Team Sonic Racing - Upcoming Sonic Racing Game

[Blue Blood]

Okay, Mod Pods are officially shit.

Right now is not even the random nature of them that's annoying me; it's the fact that I have to sit mashing A for what feels like forever to buy them. Why doesn't the game just give you you an unlock at the end of a race for every 10 credits that you've earned?

[caitash]

 

2 hours ago, Blue Blood said:

Playing on Switch. The entire UI broke after the first race... Text is missing, textures don't appear at all. Welp 

I had the same problem in the first 30 mins or so of playing, but (touch wood) not had it since...

[Plasme]

I hate the mod pod system too, seems designed fot a non implemented micro transaction system.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

25 minutes ago, Mayor D said:

Regarding the ring missions... always drift into the rings. It doubles the bonus time you get from them.

The drifting missions are quite hard, for the planet wisp stage. Take the centre route it's easier.

This was what I was missing - I thought it was a ring multiplier, as in you'd get more if you hit more rings in one go (where it shows an overall counter when picking up rings), I didn't know drifting into rings gave a bonus.

As for the drift challenges, I found them hard as hell, the only plan I have for it right now is drive to them normally, drift at the last second, and then drive normally again.

[Dreadknux]

3 hours ago, Meta77 said:

What in the world. I had no idea dreadknux was still around

I am always watching...  

 

1 hour ago, Plasme said:

I like the game, but maybe its just me  but the handling and driving feels way more clunky and annoying than transformed.

I also fnd the weapons are really annoying.

Maybe it's because it's been YEARS since I last played Transformed, but I didn't get the impression that it was clunky per se. Maybe drifting was the part that required a bit more muscle memory than other things, need to make sure you're turning the right direction of how you drift. It's messed me up before on the Daredevil trials.

 

52 minutes ago, JezMM said:

In addition, I just don't GET the checkpoint post skimming missions or the ring-grabbing missions. For most of these I could barely make Bronze medals (with a few exceptions) and I can't fathom how one would get Platinum - especially in the checkpoint post ones where there is no way to add time to the clock. Honestly the idea of 100%ing the story mode seems so daunting that I probably won't even try.

Yeah that took a bit of getting used to. Technique characters are better at the Ring challenges, as they can pull rings closer to them from certain distances, but just make sure you're drifting as much as you can because that's how you get more time. Luckily it's pretty easy in this game to drift while driving effectively 'straight forward', assuming the road is wide enough (and they usually are on the challenge courses). For the post-skimming ones, it takes a lot of practice but always aim to drift (not drive through) the red side as that gives you the score multiplier (up to 1.5x).

[Multikaris]

19 hours ago, DabigRG said:

Or they didn't actually become submerged in it.

Either way, we've technically known they were still around for a while.

So the 3DS version is canon? In that one, they simply retreated.

[Detective Kaito]

Question to those who have the game: Can you create your own team? Like you and 2 AI characters of your choosing?

From what I've seen, this is only possible with online or local multiplayer.

[Badnik Mechanic]

For those who say the controls are clunky.

Any chance your using a power type with no mods?

Just that I found power types a nightmare to control in this game without them.

[Eurisko]

Are the difficulties nothing more than extra challenge this time rather than getting more stars? 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

3 minutes ago, Eurisko said:

Are the difficulties nothing more than extra challenge this time rather than getting more stars? 

Pretty much, stars are gotten through individual challenges on any difficulty.

[Eurisko]

10 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Pretty much, stars are gotten through individual challenges on any difficulty.

Thought as much. That's a shame as I think that SART had it perfect with the way stars were awarded.

[Sonicka]

1 hour ago, JezMM said:

Unfortunately I can't agree with Mayor D, Sonicka or a few others about the re-used tracks... for me they really stick out compared to the massive variety and spectacle of the newer tracks. The fact that they have new music definitely helps though. They're still fun to play, but they definitely don't feel like they might as well be new tracks. Mario Kart 8's GBA tracks they ain't.

To be honest I’m somewhat indifferent now. And I feel quite bittersweet about the whole thing. 

I went from defending their inclusion (before knowing the actual roster) to hating them when playing the game, to enjoying only certain track returns (only 2 of the 3 Casino levels). Overall though that’s 2 out of 9 old tracks I enjoy replaying out of choice.

Between the slight design revisions (and ocean views butchering), the gorgeous visual overhaul and that the Team Racing changes up how you approach these levels... they are all what I like to call Sumo Generation 1 racetrack design. 

We are now on their third title and the 12 new original tracks just simply more interesting and fun than ASR’s are to me. That’s not because I think ASR’s tracks are bad, but it’s because they stick out. The new tracks are designed first hand with the team mechanic in mind. They work much better in this way and click more with me when racing as a team.

I felt similarly with the 2 (or 3?) returning stages in Transformed when that released. They had no reason to be in the game and nothing was really done to them to fit the Transformed mechanic either.

Its weird, because whilst I think TSR is more successful at implementing the older tracks than Transformed did, I think it only really gets away with this because of the console generation leap by default and having to play them as a team instead of as a ‘race to win’ single player.

Underneath that I’m upset that those 9 tracks could have been 9 more original levels crafted from the Sonic Universe.

Although the All Stars Series has a fantastic variety of games to pull from,  part of the appeal of TSR to me was it being ONLY Sonic influenced. What they created was GREAT... buuuut they only scratched the surface of what the sonic series has to offer. 

I’m surprised apart from the unlockable Colour schemes for cars that nothing from Mania showed up. I would have killed to drive around a studiopolis inspired level instead of all three Casino Park tracks. Why not Titanic Monach instead of the Egg Fleet stages? Even Chemical Plant would have been a nice inclusion, and that gets as much love as green hill in the modern games. What about a 3 part Speedway through Zones on the Floating/Angel Island (ala: Wuhu island course in Mario Kart 7).

It just feels like there are a lot of missed opportunities. Or maybe my expectations are too high for a budget title? I dunno. But regardless the game is still a solid 8/10 for me and sits right in the middle between ASR and Transformed.

I also enjoyed your review @Mayor D, I’m glad you highlighted an issue a few of us discussed previously with the accidental story mode skipping. You’re right that it’s equally an understandable yet bizarre design decision for story progress in story mode.

I also think it’s easy to misread the menu selections and buttons associated because they are really close to each other. Without any real spacing it’s just unclear. It’s a minor issue, but nothing a patch couldn’t sort I’m sure.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I swear the use of the X button for story skip is downright idiotic. It's actually getting frustrating with how many times I've accidentally skipped story.

[Plasme]

After playing more of the game, I really like what it goes for, you can get insane speed with the team mechanics, but it's also really clunky and not polished. Mayor D is right about handling mods, that really matters here. But even still, I often go so fast that I career into walls and sometimes even get flung backwards and the game doesn't know what to do. I've also clipped out the map several times. The game's story is also absolutely dire.

If anything, this game needed another half a year  if it released last wonter it would have been utterly broken.

[Blue Blood]

I take back what I said about the story skip option previously. Now while I do maintain that the game makes the option perfectly clear (hiding it away in the corner of the screen is fine), the fact that the normal button press is "skip story" is incredibly dumb.

I personally think it should be a toggle. Press Y/Square/X (NS/PS4/XB1) to toggle the story on/off. Then just select the mission as normal.

[kimplix]

Among the files for TSR on PC, there's this icon which is used for the .exe file and well

It looks like something that someone made for a digital art project at school. So simple and so early

[Plasme]

With the Xbox controller on Steam, the default option is watch story (A button). How is it on Switch? Did they just fuck up the PS4 version?

[Tracker_TD]

I'm just gonna copy-paste from my Twitter here.

TSR is by no means a bad game, but I've found myself really underwhelmed, even when I knew what I was getting myself into. The Story Mode is a slog, with the paltry track and mission variety really hurting it. The Grand Prixs were constant and tedious. And my online experience so far, as my stream showed, is perhaps the worst I've ever seen - I was lucky to get into a few games after seven attempts, including one that crashed the game, but it was still largely populated by AIs. And this is on Day One, when it should be most active! There's also like, a 5 minute wait between races on PC which makes it a whole lot more boring than it should be.

The PC version is also pretty weird right now. Animations appear to move at 30fps, even with the game running at 60 - so like, Sonic dancing in his car for instance looks like it's running at half the FPS of the rest of the game. There's also a weird lighting bug in Sand Road.

You know what I think the best part was? The story itself! I genuinely enjoyed the writing, and after a short adjusting period I found the new voices worked alright. Still not a fan of Zavok but I've warmed up to Papenbrook as Silver and Lindbeck as Blaze is perfect. The writing is genuinely funny, and this is the kind of thing I like to see. The jokes land far more than they have done in any of the Pontac/Graff games, and to me it's proof that lightheartedness isn't the issue people perceive with Sonic writing.

At any rate, I'll keep trying with the online now I suppose - but on the whole this is probably something you wait to get on sale. I know nobody expected something as good as Transformed, me included, but it's just not what it could've been, even then.

 

[Meta77]

Got home and currently playing. Quick first impressions. Its no transformed. Its pretty though. But god do the controls suck big time compared to transformed. I am trying to drive and drift like i did in both all stars and transformed and its worse somehow?

[Dreadknux]

I think the handling of the cars really depends on who you're playing as. They've obviously changed them since the last couple of racing games, but I think the differences between Speed and Power types (for example) is a lot more drastic. Essentially, you're driven to adopting mods that you unlock in order to get the best out of each character (and later in the Story Mode this basically becomes a necessity to complete stages with any kind of finesse).

[Plasme]

Everytime I load up a match online, I pray to the gods that the game isnt aborted because of a network error upon the race starting. Happens 50% of the time.

I also agree that the core race gameplay is far inferior to the past All Stars games. The team mechanics are great, but the turning and drifting are garbage. It's also so punishing with weapons and hitting was, which is frustrating when the controls are so awful.

[DarkRula]

Watching the story on the Switch requires a Y rather than an A. Rather awkward, but it is what it is.

Here's something funny I encountered during racing.

https://twitter.com/DRM_Switch/status/1130957386489819136

[Jango]

I just listened to the whole soundtrack on YouTube during this afternoon. 

This is easily one of the BEST soundtracks in the whole franchise, hands down. It has such a variety of genres and they all blend so well. It's something Sonic Forces really needed. Teamwork does for the soundtrack too, amazing how these composers can achieve such quality when working together instead of pushing all the work to Tomoya Ohtani (although still excelent, Sonic Runners' soundtrack is superb).

Tee Lopes and Hyper Potions are excelent additions to the franchise, I hope SEGA keep these guys around, along with all the other new faces. They rock.

I'll put Team Sonic Racing soundtrack high up there with my all time favorites like Sonic CD (JP), SA1 and Mania.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I haven't had issues with getting a game, my issue is how the online is fundamentally laid out. I keep getting placed into games with a few players, then there isn't enough time to get a full lobby of people in to play, and what usually ends up happening is a player (usually me) gets completely disadvantaged because I got stuck with two CPUs who don't know what they're doing, while the other team gets a team full of actual people. I've had three matches like this today alone.

[Plasme]

Btw  do the Power characters becone useful after mods, are they always useless?