Sonic Forces | PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC "The Next Generations"

[Kintor]

1 minute ago, The Deleter said:

"Mere Nintendo Direct"

Sonic Lost World was kept under wraps until a Direct announced it fully; they aren't just some side thing in SEGA's eyes, lmao

When Sega makes a Nintendo exclusive game they have no choice but to promote that game at the decidedly less popular Nintendo Directs. Nobody wants to see a WiiU game at a Sony or Microsoft conference and the big two wouldn't allow it.

This month’s Nintendo Direct was just a sideshow compared to other venues that Sega can promote Sonic Forces at. Certainly worth throwing together a couple of seconds of new footage but nothing more than that.

[Bowbowis]

30 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

There's no reason to hide details we wouldn't have any context for, and they'd be more successful showing a character that looked interesting and mysterious than one that looks like a background character. It's not like a silhouette is ever going to give everything away anyway.

That kind of depends on what they're hiding. A few extra tufts of hair may not be worth the trouble but if that character has something easily identifiable in silhouette which would give away something about their gameplay or role in the story (e.g. a pair of wings) it makes some sense to keep that hidden until they're revealed in full.

It's also worth noting that we've still only seen the new guy silhouetted from behind. A lot of Sonic characters with great designs, including Knuckles and Sonic himself, look similarly indistinct from that angle:

(Honestly though, the design is kind of starting to grow on me)

[Dr. Detective]

I wish that silhouette didn't have it's legs awkwardly spread like that. Looks like he's about to take a shit on the sidewalk.

[Solly]

2 hours ago, Diogenes said:

Yeah but characters, especially cartoon characters, should have strong, recognizable silhouettes.

That's true, but isn't the current rumor that this character is customizable? What if they're silhouetted because they don't actually have a defined look for pre-rendered or promotional material?

Case in point: the avatar characters in the latest Fire Emblem games never have their faces shown in the game's CGI cutscenes. They're always obscured by something, like the camera, or a hood. 

[Diogenes]

11 minutes ago, Bowbowis said:

That kind of depends on what they're hiding. A few extra tufts of hair may not be worth the trouble but if that character has something easily identifiable in silhouette which would give away something about their gameplay or role in the story (e.g. a pair of wings) it makes some sense to keep that hidden until they're revealed in full.

If they're that desperate to hide things, they didn't have to show the character at all. They chose to reveal something, they should've made it interesting.

11 minutes ago, Bowbowis said:

It's also worth noting that we've still only seen the new guy silhouetted from behind. A lot of Sonic characters with great designs, including Knuckles and Sonic himself, look similarly indistinct from that angle:

Primarily because they were originally designed for sidescrolling 2D, I'd wager. Silhouetted or not Sonic has rarely looked good head on or from directly behind. But a new character would be designed knowing they were going to appear in 3D, so they shouldn't have that problem. Also if the character simply doesn't look interesting from the back then it was a poor choice to frame the shot that way.

That's true, but isn't the current rumor that this character is customizable? What if they're silhouetted because they don't actually have a defined look for pre-rendered or promotional material?

Yeah, that's a believable explanation for why the design is so bland. I don't buy that they look bland just because it's a silhouette or because they're seen from behind or because Sonic Team's trying to hide something about them, though.

[CleverSonicUsername]

15 hours ago, JezMM said:

While I expected the sarcastic responses from the majority, personally that tweet makes my optimism continue stronger that they're doing something unexpected and there's more to Green Hill's re-use than meets the eye.

Honestly, I think my own problem is two fold. First, I'm just not as enamored with 3D Sonic games, so Forces never had as much hope of grabbing me as Mania did. Second, Mania immediately strikes me as being more visually interesting. Then again, i think Green Hill in generations pops a whole lot more than what we've seen so far of Totally Not Green Hill.

I'd happily change my tone if they show off more and demonstrate that they have a lot more in store than what we've seen. So far it just looks kinda flat and vapid.

edit: To be fair, I think Modern Sonic's opening level also doesn't look especially interesting. Looks like Rooftop Run only on fire, and I hope I'm wrong about that too.

[Sonictrainer]

2 minutes ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

To be fair, I think Modern Sonic's opening level also doesn't look especially interesting. Looks like Rooftop Run only on fire, and I hope I'm wrong about that too.

 

They don't look the same to me...

Then again, it's really not that hard to make a City level different from Orange Roofs

[CleverSonicUsername]

Just now, Sonictrainer said:

They don't look the same to me...

Then again, it's really not that hard to make a City level different from Orange Roofs

I dunno, I look at all those and it just makes me feel it's the same level but with a different tone.

[Chris Knopps]

I'VE GOT THE PLOT TO SONIC FORCES!!!!!

The first stage is all about Modern Sonic arriving on scene JUST as Eggman begins his global attack, with his friends alerting him and/or freaking out over the sudden bombardments.

At the end of the first stage, or stages, Modern Sonic gets sent into the past and runs into his former self a second time, and from there the two progress and find a way back into the present within the span of a few stages perhaps.

The title has already confirmed both versions of Sonic wind up in the same world due to some new power Eggman has obtained, so this makes sense to me.

If the world was 99% ruled by Eggman from the start, I doubt there would be AS MUCH chaos/carnage going on. It seems it's the exact moment Eggman goes bat sh@$ crazy on everyone.

So, yeah...

We start off running through the present right as Eggman attacks, Sonic gets sent back in time, and while he's gone, Eggman conquers all. Then when Sonic finds a way back to the present with his other self traveling by his side, they take down Eggman together.

And who is in charge of the present while Sonic is trapped in the past...?

This new character. You play as this, whatever, in the present until both versions of Sonic get back.

[Shadowlax]

15 hours ago, JezMM said:

While I expected the sarcastic responses from the majority, personally that tweet makes my optimism continue stronger that they're doing something unexpected and there's more to Green Hill's re-use than meets the eye.

Sega has yet to earn my optimism on that front

[-Ace-]

 

"It is a short look at Green Hill"

What you talkin bout Nakamura

 

[Hack33rs]

2 hours ago, -Ace- said:

 

"It is a short look at Green Hill"

What you talkin bout Nakamura

 

Maybe the level only starts out as a Green Hill-ish stage and then evolves into something else as it goes on? Either that or its just green hill, but the level is literally shortened down.

[NegaMix]

Perhaps "Green Hill" will actually be somewhat similar to the 'End of the World' stage from '06, with various points in time combined into one level. In this case, the stage might start in Green Hill, but soon it changes into other stages and/or settings from past games (Sandopolis perhaps being the first change, hence the sand we've seen) before finishing the stage more-or-less in the same burning city where Modern Sonic (and most likely the third wheel) is.

In other words, a literal stage representation of Sonic's 25 26-year history.

[Ajavalo]

I've just watched last Thursday's livestream, and Aaron and Sergio say near the end that they'll be playing Green Hill and Green Hill in two weeks. Does that mean they will play Sonic Forces, os just because of the meme?

[BubbleButt TV]

8 hours ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

To be fair, I think Modern Sonic's opening level also doesn't look especially interesting. Looks like Rooftop Run only on fire, and I hope I'm wrong about that too.

I think we figured this out a while ago, but this is an entirely new city modeled after Amsterdam. It's not specifically Amsterdam, but it's using it as a basis for its design similar to how Delfino Plaza from Mario Sunshine is based off of Rome.

[Pawn]

3 hours ago, Ajavalo said:

I've just watched last Thursday's livestream, and Aaron and Sergio say near the end that they'll be playing Green Hill and Green Hill in two weeks. Does that mean they will play Sonic Forces, os just because of the meme?

That more likely means Act 1 and 2 of Mania's Green Hill

[CleverSonicUsername]

3 hours ago, BubbleButt TV said:

I think we figured this out a while ago, but this is an entirely new city modeled after Amsterdam. It's not specifically Amsterdam, but it's using it as a basis for its design similar to how Delfino Plaza from Mario Sunshine is based off of Rome.

I'm not saying it literally is Rooftop Run, just that it looks really similar. Nothing about Forces strikes me as being especially unique, or even a fun twist on old tropes, rather it seems like they're throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something will stick. Just not really interested at the moment.

[Kuzu]

12 hours ago, Tracker_TD said:

Sonic JP News already did:

 

"It's not Green Hill zone, but the totally original stage "Bleen Hill" zone"

[DarkRula]

Oh, come on! We all know it's the completely original Neerg Hill Zone.

[FriendBot]

2 hours ago, Pawn said:

That more likely means Act 1 and 2 of Mania's Green Hill

They're just joking around about the overdosage of Green Hill, I think they're going to play more Unleashed next stream 

[Lord-Dreamerz]

2 hours ago, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

"It's not Green Hill zone, but the totally original stage "Bleen Hill" zone"

More like Bland Hill Zone. ;P

Moving on from Hill Zone jokes... I hope Forces final boss is a epic robot/mech and isn't a running down endless hallway battle... as much as l can like those... we really need something else after all the last games. And I kinda would like if each character got a separate final boss at the end of the game (With save/break option between each boss.) There's even ideas they could do like a huge robot and a army of badniks... But hope they don't do the thing where you switch between all the playable characters on a single level during the last battle... It feels lame to me when that happens.

I also would like to see a new Metal-Sonic fight... Something little different would be nice as we had a few now with him in a 2D race... But considering Metal-Sonic is built for mainly speed unlike the other bots... I do feel it would need to be a fight that best uses speed as it's focus regardless.

[Alex2Beta]

Really wonder what that line about it not being GHZ is getting at - and hopefully not in a way like "It's Block Hill Zone!!"

Imagine if the NotGreen Hill Zone was just a mirage explaining why there are distant pyramids and sand all over the place - or it's just GHZ and Tails/Modern Sonic/Whoever/Bubsy says it's not 'cause sand. :U

[JosepHenry]

5 hours ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

I'm not saying it literally is Rooftop Run, just that it looks really similar. Nothing about Forces strikes me as being especially unique, or even a fun twist on old tropes, rather it seems like they're throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something will stick. Just not really interested at the moment.

It looks different enough to me, is a mix between Unleashed and Lost World art style, is the first time they use a cartoony style in a darker game.

Is kinda hard to see, but the trees are the same as Lost World, the next stages can get really interesting if this one doesn't catch your eye.

[Auroxen]

5 hours ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

I'm not saying it literally is Rooftop Run, just that it looks really similar. Nothing about Forces strikes me as being especially unique, or even a fun twist on old tropes, rather it seems like they're throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something will stick. Just not really interested at the moment.

I really don't understand how the two can be considered similar.

It seems like you're saying "it's european architecture so all the same" lol.

They look wildly different to me, they'd be even more different if the city wasn't on fire because the buildings are really colorful.

[Blue Blood]

They're both cities with colourful buildings, no skyscrapers and some sort of bridges. They're very, very tenuous comparisons. I'm really interested in seeing the rest of this level, and the other levels in offer.

Can't let this post sound too positive though, so fuck Green Hill, I guess.