Sonic Forces | PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC "The Next Generations"

[Marcello]

Are we sure this game is 60 fps? Because, I know 30 fps videos are often uploaded at 60 fps to improve the bitrate.

11 minutes ago, The Deleter said:

Hey guys check it out

The trees at the start of the stage

Seem to be the same kind of tree/s that can be seen in the distance here

Except when Sonic passes by nearby them, they look much more detailed; realistic, even

 

Perhaps that's the case with all the cartoony elements this time around?

Here's a larger look at the tree up close:

You can also see one in this screenshot, but it's small:

[Sonikko]

1 minute ago, Marcello said:

Here's a larger look at the tree up close:

You can also see one in this screenshot, but it's small:

Higher res versions of those screens

[Blue Blood]

Uncompressed, 60fps footage (fixed link, no key required)

Screenshots in super high resolution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sonikko]

You need a serial key to download that video from MEGA... What is it :3?

[KHCast]

Wait, why are we now talking about the ghz bits? This was pointed out yesterday.

[Blue Blood]

3 minutes ago, Sonikko said:

You need a serial key to download that video from MEGA... What is it :3?

Oh really? Let me fix it.

https://mega.nz/#!qM5GSKDK!wWYcDwGM1BMv6F_BnD6oHmbPQtyVgYVy1rEKz7NP7DM

[Marcello]

You can get the uncompressed video from Gamersyde, too: http://www.gamersyde.com/news_sonic_forces_unveiled-18908_en.html

[Indigo Rush]

7 minutes ago, Marcello said:

From the team that brought you Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations

[Carbo]

Aesthetically they've got a really good palette going on. It makes the warzone angle they're going for actually make some sense in the context of Sonic. Though the Green Hills in the background look kinda Lost World-y to me, it's not too big of a deal. It looks really good on the color front.

One thing I already hate, however, is Sonic's animations. They've somehow managed to make him animate even worse than in Colors, which was understandable there because it was limited in terms of technology, but there is no energy to the run cycle here - Sonic just glides effortlessly and it kind of makes things feel really mundane to me. For having such a good character design I feel like Sonic Team are way too scared to utilize it's potency. Ratchet & Clank proved a year ago how to utilize exaggerated movements, weight, smears and interpolation to make characters look alive and energetic, and there's none of that clever usage here which is a shame. 

Gameplay-wise it's about what I'd expect. One thing I'm happy about is that the boost has been nerfed back to it's Colors version, the lower speed could enable some smarter level design. I'm sad that homing attack chains are back and that it looks to be as static as ever but that is to be expected and hopefully they won't be too prevalent.

Overall it looks average.

[Jango]

Well, ever since Sonic 1, you get a green hill with checkered floor and a city in the same game. I'm just affraid it might end up looking jarring. Granted it already looks a bit odd.

 

One thing comes to mind, maybe the green hill area is from "the past" and the city is from the present. Would explain why Classic is back if that means Eggman is controlling time and space, I mean, if he did conquered the world, he's probably manipulated time events. How come he won if Sonic always stops him? Sonic, did you sleep at your job?

 

 

[Waveshocker Sigma]

24 minutes ago, JezMM said:

I abstained from the crappy off-screen footage during the stream, glad I waited.

Like... okay as said, I am aware of all the foibles with boost gameplay, I get it and I empathise with those who wanted something more fleshed out.

BUT I DON'T CARE OH MY GOD

This is EXACTLY what I wanted.  I love it, I completely love it.  The scenery is gorgeous, the gameplay, while obviously this is just a basic first stage level design, looks totally on point to Generations.  Limiting the boost to Wisps again is honestly not a bad idea, having it set to rings just let you use it all the time.  The cinematicness of the background scenery, the richness of the foreground scenery, the combination of Unleashed realism and Colours surrealism, the music...

It's just beautiful, and I had an epiphany of WHY I love the boost gameplay so much.  Yes, in a dream world we could have all this WITH flexible, dynamic gameplay that games like Mania offer, but even as is, I just LOVE the interactive thrillride roller coaster, because I enjoy it in the same way I enjoy a narrative game, or a beautiful animated film.  I can play it over and over just for the overall experience - and as a bonus the boost gameplay is still more involving than those two examples and reward you for doing more than just blindly holding up and pushing A when prompted.

Lots of franchises offer regular and physics-based platforming in surreal envioronments but nothing quite offers this particular aesthetic experience like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations do for me.  I'm so happy to be getting more, and at even higher production values than those.  This FIRST level is more dramatic than even Eggmanland was - I can't wait to see what else is in store.

 

 

I like the idea of the extended cast providing story and flavour through radio contact too - it adds a bit more character depth to the experience without bogging you down in cut-scenes.  I just hope it's well-written and they are wise enough to allow you disable it at least when replaying the stage or after dying.

Well, I DID have a lot to say, but this pretty much sums all of it up very nicely! Very much agreed with you, Jez. While it ain't perfect, it's still pretty much what I wanted as well. The others being playable would be nice, but oh well. I'll take what I can get and enjoy ti as long as the game is a fun set of rollercoaster rides.

Plus, I LOVE it when characters interact with each other during gameplay in games. It's one of the many reasons that Heroes is still my favorite 3D Sonic game with Generations being somewhat tied with it. (If it's the PC version with mods.)

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Just now, Indigo Rush said:

From the team that brought you Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations

Well that and they also seem to be combining vital elements from Colors and Generations, using the white wisp gauge tailored to a more boost oriented venture. I am hoping we do get an option to toggle off the boost-taking-the-wind-out-of-the-music sound effect.

[Sonikko]

1 minute ago, Carbo said:

One thing I already hate is Sonic's animations. They've somehow managed to make him animate even worse than in Colors, which was understandable there because it was limited in terms of technology, but there is no energy to the run cycle here, Sonic just glides effortlessly and it kind of makes things feel really mundane to me. For having such a good character design I feel like Sonic Team are way too scared to utilize it's potency. Ratchet & Clank proved a year ago how to utilize exaggerated movements, weight, smears and interpolation to make characters look alive and energetic, and there's none of that clever usage here which is a shame. 

Take a closer look at the jumping animation, that's pretty good, it's snappy and exaggerated, just like Ratchet's animations. I guess the animations here are not final at all, like they were in the Unleashed first trailer.

[Detective Kaito]

I think it's safe to assume that Green Hill Zone and this ruined city somehow got melded together lol. 

[BubbleButt TV]

Sonic Lost World had a really bouncy jump animation and I'm glad to see that they've brought that back in this. Now that I'm looking at it, it seems as though a lot Sonic's homing attack poses are taken directly from Lost World.

Also, is it just me or does Sonic seem to have his proportions from Lost World? If this is the case, that's fine by me.

[SBR2]

53 minutes ago, BubbleButt TV said:

Hey remember when some of us thought this was going to be a grim-dark Sonic '06 esque game? lmfao at myself.

Holy crap I don't care what anyone says that is breath taking.

[Ayliffe]

I've been going through the clip at 0.25 speed and blimey, some of Sonic's animations look incredibly unpolished - his standing pose is literally animationless and when he goes through the final red hoop his spinning animation loops repeatedly when it clearly shouldn't be, causing Sonic's feet to clip through the ground for a second upon landing. They'll probably (well, hopefully at least) have it all fixed by launch, but for something that's been in development for 4 years or so... yeah.

As for the gameplay... it's boost innit, so it's just a matter of liking that or not. Which I do coincidentally, so that don't bother me too much. Wisps being used to fill the boost gauge works I guess (although I'm hoping they'll actually have a point for being there this time HINT HINT LOST WORLD), the general gist of the plot with Eggman winning is hella welcome and the art design, although a tad muddled in places, mostly works well. Certainly looks a lot more vibrant than the teaser at least.

My hype's all reserved for Mania, but I'm still slightly interested in how this'll go down.

[Cyrus]

Here's that Polygon coverage we were promised yesterday!

http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/17/14958606/sonic-forces-gameplay-video-project-2017

Quote

Things appear to be going poorly for our furry blue friend, as the city he’s exploring is under attack by Death Egg Robot sentinels. The giant robots seem to be destroying the landscape by hand, but are also shooting fireballs that explode all around Sonic. He gets around on his speedy feet, and also makes use of moves like the spin dash and classic elements of the series such as bounce pads, which send him flying through the air.

Quote

spin dash

... You yankin' my chain here, Polygon?

[Chris Knopps]

Also going to bring this up...

What if BOTH the Modern and Classic versions of Sonic have MULTIPLE stages in each world, and we go back to the Unleashed style hubs where you can talk to other characters and switch between running around as Modern and Classic with the two versions following one another through the hub?

[Lighthead]

5120 x 2880 size screenshots:

http://www.sonichq.net/images/games/misc/Sonic2017_ModernSonic_Screen_01.png

http://www.sonichq.net/images/games/misc/Sonic2017_ModernSonic_Screen_02.png

[Cyrus]

5K Sonic up in here lads, absolutely beautiful.

[Jango]

Oh God that first sentence, I actually thought they where talking about Sonic as a franchise! HAHAHAHA This ain't funny :/

[Meta77]

3 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

Also going to bring this up...

What if BOTH the Modern and Classic versions of Sonic have MULTIPLE stages in each world, and we go back to the Unleashed style hubs where you can talk to other characters and switch between running around as Modern and Classic with the two versions following one another through the hub?

Long as it's better than that joke of a hub in generations. I'm game.

[Chris Knopps]

What's that on Sonic's wrist...?

That black spot...?

A glitch?

[Sonicfan287]

I think the Green Hill type scenery in the background is awesome because it makes this section look like it's part of the overall world and not just it's own isolated level. I don't think it looks like the Green Hill level is melded with the city. I see it as something far out in the distance (that I hope you can travel to somehow) 

im hoping that speaks to the size and depth of the game world and isn't just a pretty background