Would an Open World/Sandbox style Sonic game work?

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

If you're going to give Sonic items of any kind, he need those that gets him to places he can't normally reach or to achieve things he cannot achieve on his own will.

Items like ropes aren't going to do him any good considering both how high he jumps in one leap and how he can easily (or should be able to) run up and across any surface even if it's at a 90 degree angle.

Items like jet boots for example, not that I'm saying he needs them, would be useful if he wanted to achieve limited flight for an aerial based boss battle so that he doesn't have to worry so much about whatever it is that's a danger to him on the ground.

[Silmaril]

If you're going to give Sonic items of any kind, he need those that gets him to places he can't normally reach or to achieve things he cannot achieve on his own will.

Items like ropes aren't going to do him any good considering both how high he jumps in one leap and how he can easily (or should be able to) run up and across any surface even if it's at a 90 degree angle.

Items like jet boots for example, not that I'm saying he needs them, would be useful if he wanted to achieve limited flight for an aerial based boss battle so that he doesn't have to worry so much about whatever it is that's a danger to him on the ground.

Then maybe a rope was a bad example. The point is, make a sandbox and fill it with fun things to do and interact with. Make playing Sonic interesting again.

[Rusty Spy]

Then maybe a rope was a bad example. The point is, make a sandbox and fill it with fun things to do and interact with. Make playing Sonic interesting again.

Why make Sonic interesting with external gameplay additions when you can make him interesting just by letting him use abilities native to him/made up of his existing moveset? Isn't that what makes sandbox environments so fun to explore?

Edited September 14, 2009 by VirgoTheCougar

[Badnik Zero]

Any "items" the hedgehog could interact with shouldn't be attached to the hedgehog, but to the level.

[Diogenes]

If you're going to give Sonic items of any kind, he need those that gets him to places he can't normally reach or to achieve things he cannot achieve on his own will.

Items like ropes aren't going to do him any good considering both how high he jumps in one leap and how he can easily (or should be able to) run up and across any surface even if it's at a 90 degree angle.

Items like jet boots for example, not that I'm saying he needs them, would be useful if he wanted to achieve limited flight for an aerial based boss battle so that he doesn't have to worry so much about whatever it is that's a danger to him on the ground.

I dunno, I think I'd prefer the rope. Jet boots don't have any connection to his abilities, but a rope could potentially work well with his acrobatics. If it was used like a grappling hook, he could be a supersonic spiderhog...

[Silmaril]

I dunno, I think I'd prefer the rope. Jet boots don't have any connection to his abilities, but a rope could potentially work well with his acrobatics. If it was used like a grappling hook, he could be a supersonic spiderhog...

Just having a sandbox game isn't necessarily fun. You can wander around a big city, but if all you can do is wander, what's the fun in that? Instead, why not make a world that Sonic can interact with? A world that is shaped by Sonic's actions in it. Actually, I suppose the term "sandbox" would imply this. It wouldn't even be that difficult to make. Look at games like scribblenauts or spore? Both sandbox games that let player explore and interact.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I dunno, I think I'd prefer the rope. Jet boots don't have any connection to his abilities, but a rope could potentially work well with his acrobatics. If it was used like a grappling hook, he could be a supersonic spiderhog...

Well you can't use a rope when keeping up and fighting someone 30,000 feet in the air, silly. (or maybe you can...)

That was just what I'm saying, that if he were to have items outside his existing moveset, it would have to complement him AND be used as a means to allow him to do things he's unable to without them...although technically jet-boots belong to Shadow.

But some creativity into the mix and you just may surprise yourself how you could implement it and keep in check with the character...although I wouldn't say it works for everything, considering ShTH's use of guns, but maybe that could actually be used for another character, no? (realistic guns not included of course)

Edited September 14, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[redmenace]

As big enough for exploration, not big enough to be considered a open world or sandbox. Sonic is all about level design, platforming and physics to overcome it, so there must be a goal besides mindless exploring. Larger than Adventure's levels then but always with a "linear" (who might not be very linear) track to the end. Just like the classics. If you went forward, you eventually ended up in the end, but if you wanted to explore, you could stay for hours.

[Agent York]

They had an open-end sandbox Sonic game.

It was called Sonic World.

If they made an advanced Sonic World like there was in Sonic Jam, it would be amazing. Just make it bigger, varied, more missions, more mission types, good level design and physics, and it could be one hell of a game.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Rice Golem

[azoo]

That's the reason I thought of the sandbox idea in the first place, Rice. =P

[EuroMIX]

Sort of reminds me of the adventure field dreams I used to have for 'Sonic Adventure 3'. I fell in love with the idea that Sonic could rush through bustling city streets with tall sky scrapers lining either side and with the touch of a button he could attach to the wall and run directly up it, if he so wished, right to the top and then stand there staring out over the city before jumping from rooftop to rooftop to the beach beyond.

I also loved the idea of there being a huge freeway encircling the city (and also linking to the mainland) which Sonic could race along at will, compete in races and also boss battles...

[Miko]

A sandbox style game would take advantage of Sonic's speed. I mean huge open go anywhere island would be fun to play, but then I had a different idea.

I disagree. The linear layout helps the player accelerate. Without the sense of direction a linear layout provides, acceleration is a lot more difficult for the player to achieve.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Miko

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I disagree. The linear layout helps the player accelerate. Without the sense of direction a linear layout provides, acceleration is a lot more difficult for the player to achieve.

But that's what a point marker can be used for. It provides a sense of direction for the mission so that you won't get lost and can therefore achieve the same effect, but on a larger scale.

[Phos]

Point markers? Like every other open world game? As if open world games didn't already have enough "Follow the arrow" in them, now you're suggesting to make one with very little combat?

Sounds like it would be Crazy Taxi as Sonic, minus the time limit.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Point markers? Like every other open world game? As if open world games didn't already have enough "Follow the arrow" in them, now you're suggesting to make one with very little combat?

Little combat? If anything, and open world game for Sonic should have more of it. And it was merely an idea from the top of my head on how to keep a sense of direction for an objective...unless you have a better idea for an sandbox style Sonic game?

Edited September 15, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Phos]

I don't think that a mission based open world Sonic game is a good idea.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I don't think that a mission based open world Sonic game is a good idea.

Why didn't you just say so? I'd disagree, but I'm not going to argue and say you're wrong when it hasn't been proven to work or not.

Edited September 15, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Solid SOAP]

I play Sonic games for the action-packed levels with speed and platforming, along with varried environments, I don't think a mission-based open world game could achieve this.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I play Sonic games for the action-packed levels with speed and platforming, along with varried environments, I don't think a mission-based open world game could achieve this.

It could if you apply some creativity into the mix and try to create varied open world environments that allow speed and platforming and a lot more action in the levels.

And mission-based gameplay could actually do a lot to keep the feel of repetivity from playing the same levels the same way. You have to design it for Sonic rather than copy-and-paste the structure from other games and put Sonic in them. That's the key of it.

An open world Emerald Hill, Casino Night (I know some people will really be hitting those slots here), or hell even the entire Angel Island location (with ALL the levels from S3&K), and with some added abilities for Sonic, you could have yourself one hell of a Sandbox Sonic game that could blow the hell out of many other games before it.

[Guest]

Well didn't Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 do something like that already?

[azoo]

ShadowFan112, please stop responding to topics that haven't posted in for over a billion years. There's a reason they haven't been posted in... that being because they're old. Since you're new, consider this a verbal warning and nothing more, but don't do it again or there will be more where that came from.

 

On another note..

 

This is something I've often wondered to myself. Right now, most 3D Sonic games have been fairly linear. You go from point A to point B. Then I saw Azukara's idea for a sandbox style Sonic game and it got me thinking about it. A sandbox style game would take advantage of Sonic's speed. I mean huge open go anywhere island would be fun to play, but then I had a different idea.

 

That was six years ago? Jeebus..

[Guest]

ShadowFan112, please stop responding to topics that haven't posted in for over a billion years. There's a reason they haven't been posted in... that being because they're old. Since you're new, consider this a verbal warning and nothing more, but don't do it again or there will be more where that came from.

Alright then thanks for giving me a chance maybe I didn't read the rules properly sorry. It won't happen again.