I am conflicted about which platform to get Sonic Forces for

[avidsonicfan1991]

PLEASE NOTE: There is no TL;DR version of the following post, so you may have to read the whole thing to get the idea, but I’ll try to make it as organized as possible for those who don’t want to read the whole thing. On top of that, I will organize each system topic into single paragraphs so you can have a better idea on what I’m talking about for each platform.

 

INTRODUCTION

I have been looking forward to Sonic Forces (and to a lesser extent, Sonic Mania), but I am a bit conflicted about the platforms it will be on. Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania will both be available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. But here are a few problems related to that which might prevent me from getting the game in the first place.

PS4 & XBOX ONE

First of all, I never will plan on wanting to own a PS4 because it’s literally a PC in disguise and is even worse in experience. One member on Amino replied that I should get a PS4 because "It's a nice piece of hardware, has optimal speed and handling, and was used to showcase both Mania and Forces at E3". But I replied saying that one of the reasons I was not going to buy a PS4 was that according to Super Bunnyhop, after he got himself a Wii U and PS4, he said that even though the Wii U brought him hours of fun entertainment, the PS4 was just depressing to him. There were no exclusives that are worth it and most titles that ARE worth it are just multi-plats that would usually be cheaper on PC. The inexcusable similarities to PC is exactly why I wanted to stay away from the PS4. The conversation then went into the other platforms, in which I will cover later, before he finally replied back with a JFC, and a remark that the PS4 has enough worthwile "gimmicks" like a light bar and a touchpad on the controller. I did not reply to him, but I think that very, very few games, especially not multi-plats, would take advantage of that.

I equally despise wanting to get an Xbox One because it's too similar to the PS4 and, like the PC point I will make later, I have a growing hatred towards Microsoft. On top of that, someone replied to me on Reddit’s ChangeMyView subreddit that almost all of their exclusives are also on PC (I guess thanks to the UWP platform).

EDIT: I strike-throughed the Xbox One section because even if I was forced to buy a console, I would pick PS4 because the Xbox One has even LESS worthwhile exclusives than the PS4 (Whatoplay's Top 10 lists of best games in each console; The Xbox One's list is the only one in which the number 1 spot is not an exclusive!)

There are certainly other, variable replies on that subreddit post explaining all sorts of reasons to get a console like “so much cheaper, especially if you don’t buy that many games”, “so easy, don’t have to know of any technical knowledge”, and “really easy-to-use user-interface”. But one reason that constantly gets tossed around is “So many great exclusives”. I’m not sure about that either. First of all, other than using the GameFly rental service to try them out, I would just not be interested in any of them, and even when I rent them for my platforms, some (or even half of them) are just not fun for me and I lose interest in them very quickly. On top of that, the only big thing I see about actually renting a whole console was to use Rent-A-Center. But my dealbreaker after looking at their guidelines is that if you “rent to buy” from them, the product you get would cost over 5 times as much as the regular retail price! Also, I've actually heard one YouTuber say in contrast to the exclusives remark, "If you are doing this, then note that they're not $60 games, they are $400 games", and he goes on with how buying a console is the worst value ever and he claims that it's pointless to purchase "single-function devices anymore", before saying "Get a job! Get some money for a computer. If you want something like this yet don't have the money for a computer, just get something cheap like an Apple TV or Roku Stick."

Bottom Line: What should I do when it comes to getting myself a non-Nintendo console if it's way too similar to a PC these days?

PC

I actually do have a PC. This PC I have is a mild gaming PC I built between Christmas and New Year's Eve 2013, and it sports a Core i7 4770 and a GeForce GTX 660. I might be all set there, but the PC version of Sonic Forces is very likely going to be exclusive to Windows. Even though I did use Windows the first few years of my PC's life, starting last year, I use Linux, and because I also condemn what Microsoft has been doing like "forcing" users to upgrade to Windows 10 without their permission, making Windows 7/8 support nonexistent on newer processor chips, spying on everything you do on your Windows 10 setup, and especially what I believe Microsoft will be doing within a few years, I am making a permanent transition away from Windows. Now, there is the Wine compatibility layer, but compatibility is really hit or miss, and I wouldn't really know if the game would work on Linux under Wine.

One Linux-only gamer replied on Reddit’s ChangeMyView subreddit saying that even though he would miss out on some great titles that are exclusive to Windows and console, Steam for Linux already has plenty of titles to keep him busy for the rest of his life. I replied saying I already loved previous Sonic titles like Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations (even though I have not gotten very far into them because I was constantly busy with other things), but me being a huge Sonic fan means that I really, really want to be able to play the newest titles.

However, one other PC gamer who loves Linux as well replied to me saying that I should keep my Windows partition around for the Windows exclusives, upgrade my graphics card to a newer generation entry-level card, and get the console in which their exclusives I crave the most. He then goes on to say that Linux is secretly very buggy and very unreliable! I really don’t want that to be true! He then told me that Microsoft itself has Linux code in the kernel. That made me very afraid that my Linux build will soon restrict me the same way Windows already does (He just replied saying that it’s just to add virtualization support for Hyper-V, and only for THEIR gain)!

Speaking of which, the reason why I wanted to delete my Windows partition was that I guess around 5 years from now, Windows 10 in general is going to start having the same restrictions as Windows 10 S is going to have. You cannot install any application not directly from the Windows Store, and you cannot install another browser or use a different search engine (I know you could still access the webpage on the browser, but I think that would change for the worse soon). But the meat of my predictions is that not only would you have those kinds of restrictions on Windows in general, the following would soon be added to it, in order of how much it concerns me:

• Not allowed to save any documents mentioning any other operating system or else it would be deleted

• Not allowed to watch movies, TV shows, or listen to music on Amazon Video or Google Play (All digital content you buy from a Windows machine has to be from the Windows Store only)

• All potential apps which would be alternatives to Microsoft-made apps would be rejected from the Windows Store because it would "break the Windows ecosystem"

• Not allowed to install any other operating system other than Windows 10 anywhere on any modern computer because their motherboards (With the exception of Apple's Macs, of course.) would block out all other operating systems, even Windows 7 and Ubuntu

• And worst of all, the Edge browser (which would be the only browser you would ever be allowed to use) would block all webpages that have content that goes even the slightest against Microsoft's vision because of "anti-Microsoft propaganda". For example, if you try to search up "Microsoft sucks" or "Alternatives to Windows" on Bing or YouTube, or click on any link to an article with that sort of topic, the browser would not allow you to access that page at all because it would "devalue Microsoft's reputation". There would be other blockings on Edge related to some of the previous points, but I hope you get what I'm saying.

NINTENDO SWITCH

Which leaves me with the Nintendo Switch. I don't have one yet, and I would want to get one (I actually have it on my wish list), but I already have a Wii U console, and a part of me believes that I shouldn't get a Switch because it would feel like wasteful duplication, especially if I was going to buy it for just one game, in which I would not want to. On top of that, the user that recommended me a PS4 on Amino said that the Switch version of Sonic Forces will only run at 760i and 30fps and I also heard from others that it will undoubtedly be the absolute weakest performing version of the game. I then said that I don't care about resolution or framerates and all I care about is a good gaming experience.

CONCLUSION

What should I do in terms of which platform to get Sonic Forces for?

[Rabid-Noodles]

Imo... PS4 or PC. All your reasons for not buying a PS4 from SuperBunnyhop are horribly outdated. 

Otherwise it's mainly controller preference. According to Nintendolife the Switch version of Forces should be avoided. 

[avidsonicfan1991]

1 minute ago, Rabid-Noodles said:

All your reasons for not buying a PS4 from SuperBunnyhop are horribly outdated.

I actually know that. That video was made around March 2014, and since then, a lot of PS4 exclusives came out.

But my point still stands that I am just not interested in a lot of these exclusives other than through GameFly for the games and renting the console itself through Rent-A-Center (though I already noted how much that's overpriced), with the exception of Media Molecule's upcoming "Dreams", but I don't think it would come out until the VERY END of the PS4's life (Just like The Last of Us being released at the very end of the PS3's life).

13 minutes ago, Rabid-Noodles said:

According to Nintendolife the Switch version of Forces should be avoided. 

I just looked at the summary and a few seconds of the video and came to the conclusion that he's bashing on THE GAME ITSELF, not that particular version. He said that the game is the worst video game of all time!!! (Not really, but I always talk in extremes)

[Badnik Mechanic]

PS4 or PC.

Switch has a number of problems at the moment don't even bother.

[BlueTidalGamer]

PC.

Mods are gonna be crazy, plus you get the best performance depending on your rig and what the game requires to run. 

[PerfectChaos]

Aren't you interested in any of PS4's exclusives? Your complaint about it is more applicable to Xbox One since that has very few games that aren't also on PC. But PS4 has a fair few exclusives you can't get anywhere else, and they're damn good. Like Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nioh, upcoming TLoU sequel, etc

There's plenty of reason to get a PS4 imho.

EDIT - That said, of course go PC for a multiplat. Mods alone are too good to pass up on

[avidsonicfan1991]

7 minutes ago, PerfectChaos said:

Aren't you interested in any of PS4's exclusives? Your complaint about it is more applicable to Xbox One since that has very few games that aren't also on PC. But PS4 has a fair few exclusives you can't get anywhere else, and they're damn good. Like Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nioh, upcoming TLoU sequel, etc

There's plenty of reason to get a PS4 imho.

Someone once told me on Steam that even if a game does not look interesting at first, it might surprise me once I get it. I don't want to get a console until I am absolutely CERTAIN I am going to LOVE at least 5 exclusives for it. In the meantime, I guess there's GameFly Streaming, but I guess it's currently in beta, and I'm not sure if my devices are supported (yet)!

EDIT: I'm not even sure if the exclusives are on GameFly Streaming at all!

[Rabid-Noodles]

32 minutes ago, avidsonicfan1991 said:

I just looked at the summary and a few seconds of the video and came to the conclusion that he's bashing on THE GAME ITSELF, not that particular version. He said that the game is the worst video game of all time!!! (Not really, but I always talk in extremes)

Obviously because you couldn't take a few minutes out of your day to watch an informative video. He said the Switch version had performance issues. On top of the game being a disappointment which is pretty believable at this point.

[Badnik Mechanic]

1 minute ago, Rabid-Noodles said:

Obviously because you couldn't take a few minutes out of your day to watch an informative video. He said the Switch version had performance issues. On top of the game being a disappointment which is pretty believable at this point.

Everybody has said the switch version has problems.

I honestly don't get why whenever someone new now says it people complain about it because they sounded mean.

[avidsonicfan1991]

Just now, Rabid-Noodles said:

On top of the game being a disappointment which is pretty believable at this point.

I think you should see my post in the "What do you think of Sonic Forces" thread. If you can't find it, then I said that I really, really want to love this game to death, and if I do and everyone else don't (or if I just don't love this game), I will become super depressed for loving a video game franchise everyone else hates!

[Rabid-Noodles]

I absolutely LOVE Bring Me The Horizon. Not many people like BMTH that much, if at all. Others opinions don't stop or deter my enjoyment of said band. Neither should they stop you from liking Forces. Getting off track.

It sounds like you'd be best off with PC since the massive PS4 library/exclusives aren't enough for you to buy one.

[avidsonicfan1991]

I just strike-throughed my Nintendo Switch section because I just looked up a My Nintendo News article about the compromises made for the Switch version.

On top of a lower resolution and half the framerate, it will have very compromised textures and details and other noticeable flaws. The article concluded with the statement that even though the flaws are almost unnoticeable in portable mode, they will be very apparent in console mode.

 

EDIT: Actually, never mind. I played Sonic Unleashed on Wii, and I did not notice any dealbreaking problems, mostly because I did not have a 360 or PS3 with its respective version to compare it to. And there is absolutely nothing about the graphics in that version that made me cry out "NOT REALISTIC ENOUGH!!!"

[Cornelius Fudge]

If you want portability in spite of having downgraded visuals and reduced framerate, then get the Switch version.

If you don't care about portability and prefer a more crisp and smooth experience, then get it on PS4/PC.

Personally, Sonic Mania seems ideal for the Switch whereas Forces seems built for the PS4/PC.

 

[Strickerx5]

Your fears on the PC front are very much the worse scenario. Microsoft may try to get people more into their storefront on their own ecosystem but the backlash they would receive for pulling the things you stated would probably cut the company in half. Too many business alone rely on other software for that to happen. Get enough of them mad at you and even big companies like Microsoft would go under. Not going to lie, sounds sort of like your basic Linux tinfoil hat theories to me. Don't get me wrong, I love the platform for coding purposes but it just lacks general usability otherwise. It has a dedicated fanbase behind it but it's just not as adaptable for the common user as Windows or even MacOS. It's simply not made for gaming, more for development off a standard system than anything.

With that said, I'd highly recommend the PC version if it holds up. PC versions in general are pretty hit or miss so you might want to wait a couple of hours for those first buyers to get the word out on whether its good or not. Though, Sega has been hitting PC ports out of the park for a while now so I'm not too worried. You get much better performance and mods. I honestly expect it to be the definitive version of the game like the PC version of Generations was.

Though, in that off chance that the PC version does end up coming out broken I would then recommend the PS4 version. It still runs at 60fps (which is vital for boost games) and the platform itself has a ton of killer titles already out for it. Horizon, Uncharted, R&C... I mean it's the highest selling console this generation for a reason. You can surely find something else on it that'll give you a good time.

Though, I'll also add that you might be pushing the limit with that gpu. I doubt the game won't run semi-well on it but it does have more going on than Generations did. I'd recommend maybe investing into a 900 series card sometime soon if you want to remain in the ballpark going forward (after this whole data mining craze dies down a bit of course).

[Badnik Mechanic]

28 minutes ago, Cornelius Fudge said:

Personally, Sonic Mania seems ideal for the Switch whereas Forces seems built for the PS4/PC.

The big irony here.

Switch version is a port not being handled by PagodaWest 

[Cornelius Fudge]

1 minute ago, Mayor D said:

The big irony here.

Switch version is a port not being handled by PagodaWest 

What I mean is that Mania seems strangely built for Switch since it makes for a perfect game on the go, not in a literal sense.

[McGroose]

I would recommend you wait for a little while before buying any version. Check the reviews of the PC version to make sure there aren't any strange PC-exclusive issues (Arkham Knight was kind of an eye-opener about how poorly PC "ports" are being treated these days). Then if there are no issues in that regard, check to see if the PC version has an extensive modding community. We all are anticipating the mods for this game, but there's no guarantee this game will allow mods in the first place. If both of those aren't an issue, go get the PC version. Your PC's specs can certainly handle Forces, although while I assume that the game will work on Linux, I really don't know much about the OS to comment with any credibility on that.

I really doubt there will be a difference between the PS4 and Xbone versions outside of maybe some lighting differences or a 1-2 FPS difference. A PS4 Pro will definitely be able to handle it smoothly at a constant 60FPS, and I assume that the Xboner X will also. Don't even bother with the Switch version unless you really love the Switch.

[avidsonicfan1991]

HUGE UPDATE

Although you all have helped me, I am still a bit conflicted with a few things about this topic. Thanks to your feedback, I have eliminated the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch from my possibilities list of platforms to purchase the game for. Which leaves me with the PC and PS4.

PC

On 7/6/2017 at 5:08 PM, Strickerx5 said:

Your fears on the PC front are very much the worse scenario. Microsoft may try to get people more into their storefront on their own ecosystem but the backlash they would receive for pulling the things you stated would probably cut the company in half. Too many business alone rely on other software for that to happen. Get enough of them mad at you and even big companies like Microsoft would go under. Not going to lie, sounds sort of like your basic Linux tinfoil hat theories to me. Don't get me wrong, I love the platform for coding purposes but it just lacks general usability otherwise. It has a dedicated fanbase behind it but it's just not as adaptable for the common user as Windows or even MacOS. It's simply not made for gaming, more for development off a standard system than anything.

Well, sorry for the late reply, but how would you like to know that this YouTuber called "The Linux Gamer" actually disagrees with that point in these two videos with this following evidence to back up his claims:

 

If you do not have time to watch any of it, then I should at least let you all know that according to Tim Sweeney of Epic Games, Steam will soon be gradually destroyed by Windows 10 "patches", meaning that the program will get progressively worse and worse until consumers get fed up and start looking to the Windows Store for alternatives, which I guess was exactly what they did when they monopolized Internet Explorer and put Netscape out of business.

The point is: He claims that Linux is BETTER for gaming for one reason: CHOICE. Microsoft might take that choice away in Windows, which would destroy gaming on that platform.

PS4

As for this platform, I still haven't heard any advice on how to rent a whole console other than use Rent-A-Center (I don't want to use them because the products I get from them would cost well over a thousand dollars total!). The closest I can find was to use the PlayStation Now service on PC to play some exclusives without having to buy the console itself, but I need a DualShock 4 controller AND a PlayStation Network account in order for me to get started with even the 7-day Free Trial! I'm not sure if I want either of them though, especially the PSN account.

On top of this, I may start having a growing hatred towards Sony in general, starting with the controversy surrounding the Ghostbusters remake, and the fear of mine that The Emoji Movie, which is the worst idea ever for a movie, actually gets very well-recieved by critics and audiences!!! If that happens, then I wouldn't want to know of ANYTHING related to that company anymore!!!

[Strickerx5]

19 minutes ago, avidsonicfan1991 said:

PC

Well, sorry for the late reply, but how would you like to know that this YouTuber called "The Linux Gamer" actually disagrees with that point in these two videos with this following evidence to back up his claims:

*videos*

If you do not have time to watch any of it, then I should at least let you all know that according to Tim Sweeney of Epic Games, Steam will soon be gradually destroyed by Windows 10 "patches", meaning that the program will get progressively worse and worse until consumers get fed up and start looking to the Windows Store for alternatives, which I guess was exactly what they did when they monopolized Internet Explorer and put Netscape out of business.

The point is: He claims that Linux is BETTER for gaming for one reason: CHOICE. Microsoft might take that choice away in Windows, which would destroy gaming on that platform.

 

Ok, I'm not about to gleefully talk trash about Linux. I have used it as a platform for quite a few projects already and do love its openness. Hell, the guy you posted does make a few true points about just that.

Though, the thing is I'm talking about the realistic situation. The here and now. Windows is the bigger gaming platform. Once you learn a game is coming for the PC you never have to even question whether it'll be on Windows. You just can't say the same thing about Linux. The guy talks a lot about "choice" and how it makes Linux the better platform but what choice do you have when the game isn't even being made for it? Plus, I simply have a hard time believing a majority of the advantages Linux puts out is commonly accessible by the average user. Most people don't even know how to use a terminal to do something as simple as open up Chrome. 

This guy, while he makes some fair points, also makes some pretty dumb ones too. I'm sorry, but trying to say that performance metrics don't matter is ludicrous. Those are facts. Trying to ignore them is like trying to ignore the truth so I have to question why he even brought that up. Performance is a major factor in games; especially on PC. Not to mention his talk about Microsoft. He acts like Valve themselves aren't a big entity nor can they update their proprietary software along with anything Microsoft even tries to pull with Windows. What's even more ironic is I know a ton of people who would consider Valve to be just as "evil" as Microsoft with how they've cornered the PC market.

Not to mention that first little point he makes in that first video. Like man... I'm trying to be open minded with him but look at this:

>User is having trouble with wifi

> IT Support is going to connect to them remotely through the internet?

... like what?

Also, and this is really more of a side note, Netscape's downfall wasn't anything more than business. Microsoft put more money and resources into IE than Netscape could do for theirs which resulted in a better product at the time. There's nothing devious about that. It's literally how business works. I mean, it's not like it would've stood up to Chrome or Firefox now anyway if Microsoft just decided to sit there and do nothing. It's that very competition that only benefits the consumers in the long run. It's why IE Edge is getting better. You can look at it as Microsoft trying to force you onto their browser but since I'm not using Edge to type this... all I see are 3 great browsers to choose from.

 

Look, if I've learned anything from going through IT clubs at my university, it's that people will live off Linux no matter what. Don't get me wrong, their reasoning are absolutely to the point where I have nothing but respect for it. But, never do I ever hear them claim that it makes for a better PC gaming experience. It's like trying to say an ice cream shop that only serves two flavors is better than another one that has over 100; and one of those two flavors is objectively worse than the other store's too. Sure, that vanilla in the smaller store may be slightly leaner on calories but what if I want any of the other flavors? Say, a scope of Sonic Forces? You don't have a choice for that on Linux.

I'm not saying Windows is better than Linux on the wider scale. Nor that you should even think of switching over as your main driver. Just that you should always have that Windows partition at the ready for your gaming needs. Best of both worlds and what not. And those fears of Microsoft somehow conquering the world through going out of their way to slowly gimp software that are owned by developers that refuse to update it... I mean you're free to choose whatever you believe in but it's like I stated before; It is the worse scenario and would really be more trouble for them than it's worth. Plus, going off of the fact they aren't already doing it and have even put Quantum Break (a game they pretty much own) on Steam... I'm pretty sure they know it too.

I mean hell, the very fact that they allow Office (their biggest software suite) onto their biggest direct competitor, macOS, spells out that they're not 100% tone deaf on this matter.

 

On another side note about your worries on the PS4:

Sony Pictures Entertainment has next to no barring on the PlayStation team. It's not like they're constantly communicating their projects to one another. If their TV department goes under their music department will still be there. What I'm trying to say is that it's a huge company and that it probably wouldn't be wise to hold a bad animated movie (on premise alone because, financially, it'll probably do well sadly) against the PlayStation team.

[avidsonicfan1991]

@Strickerx5 Half of me did not want to say the things I did becuse I was too nervous and afraid to read your reply to it, but nonetheless, thanks for changing my view.

[Strickerx5]

Just now, avidsonicfan1991 said:

@Strickerx5 Half of me did not want to say the things I did becuse I was too nervous and afraid to read your reply to it, but nonetheless, thanks for changing my view.

You should never feel nervous around here!

I just want you to make the best decision you can knowing the facts. Though, at the end of the day, it's all up to you. Always has been, always will be.

[Chris Knopps]

On 7/6/2017 at 6:47 PM, Mayor D said:

Everybody has said the switch version has problems.

I honestly don't get why whenever someone new now says it people complain about it because they sounded mean.

Well, it's kind of typical for you to point out and complain about the Switch version so you kind of set yourself up for folks to get that way, in the same manner I did this for myself on various matters. Reap what you sow as they say.

As far as which version of the game to get, in all honesty it depends on what you're going for most. If you want the most power/specs/etc and the highest graphics/frame rate of all then PS4/PC would be your best bet, though it depends on what kind of PC you have, otherwise I'd say PS4/XONE.

If you're looking for something you can take on the go and you're willing to sacrifice some of the graphics and frame rate, by launch I'd say the Switch version will be just fine and it's already at a stage most Switch owners would accept as-is, though the improvements from now to launch will certainly help.

If power and graphics are your thing, or if portability is what you want, those are the main factors.

[Badnik Mechanic]

49 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

Well, it's kind of typical for you to point out and complain about the Switch version so you kind of set yourself up for folks to get that way, in the same manner I did this for myself on various matters. Reap what you sow as they say.

This is utterly pathetic.

He is asking which version is best between said platforms including the switch. And he did this over a week ago and has since discounted the system so why you're not bringing it up God only knows.

Believe it or not. The switch version of Forces is not the best version.

It suffers from a lower frame rate and low textures.

Go complain to Sonic Team about it if you don't like that fact.

[Chris Knopps]

1 hour ago, Mayor D said:

Believe it or not. The switch version of Forces is not the best version.

It suffers from a lower frame rate and low textures.

Go complain to Sonic Team about it if you don't like that fact.

Quote

If you're looking for something you can take on the go and you're willing to sacrifice some of the graphics and frame rate, by launch I'd say the Switch version will be just fine and it's already at a stage most Switch owners would accept as-is, though the improvements from now to launch will certainly help.

I point out the lower quality of the Switch version as well my friend. Though said in a different way that didn't count the Switch out so strongly.

It's a system you have to sacrifice some of the sparkle on to get the portability. It's not for everyone, but I'm fine with it as-are many/most who own a Switch and are aware of the limitations yet still enjoy taking stuff on the go despite this.

A console-based Sonic title, a boost one at that, wherever I feel like playing it is worth losing some frames and graphics. But that's just one consumers thoughts.

[avidsonicfan1991]

@Chris Knopps Just for bringing that up, I would like to remind you all that this was only a question of which version of the game would you recommend given the guidelines I have given out in my first post of the thread.