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

[Chris Knopps]

11 minutes ago, Tenko said:

I mean if their idea was for people to be able to play as their favourite character/animal in the series but make their own custom one then they could have at least made a few more animal choices. Some of the main characters in the series animal bases are totally missing. I guess wolf is similar to fox, where's the generic lizard/crocodile type base, for your Vector/Espio fans for example. 

Classic Sonic still makes no sense until we get more story info. Even then it's probably going to sound shoe horned. The objects similar to Sonic Runners has me a bit concerned too, like with Shadow the Hedgehog and the guns it kind of doesn't fit the standard Sonic formula, while I'm sure they will try to keep pacing it just seems like it kind of slows things down a bit when your stopping mid air etc to fire off things and use items.

The whole thing just really doesn't seem to gel to me. 

Why do you think that is?

Because then people will ask "Well why couldn't I just play as (insert character here) then?!"

They have to keep the species differentiated from most pre-existing cast.

[JosepHenry]

6 minutes ago, Mayor D said:

Anyone wanna take bets on them adding the Bubsy shirt or something EXTREMELY similar to it for the character creator?

White shirt and a red tie...

[Badnik Mechanic]

5 minutes ago, Joseph Mello said:

White shirt and a red tie...

With a ketchup stain... 

... .... Oh my god...

[JosepHenry]

Just now, Mayor D said:

With a ketchup stain... 

... .... Oh my god...

Heck the default guy already looks like Bubsy.

[Diogenes]

5 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

Why do you think that is?

Because then people will ask "Well why couldn't I just play as (insert character here) then?!"

They have to keep the species differentiated from most pre-existing cast.

The series already has two cats, a few birds, a rabbit, and too many hedgehogs, plus a bear if you're willing to count characters who are dead and gone. Only the dog and wolf are previously-unused species.

[Chris Knopps]

1 minute ago, Diogenes said:

The series already has two cats, a few birds, a rabbit, and too many hedgehogs, plus a bear if you're willing to count characters who are dead and gone. Only the dog and wolf are previously-unused species.

They're likely avoiding the most commonly known species that are pre-established in the franchise.

Most of the species available are fairly forgotten characters, or not popular enough to be an issue.

Edit

...I feel like I should apologize for saying that, but that does feel like the case.

[Osmium]

5 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

The series already has two cats, a few birds, a rabbit, and too many hedgehogs, plus a bear if you're willing to count characters who are dead and gone. Only the dog and wolf are previously-unused species.

Reguarding the bear, don't forget Becky also. It's an animal buddy but still. 

[Multikaris]

2 minutes ago, ShroomZed said:

Reguarding the bear, don't forget Becky also. It's an animal buddy but still. 

Or Fockewulf for wolves. Only the dog is unused (unless you count the completely normal dog Pele)

[Osmium]

1 minute ago, It's a Very Merry Miru said:

Or Fockewulf for wolves. Only the dog is unused (unless you count the completely normal dog Pele)

Correct. I had a feeling that there was a wolf character too but I couldn't remember and frankly couldn't be bothered to find it, so good. 

[Rey Skywalker-Ren]

I know someone out there is gonna try to recreate PedoBear....

[Chris Knopps]

Maybe the Character Creator is SEGA trying to dig from the bottom of the barrel after the rest of their general audience called it quits? If memory serves right they mentioned their directions may cause some fans to leave, but I think discovering just HOW MANY quit buying the games and/or had negative things to say after they made their moves came as more of a shock than they may have been ready for.

So now they're in a position where more happened than they anticipated and they're trying to make the most of what's left and tap into an audience that hasn't been touched before. Unfortunately the consumers they're trying to attract after losing so many, both young and old, are some of the most unwelcome/unwanted portions of the fan base because of how ridiculous things can get with them.

In my opinion catering to the whole fan-character crowd is worse than trying to do something for the Adventure consumers but... Hey, folks would likely have the opposite opinion I'm sure.

[The Tenth Doctor]

In all honesty, I think its ok. It smells heavily of Xenoverse, just please have them talk. Remember everyone, create Pele, the beloved dog!

[Stasis]

I'm actually really looking forward to the character creator. It's been a good while since I've dabbled with one.

[Rey Skywalker-Ren]

I think the custom hero is a good way to get people into the game. I mean other games allow you to create custom heroes into the game. I know this is Sonic however I don't understand the fear of "deviantart" characters when Sega already created Deviantart characters

[Dr. Detective]

Is there an option to just take a realistic looking fish and then stick on the blue hind legs of a hedgehog so I can make this gross abomination that wants to fucking die. It'd be hilarious if the cringy cutscenes where Sonic has to turn to your fan character and pretend he's a thing that exists in his universe by saying embarrassing fluffy dialogue like "And we'll do it with the help of our new friend here". And the "new friend" is just this really withered, dead-eyed, gasping monstrosity that only speaks in gurgles.

Truthfully, it's sort of-kind of an act of them realizing what their fanbase really is with this move. Original the Character is a thing that this series is pretty much known for from the outside looking in. I can't wait to see all the yahoos painting Sonic red and calling him "Rad the Hedgehog". He's gonna have this super deep and depressing backstory where he fought and defeated Thanos for the Infinity Stones in another timeline but was hunted down by his evil twin brother Chronos the Hedgehog (A purple Sonic we'll say) and flung into Sonic's dimensions'...future. Where Eggman's evil is law. Now the fool seeks to return to the past and undo the future that is fan-made bullshit.

Or something like that. 

The option to do this isn't a bad thing in and of itself. However, there are a couple things keeping me still a little bit cynical about it.

The first thing is the more obvious concern of not knowing how it'll be integrated into the game. Do you have to play as Sonic in Act 1, Classic Sonic in Act 2, then as your Character in Act 3? Or can you switch out your character with either Sonic depending on what you want to do, allowing for it to be something that's always present but always optional? Seeing as how they're not likely to do the thing I want, I'm guessing it'll be the former mandatory bollocks.

The second thing is that it kind of makes the whole thing about not being able to play as any of Sonic's friends even more glaring. They bothered to create an arbitrary character creation system with several different species on top of already having the models of Sonic's friends in the game... when they could have just used the models of Sonic friends for this third option instead. Would have saved you a lot of work as well as a lot of negative reception these past weeks. Maybe the critics would have boiled some piss over it but fuck em. If the game plays fine and it's fun and they dock some points because a character they hate is delivering that fun then they're not the ones you should be catering too. If you make good games with good elements in them, I promise you, people will recognize it and the narrative behind who they are and what they provide to the game will change. It may not be immediate like you all at SEGA seem to think it should be but that's not possible. Especially not with your up-and-down, roller coaster reputation. 

And even if you wanted to have the character creation thing, fine, but... might as well have the character models unlockable as skins then right? At the very least is that possible? It has to be right? You've got wisps in the game. I'm sure it couldn't have been that allusive an idea to add a little Hover or Eagle trait to the Tails, Charmy, Cream, and Rouge models right? Like, instead of making more wisps? Save some of the work load? Maybe...? I know it doesn't work that way, obviously, but you have all this shit in the game anyway. I'm not a game developer so maybe it actually IS harder to just not use the character models and instead make an entire character creation system and find ways to integrate wisp throughout the stages. As a consumer I have to look at that and wonder why these elements weren't put together in a way that was more cohesive rather than seeing them weirdly spliced apart for seemingly no reason though. You've gotta convince me it's the right move guys. 

The third thing is something that doesn't matter as much. It's just a personal thing. I really don't care about creating Fan Characters. I only ever do it in the stories I write when I feel it's necessary to have them around for the sake of the world feeling lived in, or if I need the main cast I'm focusing on to have more tertiary supporters rallying behind them, or if I need a villain group. Creating a character and putting him on equal footing with Sonic doesn't fall within my interests. I would never do that. Because I know immediately that he isn't on Sonic's level. He isn't even on Tails' level. Or any of the Chaotix. Or Knuckles.... maybe Silver. No. Not even Silver. 

Fourth is that... it's just... kind of embarrassing to look at... Maybe I'm being silly but when I saw the header image of the red Sonic with glasses I kind of just... sunk back a bit.

I dunno. Maybe the kids will like it. 

All this said, if he plays fine and the cutscenes aren't too cringey then I'm sure it'll be okay. I guess it could have been a lot worse.

So that's my "15 Things Wrong with the DC Cinematic Universe" list. Be sure to like, comment, subscribe, and go to Loot-Crate and enter in the code "Corporate Nerd" to get 10% off on useless, overpriced, trinkets with your favorite logos on them. 

 

[Pawn]

I know I should be groaning at this reveal, but my response to the character creator was just laughter.

Having said that, I'm watching the gameplay trailer now and despair is creeping in....

[Salamander]

9 minutes ago, Dr. Chaotix said:

The first thing is the more obvious concern of not knowing how it'll be integrated into the game. Do you have to play as Sonic in Act 1, Classic Sonic in Act 2, then as your Character in Act 3? Or can you switch out your character with either Sonic depending on what you want to do, allowing for it to be something that's always present but always optional? Seeing as how they're not likely to do the thing I want, I'm guessing it'll be the former mandatory bollocks.

Now that you put the question out there, my theory is that you might get to play the different character acts in whatever order you select, so it's not a straightforward 1, 2, and 3 any more.  I'm also wondering how they'll handle bosses, since Generations had very few and unevenly split them between the Sonics; the Custom Hero trailer sells it that the characters will fight bosses together simultaneously, so maybe there'll be a sort of Solaris approach where you can switch between the three characters to handle different aspects or phases of a boss fight.

[Chris Knopps]

All hail that Forces

OC's are canon now

With stage layout so poor it makes you feel bummed out

The music wounds your heart

The writing kills your soul

With nothing left to like you cry

 

 

[Waveshocker Sigma]

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

[Forte-Metallix]

56 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

The series already has two cats, a few birds, a rabbit, and too many hedgehogs, plus a bear if you're willing to count characters who are dead and gone. Only the dog and wolf are previously-unused species.

Well, there's this guy:

And reportedly, Nack/Fang is a wolf/weasel hybrid.

[Chris Knopps]

11 minutes ago, Waveshocker Sigma said:

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

Gonna point this out right quick.

Archie comics have probably stopped releasing because of Sonic Mania's delay and the company/SEGA doesn't want certain things revealed via the comics until it can coincide with the launch of Mania again.

[Kintor]

Something else worth considering is the possibility of whether you can create multiple OC characters in a single play through. The capacity to have several OC characters on the same save file, with the option to select any one of them for the third style's missions, would really add to the replay value.

[BubbleButt TV]

The new Sonic Forces trailer is #1 trending on YouTube at the moment.

I'm not sure if that means anything to anyone, but there you go

[Kintor]

2 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

Gonna point this out right quick.

Archie comics have probably stopped releasing because of Sonic Mania's delay and the company/SEGA doesn't want certain things revealed via the comics until it can coincide with the launch of Mania again.

No offense but it seems you're unfamiliar with the concept of a 'filler arc'. If Archie really wanted to they could create an endless amount of sidestories until the release of Sonic Forces or Sonic Mania.

Heck, usually Archie's game adaptions are just a quick tie-story at the back of a regular issue, completly unrelated to the main story. With the Sonic Adventure adaption in 1999 being the notable exception.

[CleverSonicUsername]

Plus it would be weird for them to not publish the Sonic 3 & Knuckles adaption in the interim. Something else is going on with the Archie stuff.