic at slow speeds while giving us the ability to run at faster speeds without having to worry about running into an enemy before it’s too late. This is at the expense of being a hazard to enemies, though. It would not be wise to go through the levels while at a sprinting pace unless you knew where to go. Mastering these levels might take some time. Another move introduced is the “kick,” which seems to stun enemies, and is also necessary to defeat certain robots (Anton will just get angry at you if you jump on him, you need to kick him), and if you time your kick right, it will send your enemy charging into other enemies. Think of the box-kicking mechanic in Sonic Colors and Generations, only with badniks instead of movable objects. The bounce attack also returns, and functions as it did in Sonic Adventure 2, which is a nice addition to this game.

 

 

The BIGGEST addition to the gameplay is Parkour. When holding the “run” trigger, instead of crashing into walls and trees, Sonic will instead climb up the obstacle and proceed to run along the wall in any given direction. It can even be used to wall jump and increase speed. This is a very dynamic addition to the series, MUCH more dynamic than the Sonic Boost, as fun as that was. It doesn’t work forever though, as Sonic’s ability to spite Newton’s theories requires stamina, and after running along a wall for a while, Sonic starts to break out in a sweat and lose his grip. You’ll have to spindash to regain your momentum, and there could be some drawbacks to that. We haven’t seen enough footage to determine what happens, but there is a good possibility that there is a limit to how much Sonic can run alongside the walls.

 

 

Now, where is the controversy here? Many of the levels are tube-like, and also similar to Super Mario Galaxy. This isn’t necessarily a bad comparison, but it doesn’t help deter the notion that Sonic is piggybacking off of Mario’s success, rather than Sonic games just trying out different gameplay styles to see what works. Nonetheless, tube-like 3D roaming levels seems to have its drawbacks. Despite having the Spin Dash, and possibly the ability to roll, this world design warps gravity in a way that there are very few opportunities to gain speed by rolling downhill. As we all know, this was a big aspect of the Classic games. While I am of the opinion that you can have a “Sonic” game without having all of the elements of the original games, I will admit that they missed a great opportunity here to give us a more Classic experience in 3D. But on the plus side, there is a huge opportunity for alternate paths that does not seem to have gone to waste here. Being a tube-like structure, there are at least 3 ways to go through Windy Hill, not counting and extra tiered level progression on those paths. It’s like having alternate paths within alternate paths. The potential for replay value seems very high, and I think this is one of the absolute biggest strengths to having such a bizarre design choice for Sonic. This might be the way of the future, if we implement this well enough.

 

 

There’s also the smaller complaint about the removal of the Boost. While its absence is mostly praised, there is still a small camp who will miss blazing through the colorful worlds at high-octane Sonic speeds. I gotta say, I think I’ll miss that kind of thrill as well. Now, while it is true that there are special acts where Sonic is in an auto-run segment with some high speeds, it doesn’t offer the same kind of control you’d see in Sonic Unleashed or Generations. That can be a bit disappointing, and since you die if you make one wrong move, it appears that these levels could be potentially problematic. Thankfully, from what we’ve seen, the game’s life system and the difficulty of these acts in themselves seem to indicate a rather forgiving experience, unlike the horrible Mach-Speed sections in the ill-fated Sonic 2006.

 

 

Also returning are complete 2D platforming acts in this game. The platforming doesn’t seem quite as blocky as it did in Sonic Colors, but we have not seen most of the game to make such definite judgments on this aspect of the game. From what we’ve seen, there are plenty of different ways to go about these levels as seen in the “Dessert” part of Desert Ruins, where we see different paths to take by bouncing along Truffles of Doom and making leaps of faith into those familiar cannons from Sonic 2’s Oil Ocean Zone. The apparent lack of focus on spinball physics is most painful in these sections, as Sonic’s rolling techniques are most strongly implemented in a 2D plane, so this could be considered a mark against the gameplay. Having the Spin Dash is great, though. We do see how using the Spin Dash instead of a booster in one part of the level will launch Sonic into a hidden cannon, leading him to a different route. The level designers didn’t make this game without thought, that’s for sure.

 

 

The last big thing to talk about with gameplay is the return of Color Powers, in the form of Wisps old and new.

 

These technicolor aliens are back, and while the Cyan Laser, Yellow Drill and Orange Rocket return (with minor improvements), we also have new Wisps, the Red Eagle, the Pink Rhythm, and my favorite (for obvious reasons ), the Indigo Asteroid. The Red Wisp allows Sonic to fly through the air in 3D (possibly 2D, but we do not know this yet) to collect rings, blast through hoops and supposedly destroy air-based enemies. It controls to how Tails might fly in 3D if he was playable in this game… another missed opportunity. Unfortunately, having other characters to play as isn’t this game’s focus. Moving on, we have the Pink Wisp (not to be confused with the Spike Wisp from Sonic Colors and Generations), which allows the player to bounce and bop along special dots on a 2D plane, collecting rings and points, as seen in the Silent Forest Zone. There is also the potential for interaction with those Searchlight Owls as some SSMB members have suggested, where the Rhythm Wisp could put one to sleep, allowing Sonic to bypass their beady eyes quicker, rather than trying to be stealthy. Finally is the Indigo Wisp, which allows Sonic to suck in obstacles and enemies (even some level structures!) in a manner very similar to the DS version of Sonic Colors’ “Violet Void” Wisp. But there doesn’t seem to be a pay-off after using it – which is a shame. I would have had the objects picked up turn into points or rings at the end of using the Wisp.

 

 

Before I wrap up the “Gameplay” section of this post, one of the main issues people have with this game is the overabundance of speed boosters. While they don’t seem quite as excessive as Sonic 4, it is still kind of disheartening to see Sonic games still implement them everywhere. I think that Boosters are alright every now and then, especially in earlier levels, but in this game’s case, I think it leaves Sonic’s new speed controls in the shadows. After working so hard to fine-tune Sonic’s 3D movements, it seems a bit perplexing to have Sonic depend on all of these speed boosters.

 

Perhaps this new Sonic Team thinks that this is the best way to feel the speed in a Sonic game. It is certainly a way to go fast, but I don’t think it should be the only way to go fast. I think we all agree that decreasing the amount of boosters would help make Sonic’s speed mechanics seem more dynamic. Admittedly, however, there is a kind of nice cinematic flow to hitting the right springs and bumpers to fly into a booster to watch Sonic dash forward at high speeds. Without the Sonic Boost around, it’s a little easier to appreciate these moments. The problem is that there are too many of these moments. Maybe we will see more complex level designs that use less boosters. It isn’t likely, but we can certainly hope.

 

 

EDIT: 

 

OH, before I forget! Grinding makes a return in this game, too. It looks like it'll be similar to Sonic Unleashed and Colors, but since there is no longer a boost mechanic, we will have to wait and see how this is implemented. Hopefully, we will see some dynamic rail puzzles as seen in Unleashed's Empire City level.

 

All of these gameplay elements being taken into consideration, it feels like Sonic Lost World has made some grand choices, with a few missteps, depending on your view of the ideal 3D Sonic platformer. As I’ve stated earlier, I am of the opinion that while this is not the perfect Sonic game, it is still shaping up to be a fantastic entry into the series in terms of how it’s played. I especially like the advent of toggling Sonic’s sprint via the triggers, the Parkour elements are looking very dynamic and awesome, and finally the return of the Spin Dash (though the traditional “spinball physics” are absent) is a very welcome return to form for the 3D Sonic series.

 

Next big thing to focus on is visual aesthetics. I will post my thoughts, analysis and defense in a separate post. What do you guys think of the controls and level design so far? Are you able to overlook the flaws? Do you think these are flaws at all? Discuss!

Edited July 20, 2013 by Indigo Rush

[Soniman]

Control looks like it will take some time to get used to. It really is something unlike anything we've seen in a Sonic game before, although thankfully most of the levels I've seen (sans the Mach Speed sections) seem to make decent use of them, though I want to see some crazy antics in the later levels, true feats of skill so to speak. Flaws are in the how well the game actually controls, and from what ive seen they are a bit on the twitchy side, for now I'm attributing that to first player syndrome and will wait to see if more skilled players can get around that and use it effectively.

 

The tube structure of the level design is an interesting one, but not one I am adverse to. I think it works for what it's trying to do and could be designed in fairly complex and crazy ways.

 

Now, if im being real right now, I'm 90% confident in saying that Sonic Lost World looks like it might be the game that gives the franchise that "Super Mario Galaxy"-esque title that the series needs. Like, I already think it looks much improved from Generations and Colors (which I find to be great games) already and if it continues to improve upon what we've seen, it also has the potential to be my favorite Sonic game since the Classics.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Soniman

[LATER BUDDY]

A complaint that's kinda been rubbing me wrong lately with this game is the comparison to Mario Galaxy in a way that it's copying the plumber's direction just due to the success of that game. What weird me out about this statement is as if it's anything new to begin with for the Sonic series. If I recall the Sonic series was born from basically trying to steal the spotlight of the Mario games and give Nintendo some competition at it's own game by providing it's own addictive platformer, just with a character and gameplay that's faster, cooler, and has more attitude.

 

That last bit is kinda what I feel with this game and I think it's great. However it's not necessarily a rivalry like 20 years ago of course, but more over seeing what works and trying to give it your own paint job. From what I've seen it does look like a faster, cooler, crazier Mario Galaxy in terms of level design. Not identical but tailor-fitted for the hedgehog. Before I continue however, this entire thing I'm saying only if you even consider it copying Mario in the first place, which I actually don't believe, at least not as cut and dry as that.

 

Basically I see the tube idea as a brilliant way of answering an important question to bringing the Sonic series into the 3D world as effectively as he was in the classic 2D era everyone loves so passionately. The question is basically "How do you make a 3D Sonic level design to where you're given multiple paths that more importantly can be seen clearly despite which path you are on/headed for and are able to drop in and out of these paths on occasion." 2D level design lets you see what your options are fairly easy since you only have 2 dimensions to worry about, meaning in a game that goes left to right, up and down are your options.

 

Turning it on it's head into 3D means you need to have up, down, left, and right, seeing as the game moves from backward to forward now (or whatever). In order to fully focus all of these directions, I think a more spherical approach is more effective than a regular world of just a giant normal world like most games are. It's still doable but without the option to "wrap around it" it becomes harder to see this world as clearly as you could with the tube design, and with a series that has a need for speed, visibility and flow are a major points for the series.

 

====

 

Anyways that's how I feel with this game and I love it to bits. I haven't been this excited for a Sonic game in a long while since it honestly feels like a formula that can work wonders, highly creative, and just all out fun overall. It doesn't mean I nessearily want all future Sonic games to be a suspended clusterfuck in the sky, but I wouldn't mind these from time to time. I guess I'm more over just waiting to try it out since in video it looks like a blast. Criss-crossing all these paths to your hearts content basically is it's selling point for me, and the extras are just extremely nice icing on this tasty-ass cake, such as that parkour elements to help traverse the worlds more fluently to not only aid frustrating gameplay moments, but to also reflect Sonic's smooth and awesome personality.

 

So yeah, my thoughts lawl

[Victoes]

I don't really care what other people think. They have there own opinion and thoughts and thats fine I respect that. Am not going to change anyone mind on what they think.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I honestly can't say that the comparisons to Mario Galaxy and Sonic piggy backing off of that success isn't unwarranted. And I sympathize, if not support those who long to go back to the style of Unleashed/Colors/Generations. Sonic had his own visual style in comparison to Mario that was more intense and detailed when it came to backgrounds and scenery, so for them to go a similar route to Mario does feel like a let down.

 

At the same time, I don't find this to be too bad, and I can actually enjoy the change despite that. I'm not expecting this to be a staple for the series, and hopefully they'll go back to adding more detail without sacrificing interactivity with the environment, which was a drawback of the previous generation of games before this one.

 

Gameplay department is fairing even closer to what I would love to see out of the series. I wish they did more with the wisps as a concept, than as a timed power-up, but who knows what more (or less, however unfortunate) they may have done with them? Sonic being more controllable when running fast is a plus, as is the parkour system, and hopefully that stays with the series as much as grinding has.

Edited July 20, 2013 by ChaosSupremeSonîc

[Celestia]

For now I'll stick with gameplay. I don't have a lot to say about visuals though so I'll just say that I really like them and leave it at that, and as for originality ... I might make a post about that some other time

I am really, really liking how this game plays. Seriously, I rewatch footage of Windy Hill and the Desert Ruins zones fairly often and it all makes me smile. I really just want to get my hands on this game to see how it feels, but if it's half as fun to play as it seems, I'll be more than pleased.
 
While I wasn't exactly clamouring for it's return, seeing the Spin Dash again--well, I won't lie, it's pretty cool. Even if the level design and physics aren't exactly built for some classic rollin', I think there's a lot of potential for the Spin Dash in this game. I'm interested in knowing how it controls. Does it speed up over time, how far does it go, etc. In any case, just the concept of bringing it back is pretty neat on Sonic Team's part. In retrospect it actually makes a lot of sense after Generations.
 
Then, of course, there's the parkour. I'm going to love even the simplest stuff like running up trees, I swear. I'm glad they introduced this to the series and I REALLY hope it sticks around in future installments. The wall-running looks a lot more fun than it has been in the past, too.
 
I was surprised to hear there would be 2D-only and autorun zones. I'm pretty cool with them to be honest, the candy zone actually looks kinda fun for my tastes (I know, I know--don't hate me too much), and the new mach speed mechanics actually look fun. I mean, you can actually attack enemies, so it's already better than '06's!!

 

Speaking of attacking enemies, I find it interesting that they're putting some thought into combat this time around. The homing attack has some new elements to it; for example, you seem to be able to destroy tougher enemies with it if you let the homing attack cursor linger on that enemy long enough--that's how I think it works, anyway, from watching some footage over and over again. But you also have the kick that takes out the tougher enemies instantly. Hmmmmm. I could see this expanded on further in future games, possibly.

 

The returning Wisps are cool--although I would take Spikes or something else over Rocket--and the new ones look really fun. That's all I have to say on that matter!

 

I do have a few issues, but they're mostly minor at the moment. For example, the timer counting down is strange, but it isn't exactly a dealbreaker. I'm also worried that the mach speed zones might be a bit too frustrating but it's kind of hard to tell at the moment. The coin cloud in that Casino footage might get annoying. Probably some other stuff I'm forgetting ...
 
Overall I'm very intrigued and I can't wait to sit down with this game. Oh, and the fact that this new gameplay style could easily accommodate other playable characters makes me drool. Sonic Team, pleeease.

 

Also,

There’s also the smaller complaint about the removal of the Boost. While its absence is mostly praised, there is still a small camp who will miss blazing through the colorful worlds at high-octane Sonic speeds. I gotta say, I think I’ll miss that kind of thrill as well. Now, it is true that there are special acts where Sonic is in an auto-run segment with some high speeds, it doesn’t offer the same kind of control you’d see in Sonic Unleashed or Generations.

This reminds me, I'm not entirely sure, but the sound effect that plays whenever Sonic starts running in the mach speed zones (as well as at the beginning of the candy zone) sounds a lot like the boosting sound effect to me. Probably an intentional nod, which is cool.

Edited July 20, 2013 by ElementofChaos

[azoo]

So... I'm analyzing gameplay and level design in one.

 

I think all the concepts for the controls sound like a brilliant idea on paper, and are PERFECT for what direction I feel the series should take. I'm just really iffy on the execution.

 

I feel as if Sonic could use a bit more of an accel/decel to him, because the jerkiness in how he stops, goes, switches gears, and turns is really seeming to make the game frustrating (and almost flow-less) for some players. Sure, you could always get used to it, but that doesn't make it any less of a problem.

 

The movement being like this has been shown to lead even the more experienced players to have to break to 'walking gear' while tumbling around hap-hazardly just to hit things like Wisp monitors correctly, which wouldn't even have to happen if the player could just smoothly swerve towards it without jerking halfway across the screen.

 

On that note, because of how it seems to be tedious to control Sonic and keep a good flow in this game, they've included speed boosters everywhere, perhaps in an even higher succession to one another than we've seen in the past two or three 3D Sonics (granted, those were all moving straight forward at all times, but I digress). 

 

By seeing certain players (the few really good ones we've seen so far, at least) use parkour, the classic "Spin Dash + jump" technique, and other things like that whilst dodging the dashpads; its led them to go faster and have a more satisfying movement than they would hitting them. So why even have them anyways, especially since you've built such large levels in the first place? Are they that afraid that the more inexperienced player won't "click" into understand the gameplay, and thus they feel the need to hold your hand just so you can go fast and have a good time? Something's not all right there.

 

If there is anything thats straight up praise though that I can give, its the comeback/introduction of all of these moves, and the way they set them up. It was a brilliant idea to drop the boost for the sake of having more free movement, and it was also brilliant the way they replaced it with a parkour system thats essentially a very similar concept but much more refined and open for any direction. It was also great (and smart!) to make two jump buttons, one doing the double jump and the other doing the homing attack. Really allows you to interchange without intruding on doing one move over the other!

 

As for the rest of it, Spin Dashing returning is something I've really been rooting for (as well as rolling), and the return of the Super Peel-Out and the bounce attack.. aww YISS. (The way these are all button-mapped is great too).

 

But I feel like with how relatively flat the level design seems to be for a lot of this (because it seems almost all slopes in this game have you stick Mario Galaxy style) none of those moves will really get their time to shine that much and be exploited to their utmost potential. They're just.. there. Really REALLY nice to have, but just there. Its just too bad that it seems much of the level design doesn't really seem to take too much advantage of these moves. Now, I could be wrong about that, but going by how much we've seen so far it seems fairly unlikely. 

 

My verdict as of right now is that.. well, I want to play it. I want to get a hold of it and learn to control it myself. I also really want to enjoy it. I'm a good bit worried though that I won't, considering everything I mentioned, but maybe the other assets of the game will shine through even if I end up being disappointed with the gameplay.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Azookara

[Strickerx5]

I'll try to stay close to the visuals for now since I want to get SOME sleep tonight. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This game feels like a massive step back from where we were five years ago. I know some may like the more cartoony aspect of this game (I'm kind of growing use to it myself) but when I go back and play a game like Unleashed I just can't help but see just how bare SLW looks. It honestly looks like they put sonic assets in a level of super monkey ball (floating, lifeless platforms). I guess there was something about being connected to the actual world in the past games (all the way back to the original) that just energized me. Being able to run past low to the ground obstacles or speed past buildings (look at rooftop run in unleashed to see what I mean) just had a feeling of energy that doesn't seem to be coming out of this game.

 

I realize that this step was taken by sonic team to obtain a smooth 60 fps but a question just always pops into my head when I think about this. Could they honestly not find solutions to the problems with the HE (an engine that already had a good three years in development) in the five years they've used it? On new (and a fair bit more potent) hardware none the less! *sigh* I know this game has a lot of effort being put into it (I am very excited from what I've seen) but in terms of visuals... it just seems boring. I'm honestly hoping that later levels will prove my last statement wrong but as of now I'm not impressed with what has been released thus far (visually!). It really looks like something that could of easily been done over five years ago.

 

... eh, while I'm here.

 

Perhaps this new Sonic Team thinks that this is the best way to feel the speed in a Sonic game. It is certainly a way to go fast, but I don’t think it should be the only way to go fast. I think we all agree that decreasing the amount of boosters would help make Sonic’s speed mechanics seem more dynamic. Admittedly, however, there is a kind of nice cinematic flow to hitting the right springs and bumpers to fly into a booster to watch Sonic dash forward at high speeds. Without the Sonic Boost around, it’s a little easier to appreciate these moments. The problem is that there are too many of these moments. Maybe we will see more complex level designs that use less boosters. It isn’t likely, but we can certainly hope.

 

I know I'm sticking my neck out here and honestly agree about the removal of boosters but... I've never understood why this sense of constant thrill is a BAD thing. I can understand the statement that "too much of a good thing can be bad for you" but a huge factor of sonic is speed. If I'm buying a game to experience those moments then I can't really see why getting there faster and more frequently is a bad thing. I can agree that the boost did cause some problems but a lot of them were fixed in Generations. I'm all for a deeper level design with exploration and good platforming but this statement just... doesn't rub me the right way. If someone could explain the reasoning behind it that'd be much appreciated. The boost isn't something I'm going to cry about (and I'm excitedly optimistic about SLW's gameplay at the moment) but I'd be lying if some of the best moments for me in this series weren't directly caused by it. There is a sense of satisfactory in being able to flawlessly go through a level with it.

 

Though, all of this really doesn't mean anything in till I actually get my hands on it and see it with my own eye.

[thatguyfrom03]

I'm confident in the game, I just wish Sega would focus its media on the new 3D mechanics(parkour, running, spindash), as that's what brought the game hype in the first place. I'm sure the final product will be fun, but its hard to keep a solid perception on what the game is because of all the information around.  First we got the 3D Mario Galaxy-esque tubes. Then 2D platforming. Then Mach Speed Zones. Then wisps. Now a Casino semi-collect-athon. I'm a fan of the series and I can see the potential of this game, but this is one of those cases where showcasing this much variety can make the consumer ask "What exactly is this game?" and decrease hype.

[Scar]

It looks promising, but there are a number of areas of concern with me. The control looks too responsive and kind of janky. Like a little twitch of the analogue stick would suddenly and abruptly change your direction. It doesn't look like you can smoothly swerve while running full pelt, which is a bit of a disappointment. Level design.....well, I haven't seen enough of it yet.

 

Visuals, well I've made mentioned my problems with them on numerous occasions. The flatness of the colour and texturing, is kind of....not Sonic to me. Over the years its clear that Sonic games have had a granularity to their visuals. Things were sharp, with heavy texturing, even in the Mega Drive games (in particular S3K). Detail was always of the utmost importance. The game which used the flattest colour, was Sonic 1, with each successive game getting more and more detailed, and adding more "texturing" to the sprites. 

The reason people draw Mario comparisons, is because of the flat colour. Mario games have been using really flat colours and simple shapes since forever, and its a graphical style that is synonymous with the series at this point in time. The fact that Sonic is borrowing this approach to visuals is disappointing to me. 

 

And I find the argument "Well Sonic was always supposed to be steal the spotlight from Mario/Copy Mario etc" to be rather rubbish. Yes Sonic was created by SEGA to compete with Mario, but from the outset the general design philosophies have been radically different. Everything from the gameplay design to the visuals.

 

I'm not saying it looks bad, cause it doesn't. I just don't think the visuals should stay looking like this, because then it would be a step backwards. Detail has always been Sonic's thing, getting rid of it, to me, would be like throwing away a core essence of the series entirely. 

 

And to tackle a related issue:

Yes, occasionally, in the 2D levels in Generations, the really busy backgrounds could confuse you, but we can now implement depth of field effects to alleviate this problem. How would this be a problem in an actual 3D game though? Maybe they were only window dressing in the past, because we could never actually go there, but is that really a problem? A problem with the level design and gameplay maybe, but its not a bad thing visually speaking. Maybe if the size and scope of the levels were changed so that you could interact with an increased proportion of those pretty visuals (I don't think creating a level large enough to interact with everything is feasible). 

Like so many have said, the thing that made Jungle Joyride day so appealing visually (aside from its lush design and incredible detail), was the fact that as you went through the stage, you progressed. The background changed from a floating village to deep jungle, to small mini-islands, till eventually you reached a ruins section, where you find the Temple of Gaia. That is a thing, that I liked to see. It was like you were actually going somewhere. If the stage is floating in air, suspended over a pretty background, you can't achieve the same level of progression in a visual sense. 

Performance, maybe a valid factor. Unleashed on consoles had generally terrible framerates due to horrible optimising, but on newer consoles with more RAM and much better GPU's, achieving a stable framerate (maybe even reaching a consistant 60fps) isn't so far out of reach.

 

Anyway. I think Lost Worlds will be a decent little game for what it is. I just hope that in the future, when SEGA's little partnership with Nintendo ends, and they get their hands on more powerful hardware in the PS4 and XBone, that we see a return to the more detailed visual design (but with an updated feel) from Unleashed (Generations was inferior visually, most likely for the framerate).

[KrazyBean]

I'll be brief...I LOVE everything in this game, no really I do. I like some aspects more than others and I wish that the game was 2/3 3D and 1/3 2D & Mach Speed but I feel like everything is really shaping up excellently!

 

We haven't had a Sonic game which is this passionate since Sonic Unleashed and I can't wait to play this beast in October! Boosters aren't really a dealbreaker for me. They can't be worse than Episode 1 so it's fine by me, and considering that Sonic Unleashed is one of my favorite Sonic games, automation is not the topic that infuses me with rage. I do wish that there are less boosters though but...bleh.

 

Hopefully the PS4/Xbox One Sonic game (most likely the 25th anniversary Sonic game at this point) will have even more interaction than Sonic Lost World without sacrificing graphical fidelity (I think this game is beautiful but it's definitely not as detailed as the 'boost' trilogy) and frame rate. One thing I want to see return in future games though is Sonic's control scheme in this game and the PARKOUR.

 

So yeah, that's what I think.

[Indigo Rush]

*yawn* ...good morning, SSMB.

 

 

Grab yourselves a cup of coffee, 'cuz we're going to need our senses heightened in order to analyze the art direction of this game.

 

 

All fired up? Good. 

 

Now I'll move onto part 2 of my detailed analysis and defense of Sonic Lost World... last time we covered the gameplay and level design. And now, get your inner artist fired up, for now we shall look at the visual style of this game!

 

VISUALS

 

 

As an artist, I wanted to really think about this before I posted.  I enjoy the art direction in most Sonic games. But Lost World? At first, I didn't like it. I mean, I appreciated the diversity in style, but I was let down after having so many lush worlds to blast through in Generations and Unleashed, it seemed like such a step backward, so I understand where a lot of people are coming from when they express their disappointment. But after thinking about it and really taking in the art style... and looking at it from an artists perspective? Now... I think I’m more excited for this new aesthetic than when we first saw the Hedgehog Engine in action. I know that this post will step on some of your toes, but I feel like this needs its own little dissertation just as much as gameplay and originality do.

 

So… the aesthetics. The visual portal to experiencing the next big Sonic game… is not without dissension.

 

This is a rather big one for some of us, and for a good reason. After blasting through delicious renders of Sonic’s world, from Green Hill Zone to Jungle Joyride, the high quality vistas we’ve grown accustomed to from Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations is completely absent in this game. Instead, we’re being given a plainer, pastel-like environment with very simple shapes and patterns.

 

 

It is actually very similar to the early Sonic games on the Genesis. While you could argue that those games looked the way they did due to hardware limitations, the effort to make a very cartoony looking Sonic game has resulted in a rather creative aesthetic, something that can only be achieved in a video game. This isn’t to say that Sonic Lost World is completely devoid of detail, closer inspection shows that there is indeed subtle lighting and texturing in the environments that Sonic is traveling through at high speeds.

 

Guys, to be perfectly fair, the emphasis on simplicity is shaping up to be a strength for this game. Because there is less to work with for the GPU, the game can finally run at a smooth 60 frames per second, something that Sonic games really have been missing out on in the 3D platforming department (unless you’re one of those lucky ones who have a high-powered PC, but I digress).  With a more fluid frame-rate, Sonic looks faster than ever. Another grand perk to the simpler art style is that we are able to have more level variety in the game. Since the developers don’t have to pre render tons of level geometry in advance with their Hedgehog Engine (one of the drawbacks to this engine was how long it took to pre render each stage during development), they have much more time to keep creating more diverse level tropes as well as add more acts to complete. These acts look far more immersive and full than Sonic Colors’ mini acts, which makes for a meatier experience.

 

 

But on the flipside, since this is a different art style than we’re used to, there has been some expected backlash. Sonic’s world seems… cute. Now, to be honest, Sonic’s robot foes have never been known to look too deadly. At least the good Sonic games, anyway. But for some reason, despite this, people are crying foul over the cuter art direction in this game. Why is that? It certainly can’t be avoided; the enemies do look more simplified than they have in the past. Their colors are brighter and more saturated, making a very colorful array of foes. Perhaps a threshold has been breached between simple and adorable. Eggman’s baddies have never been demonic looking (Sonic 2006 can kindly not count here, thanks) and the Egg Pawns and Egg Fighters are not all that threatening, despite being his more modern creations.

 

 

I feel that the cuter direction for these enemies is a bit of an over exaggeration. They are indeed more simplified, but then again, so is the rest of the game. Even Sonic looks a little cel-shaded when he’s in his Spin Dash. The Deadly Six are walking Pokemon rejects, and an entire level dedicated to pancakes and licorice kind of solidify the kid-friendly nature of this game. Adding highly detailed robots would clash with the rest of the game. Giving them angrier eyes is one thing, but I’ve seen certain members freak out over the Egg Pawns looking ever so slightly softer than they did in Sonic Generations, which is... a bit much if you ask me.

 

 

I bring up badniks specifically because they are indeed different this time around, albeit I think it’s expected with a different art direction. The thing is, to change up how one part of the game looks would mean that it wouldn’t fit as well with the already existing world. You remember how freaky Sonic and friends looked next to real life humans in Sonic 2006? I know people (at least most of us) aren’t asking for something that drastic, but I think the point I’m trying to make still stands. To change one part of the game’s aesthetic means that you would have to change the rest of the game’s art direction, which would completely destroy the point of having a simplistic art style to begin with.

 

 

Sonic is trying something new here, and I think to change one aspect of the games assets in this situation would destroy the foundation of the rest of the game. Graphics certainly don’t always affect the technical aspect of how the game plays, but how the game looks is parallel to the immersive experience. Clashing artstyles would ruin that. Remember, cute doesn’t have to be bad. Kirby looks cute, as does Mario and even certain Zelda games… and they’re highly regarded as the highest form of the gaming experience.

 

To remove Lost World’s unique (among other Sonic games, anyway) art style would be like turning Journey (PS3) into a realistically rendered world. Yes, it would look fantastic and the gameplay mechanics probably wouldn’t change all that much, but the art style is what sets it apart from other free roaming adventures. I’m not saying that Sonic needs to be artsy with every new entry, but I feel it is a bit much to demonize the game for trying something new, and it isn’t as if it doesn’t fit within the Sonic universe, either. Sonic is still Sonic, the badniks are still badniks, and the casinos, green hills, jungles and deserts (and desserts) are just as appropriate for a Sonic game as they have ever been.

 

 

At this point, it really all boils down to what you prefer for Sonic. Sonic has always been a cartoon, but even cartoons have distinct art styles amongst themselves. So it is with video games, and apparently with Sonic as well. A less detailed aesthetic does not have to mean it is a “degraded” or a “lesser” art style. If Sonic had been founded on anything other than a lush cartoon world, there might be reason to cry foul. But even the Legend of Zelda stepped outside it’s comfort zone with the Wind Waker. It was initially met with rabid backlash over the cute cel-shaded art direction… only to be later appreciated and loved by the fans. It didn’t need to be grimdark realistic to play with your emotions or engross you in a massive world. Wind Waker was so good, that it has even been remade in HD for the Wii U to everyone’s delight. While Sonic hasn’t made that big of a jump in this game (not even Sonic 2006 was that sudden), we can still see some potential parallels here.  I feel that some members may be missing out on what is a very creative experience just because it isn’t high-def rendered CGI. I admit, a new Sonic game with those high definition details would be awesome, and I would be a little disappointed if we never returned to that, but I feel like we need to treat the art direction for this game a little more fairly than we have been.

 

Is it different? Yes. Is it divisive? Sure.

 

 

...is it bad?

 

 

 

That my friends is a rather subjective question. 

Edited July 20, 2013 by Indigo Rush

[Jix Hedgehog]

After playing the demo @ SDCC -

 

Pros - Game looks visually great

A lot of classic elements are back (the animals, the animal capsules, a sense of exploration)

It offers a change to how we play Sonic

 

 

Cons - Bottomless pits .. yep, you will fall off the stage, a lot.

While I don't mind them, boosters are back. Instead of finding a way to increase your speed yourself to get to a place, you'll rely on them through a lot of the stage.

 

Like I said before in an impression I posted, I may or may not have been doing things correctly. I'm still unsure how to maintain a high speed while navigating through stages *shrugs*

Edited July 20, 2013 by Jix Hedgehog

[Lady Soniko]

I know bottomless pits are a complaint in most Sonic games, but don't you think actual bottomless pits are justified this time around? You know since the platforms/planetoid parts of Hex are soaring high above the ground? Kinda like Egg Fleet was?

[SilentDoom]

Yo brotha Indigo, if you can and if it doesn't reach some kind of word limit I think you should combine your posts into the OP.  As more and more discussion in this thread opens up people are likely to miss 2 components of your overall post.  

 

 

As for my reception so far, well a lot of what I wanted to say has been said already but there are two major elements of the game so far that I want to focus my attention on.

 

The first being the amount of variety that this game has.  Up until Generations, Sonic's levels felt very samey in how you went about, what sort of challenges they offered for the player and just how they felt in general.  Adventure 2's over-abundance of the same small set of enemies with only a couple of new enemies introduced later in the game.  06's...well...everything (directionless, ugly levels where all you're really doing is trying to hit dash pads, doing dull generic platforming challenges and homing attacking enemies over and over again.  The only exception really was Kingdom Valley).  Unleashed's over emphasis on speed meaning every level felt like a set of hallways that you plough through with every level having the same set of gimmicks (those rings that pushed you through the air, shallow grinding, QTEs, quick step sections mainly).  Colours' over emphasis on blocky platforming sections (Wisps in my opinion add a good amount of variety to certain sections of levels though).  It's not until you get to Generations where each level has its own unique set of enemies with a few level specific gimmicks here and there, but even then at its core it's very similar to Unleashed (though in my opinion Generations still does quite a few things right and still remains to be my favourite 3D Sonic game).

 

You jump to what we've seen of Lost World so far and every level offers a completely different challenge, different gimmicks, different structures, different badniks that are all defeated in different ways.  Each level sculpts its own identity.  We've only seen four levels in full so far and each one has you doing something completely different, so we've only just scratched the surface of the potential variety of levels in this game (which according to Iizuka in that initial IGN interview was one of the things they were focusing on with Lost World's design).  This is one of the elements that made the Galaxy games so good.  Each level offered different sets of challenges.  It's truly something I'd like to see in every Sonic game.

 

 

The second being the parkour itself.  From what we've seen so far, it looks like there's basically no restrictions on where you can use it.  This gentleman over at Sonic Retro (who played the E3 demo) even states that "if you're good enough you can activate the geared running to get on the wall, then SA2-spindash to stay on the wall indefinitely" which is something that really caught my eye.  Being able to interact with everything in the level and parkour up and on it at any point instantly allows for so much creative freedom.  However, it requires one to essentially abandon the conventions that they knew, loved, grew up with in past Sonic games and try to absorb and adapt to a completely different way of playing.  Let's take the newly revealed casino level as an example.  A fair few were rather disappointed at how it was designed, essentially being a straight line focused with multiple side routes and areas, being encouraged and pushed forward by boosters and springs.  The latter part is the only real thing that bothers me personally.  Most of the boosters and springs in this game are definitely not necessary and only serve to remove player control for those brief moments.  They're fine in moderation to make certain points of the level more cinematic for example, but in a game that encourages control and allows for a number of movement possibilities having stuff that pushes you in a set direction seems kinda backwards.  

 

However, getting back to what I was saying about the casino level, the level is surrounded by vertical walls that don't go up too high.  In any other Sonic game this level would look kinda garbage if I'm to be totally honest because you would literally be constrained to those narrow pathways.  This is not the case in Lost World, as the very fact that the parkour system is there and the fact that there's so much freedom with it means that a lot more creative possibilities are instantly opened up.  One could take the paths below, or try to run along the walls, see what kind of things could be explored.  Not to mention the fact that there's lots of different unique elements to the level.  The lasers, the bumpers, the Crawl badniks, the pinball table, the poker chip stacks, the giant, spinning dice, wheels and poker chips of pain.  This game in the way that it's built is extremely different to anything we've seen before, and seems to take a completely different way of thinking.  An open minded perspective that requires one to appreciate stuff like walls and various other objects as more than they seem.  A set of walls is no longer a box, restricting you to one way of moving but rather work as paths of their own.  It's alternate pathways in a much less obvious sense of the word and that's what I really love about this game so far.

 

I guess in the grand scheme of things so far this isn't the classic styled Sonic game in 3D that I (and a lot of others) have longed for.  It has a lot of elements that define it as a Sonic game in terms of presentation, visuals, gameplay elements and gimmicks, but what this game is to me so far is a genuinely great platformer with an amazing amount of variety and incredible freedom of movement and I can't really ask for too much more than that.

Edited July 20, 2013 by SiLeNtDo0m

[Chaos Warp]

I'll restate my view that I believe this will be another merely good and flawed 3d Sonic game, like the ones that have come before it. Which I'll probably really like of course (I mean I did like Colours and Generations a lot), but it won't be the Super Mario Galaxy the franchise should have after the greatness of the classics and needs. I see a whole set of flaws with this game. Completely unnecessary boosters appear way too often, some levels being incredibly linear and booster heavy (casino level), some levels having a complete lack of flow (candy truffle level), and to top it all off, incredibly jerky (from the looks of it) and unnatural feeling controls. Of course these problems probably won't ruin the game but it's these that I think will keep this game from being truly great and keep it as another just good and flawed 3d Sonic. Unlike the boost formula however, which potential was completely exhausted by Generations, I feel this speed-tier-parkour formula could truly be something great, it could create the Super Mario Galaxy-level of game that this series needs and deserves..........but it won't be this game. But with much refinement over games, I feel we could have something truly great. Let's hope Sonic Team fills that potential. 

Edited July 20, 2013 by Chaos Warp

[Indigo Rush]

Yo brotha Indigo, if you can and if it doesn't reach some kind of word limit I think you should combine your posts into the OP.  As more and more discussion in this thread opens up people are likely to miss 2 components of your overall post.  

 

 

I'll see what I can do. From what I remember though, there is a limit to how big your posts can be, so it might not work.

 

EDIT: I tried, there is indeed a limit. I have to break them up. Sorry.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Indigo Rush

[Diogenes]

I know I'm sticking my neck out here and honestly agree about the removal of boosters but... I've never understood why this sense of constant thrill is a BAD thing.

Well, there's a few things. For one, "constant" thrill really just does not work. You can't make an action movie with an explosion every 30 seconds and expect people to still be wowed by explosions halfway into the movie. Even in something that's supposed to be high action from start to finish, you need to alternate between building up and releasing tension.

Second, the way Sonic games have been creating thrilling sections has largely been through taking control away from the player. The point of a game is to play it; scripted action has its place, but Sonic games tend to rely on them too much. Instead of making games that are exciting to play, they make games that are exciting to watch.

[Tails spin]

A complaint that's kinda been rubbing me wrong lately with this game is the comparison to Mario Galaxy in a way that it's copying the plumber's direction just due to the success of that game. What weird me out about this statement is as if it's anything new to begin with for the Sonic series. If I recall the Sonic series was born from basically trying to steal the spotlight of the Mario games and give Nintendo some competition at it's own game by providing it's own addictive platformer, just with a character and gameplay that's faster, cooler, and has more attitude.

 

That last bit is kinda what I feel with this game and I think it's great. However it's not necessarily a rivalry like 20 years ago of course, but more over seeing what works and trying to give it your own paint job. From what I've seen it does look like a faster, cooler, crazier Mario Galaxy in terms of level design. Not identical but tailor-fitted for the hedgehog. Before I continue however, this entire thing I'm saying only if you even consider it copying Mario in the first place, which I actually don't believe, at least not as cut and dry as that.

 

 

To this point I studied Computer programming. One of my professors said look at what others have done and try to adapt it to your solution. So Galaxy may have been in Sonic Team's mind subconsciously when making this. 

[TwiceStyle]

It's sad how the art style is deteriorating from the beautifully detailed levels in previous games.

Edited July 20, 2013 by TwiceStyle

[SenEDDtor Missile]

To put it bluntly,I think it's a far cry from great games like Unleashed.

As much as I personally love Unleashed, you might want to go into more detail here.

[Indigo Rush]

Good afternoon, SSMB!

 

 

This will be my last big post in this topic; this one will also be the shortest, but nonetheless it is something that should be addressed – we’ve talked about how Sonic Lost World plays and looks, and now we’re in for the last bit of contention for some of us; originality. Take those nostalgia shades off, so we can look at this objectively. Nostalgia mode... off.

 

And whatever you do, do not play awesome remixes of Classic Sonic games.

 

So... let's tackle the final aspect of contention for this game...

 

ORIGINALITY

 

 

Green Hill? AGAIN?! SO LAZY. ...or is it.

 

Sonic Lost World dashed onto the scene with a throwback to Green Hill Zone with Windy Hill. The resemblance is obvious, but does this make it unoriginal or a rehash? We can ask the same question for the Casino Zone in Frozen Factory. It’s a level directly lifted from the likes of Casino Night Zone and Casino Park. On top of that, there is an abundance of classic badniks such as Motobugs, Crawltrons and the like. These enemies are lifted straight from the Classic games and given a colorful make-over, which is definitely nice.

 

But was it the right choice to make? Having the occasional nostalgic throwback is fine and everything, but all of Windy Hill is effectively Green Hill Zone warped through cosmic gravity tubes.  The only other things separating Windy Hill from Green Hill is the music (which, as expected of Sonic games, is shaping up very nicely), but is that enough? Where exactly do we draw the line here?

 

I am of the opinion that levels and locations such as Green Hill (the checkerboard tropical plains) and Casino Night (the pinball-like neon city) are almost necessary staples of the Sonic franchise. Even early on in the good ol’ Genesis days, the differences between Green Hill, Emerald Hill and Palmtree Panic were very minor. All of the other levels were different in their design, absolutely, but it seems that the tropical greenery level as a starting Zone may have become the status quo, as it was back then. Angel Island and Mushroom Hill take the biggest steps outside of the color scheme and structure of the Genesis games, but even still they’re takes on the forest and island trope.

 

 

It’s kind of strange trying to figure out what is even acceptable anymore. I always thought Sonic games were totally justified with “rehashing” the Green Hill locale while making minor changes to the level design and adding special gimmicks to set it apart from its predecessors. Even Sonic 4’s Splash Hill added swinging vines and a sunset. It wasn’t much, but I feel that if the rest of that game was less of a Sonic 1 & 2 rehash-fest, we would have accepted Splash Hill Zone with open arms. It really wasn’t that much different from Green Hill than Emerald Hill was. So does this make it okay for Windy Hill to call back to the Green Hill locale?

 

With Sonic Lost World, I think it is absolutely appropriate to have this nod. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it shouldn’t even be considered a “nod” to previous games. Green Hill/Emerald Hill/Palmtree Panic/Neo Green Hill/Green Grove/Seaside Hill etc… are completely synonymous with the Sonic brand. When I think about representing Sonic against other platformers, he has Green Hill as his home turf.

 

 

Though I'm a huge fan of the checkerboard tropical zones, I will say that not all first levels need to be based off of Green Hill Zone.Variety is always encouraged.

 

Let me explain myself.

 

I’m not against games starting out differently – Emerald Coast was a fantastic beach level and City Escape also was an exciting way to start off Sonic Adventure 2, and I LOVE Windmill Isle from Sonic Unleashed. Sonic games don’t need to adhere to the “Green Hill” first level formula, so please don’t misunderstand when I say that Sonic Lost World is justified in their decision. What I’m saying is that when a Sonic game starts off with checkerboard green hills and palmtrees alongside cascading waterfalls and lush flowers, that it is something we shouldn’t need to cry “REHASH, LAZY” towards. I feel that with the new gameplay direction with tubes in the sky and giant wooden windmills that it is more than enough of a difference to make it something all its own. They could have done a little more, I would agree, but my point is that they have done enough.

 

Now, as for Frozen Factory’s casino…

 

 

...I’m a little less kind towards. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love the Casino trope and am glad to see it in a proper 3D Sonic game. I simply feel that they could have done a little more than just mesh Casino Night and Casino park together. Looking at the footage makes it look like a cut level from Sonic Generations, as if they didn’t have enough time to finish Casino Park, so they just threw in Seaside Hill in its place and saved the Casino level for the next game. What remains to be seen (or heard, in this case) is the music for this level. I’m sure that once we hear the unique tune to Frozen Factory, we’ll start to see it as its own level. The poker chips and star coins are a nice way to set it apart from the rest of the Casino levels, but I’m getting the vibe that they could have done just a little more. Maybe that’s just me. Either way, I think it’ll be an enjoyable level no matter how similar it is to previous Casino levels, and it is a fantastic return of the Pinball level to 3D Sonic games.

 

 

And to be fair, it’s much more original than Sonic 4’s Casino Street.

 

Finally, I want to touch on the return of old badniks.

 

 

Motobugs? Again? LAZY. LAZY AND ADORABLE.

 

But yes, all of these returning badniks...

 

...I love it. I’d like to see more new badniks, though. Even Sonic 4 Episode 2 had some new ones, and while I think we’ve seen one or two new ones in Lost World, I think there may be some missed opportunities for originality here. Again, I absolutely LOVE the return of all these guys, and if this game was nothing but Classic badniks and Egg Pawns, I’d be totally fine. I’d just be a little more fine if we saw some newer ones as well. Even some of Eggman’s robots from Sonic Adventure would be nice. I’m still waiting for KiKi’s return, and I’d like to see more of those themed Egg Pawns we got from Sonic Colors. Maybe we’ll see more as more of the game is revealed.

 

The same goes for the classic Flickies and such. I'm totally satisfied to see them again. A few new animals would be nice, but I'm not complaining. It's good to see these guys in a 3D Sonic game.

 

 

And y'know, even with the returning old badniks, old animals and the Green Hill and Casino Night trope being present, it's not like Sonic Lost World is even anything close to a rehash-fest...

 

 

Remember this classic desert level? From... oh wait, this is actually kind of an original take. Nice!

 

 

 

Even comparing it to Sonic Color's "Sweet Mountain," it stands out as it's own world.

 

 

 

Silent Forest stands out as a very wonderful looking jungle level, and barely draws inspiration from any past Sonic games.

 

 

 

I never thought I'd see a Sonic game where he runs on top of a honey comb. Maybe he should challenge the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee for a rematch. 

 

 

 

Oh. And these guys are kinda new. Hm.

 

All of these tropes, in addition to the aforementioned Windy Hill and Frozen Factory's casino show more variety in half of the game we've seen than in all of Sonic Generations. Give them credit, y'all. This is awesome!

 

So like I said, the talk about nostalgic catering and originality would be short, since it isn’t a new contention for some of us. Unlike Sonic 4, which should have been more of an original entry, Sonic Lost World isn’t weighed down with that kind of expectation, but even so it kind of pushes the nostalgic bar a bit. But is that really so bad? It’s not exactly rehashing much of anything besides old enemies, and to be frank, a lot of these robots are getting total make overs (for better or for worse) and are being translated into 3D for the very first time, so that’s something to take into consideration.

 

To me, the addition of retro elements in a mostly original Sonic game is absolutely fine. I welcome it with open arms.

 

 

And that’s all I have to say about that. 

Edited July 20, 2013 by Indigo Rush

[Shiny Gems]

Allow me to state my stance here, if you all don't mind.

First of all, I am someone who loved the boost gameplay, but I understand that it had its flaws and that it was time for something new. I accept that. With that said, the gameplay in Sonic Lost World, not only does it look promising, but it looks interesting as well. I like the new system, which has that new parkour thing, and I can't wait to try it out. I also like how they added in the "saving your animal friends" thing, and how it is said to have an impact on the game. The tube layout in some of the levels look rather interesting, and it kinda gave me a Sonic X-treme vibe...kinda. The fact that the super-peel out is back is a nice touch. I also like that there are alternate paths throughout the levels.

Now, I admit, the art style could have been better, but regardless, it does suite Sonic well with its cartoony-ness. I do not see that much wrong with the art style, and I can accept how it is. The controls look fine too, even though I have not yet played the game. If there is something a bit off about the controls, I'll at least try to get used to them. I personally do not mind holding a button to make Sonic run fast and making him run slower by not pressing the button. To me, this gives the player more control over the main character, and to me, it is a good thing. I also like the return of the Red Rings. Hopefully, they will unlock things the more you collect them.The Wisps returning is also cool, but I hope they give an explanation of why they are there on Lost Hex. Also, the camera does not seem bad as well.

I don't really mind automation of some areas in this game. But then again, I was never bothered by automation in past Sonic games. I also do not mind the boost pads as well, though there are just some areas in the levels where they are just so unnecessary and not needed to begin with. Still, it probably will not affect me as much as it may affect others. I also like the variety this game has in terms of levels. For example, Desert Ruins is supposed to be a desert level, but it has a candy themed level and a mach speed honeycomb level. In Frozen Factory, which implies by name that it is an ice world with a factory, there is a casino level in that world, and I like that approach to adding variety.

I'll admit, I was a bit disappointment when I had heard that Eggman will be overthrown by powerful creatures once again. However, this won't bother me too much as long as the game is fun. Hopefully, Eggman will do something to become the "true" final boss/villain in this game. As for the Deadly Six themselves, I would have to say that they seem actually rather cool. They may not look threatening to the eye of those who look at them, but I have a feeling that these guys are more deadly and threatening than they look. Plus, the fact that Zavok said "lie down and die" in the trailer was actually cool and dark some, which could add some serious-ness to the story. For the story itself, well, I like the gameplay more than the story, but I do hope that the story is better than Colors' or Generations' stories.

As for the 3DS version, I actually like the 3DS based on what we know so far. I like that this time around, there are actually fully 3D levels to play in. It is good to finally play as Sonic in full 3D on a handheld device. The homing chains and beating up a large enemy to get through the level does not bother me that much. I also liked that 2D level in Desert Ruins. It made me feel that it was maze like, something I really like to see in games. I do not care about the puzzles that much on the level, for I am sure that, at least to me, the level will be fun to play through regardless.

All and all, I am personally excited for this game, and I cannot wait for more news on the game.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Flamerstreak

[Chooch]

The controls are too twitchy. Speed boosters and automated springs are everywhere. Returning Wisps are just as monotonous and gimmicky as ever. The only new color power of any interest is Eagle and the most I've seen it used for is to fly across bottomless pits and areas filled with nothing. So.. just like Rhythm but with extra control? These aren't even my core issues with the game.

 

My main issue with Sonic Lost World at the moment is that the parkour system seems completely fucking wasted on the level design. Parkour was the most promising new aspect of this game when it was first announced and you have little to no opportunities to even use it. Three acts per stage? Maybe I'd be more excited if I didn't already have a good idea of how the game is structured.

 

One act is 2D and another act is some sort of on-rails bullshit so for more than half of the game parkour won't even be in use. Factor in color powers and you realize just how much of a clusterfuck everything is at the expense of the parkour system. None of the 3D levels that we've seen heavily use parkour and that does not keep me in high hopes.

 

I'll stop complaining when we get a parkour trailer.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Chooch

[MegasonicZX]

The controls are too twitchy. Speed boosters and automated springs are everywhere. Returning Wisps are just as monotonous and gimmicky as ever. The only new color power of any interest is Eagle and the most I've seen it used for is to fly across bottomless pits and areas filled with nothing. So.. just like Rhythm but with extra control? These aren't even my core issues with the game.

 

My main issue with Sonic Lost World at the moment is that the parkour system seems completely fucking wasted on the level design. Parkour was the most promising new aspect of this game when it was first announced and you have little to no opportunities to even use it. Three acts per stage? Maybe I'd be more excited if I didn't already have a good idea of how the game is structured.

 

One act is 2D and another act is some sort of on-rails bullshit so for more than half of the game parkour won't even be in use. Factor in color powers and you realize just how much of a clusterfuck everything is at the expense of the parkour system. None of the 3D levels that we've seen heavily use parkour and that does not keep me in high hopes.

 

I'll stop complaining when we get a parkour trailer.

Actually, judging by the screens (and I think this was confirmed already) but there are supposed to be six acts per zone.