Sonic Lost World in PAX Prime 2013

[Tails spin]

placing this here too.

 

http://nintendoeverything.com/tons-of-sonic-lost-world-3ds-screenshots/

[Agent York]

Alright, so played Silent Forest and Dessert Ruin, both from the Wii-U version.

I actually liked Dessert Ruin quite a bit. It's a stage many have seen by now, the one with all of the candy, but I thought it was very well designed. They made some changes to it since the E3 demo as well.

Firstly, I thought enemy placement was well-done, which is a serious compliment from me. I feel a lot of enemy design in Sonic games tend to feel rather filler in that the enemies are basically harmless and there to be destroyed, or the opposite and their places in annoying places just to be a challenge but not really fun. In this stage some thought was obviously put into it. There were a few group of three ants together. I first thought this was going to be filler-type enemy chains, but these enemies are tricky. Rolling into them or jumping at their side only angers them, and jumping on top of them or hitting them from above with a homing attack makes them grab onto you and carry you as they start a self-destruction sequences you have to try and break free from. The three grouped together makes it so it's harder without good timing to just jump right over them and risks them grabbing you and exploding. Motobuga, which typically are harmless enemies in the game, are placed on short licorice platforms with low roofs, making spin dashing into them risky as you might roll off the edge, and jumping must be well-timed as the low roof leads to much shorter jumps and not enough time to get a target for homing attack. There's also a section with a Red Ring that moves around a center cookie platform that you must wait for on an Oreo platform, which tilts by weight based on where you stand on it, so you must balance it. However, as you balance and wait for a red ring to circle around, a buzz bomber shows up and goes from one side of the Oreo to the other, shooting at you from the middle out of reach. You have to wait and weigh one side up to reach the buzz bomber is on the other side of the cookie and then rush it and defeat him before he runs off, but failing the timing or hit likely means a projectile to the face.

I also found the music very upbeat and catchy, very hummable. Not too much for me to say that wasn't already evident in videos.

I wasn't actually too fond of Silent Forest personally, though. It was harder, yes, and it looked pretty. The music was nice, sort of soothing and almost jazzy... But I don't know if it was the opening and closing flowers I just couldn't quite figure out what I was doing to open and close them, the hurtful mud that was almost certain death if the flowers nearby were closed, or just some of the tricky but oddly functioning enemies. There's giant spider robots that are easy once you know how to defeat but very punishing If you mess up or time it wrong. They spin attack if you get close to them to knock you back, they will quickly leap into the air if you kick them twice or don't quickly follow your kick attack with a homing attack, and they can get tricky and swing around if you ignore them for too long. There's the mushroom throwing robots from Sonic & Knuckles, who are easy to hit but get hit by a mushroom and it will almost certainly throw you into the mud pits, and a cool looking but mostly useless dragonfly robot that shoots constant lasers underneath but only moves in a straight line.

There was also a lot of grinding in this stage, which was fun and not too difficult or easy, but disn't do much for me personally, though the giant alligator robots that ate part of the track were cool, as were seeing those shooting pod chickens from Wing Fortress in Sonic 2 on the rails.

This said, I didn't get any red rings in the level and only saw one, so likely secrets to this stage I haven't quite seen.

I have this feeling those who want Sonic Generations 2 are going to be disappointed, but those who want Sonic Colors 2 are going to love it. It feels like Colors, but better I'm every way. How Wisps are used, level design, prettiness, mechanics and controls, etc. Only debatable thing is music, but that is to be seen.

[Radrappy]

I'm certainly pumped if this is indeed colors 2.  

 

Was the mud instant death if you touched it?  What would happen?  Would sonic just keel over?

[Shade Vortex]

I'm certainly pumped if this is indeed colors 2.  

 

Was the mud instant death if you touched it?  What would happen?  Would sonic just keel over?

You lost your rings if you landed in it. It's just a dangerous substance. If you have no rings though you will die from it. It's no bottomless pit-like substance, though. (Yeah, I also played Silent Forest, and the Snowball stage of Frozen Factory. I also played Windy Hill's 2D act.)

Edited September 2, 2013 by Shade Vortex

[Radrappy]

Any impressions to share, Shade?  Of silent forest or the snowball stage in particular?

[Narukami07]

Or how other Wisps controlled in your impressions?

[Shade Vortex]

I had trouble with Indigo Asteroid on the Wii U version, in the 2D act of Windy Hill. I did accidentally skip the hint bubble tutorial, so kinda my own fault. Other than that, I liked how it worked in the 3D act of Desert Ruins on 3DS, but it was kinda floaty. Same with Ivory Lighting on the Windy Hill stage.

 

Also, the 2D act of Windy Hill is pretty fun. It's rather easy, but I do like the windmill platforms that launch you into the air, and I like the sheep that ram at you. Oh, and for what it's worth, I couldn't quite figure out fully how to actually dash off from charging a peel-out, or how to get to those secret areas (like the cannon hidden in the air in the Dessert Ruins 2D act) that you seemingly need to spindash up to. I tried charging a spindash, but it didn't carry me high enough to reach it.

 

The Silent Forest is actually pretty tricky. Switching grind rails basically works as it did in SA2, just jump and move to the direction the next rail is in, and you'll hop to the next rail. The spiders were easy to deal with, and the Eagle Wisp was fun and easy to use. The problem mostly came with the crocodiles, rail switching and the mud. While rail switching was easy, I found myself not doing it in time to escape falling into the mud. It takes practice to get used to, since it's more demanding of the player than most rail sections.

 

I for one couldn't really beat the Frozen Factory snowball stage. For a while I was doing well, taking the slow approach, collecting all the rings. But it bit me in the ass when the Crabmeat badniks launched homing missiles at me, and I was going too slow to dodge them. I think I was supposed to spindash into them/go fast enough to roll them over before they launched the missile. Anyways, I kept messing up at that part and lost all my lives, so I had to give someone else a go. It isn't really hard to control though, you just have to get used to slowing yourself down when you need to, and then spindashing to go fast again.

 

In general, except for the 2D Asteroid Wisp and the floatiness of the 3D Asteroid Wisp and the Ivory Wisp, I had no problems with the Wisps. I also, for the most part, didn't have any major  problems with the stages on the Wii U version, except the Dessert Ruins stage, which really does feel pretty barebones. Meanwhile, on the 3DS version, I didn't really like either Desert Ruins stages, though I liked the snowboarding Frozen Factory.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Shade Vortex

[edvedd]

Good to hear that Eagle works well, at least. 

[Radrappy]

yeah, my number one concern at this point is the wisps.  They worked so well in colors that it would be a shame to see them drag this title down.  

[Bouldergeist]

I had trouble with Indigo Asteroid on the Wii U version, in the 2D act of Windy Hill. I did accidentally skip the hint bubble tutorial, so kinda my own fault. Other than that, I liked how it worked in the 3D act of Desert Ruins on 3DS, but it was kinda floaty. Same with Ivory Lighting on the Windy Hill stage.

 

Also, the 2D act of Windy Hill is pretty fun. It's rather easy, but I do like the windmill platforms that launch you into the air, and I like the sheep that ram at you. Oh, and for what it's worth, I couldn't quite figure out fully how to actually dash off from charging a peel-out, or how to get to those secret areas (like the cannon hidden in the air in the Dessert Ruins 2D act) that you seemingly need to spindash up to. I tried charging a spindash, but it didn't carry me high enough to reach it.

 

The Silent Forest is actually pretty tricky. Switching grind rails basically works as it did in SA2, just jump and move to the direction the next rail is in, and you'll hop to the next rail. The spiders were easy to deal with, and the Eagle Wisp was fun and easy to use. The problem mostly came with the crocodiles, rail switching and the mud. While rail switching was easy, I found myself not doing it in time to escape falling into the mud. It takes practice to get used to, since it's more demanding of the player than most rail sections.

 

I for one couldn't really beat the Frozen Factory snowball stage. For a while I was doing well, taking the slow approach, collecting all the rings. But it bit me in the ass when the Crabmeat badniks launched homing missiles at me, and I was going too slow to dodge them. I think I was supposed to spindash into them/go fast enough to roll them over before they launched the missile. Anyways, I kept messing up at that part and lost all my lives, so I had to give someone else a go. It isn't really hard to control though, you just have to get used to slowing yourself down when you need to, and then spindashing to go fast again.

 

In general, except for the 2D Asteroid Wisp and the floatiness of the 3D Asteroid Wisp and the Ivory Wisp, I had no problems with the Wisps. I also, for the most part, didn't have any major  problems with the stages on the Wii U version, except the Dessert Ruins stage, which really does feel pretty barebones. Meanwhile, on the 3DS version, I didn't really like either Desert Ruins stages, though I liked the snowboarding Frozen Factory.

So the mud acts like quicksand except you lose rings

[Narukami07]

Hopefully there's a way to bypass the Wisp controls with the control stick after activating them, like how one user managed to find that out with Cyan Lazor Wisp during his SoS trip. It's great that the Wisps are totally optional (like literally) this time in the game, but i'd be damned if i wanted to use them more if not for the gimmick controls hurting them.

[edvedd]

yeah, my number one concern at this point is the wisps.  They worked so well in colors that it would be a shame to see them drag this title down.  

 

As far as I can tell, Rhythm shouldn't be very troublesome, since that's just tapping a screen. Drill will probably be drawing a path on the game pad, which again, shouldn't be an issue. Rocket I'm not sure, Laser seems to be pretty bad. Asteroid seems tricky. Eagle seems to work well from Shade's impressions. That bomb one I have no idea.

Edited September 2, 2013 by edvedd

[PickleBrows]

 That bomb one I have no idea.

 

Depends what end of the spectrum it's on. If it's at the laser wisp end of things then you'll probably activate it via a good chuck out of the nearest window.

[Scar]

Its almost like people are trying to convince themselves the game sucks because since they are never getting a Wii U and they don't want to feel like they are missing out on a game.

I don't give a shit about what console the game is coming out on. I go by what I see, and what I see just doesn't amaze me as much as it does others. I love the way the story seems to be going though, because it looks like it could be hilarious and potentially serious too. But the level design so far, doesn't leave me feeling much.

(and because most people here are Sony folk anyway)

This just isn't at all true.

There are more than likely a 50/50 split between Nintendo fans and Sony fans. Though I reckon there are actually more Nintendo folk on this particular board.

[Agent York]

Yeah, the quicksand isn't instant death, but you can't run in it and it hurts you, so let's say the flowers suddenly close on you and you're in the middle of a big stretch of it. Then you're basically dead. Wasn't helped I didn't know how to open the flowers, though. They don't open automatically, though. Honestly I think the Wisps are a huge non-issue from what I've played. They controlled fine, they're absent in most of the playable stages so far, and so far they're optional in all of them too. Most you'll miss not using them is some alternate paths/secret areas with rings an lives and such/an easy way to deal with some enemies. In this instance I think people are making mountains out of ant hills, honestly. I liken Wisps in this title as power-ups in Mario games, they aren't exactly the same but they're useful, not needed to beat stages, but can be used to access secret areas.

[Willsy]

Looking at that gameplay video a couple of pages back, it seems that Sonic can run fast. Faster than his Generations speed (without boost of course) anyway.

[Blitz 'n Burst]

Don't you just jump on the flowers to open them?

[Agent York]

Don't you just jump on the flowers to open them?

No, and trust me, I tried. Jumping on them when they're closed hurts you. I think it has something to do with speed though as they usually opened if I spin dashed over them (which inadvertently is how I passed the area as I found a shortcut using the spin dash that makes you skip over the flower sections almost entirely with some well placed spin dash jumps).

[Autosaver]

The ranking system was tricky from what I could tell, though currently only in the 3DS version for the demo. Lowest ranking I saw gotten was a D, highest was a B. They were giving Sonic merch to anybody who could get a B rank or above on any stage. Rank is decided by score, which is effected by time, rings, Flickies collected, stage score, and deaths.

 

SEGA not giving away incredibly easy S ranks in every stage?

 

This can't be happening! You actually have to try to get them now.

[Bouldergeist]

Sorta like a cross between Sonic Adventure 2's and unleashed's strict ranking system

[Narukami07]

Pure Gameplay footage of Silent Forest/Frozen Factory!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWCMDiKOUk
 

SEGA not giving away incredibly easy S ranks in every stage?
 
This can't be happening! You actually have to try to get them now.

 
Yeah, the ranking system in Generations was far too piss-easy with the over abundance of getting S-ranks in most stages. It got rather boring too fast.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Narukami07

[Blitz 'n Burst]

SEGA not giving away incredibly easy S ranks in every stage?

 

This can't be happening! You actually have to try to get them now.

um, you've always had to try and get them. Generations was the exception, not the rule.

[Agent York]

I'm not sure how it'll be on consoles, but on the 3DS I am pretty sure it's score-based. Some things give you points normally, like doing tricks with a snowboard or hitting bumpers, but is of course highly gauged by stage time, Flickies freed, and rings at the end of the stage, with points detracted for deaths. It's not too different outside of enemies defeated playing a bigger role in your score, but the requirements were definitely harder than Generations at least. Would need to you around more with it to claim anything more than that.

[___-_]

No, and trust me, I tried. Jumping on them when they're closed hurts you. I think it has something to do with speed though as they usually opened if I spin dashed over them (which inadvertently is how I passed the area as I found a shortcut using the spin dash that makes you skip over the flower sections almost entirely with some well placed spin dash jumps).

You sure? From the Silent Forest footage we have, the player seems to just jump on the flowers for it to open, which works multiple times.

 

Even from the B Roll footage provided a few post above, you even hear a SFX initiate indicating you open the flower once jumping on it.

[Agent York]

You sure? From the Silent Forest footage we have, the player seems to just jump on the flowers for it to open, which works multiple times. Even from the B Roll footage provided a few post above, you even hear a SFX initiate indicating you open the flower once jumping on it.

I'm certain, but thinking on it maybe kicking or bounce attacking might open them. I saw the video too so I thought I was just supposed to jump at the flowers and was dying as they would not open up and just jumping on them when they're closed hurts you.