Sonic Lost World: Analysis, Fan Reception and Defense

[Meow]

I am not a fan of this game soooooo I won't get into the gameplay or tropes or whatever though, I am not even going to touch upon that. I can already tell I don't like the style of this game at all in terms of gameplay.

But as an artist myself I do kinda want to talk about my feelings on the art style! The previous games, especially the last few have had fantastic lighting effects and although maybe the saturation could be bumped up a tad and remove some of the detail for added clarity, I felt that applying that level of graphical fidelity to classic styled zones would look wonderful. We had a taste of it with Sonic Generations and I kind of hope that one day the series returns to trying to maintain that strong level of polish. When playing through Generations, and to some extent Unleashed, I was wowed by the sheer scale of some of the levels and while there wasn't very many moments to stop and appreciate the world I was blazing through the art style in the classic stages in particular was breathtaking. The levels felt big, grandiose, even if most of that was an illusion due to being a corridor based game for the most part. I felt like I wanted to go and explore and see other areas of the level. It wasn't perfect and I can see where people have complaints that it was easy to get lost with, but it was visually stimulating for me.

But then I look at Lost World, with its tube aesthetic that to me only gives the illusion of freedom when most of what I have seen still seems to line everything up in a fairly linear line. The tube also takes me out of the element of the game too - I don't feel wowed, I don't feel impressed either. There is no sense of depth or scale to me, the lighting looks awful too - like there is something missing. The levels don't look like they fit the static background scenery. I don't feel like wanting to explore the levels. I am also gonna get a little technical too here, but I hate those grass cards they are using on the surface of Windy Hill. Hate them. They look like someone literally just took a square polygon and slapped it down in the level with some default material put on it. It's ugly and to me looks like a solid lack of effort - in fact if that is one thing this game makes me feel with the art direction is the lack of effort. I get what they are trying to do, and in some ways it seems like a solid throwback to the art style of the genesis games (in particular Sonic 2) but the difference between the 2D sprite based graphics and Lost World's is that I find the 2D art style to be a lot more visually interesting than Lost World's.
 

I seriously think Lost World is lacking a lot of depth with the textures, that the lighting is subpar, it honestly kind of hurts my eyes a little too. I don't care too much about the fact that it is insanely saturated other than the fact that none of it feels coherent (again I feel this comes down to lighting) and like I said before it all feels so out of place to me. Good lighting, and great texture work, can honestly bring something that might have been a 4 or a 5 in terms of quality up to like an 8 or 9 easily. I just feel like Lost World is lacking in both.

 

I don't like the look of the badniks in this game either, they are very cartoony but not in a good way. Again though I feel like a lot of that is due to the colour choices and the textures. Everything looks so unfinished and plain and it really bothers me in that regard. I honestly think the 3DS version looks better because the grainyness is hiding all the things that bother me and I'd almost like to say that the textures are more detailed in that version too! There is a better sense of coherency at any rate, and I cannot tell if the 'extra detail' is really just more effort put into the textures or if its just because everything is low poly that its a little grainier and is making it look like there is more detail.

 

So yeah, on the subject of the art style I think it is a bland attempt at trying to be cutesy/whimsical and staying true to Sonic's roots but I think that it falls flat (literally). Not gonna try and disparage anyone elses tastes on this though, art is subjective and we all have different preferences. To me this one just kinda gives me a bit of a headache looking at it and it doesn't really appeal to me and trust me I do love bright, saturated colours and crazy shit like that since I use it lots in my own art.

[Chooch]

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

Six acts per zone still probably equates to more than half of the game not centering around parkour. I sincerely doubt we'd get four 3D tube stages here, three speed stages there, etc.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Chooch

[Shiny Gems]

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.

 

So I take it you've played the game, or played a demo at one of the events?

Edited July 21, 2013 by Flamerstreak

[Soniman]

So I take it you've played the game, or played a demo at one of the events?

 

Don't have to play the game to know that the controls are indeed somewhat twitchy when Sonic moves from left to right.

[Chaos Warp]

Don't have to play the game to know that the controls are indeed somewhat twitchy when Sonic moves from left to right.

Yeah, this. You also don't have to play to know that Sonic accelerates almost instantly through his speed tiers in a jerky and unnatural fashion. 

[Shiny Gems]

Don't have to play the game to know that the controls are indeed somewhat twitchy when Sonic moves from left to right.

Hmp! That still does not change the fact that watching the game and playing the game are two different things, and that you have better reasoning to back up your feelings about the game by playing it rather than watching it.

[Potada]

Honestly, the first correlation I got between "Frozen Factory" and the casino level is the fact that, in a sense, those places churn out "cold, hard cash."

 

I'm totally not sorry. for that pun.

 

Really, though, I'm still kind of on the fence about getting this or not. I hope they have a downloadable demo of it near the release date.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Potada

[Soniman]

Hmp! That still does not change the fact that watching the game and playing the game are two different things, and that you have better reasoning to back up your feelings about the game by playing it rather than watching it.

 

People are going by what the see, for all we know, the game could end up controlling pretty well, even more likely when you master them. But as for now, that's not the case.

[Shiny Gems]

People are going by what they see, for all we know, the game could end up controlling pretty well, even more likely when you master them. But as for now, that's not the case.

 

Maybe so, but that still doesn't change that playing and watching are two different things. Of course, as of now, since not everyone has played the game, it would not hurt to make some observations, but what one plays in the long run is what matters most, considering that they even get the chance to play it. The controls might not be as bad as you see them to be when you first use them.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Flamerstreak

[Chooch]

So I take it you've played the game, or played a demo at one of the events?

[W]atching the game and playing the game are two different things [...] [Y]ou have better reasoning to back up your feelings about the game by playing it rather than watching it.

I like how you quoted my big ol' post just to respond to that one bit. Nothing else I said matters I guess!

 

No, I haven't played the game, but I can take note of how Sonic moves when people are playing. He has no real weight to him. He turns on a dime. There's instant acceleration and instant deceleration. It's most evident on the tube stages because the camera shifts and turns rapidly to keep up with him (which presents a motion sickness problem but that's irrelevant to the main point).

 

I'm kind of annoyed with this stigma that I can't form an opinion of something unless I have actually played the game myself. Or is that only how things work when you're not blindly optimistic or care to pose some sort of criticism?

Edited July 21, 2013 by Chooch

[Diogenes]

Hmp! That still does not change the fact that watching the game and playing the game are two different things, and that you have better reasoning to back up your feelings about the game by playing it rather than watching it.

People always say this to defend problems with a game. Has it ever been true?

[Shiny Gems]

I'm kind of annoyed with this stigma that I can't form an opinion of something unless I have actually played the game myself. Or is that only how things work when you're not blindly optimistic or care to pose some sort of criticism?

 

I didn't say you couldn't have an opinion without playing the game. I am basically just saying that playing the game, especially when it finally comes out, you have more to back up your opinion on the game.

 

People always say this to defend problems with a game. Has it ever been true?

 

I am sure it is true for some games, but not so true for others. Still, for any game, the final version may be different from what is seen from a then-earlier build.

 

But enough of this. I would like to continue this discussion, but I do not want to derail this topic. So let's get back on topic, shall we? Think whatever you want, I won't mind. Just commenting.

 

Though if this makes you feel a bit better some, the controls do seem odd at times.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Flamerstreak

[TwiceStyle]

It's sad to see beautiful, detailed screenshots of previous games next to this abomination.

[Diogenes]

I didn't say you couldn't have an opinion without playing the game. I am basically just saying that playing the game, especially when it finally comes out, you have more to back up your opinion on the game.

Do you ever wonder why no one ever says this to someone praising a game.

[Shiny Gems]

So, does anyone else want to share their analysis and thoughts on this game?

[Indigo Rush]

That is something I have failed to mention with my initial OP: the controls for Sonic at high speeds are indeed needlessly twitchy. It's strange, because of all of the problems that the more recent boost-centric Sonic games had, one of the better aspects of control was stiffening Sonic's steering at higher speeds. It wasn't a perfect flow from free roaming to linear dashing, but you could tell that they had that kind of control scheme in mind.

 

Perhaps there are reasons for Sonic being able to turn on a dime in this game. I don't know how good those reasons are, though. After re-watching the SDCC GameSpot footage of Aaron Webber playing Windy Hill, there was this split second where Sonic turned an extreme hard-left and then another left; fast enough to make a perfect square of clouds behind Sonic's wake. 

 

While I am intrigued by the ability to move Sonic so precisely at such incredible scenes (similar to how he moves in cutscenes and cartoons), in terms of actual control, it doesn't seem very feasible, at least so far. I think it'll have to be something we make a final judgement on once we've explored the world for ourselves. Otherwise, I'd count that as a check-minus for now.

[MegasonicZX]

I have gotta admit that after looking through the gameplay a bit more, the turning doesn't seem that twitchy (and honestly unless the person is trying to make sonic go forward but he keeps trying to go in another direction like in sonic adventure 2 I don't consider that twitchy) and I don't really mind that sonic turns on a dime too much really, I have always wondered how it would feel to do the things that cartoon sonic can (90 degree turns ala stop on the dime turning that everyones talking about). 

 

But on my opinion of the gameplay so far, I like what I see so far the only level to not completely wow me is the dessert ruins act 1 (or 2 was it?) and even then that could possibly change when I play it and that casino stage made me get so happy from watching it not only because of the obvious care put into it but also for how all the mechanics and the gameplay plays for the stage. If I have to point out one negative thing though, it would probably have to be that the...I'll get back on this.

 

As for the art style, I love it, though really I seriously can't see the big deal about it, it fits with the game extremely well and even though everythings not as detailed and just like momentum (don't kill me) I could probably care less about how simple it is, it just looks amazing to me and seems like one of those feel good type of art styles that gets you happy while playing a game and keeps you going for hours.

[Indigo Rush]

Here's the video in question:

 

 

Skip to about 1:20 to see some Windy Hill footage. Take special care to notice how sharply Sonic turns at higher speeds.

 

The moment I mentioned in my last post is at around 4:15-4:20. That is a pretty rapid turning mechanic.

[MegasonicZX]

Here's the video in question:

 

 

Skip to about 1:20 to see some Windy Hill footage. Take special care to notice how sharply Sonic turns at higher speeds.

 

The moment I mentioned in my last post is at around 4:15-4:20. That is a pretty rapid turning mechanic.

hmmm, im still not really seeing it (but my god that rapid ledge grab) but I will admit that the camera could possibly benefit a little bit by not following your complete and every move.

[Shiny Gems]

Here's the video in question:

 

 

Skip to about 1:20 to see some Windy Hill footage. Take special care to notice how sharply Sonic turns at higher speeds.

 

The moment I mentioned in my last post is at around 4:15-4:20. That is a pretty rapid turning mechanic.

Well, maybe the controls could take some getting used to, but I am sure that I'll still be able to enjoy this game, regardless. Sonic's extreme turning really doesn't bother me that much, to be honest.

[Potada]

Thinking about it now, maybe they could have made walking turn well while making the sprint a little stiffer for turning. That way, you could simply release the sprint button for a split second to do instant turns.

[Kuzu]

The game looks incredibly disorientating when switching from areas on the tube, I honestly felt really uncomfortable watching it. From what I've heard and seen, Sonic seems to control similar to the Adventure titles; not having much weight and being very twitchy to control and maneuver.

 

I haven't really seen Parkour used to a significant degree yet to show me that its an integral part of the gameplay, rather mostly used similar to Heroes/Shadow's wall jump for certain areas.

 

The Wisp are back and still look as context sensitive as they did in Colors; I kinda hoped we'd be given more freedom in how we could use them instead of just being restricted to specific obstacles for them. Eagle is really the only one that interests me.

 

I like the art style, but I'm not too keen with how much its borrowing from Mario; I understand everyone wants their "60fps" but I don't believe it needed to come at the expense of Sonic's own original style. The backgrounds in the boost games may have been distracting, but now they've just kinda gone in the opposite direction and just sucked all the life out of them.

 

Story? Probably gonna be more or less what we got in Colors(hope to god its better than Generations tho).

 

 

Overall, I think this is just gonna be another good, but not a great game. It does some things better than Generations, but then it takes away things that made that game so good too.

[azoo]

The game looks incredibly disorientating when switching from areas on the tube, I honestly felt really uncomfortable watching it. From what I've heard and seen, Sonic seems to control similar to the Adventure titles; not having much weight and being very twitchy to control and maneuver.

 

Well even the Adventures had some weight to them.. on the ground, at least. I'm fine with the floaty and looser jump, I think it works for 3D Sonic much better than a stiffer one ever could (as long as "floaty" doesn't also mean "let go of the stick and no speed is withheld").

Edited July 21, 2013 by Azookara

[Narukami07]

Overall, I think this is just gonna be another good, but not a great game. It does some things better than Generations, but then it takes away things that made that game so good too.

I really think this game could beat Generations by the looks of it, and i really LIKE that game too.

[Stritix]

I'll probably enjoy this game more than Generations, though Generations does seem to have better level design so far.

 

Although I'm expecting later stages such as the jungle zone to have great level design.