Lost World: Discussion, Impressions and Fan Reviews

[Kuzu]

An extremely minor and completey subjective feature that the player may or may not even notice/care about? Yeah I suppose so.

But in this case people do care sooo......

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[Zaysho]

More impressions: Seriously, fuck Frozen Factory 3. Whose bright idea was it to make the pinball tables mandatory? And who thought of hiding a Red Star Ring at the tip-top of that blasted second table? I died way too many times trying to even get up there. And that's another thing. I can die on the pinball tables now? What the fuck. Why not give me multiple tries that don't take away from my life count? You know, like past games that used this same awful gimmick (I'm thinking more along the lines of the pinball tables in Sonic Adventure, not Sonic Heroes). I'm glad I picked up all the Red Star Rings in that level (after way too many tries) so I don't have to play that again. I like Casino/Carnival levels in concept, but they're never any fun to play and Frozen Factory 3 doesn't make me warm up to that level trope at all (yes, I'm aware of what I just wrote).

 

So far, that was one of the most frustrating levels I played. Hell, Frozen Factory 2 is more fun once you realize the run button still works even though you're stuck in the snowball (made getting past those big yeti creatures so much easier after they threw me off the stage multiple times). I've heard people talk about even worse levels in their status updates, but something tells me I'll have a more enjoyable time provided I don't have to play anymore stupid pinball/slot machine sections.

 

The thing is, I'm noticing most of the time when I'm playing this game, I have no clue what I'm doing. I see the path and where I have to go, but more often than not I have no idea what's going on. I actually flipped through the digital manual and picked up some pointers that otherwise could've been pointed out in a little dialogue box on the gameplay screen. There's just a ridiculous lack of clarity in how some of the mechanics work, that it's not hard to see why some would get frustrated. Again, I don't need my hand held throughout the adventure (Sonic Unleashed Wii was particularly obnoxious about this), but something a little more helpful than the lousy "tutorials" that pop up on the gamepad telling me the most basic shit like "Red Star Rings unlock things (not exact quote, but you get the idea)" would have been nice. Hell, I didn't even realize Sonic's rolling/somersault move had any real application until I checked the digital manual and it says that it can be used for passing through the sticky areas. Really? A little hint pop-up that explains that much the first time I encounter an area like that is asking for too much?

 

I'm liking the game overall because I think it does a lot of things right, but ultra gimmicky, frustrating levels like Frozen Factory 3 and not always having a clear idea of just what I'm doing really take away from the experience.

 

I'm at Silent Forest now, and I'll probably pick up again later after I take care of some work.

[JezMM]

You know what my favourite hint bubble is?  The one that tells you you can get a cross pits by homing attacking flying enemies.

 

On Silent Forest 4.

 

 

Spend the whole game without telling me I can spin-dash on wall runs sure but god forbid I forget how to do something that has been mandatory on several stages and on every 3D Sonic game prior to this one.

[Briraka]

I'm not actually a huge fan of classic retro BWOOP jumping I have to say.  The first time I played Unleashed and we got that super satisfying wh-ch-ch-ch-ch of him spinning it was one of many touches that made me feel Sonic had been totally reinvented in how he moved around and it was gonna be fantastic.  When he jumped in the same way in Colours, I was overjoyed that it seemed to be a minstay.

I always thought a nice combination would be the classic BWOOP with the wh-ch-ch-ch-chs. I think anyone who could mod the sounds in Generations PC could make that effect happen, since the jumping and spinning sounds are two separate sound files.

[azoo]

An extremely minor and completey subjective feature that the player may or may not even notice/care about? Yeah I suppose so.

And why does that make it something that just isn't worth bringing up? Regardless of it being "nitpicky", changing the actual quality of the game or not, sound effects do make a difference in game feel. Imagine Mario doing the "HWUWK" jump sound with violent "splats". Then again, with all the 'lol realistic Mario' jokes out there on the internet, you don't have to.

Granted its not offensive for Sonic, but at the same time I thought the old sounds were pretty iconic, and making them sound really different takes that away some. I brought up the dashpad and spring sound things not fitting Lost World since they sound so 'real' and don't really fit the cartoony colorful look of that game. XD

[Straw Hat]

 

And I really do wish they'd do away with the "realistic" '06 sound effects in favour of the Adventure or Generations Classic-style ones. Landing on a rail used to sound like a powerful metal clank followed by the sound of metal grinding. Now it's just an underwhelming "cha" when you land and a "kssssshhhh" as you slide along. Yawn

 Ehhhh, I dunno. I prefer the newer sound effects that Unleashed - Now provide. Going back to the Adventure Games - Shadow, those old sound effects just annoy me. Especially that stupid warping "WURRRRRRR" sound that Spin Dash makes after getting the Light Speed Dash. I just hope they bring back the Jumping sound from the Boost games.

[Sami]

I quite liked Classic Sonic's sound effects in Generations, but I'd love for SA1's spring sound to come back.

[Wraith]

Eh, I just think we're going through that nitpicking phase like we do with every single Sonic release, I don't see how this is anything new.

I never remember it happening QUITE this early with this fandom.

[Blue Blood]

Ehhhh, I dunno. I prefer the newer sound effects that Unleashed - Now provide. Going back to the Adventure Games - Shadow, those old sound effects just annoy me. Especially that stupid warping "WURRRRRRR" sound that Spin Dash makes after getting the Light Speed Dash. I just hope they bring back the Jumping sound from the Boost games.

That spin dash sound did suck and I really don't know why they insisted on it. It didn't really fit at all. But the rest of the adventure sounds were swell.

Also oretty sure SLW still uses the rolling-barrel in the air, but now with a bouncy sound as you lift off the ground.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Blue Blood

[Soniman]

I never remember it happening QUITE this early with this fandom.

 

Don't think you were here for all the Gens Classic Sonic debates

[azoo]

Don't think you were here for all the Gens Classic Sonic debates

More like the Sonic 4 debates. There were fights as soon as the name was even mentioned.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Azookara

[LATER BUDDY]

Kay, so beat it the other day more or less (not all the bonus stages yet).

 

To put bluntly, it's a great game. It's definitely not perfect, and that said I really hope this isn't the last we see of this type of Sonic gameplay since I think it's on the right tracks and just need tweaking, but yeah as it's first outing, it's definitely not perfect.

 

And that's ok really. Gameplay-wise alone, I feel like the parkour could've been a bit more seamless. I'm assuming it slows you down briefly so you can actually comprehend what is happening as your running on a surface you're not used to, but it could've been managed better I feel. However that's really my only problem. While Sonic may seem slow at times, it's in appropriate "pace yourself" moments, so it's not too bad. Side note by the way, I find a lot of the majorly complained areas of the game by people are just when you need to slow down a bit and think instead of blasting through, such as Frozen Factory areas or some later game parts.

 

Now gameplay aside, I'm definitely in the boat where this game gets way too gimmicky for it's own good, especially in the later half of the game. It actually feels jarring once you hit Sky Road or so (more or less) that it seems like every stage isn't a normal stage anymore. Sure some may have normal-ish parts, but none ever feel on par with me as say Windy Hill 1 and 2, Desert Ruins 1 and 3, and more early stages. And that's a shame really since I think the game could've been much more fun and replayable if they just took a more natural approach. But complaining aside, I still did have a lot of fun nonetheless front to back.

 

In short, I think the new gameplay style is super rad and hope it continues to be improved upon. I hope they settle down back to more normal approaching levels instead of one-trick pony gimmick stages that you don't feel too much for replaying later on. While I didn't mention yet, I hope Bosses get a little more imaginative and fun, but to be perfectly honest I've never felt that bosses were one of Sonic's strong suits anyways. Also keep the music on track with getting better and better, because this game knocked my socks off in that department.

 

So where does it stand with the rest of the games for me? Personally if I'm aching to get a quick pick-up-and-play Sonic fix, I'll be reaching for Generations still, though Lost World is a good and close second. It's just a shame that once again it's kinda a Sonic game where I replay the initial stages and not bother with the later ones.

 

But yeah, bring on more of this please, can't wait to see what improvements await~

[PC the Hedgehog]

I quite liked Classic Sonic's sound effects in Generations, but I'd love for SA1's spring sound to come back.

Technically, it's been in every 3D Sonic game since Adventure.

It's just been coupled with that silly "zoom" sound effect since Sonic '06.

[Dizcrybe]

So does anyone else hate Lava Mountain 3 as much as I do? I mean, seriously, where the hell did that huge difficulty spike come from?

[Soniman]

So does anyone else hate Lava Mountain 3 as much as I do? I mean, seriously, where the hell did that huge difficulty spike come from?

 

It IS the last level.

[Celestia]

I actually don't find it as hard as most people do. It's certainly not Eggmanland-tier like some are apparently saying.

 

Now, if you're trying to Time Attack it, yeah, THEN it's hard since there's absolutely no room for error RE: dying.

[Dizcrybe]

It IS the last level.

 

I know that, but still. Why make it that obnoxiously difficult? I mean, Zeena and Zor's sections are manageable, but Zavok's section. Friggin' Zavok's section. It's there that I lost the majority of my lives. That section was mor eor less what it looked like: Hell. 

 

And why don't they tell you to bounce the red blocks to defeat Zavok? It's that kind of "hurr let's not at least hint to what the player is supposed to do" mindset that plagues almost the entire game (and part of why I didn't like NiGHTS Into Dreams that much). We went from having painfully obvious hints, to next to none at all. Sonic Team, there's a thing called balance. Perhaps you should look it up.

 

Now, I'm not saying I don't like a challenge. Sky Road 2, though hard, is actually pretty fun with a clear head.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Dizcrybe

[Blue Blood]

It took me a while to realise about the blocks, but to be fair you get an idea about them when Zavok is using the same trick against you. The only problem I have with it is that other the bounce attack is near useless in the rest of the game.

[Old dead account]

Now that I've finished this game I have a few things to say about it. (Wii U)

 

First off Sega did a terrible job explaining controls and abilities, which an Omochao would have actually been helpful for. I didn't know all the parkour moves like ceiling running and wall shuffling, I didn't know about the kick and how drastically different and pointless it was, and I didn't know about the power of the HA getting stronger depending on how many times your targeting reticule goes off on a single object.

 

With that said, Once I got it down the game actually felt doable. The levels themselves are a very mixed bag that had a clear focus but in the end just felt like a piled on mish-mash of everything but the kitchen sink. Some levels such as Desert Ruins act 1 or Sky Road act 2 are just brilliant. But then there are those like Frozen Factory act 2 and Tropical Coast act 3 and Sky Road act 3 that are just game lengthening gimmick levels that have nothing to do with the core gameplay and are honestly almost as offensive as things like the werehog. Sonic Colors had these too but they were much less blatant. The key here is to make level specific gimmicks and revolve around the level and not gimmick levels where the levels revolve around the gimmick. I don't care that it gives "variety" or whatnot, if you're gonna do that then do it like Mario does and make them completely optional extras levels, since they're already blatantly taking so many things from Mario, including the feel of one. Another thing is the wisps, I really liked the Wisps in Sonic Colors, but here they honestly do feel like they cut the pace of the game, especially with the terribly implemented and unnecessary motion controls (as is the norm for any developer that's not Nintendo themselves) I still can't even move the damn black hole wisp and they don't even have a place in the story. Another smaller grievance is how you have to collect a certain number of animals to access zone 4, they have no significance and just feels like a chore to do, It's nowhere near as bad as it was with Unleashed's medal collecting, but still just a chore.

 

Gimmicky shit aside, there are levels that shine in all their glory, and these levels are how the entire game should have been. Desert Ruins act 1, Windy Hill act 1, Sky Road act 2 and Lava Mountain act 3 among many others. These are a shining example of what this new system can do and they don't feel too automated at all unlike Frozen Factory act 1. Player imput? What is that?There are several alternate paths but only in a select few levels. Then there's the hidden world, which was... interesting I guess.

 

Bosses themselves are more creative this time around, but are possibly the most disappointingly easy we've seen so far, Zavok's battles are pretty good though. The final battle is nothing more than Egg Nega Wisp 2.0 right down to the explosion. It's things like this that make me wonder if this game was in fact rushed out. It is ultimately a fun experience, but it fell ended up feeling not like Sonic Galaxy, but more like Mario Galaxy lite with forced gimmicks. It's too bad, I really want to love this game, but I end up feeling just very lukewarm towards it. The fact that there's no menu to view cutscenes is just frustrating since even Generations with all its pointless cutscenes got its own menu. 

 

Everything else is good. Music is excellent as is the norm for Sonic, The new artstyle actually lets me focus on the foreground instead of the background, and the story is... standard for Sonic nowadays, definitely leagues better than Generations, but maybe only slightly above Colors. It had slow progression and a rather weak ending, but at least it was somewhat consistent rather than really shining at the beginning and end but being nonexistent everywhere else. The fact that there was no resolution with the Deadly Six was pretty disappointing. I did love the performances and characterizations though. Sonic and Tails being bros, Knuckles and Amy being... insignificant, the glorious doctor putting on yet another exemplary performance alongside his two robot sidekicks and then of course there's the Deadly Six. I really love these guys. Each with their own distinct, if not maybe a bit steroetypical, personality that makes them easy to identify. The only way you can hate them is if you find that specific personality annoying to begin with, but it's still better to hate a character for their personality than for being a forgettable Final Fantasy reject.

 

Like I said I really want to love this game, and I can see the potential behind this new system, but all these idiotic gimmicks just once again hold it back make it very lukewarm at best. At least they're getting better at it? Who knows, maybe by 2026 they'll finally get it completely right. And at least it gave new likeable characters to enjoy. When's the last time a new character wasn't downright almost universally hated? Sonic Rush? SA2?

Edited November 7, 2013 by Scootaloo

[JezMM]

My issue with the Zavok rematch design was the lack of repetition in the block patterns made me assume I was just meant to be climbing the shaft and escaping from him.

Edited November 7, 2013 by JezMM

[TheDanimator]

Im getting kind of sad because I feel like im in the minority that would give this game like 8 or even 9 out of 10.

I just feel like its so much fun to play to me. Colors felt WAYYY too linear and got boring pretty fast. Generations helped a bit but
I still felt like I was being pushed forward way too often.

Im gonna be making a video review later but on another subject...
If your frustrated about lives, you can rack up 99 lives pretty easily if you just go to the honeycomb level (desert ruins act 2)
and right before the boss when your running there is a section where you go through a honeycomb hole and there is like 5 lives.
Just keep collecting these lives then purposely dying over and over and you will have 99 lives in a matter of minutes.

[MegasonicZX]

Im getting kind of sad because I feel like im in the minority that would give this game like 8 or even 9 out of 10.

I just feel like its so much fun to play to me. Colors felt WAYYY too linear and got boring pretty fast. Generations helped a bit but

I still felt like I was being pushed forward way too often.

Im gonna be making a video review later but on another subject...

If your frustrated about lives, you can rack up 99 lives pretty easily if you just go to the honeycomb level (desert ruins act 2)

and right before the boss when your running there is a section where you go through a honeycomb hole and there is like 5 lives.

Just keep collecting these lives then purposely dying over and over and you will have 99 lives in a matter of minutes.

Your not alone, currently as it stands for me I give this game a pretty solid awesome to great rating (at least from playing through the 3ds version) and the one level that I felt was really cheap was sky road act 1 mostly for that last pinball section right before the end.

[Blue Blood]

If your frustrated about lives, you can rack up 99 lives pretty easily if you just go to the honeycomb level (desert ruins act 2)

and right before the boss when your running there is a section where you go through a honeycomb hole and there is like 5 lives.

Just keep collecting these lives then purposely dying over and over and you will have 99 lives in a matter of minutes.

 

An exploit to gain lives is not a justification for poor balancing in a game.

[Shade Vortex]

Or, you could go to Tropical Coast Zone 1, go to the end cloud section, get the 8 lives there, die on purpose, and rinse and repeat until you have 99 lives. The best part is that this is super close to the end animal capsule.

 

But yeah, lives are annoyingly hard to come by most of the time, and the game relies on instant death shit more and more as you get closer to the end. And worse still, checkpoints get more and more spread out/infrequent. It's dumb.

[Autosaver]

It's kind of funny because I read the 3DS version gives you 99 lives very quickly.