Sonic 4: Lock-on?

[Blacklightning]

Well, being an episodic game and all, this thought sprang to mind. Seeing as they'll likely all be using the same engine, cross compatibility would be fucking easy in the long run. So what happens if one episode introduces content that the other didn't originally feature, like say, more playable characters, or different bonus stages? Would you be up for mix-matching stuff between different episodes? Yeah, I know we have don't have enough info to claim they'll do that but considering how long the original Needlemouse thread went on with even less I figure at least it'll make for some interesting discussion.

Also I guess you could speculate on episode exclusive content overall, because just having a bunch of mission packs would be a bit dull.

[Chooch]

I think the most we should honestly expect out of any sort of 'lock-on' is the game continuing on to the Episode 2 zones after the Episode 1 zones are over. Providing you download both parts of course.

[Remy]

I think the whole idea of episodes is that the second will form a game with the first.

Not sure whether they'll add anything in the second that would change the first, though.

[Diogenes]

If they do add more playable characters (which I think isn't very likely), they better be usable throughout the whole game. It'd suck to have someone (or several someones) confined to just a fraction of the game.

[Bubonic Bunny]

I thought about this idea too. I think Sega will make this a part of the game for a couple of reasons.

1) Lets say that add tails in episode 2 and allow him to go through episode 1. It will give people more reason to buy another installment so they get that extra replay value out of the first.

2) Sega couldn't release a hard copy of the game because it wouldn't have had enough content to justify. DLC allows them to though, so in an effort to make it fell like a full length game bought through DLC they will add lock on.

3) My third reason is simply continuing what S%K started.

Also how many of you would be angry if in order to unlock Tails and Knuckles you had to buy S2 and S3&K to unlock them. As if Sth4 had lock on support with the previous games.

[DaBatGuy]

Since Tails and Knuckles were absent from that countdown and it was never explicitly stated that they wouldn't appear I think there's a good chance that will be in later episodes that lock-on and make them playable in previous episodes. (Was Amy on that list too? can't remember) I also suspect that if special stages work like in the old games(collect multiple emeralds per zone/in-game super form) the new character will have their own special stage based on the game they first appeared in. Sonic has the rotating stage from S1 as seen in the trailer, Tails might have the S2 half pipe and Knux with Blue Sphere.

[Drunk Michael Myers]

I think it will be like this: You purchase Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode one, play it through, and when Episode 2 comes, you just download that, click on the regular Sonic 4 Icon and you will be able to advance in the level select or something. I dont think it will be like you have Sonic 4: EP1 and Sonic 4:EP 2(and so on) in your harddrive. They will both open from the same Sonic 4 file.

[Barry the Nomad]

I think it will be like this: You purchase Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode one, play it through, and when Episode 2 comes, you just download that, click on the regular Sonic 4 Icon and you will be able to advance in the level select or something. I dont think it will be like you have Sonic 4: EP1 and Sonic 4:EP 2(and so on) in your harddrive. They will both open from the same Sonic 4 file.

Yup! Like the Trials HD "Big Pack". Same game in your library with more goodies.

I too am all for Tails in episode 2, and Knux in episode 3, but only if they are a part of the story. No more Knuckles leaving the ME behind. Chronologically it wasn't until Heroes that Sonic Team made that mistake.

[Rusty Spy]

Yup! Like the Trials HD "Big Pack". Same game in your library with more goodies.

I too am all for Tails in episode 2, and Knux in episode 3, but only if they are a part of the story. No more Knuckles leaving the ME behind. Chronologically it wasn't until Heroes that Sonic Team made that mistake.

Sounds awesome, but what happens if someone buys/plays a later episode before the previous ones?

Though what about the Chaos Emeralds? If they do have the next episodes continue right from where the previous left off, and if you collect the emeralds yourself throughout the game, (which we will be able to do, right Sega?) It'd most likely have to have the special stages be like they were in Heroes, each level holding one emerald/special stage.

And these ideas are sounding pretty awesome and really add to the replay value, especially if they had each new episode contain lots of new unlockable content that can be used in earlier stages. Playable characters, skins, the first allowing for some great replay value on it's own, you can go back to earlier levels and access new paths and secrets that were inaccessible at first.

For the love of God PLEASE DO THAT SEGA!

Edited February 7, 2010 by Black Spy

[Sean]

Going by other episodic games I've seen, I think later episodes will attach themselves to previous installments to form a longer game, but playing episode 1 would by no means be necessary to play episode 2, and so forth.

By the way, having this game being released in episodic format is ridiculous.

[Badnik Mechanic]

I guess that if it's just Sonic as a playable character for the whole game, then the prospect of other characters going into the game in the same manaer of how Sonic & Knuckles worked is possible. For Tails and Knuckles, the stages which were the same as Sonic's did feel different when playing.

But then again, I'm not sure, the moment you add one character, the demands for more will slowly increase over time. Hopefully though if they did add characters or have them as unlockable rewards upon completion, it would just be Tails and Knuckles, which would be in line with Segas stratergy with the 'classic' range of products they've had on release lately.

Edited February 7, 2010 by Casanova

[Thirsty Pocket]

This will be my first experience with an episodic game. I really don't like the idea of the game taking up two or three spaces on my menu screen. So Im hoping episode 2 will just be a patch for episode 1, in the way that Little Big Planet got the MGS and PotC levels added onto it ( on a seperate menu, but still on the game disc ) so I can play the whole game in one sitting. I never knew Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles was the same game split in two, and upon realising that, the games felt too short to play alone, and I couldn't bring myself to play either one without the other. And it was a joy to play through the game all 4 different ways.

So yeah, I want lock on really badly, and a way to keep just one slot occupied on my PS3 menu by Sonic 4, and most definitely a way to play through episode 1 with whatever characters are provided later in episode 2 ( oe just give us dlc. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if half the hated cast of the series were in the game, especially if they provided a similar but different way to play the game. )