Sonic Lost World @ Gamescom

[KrazyBean]

Well, shoot, man, I think this game's art direction is really beautiful. It may not be quite as detailed as Unleashed and Generations, but I still honestly think it's quite a sight to behold!

 

Damn, ran out of likes...yeah, I'll just say that I agree with this.

[Solly]

 

I took a quick glance at this screenshot, and the way the reticle for the homing attack is placed, it made it look like the Motobug was wearing a little monocle. 

LIKE A SIR.

[Tani Coyote]

I took a quick glance at this screenshot, and the way the reticle for the homing attack is placed, it made it look like the Motobug was wearing a little monocle. 

LIKE A SIR.

I can't unsee this now. Thanks for pointing that out!

I guess if Eggman can't be a gentleman like he was trying to be in Sonic 06, his Badniks can, perhaps.

I guess it's a leftover of the Time Eater's effects, maybe?

I just know I'm looking forward to mastering the controls of Lost World... back at Boom, I would homing attack enemies and get stuck on them. I would immediately start panicking and be confused as to what I was supposed to do. I'm hoping to get a better look at the controls at Expo 2013 in a few days, since there won't be a horde of fans lining up behind me.

[StaticMania]

I just know I'm looking forward to mastering the controls of Lost World... back at Boom, I would homing attack enemies and get stuck on them. I would immediately start panicking and be confused as to what I was supposed to do. I'm hoping to get a better look at the controls at Expo 2013 in a few days, since there won't be a horde of fans lining up behind me.

Was that on the Candy level?

[Tani Coyote]

Was that on the Candy level?

Correct! I know it's supposed to be sticky but this is ridiculous.

I was overall just very confused about what I was supposed to do. To say the least, Lost World not using a Gamecube controller like the prior Wii games is going to make for some very interesting control challenges... but hey, with all the easiness of most recent titles, this challenge is welcome.

[Tani Coyote]

I will admit it's pretty strange that they didn't give us reskins for the racing mode at least. Let us consider that Hardlight is spitting reskins out like candy, pretty good ones too, and I doubt they have anywhere near as much money to work with.

I'm really hoping that with the Wisp powers and such, they're at least debating ways they could bring other characters in and not have them cause a break in the momentum. Ultimately I think that's why alternate playstyles fell out of favor; they clashed with Sonic's sense of speed. If done right you can maintain that and give each their own little quirks.

[FReaK]

soooo..I have played it at gamescom on wednesday.

 

I liked every single sonic game, even 06 when it first came out. But this just doesn't...fell like sonic. It sounds like it, it looks like it...but it just does not feel 'right'. It's like Mario on crack..but not like sonic..

 

I have played Windy Hill and the Casino stage of frozen factory. the levels were quite good, but none the less the whole game just doesn't feel right for me. Sonic is way too slow (he was even faster in the adventure series)...but well. The full game is pre ordered, maybe I think otherwise when I get to play the full version..

[ArtFenix]

soooo..I have played it at gamescom on wednesday.

 

I liked every single sonic game, even 06 when it first came out. But this just doesn't...fell like sonic. It sounds like it, it looks like it...but it just does not feel 'right'. It's like Mario on crack..but not like sonic..

 

I have played Windy Hill and the Casino stage of frozen factory. the levels were quite good, but none the less the whole game just doesn't feel right for me. Sonic is way too slow (he was even faster in the adventure series)...but well. The full game is pre ordered, maybe I think otherwise when I get to play the full version..

As expected.

Thank you for this mini-preview).

[StaticMania]

Correct! I know it's supposed to be sticky but this is ridiculous.

I was overall just very confused about what I was supposed to do. To say the least, Lost World not using a Gamecube controller like the prior Wii games is going to make for some very interesting control challenges... but hey, with all the easiness of most recent titles, this challenge is welcome.

The enemies from Sonic CD can't be killed with a Normal Homing attack every time. Hit them once and they get angry, hit them again they'll start carrying you around for a few seconds. You had to use the homing kick attack instead(Pressing the "X" button I believe).

[SuperLink]

Tails' lack of inclusion as a playable character isn't due to programming difficulty, laziness, or anything like that. It's 500% intentional, and they're avoiding making other characters playable at all costs because every time they make other characters playable they get pelted with "Sonic's shitty friends" comments and reviews.

 

Tails isn't playable on purpose, they're doing everything they can to keep Sonic the only playable character on purpose. To SEGA, it's the only way they won't get endless streams of complaints and hate about Sonic's friends. Unfortunately they can't seem to tell the difference between Sonic's friends being badly implemented (most games from the last decade) and Sonic's friends being inherently bad. They seem to think it's the latter.

 

I'm guessing Sonic 4 Episode 2 was their last shot at this, they made Tails mandatory and made coop moves mandatory. As a result, people complained, and SEGA took this to mean people never wanted to play as anyone but Sonic.

 

When in reality they just don't like being forced to use characters, they'd prefer the option. If S4E2 was designed more like S3&K with different paths for each character, that could have been achieved.. but nope.

 

Ah well. Sonic only forever, and everyone (fans and SEGA alike) is to blame.

[Tani Coyote]

The enemies from Sonic CD can't be killed with a Normal Homing attack every time. Hit them once and they get angry, hit them again they'll start carrying you around for a few seconds. You had to use the homing kick attack instead(Pressing the "X" button I believe).

Ahhh, thank you for that!

It really does go to show this game's likely to present more of a challenge control-wise than prior titles... it sounds like the enemies have a lot more detail to them than "boost or homing attack to win" like the bulk tend to have.

I'll definitely give credit to Sonic Team for changing the means of engagement around.

[Willsy]

As expected.

Thank you for this mini-preview).

 

Don't rise to it Art.

 

From what we've all heard, it depends on who's playing the game. There's been people who said it plays really nicely, just like a Sonic game. Also don't count it as a mini preview, because it's just one person's thoughts on the game. 

Why try to go to all lengths to boycott a game you don't like when you could just ignore it?

[Komodin]

As expected.

Thank you for this mini-preview).

 

Oh dear. One person isn't completely gelling with a game that is almost certainly gonna be somewhat divisive among the fanbase. That completely validates your negative impressions of the game, and invalidates all the other positive impressions of said game.

 

Come on now, man. It's one thing to not like how the game is looking, but now you're just being a bit obnoxious about it...

[ArtFenix]

Er..Sorry, didn't mean anything like that. I do dislike the game to say the leaste, but it was just a response to the guy's impressions. Although I expect more similar responses from many more people once the game is released and a month or two pass.

Just my small observation this time, nothing more.

 

P.S. If all the people who hated the werehog didn't speak about that but just avoided doing that, SEGA might've not noticed that it's badly executed. Same here. If people like myself will just avoid commenting on the subject, everybody will think everything is fine when that's not true.

Same applies to barebones stories nowadays, Sonic-only bs, lack of replayability etc.

[SuperLink]

Same applies to barebones stories nowadays, Sonic-only bs, lack of replayability etc.

But barebones story is something most people like. I know it's hard to tell from within the Sonic fandom like here where people are attached to various story aspects, but one of the reasons Sonic became a laughing stock in the first place was for the games with stories in them. SEGA will get more praise than criticism for the simple story whether we like it or not. They ain't comin' back.

 

Also for what it's worth there is absolutely no indication that SLW won't be replayable, each level has multiple routes n everything, moreso than Unleashed-Generations at least.

 

Although I admit I would like to see what happens if SEGA get good constructive criticism on why Sonic's friends could be playable. The problem is SEGA will most likely get mixed messages. Until now all they heard was "we hate Sonic's friends fuck you" and now they're probably hearing "where are Sonic's friends fuck you". Not nice or helpful things to hear.. yet unfortunately that's the kind of "feedback" most "fans" give.

 

It's a shame that SEGA doesn't seem to really tune into the finer constructive criticisms so they might understand why people like or dislike Sonic's friends.

To avoid repeating my last post in full I'mma stop here.

Edited August 23, 2013 by SuperLink

[ProfessorZolo]

P.S. If all the people who hated the werehog didn't speak about that but just avoided doing that, SEGA might've not noticed that it's badly executed. Same here. If people like myself will just avoid commenting on the subject, everybody will think everything is fine when that's not true.

Same applies to barebones stories nowadays, Sonic-only bs, lack of replayability etc.

The difference there is that, factually, the Werehog's gameplay was flawed. A lot of people can tell you that. Some people liked it anyway.

But there's nothing really wrong with Lost World. At least, not to the degree there was with Unleashed. You just don't like what you're seeing, but that doesn't mean the game is some abomination, y'know?

Sure, it's not what you wanted out of a Sonic sequel, but it doesn't deserve the shit you're trying to shovel onto it.

For the record, I too have played the demo (at Summer of Sonic), and found that, while it does feel different, it doesn't feel bad. It's good fun, and seems like plenty enough of a Sonic game to me!

[edvedd]

I do think that the best thing for the series was for Sonic Team to refocus on getting the core Sonic part right. Granted, the lack of any movement back towards multiple player characters is probably playing it safe on their part (It works, so why tinker with formula?), but as long as the core Sonic gameplay stays fun, I don't see it as a flaw, personally. I do enjoy a little purity. 

 

And the different impressions of Lost World are perfectly natural. People are going to react differently to something new, and there enough positive impressions to balance out the negatives. It probably just means that your mileage may vary, and that's perfectly OK. We don't all need to be 100% on everything. But that does mean we have to read a wide variety of impression to get a better picture of things, and not just focus on the ones that validate our point of view.

[Balding Spider]

soooo..I have played it at gamescom on wednesday.

 

I liked every single sonic game, even 06 when it first came out. But this just doesn't...fell like sonic. It sounds like it, it looks like it...but it just does not feel 'right'. It's like Mario on crack..but not like sonic..

 

I have played Windy Hill and the Casino stage of frozen factory. the levels were quite good, but none the less the whole game just doesn't feel right for me. Sonic is way too slow (he was even faster in the adventure series)...but well. The full game is pre ordered, maybe I think otherwise when I get to play the full version..

 

I see. Not to shit on your impression or anything but this doesn't completely persuade me into thinking Lost World will end up being a letdown experience. You say it was good yet doesn't feel like a Sonic game. If there's one major thing I've learned from returning to this fanbase it's that what makes a Sonic game feel like a Sonic game varies heavily form fan to fan.

 

The greatest example for me being Sonic CD, one of the slowest Sonic games out there with most bizarre level structures. And because of that lots seem to hate it or love it. But like I said I'm not trying to shit on your impression.

P.S. If all the people who hated the werehog didn't speak about that but just avoided doing that, SEGA might've not noticed that it's badly executed. Same here. If people like myself will just avoid commenting on the subject, everybody will think everything is fine when that's not true.

The Werehog was a sloppily constructed genera switch up used nothing more than to extend the gameplay time of Unleashed. It was padding, bad padding which proved Sonic Team didn't entirely learn from their past failures. Lost Worlds is just Sonic traversing the stage freeing animals and killing (cuter) badniks with slower speed. And how on Earth did you come to the conclusion that if someone doesn't speak up everyone will think everything about Lost Worlds is A-OK.

We're not living in some bubble void of criticism Art, we have, and will continue noticing issues with the game.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Balding Spider

[Pawn]

But barebones story is something most people like. I know it's hard to tell from within the Sonic fandom like here where people are attached to various story aspects, but one of the reasons Sonic became a laughing stock in the first place was for the games with stories in them. SEGA will get more praise than criticism for the simple story whether we like it or not. They ain't comin' back.

 

Who are most people? Critics? The online fanbase? People are often quick to point out that the majority of sales come from kids. I doubt they care what people on the internet moan about when it comes to Sonic. I don't know about you, but if I was a kid now, I would be far more interested in the franchise if it had more story that also fleshed out its characters. Hell, the Adventures didn't do a great job, but it was enough to increase my enjoyment of the games and get me more invested in the franchise in general. Imagine if they tried again, using what they've actually learned from the past instead of simply throwing it all out.

 

They only have to make playable characters and a larger story work well for critics to accept them. It's as simple as that. Both would benefit the series greatly, allowing kids to get more attached to the various characters, thus shifting more and more merchandise and possibly even create enough demand for another cartoon, etc etc. That is to say nothing of how a story can enhance the overall gameplay experience. Fans still bang on about Adventure 2 being the best thing since sliced bread, despite its alternate gameplay and dodgy dialogue, and I'd guess that is due in no small part to the fact that the story and emphasis on characters made it so memorable to them.

 

It's a shame that SEGA doesn't seem to really tune into the finer constructive criticisms so they might understand why people like or dislike Sonic's friends.

 

Sadly, this is what it boils down to. Someone is always either making a stupid decision or handing over that decision to someone else (fans and critics), instead of really thinking about the implications of what they themselves and other people are suggesting.

 

That said, I'm not trying to have a go, in case it seems like that. My frustration is primarily aimed at Sonic Team or SEGA, whomever's calling the shots. I just feel that people are perfectly justified in complaining about the lack of a story. 

Edited August 23, 2013 by Pawn

[Kuzu]

It should be noted for the most part, the impressions have been positive from most sites and the fans who have played it at this point. Not that there haven't been people who don't like it(Hogfather comes to mind), but there's far more positive than negative.

 

So I'm not seeing how the gameplay is going to be so divisive; if anything, its just going to be another Colors, people generally liking it with the "fans" on the internet complaining.

[KrazyBean]

It should be noted for the most part, the impressions have been positive from most sites and the fans who have played it at this point. Not that there haven't been people who don't like it(Hogfather comes to mind), but there's far more positive than negative.

 

So I'm not seeing how the gameplay is going to be so divisive; if anything, its just going to be another Colors, people generally liking it with the "fans" on the internet complaining.

 

Which is extremely funny when you think about it. The majority of non-fans like the game whilst the "fans" don't. Backwards logic at its finest.

[Kuzu]

Sadly, this is what it boils down to. Someone is always either making a stupid decision or handing over that decision to someone else (fans and critics), instead of really thinking about the implications of what they themselves and other people are suggesting.

 

That said, I'm not trying to have a go, in case it seems like that. My frustration is primarily aimed at Sonic Team or SEGA, whomever's calling the shots. I just feel that people are perfectly justified in complaining about the lack of a story. 

 

While I really hate the simplistic approach to the series, I understand why it was done; the series was becoming more and more associated with really pretentious and outright terrible plotlines so naturally they're going to try and downplay it. 

[Chaos Warp]

Which is extremely funny when you think about it. The majority of non-fans like the game whilst the "fans" don't. Backwards logic at its finest.

Well non-fans don't think about or have the passion of the series that we do. In that way we're Sonic's best critics: we won't be satisfied with just good enough. 

Edited August 23, 2013 by Chaos Warp

[Kuzu]

Which is extremely funny when you think about it. The majority of non-fans like the game whilst the "fans" don't. Backwards logic at its finest.

 

I wouldn't even say that, Colors is generally a well received game among the fanbase despite what anyone thinks, given all of the praise it tends to receive. 

[Willsy]

Hopefully the next main series game will have Tails and Knuckles in multiplayer at least. I can understand them not being in the main story, but multiplayer?