Sonic Forces Impressions

[Balding Spider]

On 7/16/2017 at 4:51 AM, Chris Knopps said:

So...

Any bets on the next 3D game being more exploration based and non-boost anyone?

I got a gut feeling they'll stick with boost formula again.

[Cornelius Fudge]

It is presumably the safest option they can take or at least that's what they believe by falling back on what Colors and Generations developed. I'm a fan of the boost gameplay and I was really hoping it would expand on Generation's boost gameplay which I found stunning. There definitely still is a place for the boost formula, but not in the way they're doing it in Forces.

While we're on the subject, if Sega does decide to go fully 2D with Sonic, it'll be like what people had always complained about. They'll be playing far too safe based on both Mania's and Force's reception which would ironically play into how Forces is designed to be a safe adaption of Forces and Generations with minimum ambition. I'm honestly hoping they still pursue 3D just because there's more that they can still do and they (as well as others) showed they could utilize 3D properly during the Adventure era and Utopia even.

[Chris Knopps]

14 minutes ago, Cornelius Fudge said:

It is presumably the safest option they can take or at least that's what they believe by falling back on what Colors and Generations developed. I'm a fan of the boost gameplay and I was really hoping it would expand on Generation's boost gameplay which I found stunning. There definitely still is a place for the boost formula, but not in the way they're doing it in Forces.

While we're on the subject, if Sega does decide to go fully 2D with Sonic, it'll be like what people had always complained about. They'll be playing far too safe based on both Mania's and Force's reception which would ironically play into how Forces is designed to be a safe adaption of Forces and Generations with minimum ambition. I'm honestly hoping they still pursue 3D just because there's more that they can still do and they (as well as others) showed they could utilize 3D properly during the Adventure era and Utopia even.

The problem is, what they can still do with 3D is chalk full of things folks don't want and won't buy because they just don't know what to do RIGHT basically. They experiment for the sake of experimenting with consumer critiques thrown into the breeze for the sake of keeping themselves interested in "making another Sonic game" in whatever manner possible. Sonic, Sonic, Sonic, Sonic, over and over at Sonic Team, it never ends, so they aren't going to do what's expected of them with 3D, they aren't going to stick to anything tried and true and take the time to evolve it gradually because that's outright boring when they know there's another Sonic game to make immediately following what they just made.

You have to ask yourself "why bother?" if you know you're just going to be bored doing the same thing twice, and if nothing else Forces proves that by showing how they're implementing boost this time, how they're designing it, and it's just bad because they've done it already and probably really didn't want to do it period but are forced to in the hopes of scraping up a profit again. The whole custom thing is probably how they are motivating themselves to have any interest in the game, and heck, if you want to assume all this with me, Chaos and Shadow being villains could be Iizuka's way of giving two cents about the game himself as personal favorites.

This whole thing is, again, an assumption, but when your entire life is nothing but Sonic, it sounds pretty... Well... Sound to me.

Think of this...

Want to make another NiGHTS game but SEGA won't allow it?

Lost World - NiGHTS with a Sonic skin and setting.

[Kellan]

1 hour ago, Chris Knopps said:

Think of this...

Want to make another NiGHTS game but SEGA won't allow it?

Lost World - NiGHTS with a Sonic skin and setting.

I've never played NiGHTS, so I looked up a gameplay video:

I don't really see how this is Lost World.

[Tracker_TD]

Comparing NiGHTS to Lost World is the worst take I've ever seen on this damn site. One is a wonderful example of smart aesthetics, relatively advanced A-Life systems, and a unique, addictive spin on score attack gameplay with elements of racing games and a phenomenal control system on the Saturn 3D Pad.

The other is Sonic Lost World.

Sonic Lost World fucking blows. 

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

2 hours ago, Chris Knopps said:

Want to make another NiGHTS game but SEGA won't allow it?

Lost World - NiGHTS with a Sonic skin and setting.

SEGA are not that stupid and that assertion makes all the more less sense.

At best, you'd be arguing that the NiGHTS dlc somehow does it.

Like seriously man, chill with the smear campaign on Sonic Team, Forces and SEGA.

[Dizcrybe]

tbh I'd play the first half of Lost World before going back to NiGHTS anyday.

I know what I said.

[Chris Knopps]

18 minutes ago, Jovahexeon Ace Joranvexeon said:

SEGA are not that stupid and that assertion makes all the more less sense.

At best, you'd be arguing that the NiGHTS dlc somehow does it.

Like seriously man, chill with the smear campaign on Sonic Team, Forces and SEGA.

 

22 minutes ago, Tracker_TD said:

Comparing NiGHTS to Lost World is the worst take I've ever seen on this damn site. One is a wonderful example of smart aesthetics, relatively advanced A-Life systems, and a unique, addictive spin on score attack gameplay with elements of racing games and a phenomenal control system on the Saturn 3D Pad.

The other is Sonic Lost World.

Sonic Lost World fucking blows. 

 

41 minutes ago, Kellan said:

I've never played NiGHTS, so I looked up a gameplay video:

I don't really see how this is Lost World.

I made the comparison between NiGHTS and Lost World because of the geometry of the game along with how things like the counters gimmick with the bubble-like rings around them remind me of going through the rings in NiGHTS, you know, those things you run through in time/order for an extra life and stuff? The sound effects they have when ran through hearken to NiGHTS too.

(Though maybe that's just me...)

I will admit the DLC also helps make the comparison, but even putting the DLC completely aside I had strong NiGHTS vibes while playing through Lost World, especially in that "bonus" world where things get real weird.

Sure it's one of those "stretch" comparisons if you will, but that's what I garnered out of Lost World, it injected some NiGHTS blood into the system here and there. The D6 even remind me of monsters you might find in the dream world.

(This isn't necessarily a BAD thing per-se as I'm a NiGHTS fan myself)

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Yet again @Chris Knopps you're privy to really stretching on these ones.

Like if you wanted to make a theory, that's fine, but trying to claim incompetence of Sonic Team for supposedly trying to fill the void of NiGHTS with Lost World as a whole is such a desperate and ploy to just try and throw shade at them.

Though I will respect that you didn't try to drag Lost World's name through the mud for once.

[Chris Knopps]

8 minutes ago, Jovahexeon Ace Joranvexeon said:

Yet again @Chris Knopps you're privy to really stretching on these ones.

I try not to be typical/dull when sharing my views.

Quote

Like if you wanted to make a theory, that's fine, but trying to claim incompetence of Sonic Team for supposedly trying to fill the void of NiGHTS with Lost World as a whole is such a desperate and ploy to just try and throw shade at them.

I'm just both, criticizing and sharing how I myself would feel working at ST over an extended period basically with Sonic as the only thing I could work on without pause by and large. It's not based on any facts but assumptions on how they'd feel based on how even I would feel. Don't get me wrong, I love the franchise to death, but it could only carry me so far before I'd HAVE to work on something else or lose interest altogether. I'd resort to doing random things just to keep myself interested too.

We're all human. Do the same thing for too long and you burn-out, that's what I feel is going on and why we keep getting all this stuff in the franchise today.

Quote

Though I will respect that you didn't try to drag Lost World's name through the mud for once.

I'm nice to things I dislike sometimes. You don't need me to shove it deeper in the pit.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

1 hour ago, Chris Knopps said:

You don't need me to shove it deeper in the pit.

You.Were.SO.Close.

I stand corrected. :U Nevermind then.

[Chris Knopps]

47 minutes ago, Jovahexeon Ace Joranvexeon said:

You.Were.SO.Close.

I stand corrected. :U Nevermind then.

That's not dragging it through the mud, I only said you don't need me to do it. There's literally nothing I can do about that.

 

[Indigo Rush]

Just popping in to say never compare NiGHTS into Dreams to Sonic Lost World ever again.

I will find you.

 

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Just now, Indigo Rush said:

Just popping to say never to compare NiGHTS into Dreams to Sonic Lost World ever again.

I will find you.

 

I mean both games are good, but yeah, they're as different as day and nights. kek

[Indigo Rush]

1 minute ago, Jovahexeon Ace Joranvexeon said:

I mean both games are good

I dislocated my jaw from clenching so hard

[Chris Knopps]

2 minutes ago, Indigo Rush said:

Just popping in to say never compare NiGHTS into Dreams to Sonic Lost World ever again.

I will find you.

 

I'll be waiting with a pitcher of iced tea to share, waiting to talk to you about good times in bygone days and Mania, lots and lots of Mania.

Cheers Rush, love ya.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

10 minutes ago, Indigo Rush said:

I dislocated my jaw from clenching so hard

I like you for your charm and humor fellow (ex)-Rochesterian!

Spoiler

I'm sorry.

 

11 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

I'll be waiting with a pitcher of iced tea to share, waiting to talk to you about good times in bygone days and Mania, lots and lots of Mania.

Funny. That was actually funny. Well done.

[Dejimon11]

25 minutes ago, Indigo Rush said:

I dislocated my jaw from clenching so hard

Lost World seriously gets way more flack than it deserves lol

[Speedi]

10 hours ago, Dejimon11 said:

Lost World seriously gets way more flack than it deserves lol

Yeah, it gets way too much flack for having extremely lackluster level design that doesn't even make proper use of the mechanics that the game was marketed on, a gravity mechanic that's basically trying to capture the magic of Galaxy but failing because it doesn't understand how to use the mechanic properly, level gimmicks that range from being ok to outright terrible, an extremely mediocre story with 6 completely one-dimensional villains, and obnoxious amounts of automation. 

It's a pretty solid Sonic game when you look at it like that.

[ChikaBoing]

3D Blast, R, and Journey of Dreams (all Iizuka games) might be more apt comparisions for Lost World.

[Chris Knopps]

1 hour ago, Speedi said:

Yeah, it gets way too much flack for having extremely lackluster level design that doesn't even make proper use of the mechanics that the game was marketed on, a gravity mechanic that's basically trying to capture the magic of Galaxy but failing because it doesn't understand how to use the mechanic properly, level gimmicks that range from being ok to outright terrible, an extremely mediocre story with 6 completely one-dimensional villains, and obnoxious amounts of automation. 

It's a pretty solid Sonic game when you look at it like that.

See? Told you @Jovahexeon Ace Joranvexeon.

Though in its defense I will say the Zelda themed stage DID prove Lost World's mechanics WOULD have been much more preferable in an open-world setting with stages more akin to that. But alas, it's like... IGN I believe said...

By overly coveting Mario, the game just didn't work.

[Soniman]

12 hours ago, Dejimon11 said:

Lost World seriously gets way more flack than it deserves lol

If there's any benefit from Forces taking so damn hard its that some of that blow back will deflect and have SLW get some credit, if only a little.

[Wraith]

5 minutes ago, Soniman said:

If there's any benefit from Forces taking so damn hard its that some of that blow back will deflect and have SLW get some credit, if only a little.

I mean...at least Sonic Forces has one decent  gameplay style

[Dejimon11]

I understand why folks don't like Lost World I really do but I just feel like it feels a bit exaggerated in how bad/mediocre it is. I enjoyed the game but will be the first to tell you it's flaws in a heartbeat. 

14 minutes ago, Josh said:

I mean...at least Sonic Forces has one decent  gameplay style

Really it does? Cause I see a lot of people annoyed that classic is pretty much like generations, Modern still isn't fully 3D yet and it's pretty much like colors(a game that folks here dislike) and then the costume character....just watch the park avenue gameplay and you'll see. 

[Sonikko]

1 hour ago, Josh said:

I mean...at least Sonic Forces has one decent  gameplay style

Which one exactly? Because they all look really bad to me.