Are the chances of Sonic going back to Boost-gameplay higher now after the reviews for Lost World?

[Indigo Rush]

And yet people seem to be enjoying it more. People have a split opinion on it.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Indighost Rush

[jeremycarrier]

People have a split opinion on this entire franchise post-1994. I'm saying don't call something a "consensus", because there is never going to be one with this character and his largely mediocre video games.

Edited October 18, 2013 by jeremycarrier

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

On Metacritic the overall verdict is mixed to positive reviews so far. Boost might not be coming back just yet after all.

[Kuzu]

I rather enjoyed the boost games, so I wouldn't be too terribly upset if we got more of them.

 

On the other hand, I will be disappointed if they don't at least try to refine and mend what they've been working for Sonic Lost World first. They have quite a few things to change, but I'd hate to see them totally trash the parkour system and the concept of slower platforming.

 

I'd honestly prefer they didn't go back to the boost games; my problems with them aside, Sonic Team need to stick with something and leave it. No more changing, no arbitrary styles. We need one unified style that they can continue to refine for years. This is Sonic Team's major flaw at the end of the day, they are trying to make Sonic into so many different types of games and not sticking with one once and for all.

 

So, take Lost World and refine it. Read the criticisms Sonic Team and try to differentiate between the stupid dumbass complaints and the legit ones. Please, I'm begging you. Learn for the love of god.

[Sonic The Badass]

Sega is stubborn, this is the new unleashed, it will get slander for its flaws and then Sega will go and do some fine tuning to fix all the flaws noted by the community resulting in the game fans expected in the first place, but if this is how Sega is deciding to operate you would think they would put out a beta or something so they are aware of what needs fixing the first time.

[Diogenes]

God I hope not. Whatever problems this game has, going back to boosting won't solve them.

[ArtFenix]

kids will pick up the game and love it.

Kids will not love it. The controls are asinine. They're just terrible. It causes so much frustration to even play the game normally, let alone having lots of fun with it. That and the ammount of idiotic gimicky filler levels are astounding.

We've made a 4-hour stream today and the guy who played it was really mad. He was my age and I can only imagine how an average impatient kid will feel like while fighting the controls.

[Narukami07]

only after it bombs

 

and considering its on a dead console

SA2 sold well on a dead console before, even 06 (when the PS3 was outright bombing at the time) so no chance of that.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Narukami07

[Mauro Fonseca]

I hope if they do, they do it right away. If they instead choose to stick to this style in the next game, I hope they stick to it. Fuck all you people complaining about the boost, I'd like to see a style of game stick for more games than the needed amount to get critics to go "oh I like this" and fans to go "CHANGE IT".

[Milo]

I hope if they do, they do it right away. If they instead choose to stick to this style in the next game, I hope they stick to it. Fuck all you people complaining about the boost, I'd like to see a style of game stick for more games than the needed amount to get critics to go "oh I like this" and fans to go "CHANGE IT".

 

So I assume six years of five games of the on-rails gameplay isn't a long time (counting the Storybook games, they were arguably variations of said gameplay)? And it's not so much people don't want it back because "durr we haet boost", but probably because over those five years we haven't really seen much done with it to improve it. Implementation of other playable characters was done for just one game (Black Knight), and arguably the things that people want to see it improved upon (less linear level design, less automation, etc.) arguably went unfounded for the most part.

 

Again as I noted to Jez earlier, at least you still have some resemblance of it in the mach speed levels in SLoW. Nothing about the previous gameplay style (Adventure style-used in five games over twelve years, so overall I don't think your complaint about the gameplay being changed on a whim holds any water) was retained in Unleashed unless you count the Werehog gameplay but even that's a giant stretch due to the Werehog gameplay being much slower paced and combat-eccentric.

[Blitz 'n Burst]

It depends on whether or not SEGA actually listens to what people are saying or just read the scores and go "welp, better go back to the boost gameplay." This game's problem isn't the core gameplay, it's the lack of focus and not designing the game around those core mechanics. If they make a more consistent gameplay experience without the random gimmicks just for variety's sake, make the p[arkour more useful beyond the odd diverging pathway and make wisps that aren't shitty (or just remove them altogether, either works) they could make a magnificent game

[Autosaver]

I honestly want the old power ups to come back. Electric shield, Bubble Shield, Fire Shield.

 

Maybe incorporate new shields and give them a new purpose? Would beat having pointless wisps everywhere.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

I honestly want the old power ups to come back. Electric shield, Bubble Shield, Fire Shield.

 

Maybe incorporate new shields and give them a new purpose? Would beat having pointless wisps everywhere.

On that same logic we could also get a return of playable characters instead of wisps(I wish )

[Autosaver]

Oh yeah. That too.

[Potada]

I honestly want the old power ups to come back. Electric shield, Bubble Shield, Fire Shield.

 

From what I saw of livestreams, they actually did put them in the game (At least, in the 3DS version). Didn't look like they did much besides elemental protection, though.

 

 

Maybe incorporate new shields and give them a new purpose? Would beat having pointless wisps everywhere.

 

THIS. Why not something like, say, an ice shield that freezes around you so you can float in water or slide down slopes? Just an example, but I'd definitely appreciate having good shields again.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Potada

[Nepenthe]

They should be appropriating that kind of gameplay context to the Wisps. They're more relevant than the Elemental Shields because parts of the level design are based directly around their existence; you sometimes need them to get ahead. Not true with the Shields. As such, if these buggers are going to be around forever, I'd rather they go on ahead actually trying to give them a little more depth and strategy. You know, that whole "mine the idea for potential" thing.

[MegasonicZX]

Eh, shields are kind of boring to be honest I'd actually prefer if they just kept the wisps. Sides having shields over having something that really adds something to the gameplay somewhat seems to be a step backward but then again though having both would be pretty nice as well especially if shields gave you a whole set of elemental attacks to use with each one like for instance with the fire shield you could get a fire spin dash which is faster than the normal spin dash (think a meteorite falling from the sky) and a move where you jump in the air and press a button to do an explosion attack (okay now think a meteorite falling from the sky).

[Diogenes]

I honestly want the old power ups to come back. Electric shield, Bubble Shield, Fire Shield.

 

Maybe incorporate new shields and give them a new purpose? Would beat having pointless wisps everywhere.

How are shields any less "pointless" than wisps? The shields really aren't very good in terms of being interesting powerups; they increase your mobility in one of the cardinal directions, they protect you from a very limited number of attacks, and they eat a hit from any other kind of damage...that's it. The only real positive they have over the wisps is that they don't get in the way. And if you say they can expand the functions of shields, then I'll say they can do just the same with the wisps; in any case, shield or wisp is mostly just a matter of how you frame the presentation of the powerup, and doesn't have much of a connection to their function, so I don't see much reason to prefer framing them as shields other than pandering to nostalgia.

[Autosaver]

that's it.

 

...But you just listed 3 good uses of the shields.

 

Also, shields will always be different than wisps for a good reason. Wisps have Sonic completely change his gameplay into a gimmick. Shields alter his gameplay and give him subtle differences.

[Diogenes]

...But you just listed 3 good uses of the shields.

I listed three things that they do. None of them are particularly interesting.

Protecting you from a hit isn't interesting. That's functionality equivalent to a single ring (with the downside that you can't recollect it). The only reason it's useful is that the protection stacks with rings.

Protecting you from a certain element isn't interesting. Outside of levels dedicated to that element (bubble shield in hydrocity, fire shield in lava reef, etc) the benefit is extremely situational, and only amounts to ignoring a gameplay element, not enhancing and expanding on the gameplay.

The movement abilities aren't interesting. They're useful, in varying circumstances, but they're very simple, they don't have any mechanical use beyond simply giving you a boost in a certain direction. Plus they've all been incorporated into Sonic's core moveset at one point or another. You could even argue that SLoW Sonic already has the abilities of all 3; the bounce attack of the bubble shield, the homing attack to match the fire shield's dash, and a double jump like the lightning shield (although the parkour is more useful, and more interesting, for vertical movement). If they're fit to be core abilities, they probably aren't going to be more compelling stripped out and offered as powerups.

Honestly if you want to get me excited about powerups in Sonic, you'd be better off building off the wisps' mechanics, in spite of their problems, because the shields...just aren't interesting.

Also, shields will always be different than wisps for a good reason. Wisps have Sonic completely change his gameplay into a gimmick. Shields alter his gameplay and give him subtle differences.

There's no reason that wisps need to completely change the gameplay. A wisp could give you a power like the shields have, a shield could give you a power like the wisps have. That's what I was saying by them just being a way of framing it.

[SilentDoom]

Kids will not love it. The controls are asinine. They're just terrible. It causes so much frustration to even play the game normally, let alone having lots of fun with it. That and the ammount of idiotic gimicky filler levels are astounding.

We've made a 4-hour stream today and the guy who played it was really mad. He was my age and I can only imagine how an average impatient kid will feel like while fighting the controls.

 

Because most kids also are less critical of a game than we are.  Kids will care mostly about their favourite mascot character being in a bright new game.  I know I certainly enjoyed games much more when I was younger than I do now.  I fucking loved Sonic Heroes as a kid largely because it had Sonic and his buds running around doing crazy fun stuff, but can barely enjoy playing it now because of how damn slippery it is, how long the levels drag on for and how unsatisfying the gameplay feels in general.  And Lost World's controls are leagues better than anything else in any other 3D Sonic game.

Edited October 20, 2013 by SiLeNtDo0m

[Maddnsk]

While i highly like boost gameplay, i think that 3 games was enough and they should move on, i dont think they got gameplay and controls right (from what i saw in the videos) this time , but the same was for boost gameplay, maybe after 3 games they will get parkour gameplay right. I really don't like idea of run button and kick move, i always liked that Sonic just jump into an enemy rather then punching it with fists (or kick him) like some other platformers does in 3d. And honestly i  never felt that i can't reach some platform because sonic too fast (i guess im in the minority). Make controls simple, that what was sonic brilliance in tha classic days, making interesting gameplay by having just 1 action button. Well ofcourse they can't do 1 action button with 3d games, but still.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Maddnsk

[Narukami07]

Hell, I BOUGHT a 360/Wii just for Sonic 06 & Secret Rings (*barf*) as a kid. I (unfortunately) enjoyed and got the hang of the controls with ease before realizing how utterly shit they were (as well as the entire game) as i grew up and went to High School.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Narukami07

[JezMM]

I honestly want the old power ups to come back. Electric shield, Bubble Shield, Fire Shield.

 

Maybe incorporate new shields and give them a new purpose? Would beat having pointless wisps everywhere.

 

They do indeed appear frequently in the 3DS version.  Generally they are rewards for performing minor moments of exploration, with payoffs shortly after where you can make use of their element protection to find a new shortcut by hopping on an electrified rail, running through fire, or taking a chain of enemies that are surrounded by such elements for protection (such homing attack chains can be dealt with slowly by using air kicks to stun the enemies between each homing attack though).

 

The Bubble Shield only appears on Water levels, and is just a reward for exploration by giving you infinite air, of course.

 

The shields also become pretty relevant on Hard Mode, where you usually only have one ring.

Edited October 23, 2013 by JezMM

[Autosaver]

The problem is that the shields become more... shieldy than power upy. I wanted more of a return of power up focused shields with bonus attributes.