Sonic: Lost World

[Chaos-Fusion]

Now this seems like an interesting discussion thread

Nope, mistaken.

[Jassbec]

Nothing big about the game has been announced lately so... we're just fooling around.

[Sparks]

https://twitter.com/RichIGN/status/342376783536070656

IGN will be showing some new stuff tomorrow, including footage of the 3DS version.

[Geckoroverse]

Fingers crossed that the gameplay shows promise, because this will be a deciding factor in whether I buy a 3DS or not. I mean, I want all those other great 3DS games, but if I'm going off to college when this game comes out, I sure as heck better have a good handheld version to keep me in business.

[Highwire4]

Yo. It looks amazing

http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=204402

[Duckboy]

Yeah that looks great

[BlitznBurst]

"Desert ruin" doesn't really sound like a very fitting name for that level. Even dessert ruin wouldn't work because there aren't even any ruins either

Game looks amazing though

[Geckoroverse]

Oddly enough, despite Dimps overseeing the creation of the 3DS version, I actually kinda' liked it more than the Wii U version on initial analysis. Maybe I just don't see any big Dimp-isms yet (aside from Caterkiller chase and fucktons of hoops together), and yet despite not having seen any big branching paths and what seem to be fences hindering Sonic from going below (as well as the rather half-assed loading portions for the levels), it seems a bit more...stable? From what I've seen classic items such as elemental shields and all appear in this version as well, and they seem to be better embracing the new gameplay than I initially suspected.

Wii U's Desert Ruins...Sonic Team, there is a point where too much diversity in your levels goes a little out of hand. I mean, the tropes are cool, but they don't seem to fit together. At least the 3DS version gets the "desert ruin" aspect that is suspected: We have gravity-defying sweets for one Act, and suddenly a giant tree with honeycombs in the next. I can maybe understand if honey is being associated with the "sweets" theme, but could you maybe made it more...desert-y? Ruin-y? I could cite similar complaints for the first act as well.

I dunno, while I do have quirks with the idea of forcing certain gameplay on level tropes I would otherwise play like the game promises from Wind Hill...actually, I might be less questionable of the game's seeming nonsensical diversity if we had the option to explore all these level tropes to the same degree. But it still irks me a bit.

That being said, I am still looking forward to seeing more on the game, and I hope our E3ers out there can give us the scoop on how well the level design seems to fair thus far. The told us about having plenty of paths and other such things, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

~slight rant over~

[fumetsusozo]

I just like totally watched the Wii U version pre-E3 video…

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/07/e3-2013-exploring-sonic-lost-world

This… game... Is… Beyond epic Epic EPIC!! It is really super amazing cool awesome mega fantastic WIN! Whoo! ...Sometimes at days like this, I always feel I must had been almost born just to play this game… It’s just… "Foams at the mouth then faints." Ohhyeeeeaahh.

[Duckboy]

Wii U's Desert Ruins...Sonic Team, there is a point where too much diversity in your levels goes a little out of hand. I mean, the tropes are cool, but they don't seem to fit together. At least the 3DS version gets the "desert ruin" aspect that is suspected: We have gravity-defying sweets for one Act, and suddenly a giant tree with honeycombs in the next. I can maybe understand if honey is being associated with the "sweets" theme, but could you maybe made it more...desert-y? Ruin-y? I could cite similar complaints for the first act as well.

This complaint is insane. More level variety is ALWAYS a good thing. Besides from what it's called which to me just seems like a placeholder name for the demo anyway. The food stage and honeycomb stages looked awesome. Too much diversity is the way to go.

[Geckoroverse]

This complaint is insane. More level variety is ALWAYS a good thing. Besides from what it's called which to me just seems like a placeholder name for the demo anyway. The food stage and honeycomb stages looked awesome. Too much diversity is the way to go.

I think the big thing I'm leaning towards here is perhaps my preference toward how diversity was treated in the classic games - essentially the same sort of themes throughout, but each given a unique spin. Same world, different variations of it. I don't see that here, even if the name is a placeholder.

I'm not arguing against diversity - I'm just pointing out how batshit insane the contrast is between the level tropes thus far. No zone continuity whatsoever.

[Sparks]

I think it's kind of clear that "zone continuity" isn't in their priorities this time around.

I kind of like it, it's allowing Sonic to explore more landscapes and new level tropes. I don't think Sonics even had a beehive stage before.

Though the 3DS version of Desert Ruin plays true to the stereotypical "Egyptian" theme. It looks boring and unfun.

[Geckoroverse]

I think it's kind of clear that "zone continuity" isn't in their priorities this time around.

I kind of like it, it's allowing Sonic to explore more landscapes and new level tropes. I don't think Sonics even had a beehive stage before.

Though the 3DS version of Desert Ruin plays true to the stereotypical "Egyptian" theme. It looks boring and unfun.

I suppose it's mainly the zone name that irks me in that regard - you don't exactly come into a "Desert Ruin Zone" expecting floating candy and trees with honeycomb. It's almost as if the level tropes themselves are this trope incarnate.

I mean, I'm sure it will be FUN (auto-running level I'm not sure about though), but I'll give the 3DS version a bit of credit being somewhat in theme (though truthfully I did expect a lot more candy in my desert ruins, Dimps). Though the level shown does look rather tedious - asethetically charming, I will admit however.

[Sparks]

I'd say to just not think into the name too much, a rose by any other name is just as sweet.

[BlitznBurst]

I thought the 3DS Desert Ruins looked quite fun, actually. It takes advantage of the parkour system more than the Wii U version does, at least in the levels we've seen so far. Also the music is pretty great as well.

It's nice to see Dimps step up their game for this one

[Serephim]

The 3DS version just looks superior to the wii-U version. The Wii-U version looks more like a tech demo, whereas the 3DS version looks like a significantly better application of concept. The Wii-U version was looking neat...until we passed the first level, and then we're back to mediocre 2D stages that look more forced than inspired. The "Jungle Joyride" on-rails speed section looked...it just looked boring. What's it even there for? And the 2D stages are such a missed oppertunity, oh my god. The stage is full of twists, curves and turns, but the camera (and gravity) rotates as sonic travels along the curves...you're basically playing a flat stage with a cinematic camera angle.

It's like a mario stage, except with most of the mario removed, and almost all of the sonic removed as well. I don't get it.

And this is really my biggest complaint with Sonic Team, and the only thing I found fundamentally wrong with Generations -- they are trying to make way too many games at once, and with inconsistent quality. The new cylindrical parkour-based gameplay was something to warm up to, but essentially I think its a great idea....So why don't they just build a freaking GAME around that concept? Why do they keep resorting to filler 2D/Rail speed sections, none of which are even remotely as fun looking as the new cylindrical stages which keep you in full control and let you DO stuff?

...they seem to be better embracing the new gameplay than I initially suspected.

I agree on pretty much everything. With the exception of the embarrassing transition sections' date=' the 3DS version not only embraces the new gameplay well, it seems to be realizing it better than Sonic Team is. First off, the 3DS version's camera is just in a much more natural, immersive position than the Wii-U versions. Yes, the stages are cylindrical now, but it isn't forcibly seared into your sockets like in the Wii-U version. Galaxy's stages are the exact same way, but it doesn't feel so unnatural because it doesn't fly you so far out from the action and lock the camera on an axis like that...

The 2D stages though is where I was [i']delightfully impressed[/i] with the 3DS version. Not only do they seem to employ decent gimmicks, but for the first time since like, Sonic 3, the 2D gameplay of sonic has incorporated new features that complement the old ones. The Spindash has a clear function again. It seems like now they've finally given Sonic a new feature that helps define his abilities while also improving gameplay for the better. I usually don't have much (good) to say about modern 2D sections in 3D Sonic games, but this is a rare occasion where i'm excited for them. Only because the 2D sections in the 3DS version don't seem to subtract anything from Sonic's moveset or gameplay, like they do in Generations/Colors and are doing (heavily) in the Wii-U version.

So...

Wii-U:

Part 1 --- Awesome new sonic gameplay. Sonic Team adopts an RTS camera angle for a platformer. For some reason.

Part 2 --- Sonic is fully hacked into a mario game. Loses 1 dimension and all his new gameplay features. Not nearly as interesting as Part 1 or any real mario game. (Hopefully it's just this stage.)

Part 3 --- Gains 1 spatial dimension. Loses input dimensions instead. It's Terminal Velocity taken out of context, and thus extremely boring looking.

3DS:

Part 1 --- Awesome new sonic gameplay. Hardware limitations spawn the worst real-time loading transition ive seen in years. Scale also suffers. Camera does not suck though.

Part 2 --- Loses 1 dimension, retains all gameplay features (?!?!?!!!?!?!???!?) Looks like what Sonic 4 should have been.

[Jassbec]

I'm all up for this, no complaints at all.

This being an spiritual sequel to Colors (My second favorite Sonic game) only makes it better.

YOU AREN'T GETTING BITCHIN' OUTTA ME GUYS.

EDIT: I'm also diggin' that music.

[Kessler12]

It looks like Mario Galaxy but the gameplay seems pretty cool. I'm not going out of my way to buy a WiiU...

[Rawr]

I really hate the Wii U edition.

But the 3DS copy looks fantastic. I find that kinda hilarious in a sense, but I love how much WIDER the level looks. Makes the tube aesthetic less shitty in my opinion and looks like you have a lot more room to roam around, wheras the Wii U game looked like it was incredibly linear (despite them saying you have like 4 paths almost at all times). The 3DS version I am excited for I think but I absolutely hate how the console edition looks/plays.

[Serephim]

Makes the tube aesthetic less shitty in my opinion and looks like you have a lot more room to roam around, wheras the Wii U game looked like it was incredibly linear (despite them saying you have like 4 paths almost at all times).

It's the camera. It has to be that shitty camera system. There's tons of stuff on the map, way more than the 3DS version, but the camera is zoomed out and snaps in a way that makes the stage literally look and feel like a cylinder. I had to keep checking to make sure sonic was actually controlled with the analog and not snapped to specific rails.

In the 3DS version you can feel the scale of the walls and the depth of the environment because it keeps the camera with sonic, kind of like the adventure series. On Wii-U everything feels...i dont know, but it doesn't feel like a platformer. If they said "you point to a spot and sonic goes there" i'd have believed them.

[Rawr]

Perhaps its just the camera, but I do think in general the 3DS one is more than just a camera trick. I am sure you could zoom it out to the same sort of angle and the level would still be wider in general. The Wii-U one looks terrible to me because like you said the odd camera angle and then I also think the level being more 'narrow tube' than the 3DS only adds to that.

I hate the fucking cylindrical look on the Wii U. It is just a clever way to always hide that you are still going in a straight line with tons of speed boosters. For a title that eliminated the boost, they seem to be artificially making up for it with boosters. Don't get me wrong, I kind of enjoy the last few titles with the boost and wanted a change but this seems backwards - why give the player a new control scheme and a fresh new idea when you're essentially locking them into quick rapid successions of automation?

The 3DS one at least had what appeared to be a lot more roaming space...which I find kind of funny considering its Dimps' title and I still felt it looked more spacious and like you were in more control. Yeah there were a few small dimps-isms in there, but they were rather easy to overlook aside from the lazy in-level transitions. That said I can also overlook those provided the level itself otherwise is fun - and it appears I'd have way more fun on the 3DS than the Wii U.

[ila]

I think both versions look fun, but damn those 3DS loading transitions are bad. Dimps needs to fix that stat.

[Serephim]

Dimps gets alot of bad rep, but as a company I generally like their games. It usually takes one or two tries, but Dimps eventually hits a sweetspot with a franchise, and overall are way more consistent than Sonic Team themselves. The Advance series (1 and especially 3) were pretty damn respectable efforts. Rush was great from the jump. The DBZ games were pretty meh from 1-2, but Budokai 3 was a gem of an anime game. Burst Limit was heading in an awesome direction, if only they didn't lose the licensing rights so Spike could ruin everything.

Unfortunately, Sega has recently just been using them to shovel out platform holder titles.

why give the player a new control scheme and a fresh new idea when you're essentially locking them into quick rapid successions of automation?

Yeah, i don't get it. It's like ST is basically trying to please way too many ideas instead of being faithful to a single one. It's like 2D Sonic gameplay only exists for the sake of there being 2D sonic gameplay. It's like the automated running sections only exist so they can still tell people "sonic goes fast". They develop new gameplay mechanics that encourage interaction and exploration, and then show 2 levels where (literally) none of it is ever used once.

[Mr. Potatobadger]

I'm not gonna be nitpicky on a game we barely know about. I mean come one, it's a sonic game. We are on an online forum friggin dedicated to sonic games. I can't really complain. I don't think any of us by ourselves could make that game as good as sega does. I know I'm gonna play it. Sega could put a piece of poop in a box, put Sonic's face on that box, and I would still by it. No, that was not a reference to 06.

[Rawr]

People who don't make movies, music, or art critique all three of those things on a regular basis and cannot make anything half as good as what they are talking about. That has to be the most lazy defense of anything ever.

Just because I am on a Sonic forum doesn't mean I automatically have to love everything they ever do all the time hahahaha.