Does anyone else miss the Twitch Based Gameplay from Sonic Unleashed HD?

[Shiny Gems]

For those who don't know what twitch gameplay is...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitch_gameplay

It is basically gameplay that tests the reaction time of the player. This was heavily in Sonic Unleashed HD, in the daytime stages to be exact. It did give a feel of a fast sense of gameplay. Does anyone else miss that form of gameplay and the challenge that came with it from daytime Sonic Unleashed HD?

I know I do. I thought the twitch based gameplay gave more challenge and a sense of speed. I really enjoyed it in Unleashed HD, and it wasn't really there in Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations and now Sonic Forces. I think those games could have been better with such gameplay and challenge to go along with it. What about you guys? I can't be the only one who misses that kind of gameplay.

[Diogenes]

No, I miss feeling like I'm actually controlling my character, and not playing a rhythm game with no rhythm.

[Dr. Detective]

My perspective on what it means to control a character is obviously a lot more lenient than most. However, at this point I'm not sure I want to see something that reminds me of these current games at the moment. I've never been a "I want Adventure 3" person but something like what those games were doing with their Sonic and Tails (in Adventure 1) sounds about good right now. You know...

 

[Harkofthewaa]

Honestly, no. I have both HD and UnWiished and I honestly prefer the latter. Partly because it's more manageable than the Twitch Gameplay of HD, and also because it's shorter. But that's a discussion for another time.

[Sean]

Hell yes I do

Levels like these need to come back and Sega should find a way to have Unleashed-like levels co-exist with and complement Generations-style platforming ones (the latter which I would have be the main acts of the game while the former regulated to additional acts for those who don't like how difficult Unleashed is)

A properly-designed game that combines both Unleashed and Generations design philosophy into one package would probably be a GOTY contender for me.

[Mad Convoy]

Yes and no. I like the potential of using it to add fair difficulty to the quick time sections, which twitch gameplay seems to be the perfect fit for. If you don't get the timing right for the quick time sections, you either get death or bumped onto the lower path. Colors actually did this once in a 3D Section of Planet Wisp, where if you didn't get a very tricky set of quick-steps followed by a jump at the end perfect or close to perfect, you missed out on a red star ring and also had to take a slower path to the next section with a low-positioned bounce pad. Colors should have done more of this, and I am also baffled that Gens didn't adapt that section with the same level of difficulty for its take on Planet Wisp. At the same, Sonic Unleashed went too far with it. Sonic can go blazing fast, which is great up until you actually need to see where you're going in an unfamiliar or late game section, in which case welcome to trial and error hell. And Unleashed does so love to drop sudden precise jumps or enemies near tall hills. It doesn't help that they made the boost visual effect filter too opaque, again making visibility and anticipation using the one of the game's signature features very difficult if not outright impossible in some of the late game stages. All of this combined with the twitch gameplay can make Unleashed frustrating and imposing for a player unfamiliar with Sonic or the boost formula, and even some who are familiar with those things.

So in short I think its a good idea for sections like the quick step dash to have some twitch elements. And no, they don't have to be corridors-- this could be adapted for some more Lost World-y 3D open-er sections. However, I don't want it executed exactly like Unleashed because I think Unleashed made it excessively annoying to learn how to beat the levels because of making Sonic too fast and making it hard to see when boosting, and thanks to the excessive twitch gameplay, knowing how to beat the levels is a pre-requisite to enjoying them. I'd rather have something that one cool section in Planet Wisp from Colors mixed with the more open sections from Lost World with the design theming and cohesiveness of Unleashed's twitch sections.

[MegasonicZX]

Yes please, boost gameplay is honestly at its best when your linking actions and moves together the way that they did it with unleashed, I've basically been wanting that back ever since that game and i'd be more than happy having more levels like some of those extra acts come back in the future.

[Wraith]

If boost levels are gonna be a thing I'd rather them be like this, yeah. I find them satisfying to master in a way that a gens or colors level isn't. 

Just clean up the controls a bit and I'd be fine with this over the other takes on the boost.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

If Sonic Team EVER makes a boost game in future, they need to bring back everything that was in Unleashed including twitch-based gameplay and refine the controls which was present in Generations.

If they don't, I expect the next boost game to be as poor as Forces. Or as easy as Generations AND Forces.

[Salamander]

While it's not something I'm particularly interested in myself, and therefore don't want to be the only style of Sonic available - then yes, at its most gameplayesque, avoiding trial and error and omitting lengthy sections where the player isn't actually doing anything, I think it's a reasonable complement to the franchise.  Emphasise rhythm and flow among jaw-dropping surrounds.  Don't use it as an excuse for a gotcha-trap game which alternates automation with quick-time events.

[JezMM]

I just want a semblance of challenge back, lol.  But yeah, I'd love this kind of gameplay again of course, since Unleashed is my big favourite.  My ideal situation would be to keep the Colours-esque level design for the "lowest" paths through a stage (lowest in quotes because unlike 2D games, the easiest path can be anywhere in 3D space), while rewarding skilled play with these more interesting routes.

I'd also like to see a more significant challenge towards taking the "fastest" route through a stage.  In Forces, it's often a small challenge to get onto a faster path, but then once you're on it, it's just a straight-line shortcut past a more curly-wurly slower route.  I feel the faster routes should continue to engage and challenge the player throughout - the first time you take a "hard" path, it's likely to be a slower experience than taking an easier one as you learn it and avoid dying/falling to the easier path, but if you get GOOD at it, it becomes faster somehow.