A Sonic-Themed FPS?

[novelty]

Well, again, since people usually change views over games over time, what if SEGA/SonicTeam/BioWare(unlikely)/whatevercompanythatgetsroyaltiesfromusingSonic'strademarks decided to release a Sonic-Themed FPS where its completely first person and actually shoots using guns instead of rings (not like that game everyone was talking about in SAGE 14)?

If you do not get the question, then pretty much the question is: Do you ever what to play a serious FPS with a Sonic Theme?

[Noir]

Is it possible?

Yes. For money.

Do you ever what to play a serious FPS with a Sonic Theme?

No.

[Blue Blood]

No.

/thread

[Rusty Spy]

[Solly]

I can't come up with any response more appropriate than "fuck no" so I'll just rest on that.

Sonic isn't a series that really ever handles these strange experiments well. Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic the Werehog and Shadow the Hedgehog were colossal failures, the latter of which in particular tainted the series' image beyond repair. I'd rather they not change the entire genre and just stick to the things that work, and have whatever innovations that develop in the franchise actually compliment Sonic. If I'm playing a Sonic game, it's because I want to play a SONIC game, and Sonic isn't a first person shooter.

Besides that, and the fact that the series would only be subject to more ridicule, I'm set on FPS games. We've had enough of those this generation, and too few that actually make themselves stand out.

Also what Black Spy said.

[Tori Himemiya]

Uhhh... Someone certainly hasn't played Shadow lately.

If people didn't take that seriously then they'll most likely not take this seriously.

And I quote...

"I personally wouldn't be caught dead using those things!" ~Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog

[JaidynReiman]

I honestly don't know how that would work. Sonic isn't first-person material at all. And yeah, Sonic wouldn't be caught dead using those things.

Even the third-person shooter aspect didn't fare well. Of course a first-person shouldn't would fail miserably. Swordplay didn't work, either. Just stick to Adventure/Platforming games. Spinoffs can handle some things like Racing, but shooters do not work with Sonic.

Even RPG is a little iffy, because the series is known for speed. A few games have had some RPG-like elements (Black Knight, Sonic Unleashed, and Chronicles, an ACTUAL RPG [which wasn't half bad, IMO]), but that aspect didn't really fare too well. (Chronicles had heavily mixed opinions...)

[Diogenes]

Not a chance. I mean...what characters could even believably be in an FPS? Not even Shadow could be taken seriously with a gun in his hand. Rouge, maybe. Fang, if he were revived. Eggman? Various GUN personnel? That's barely enough to make a game around...and Eggman aside, they're all second tier characters at best. There's no way they'd put out an FPS starring any of the series' main characters...and without them, I doubt you could even convince them to make a bog standard platformer, much less something as unlikely as an FPS.

Even RPG is a little iffy, because the series is known for speed. A few games have had some RPG-like elements (Black Knight, Sonic Unleashed, and Chronicles, an ACTUAL RPG [which wasn't half bad, IMO]), but that aspect didn't really fare too well. (Chronicles had heavily mixed opinions...)

I don't think Chronicles failed because it was an RPG, more because it was a crappy RPG. It's an uphill battle, yeah, but the (lack of) quality did far more to hurt the game than being a Sonic RPG did. Honestly, if it was done right, a Sonic RPG would probably be a fair spinoff.

[seawulf]

Not in this lifetime. Or the next.

[Saint Nathan]

how the fuck would you get that idea even

it's not even very good in SRB2, and they did it right

[SuperStingray]

My first instinct is to say that it's absurd, but if my love of science has taught me anything, it's never to dismiss a thought without first entertaining it. So let's go around it hypothetically.

Firstly, it shouldn't star Sonic. Sonic already said himself in Shadow that he wouldn't be "caught dead with one of those things [weapons]." And even without saying that, it's clear that Sonic's not a killing hero. Some heroes aren't afraid to get blood on their hands, but Sonic is not one of them. He's pretty much the living opposite of that. Even being seen with a gun would be as out of character as putting Pikachu in a fighter jet. The reception to Sonic holding a sword alone was bad enough, so a gun is out of the question.

What about the other major characters? Shadow himself seems like the most fitting, as he's had experience with guns and has the most aggressive demeanor, but even if his title WAS well received, it still doesn't answer why someone whose powers revolve around the supernatural and high-speed acrobatics would need traditional weapons or vehicles of any sort. If Shadow can't do it, I can't really see it fitting Tails or even Knuckles. Eggman sounds worthy, having built armaments and weaponry for as long as we remember, but he's more defined by his vehicles, and playing from the "first person" of one of the Egg mobile, let alone himself sitting IN the Egg mobile seems kind of awkward and pointless.

So who does that leave left? As far as I see, either a new major character or mooks, and God knows we don't need any new major characters, at least for the time being. So... a GUN Soldier? It fits, but you might as well drop Sonic from the title altogether if it's just going to be another military shooter.

But what would be interesting would be one of Eggman's robots. Think about it- they have custom-made (potentially highly original) weapons built into their chassis and even room for upgrades. The gameplay possibilities are pretty strong. And I for one would like to see a more... subtle FPS that kills the stereotype of the gritty space/war/spacewar shooter. Omega, Gamma or even a new model could fit; it would certainly be interesting to see Sonic's world from the perspective of the redshirt.

And yet, the franchise alone would probably kill the concept. People are still confused about the idea of XCOM becoming an FPS out of nowhere. Sonic would be even more of a longshot. Shadow certainly doesn't help it's case, but I'm not one to deny that something could work just because it didn't. But maybe when the series gets back on its legs and if it's introduced properly, maybe, MAYBE it could work. But I'm not holding my breath.

Edited July 1, 2010 by SuperStingray

[Noir]

putting Pikachu in a fighter jet.

I would pay money for this.

[Blacklightning]

Once again, I'm forced to use Ashura: Dark Reign as a reference. Sigh.

Now see, ADR was originally built on an FPS engine. This meant that in the earliest stages, it was literally just a modified build of UT2004 with Sonic models and items. We ditched most of the UT mechanics long before the jump to UDK, but for what it's worth, it did work even back then. We used a modified version of ShTH's ringloss system for it, which removed grace invulnerability (except for when a player's rings were completely depleted) and scaled ringloss proportionally to the strength of the attack they'd been hit with. This had the interesting effect of spewing rings like a fountain when shot with a minigun, and throwing them all over the place with a triple-barreled rocket launcher shot, and it was interesting to gamble in mid-firefight whether to pick up your lost rings as they were shot out of you, or risk losing them entirely to make sure your opponent was dead first.

The thing is, we didn't have a physics system back then either, and looking back on it now, it's virtually impossible to have physics-influenced gameplay and tourney-standard gunfighting without one drawing heavily on the standards of another. A shooter veteran expects to be able to change direction at a moment's notice, and frankly, with acceleration and slope physics in place, it's next to impossible to do anything within short notice when you're needed to, making you a massive sitting duck in the face of enemy attacks especially if you're not already at reasonable speed when you're shot at. SRB2 was a godsend in this regard in that acceleration is so high that it's barely noticable outside of the most intense of firefights, but it still finds ways to prove to be a nuicance nonetheless. That's not to say physics and shooting can't co-exist - just that you'd need a completely different approach to accomodate both.

One last thing too - just because it's labelled an FPS doesn't necessarily mean the game is going to be firearm-based. It's a generalization of the playstyle in general, and a lot of people here seem to be under some kind of misconception that FPSs are obligated to use guns by default. It could simply mean an FPS method of control. Say for example, you could use FPS/TPS controls to loosely aim Homing Attacks as opposed to the game deciding your target automatically depending on your direction of facing, or it could even be just using FPS methods of camera control (which for the record, are massively better than anything a 3D Sonic game has ever used, period). So really, discussion here ought to be centered around ways the franchise could use the FPS playstyle in general, rather than who's better with guns. Believe it or not, guns and FPSs aren't mutually exclusive, despite the name of the genre.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

putting Pikachu in a fighter jet.

That would actually be pretty cool tho.

If Shadow can't do it, I can't really see it fitting Tails or even Knuckles.

I'd at the very least argue that Tails would be fitting with a gun, seeing as how he wasn't above using mechs equipped with one.

It doesn't have to be a traditional gun tho; I would actually prefer something like lasers or some other type of energy weapon for him to use. It could turn Tails into a living Apache attack helicopter, and if done right it could be fun. Now how they go about doing that is where the question hits a road block, but I don't think it would be that hard to work around nor would it be much of a controversy if Tails equiped himself with weapons like that. As strong as his two tails are, he's one of the weakest characters in terms of combat ability in comparison to other characters, although ironically he has the most potential over most of them.

I'm not sure how this would work in terms of an FPS game tho, but I just wanted to get that little detail for Tails out of the way.

[HunterTSF]

When first reading the topic, I was like "lol no" - until I read this:

So who does that leave left? As far as I see, either a new major character or mooks, and God knows we don't need any new major characters, at least for the time being.

lol yes!

Sure, although Shadow would most probably be the prime candidate to get a starring role in a Sonic FPS if one were to come to fruition, the concept of a FPS centred around Eggman's mecha mooks taking part in some sort of spin-off escapade against some enemy of Eggman's just sounds too awesome to resist. Super badnik adventures, ahoy!

Of course, unlike Shadow the Hedgehog, this game should be as light-hearted and silly as possible - something akin to Sonic Colors in terms of mood. Eggman's up against... somebody that isn't Sonic and his buddies (Eggman Nega, perhaps?), and it's up to him and his robots to move on out and defeat this opposing force!

There'd be a wide selection of playable badniks to choose from. Egg Pawns seem the best suited for the all-around player character role, due to their humanoid build and having functioning hands and a wide variety of interchangeable weapons. However, other badniks can be used for special situations - Meleons/Newtrons could be used for stealth attacks, Valkyns/Balkiries could be used for some epic aerial combat missions, and Egg Hammers could be used against the more formidable larger foes with first person hammer-wielding action! Heck, you could even use Taga-Tagas for underwater exploration and stuff! Metal Sonic for speedy missions! With so many badniks to choose from, the possibilities are endless!

Environments would be vibrant and colourful. As Eggman's fleet, you could storm through Green Hill to attack Eggman Nega's army! Hide behind those iconic indigo-coloured rocks for cover, Rings could be used to recover health, use Item Boxes to reload on ammo or obtain power ups. Hidden rooms with a bunch of rings or special weapons could be uncovered, and all that jazz! Springs, Dash Panels, Dash Rings etc. will all be present (and Dash objects would be justified - not all badniks can move super fast on their own, after all). However, the faster robots can even utilize the loop-de-loops on their own! Later stages could pit you in Eggman Nega's futuristic bases complete with level specific gimmicks that you'd expect from a Sonic game!

Boss battles could be epic. For boss battles, you play as Eggman. In one of his boss mechs. Against Eggman Nega. In one of his boss mechs. They'd expand upon elements featured in normal gameplay, though. A Egg Hawk vs. Egg Falcon Nega boss battle would play similarly to the standard Valkyn or Falco badnik gameplay.

Story? Eggman's discovered that Eggman Nega's up to no good and is planning something...bad. He's kidnapped Sonic and his buddies using his camera or something, and he plans to destroy the woooorllldd! It's up to Eggman and his army to save the day!

Goddommot. I want this non-existant game now. D:

Edited July 1, 2010 by Sweet Mountain Zone

[-Mark-]

No. D:

Totally, totally unfitting. The only way you could make the idea passable would maybe be as a Gamma-style spinoff of something. That, or swap out guns for something like water pistols.

But yeah, I can't see it working. Even if they kiddified the concept enough to appeal to the right audience, it still wouldn't suit the gameplay.

Well, then again, like I said, I can almost see a Gamma FPS spinoff working, now that I mentioned it. So long as you go around shooting other robots and not the main Sonic cast, as much as I'm sure some would like to.

[Scott]

If they slap it under the name Shadow the Hedgehog 2, then yes!!

To be honest, I liked shadow the hedgehog, and I've wanted a sequal, but i personally wanted it as a light-gun shooter

[Blacklightning]

badnik FPS goodness

For some reason that gave me the impression of a game of TF2 with Badnik models. And hell, why not? There's plenty of different Badniks and Egg Pawns to form their own class definitions out of.

No. D:

Totally, totally unfitting. The only way you could make the idea passable would maybe be as a Gamma-style spinoff of something. That, or swap out guns for something like water pistols.

But yeah, I can't see it working. Even if they kiddified the concept enough to appeal to the right audience, it still wouldn't suit the gameplay.

Well, then again, like I said, I can almost see a Gamma FPS spinoff working, now that I mentioned it. So long as you go around shooting other robots and not the main Sonic cast, as much as I'm sure some would like to.

Call me crazy, but I feel like I've been a bit completely ignored. I think I'll just reiterate this time.

One last thing too - just because it's labelled an FPS doesn't necessarily mean the game is going to be firearm-based. It's a generalization of the playstyle in general, and a lot of people here seem to be under some kind of misconception that FPSs are obligated to use guns by default. It could simply mean an FPS method of control. Say for example, you could use FPS/TPS controls to loosely aim Homing Attacks as opposed to the game deciding your target automatically depending on your direction of facing, or it could even be just using FPS methods of camera control (which for the record, are massively better than anything a 3D Sonic game has ever used, period). So really, discussion here ought to be centered around ways the franchise could use the FPS playstyle in general, rather than who's better with guns. Believe it or not, guns and FPSs aren't mutually exclusive, despite the name of the genre.

[Sega DogTagz]

Meh, half the pull of using a franchise is the franchise itself, so getting the rights to a Sonic game and then making it first-person really takes a lot of the umph out of the concept. Nobody would really want to play Arkam Asylum in first-person, because half the fun is watching Batman whip around and cracking skulls. I believe that short of innovative twists, the same is true for Sonic. That sours the FPS angle, especially as a oneshot from an outside developer.

That leaves us with the 3^rd person angle (like Shadow) which has been done already. So another one would be a bit redundant. I think I would enjoy a game focused around characters like Gamma or Omega though.

That being said, I would almost kind of expect a paintball styled party game. The cast of characters could fill that in nicely.

[goku262002]

"I personally wouldn't be caught dead using those things!" ~Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog

Umm...

[HunterTSF]

Umm...

PICTURE

Well technically that guy pictured is an animate Trophy of Sonic, and not the real Sonic.

The trophy guy has other ideals. And he can swim, too!

[Agent York]

^Besides that's the game where Peach holds a gun and Sonic doesn't talk, it's obviously a pseudo alternate reality.

A Sonic FPS be something like this, cursing and 12-year olds and all. But honestly why not just use a mod to get your Sonic FPS goodness?

Edited July 1, 2010 by Dusk the Alan Wake Keeper

[Saint Nathan]

Umm...

That's not Sonic! Note the wrists.

AHA. ONCE AGAIN RECOLORS SAVE THE DAY.

for once.

[Shaddix Leto Croft]

My reaction to this idea

Edited July 1, 2010 by Crash

[Fairfieldfencer]

Uhhh... Someone certainly hasn't played Shadow lately.

Shooting was first introduced in Sonic Adventure with one of the most well received characters Sonic's had (Gamma).

Also, we've had shooting, but never has it been first-person. For an entire game, I don't think it would work. If you had one character's levels themed in FPS, it might work. Like if you made Omega's levels FPS style (which would be fine by me). Doing it with Shadow again would be a bad move since speed would be severely lacked. A new character (or a robot one) would be preferable since they couldn't say it lacked the speed characters normally have, because the character isn't meant to be fast. If handled well and the right decisions were made, it might happen. I mean, SEGA's made some pretty well received shooter games before.