98 replies to this topic

[RedAuthar]

Ugh...I got to the second Hub and I can't get to the levels because of bad directions.  When I press the button to tell me "where to go" I keep getting lead to a dead end.  

 

Other than that the game feels like one of those PS2/GCN era Sonic games. It just feels like the action gets broken up to much by forcing you to swap characters, cutscenes that basically say "let's go" again, and a few of the early stages are filled with empty rooms that have some sort of jumping puzzle followed by a small enclosed area where you have to fight a bunch of enemies, then rinse and repeat.  

 

To all designers out there, don't break up your action by having enemies only in designated fighting areas, and having those areas a reward for solving a puzzle. It quickly feels like padding to make a game feel artificially longer when I have to ride and elevator while fighting enemies off after doing a no-challenge jumping puzzle.  

[Ogilvie]

Beat Rise of Lyric!

Story: Interesting enough, but there were elements that didn't need to be there. I think a prequel would be better than a sequel.

Characterization: A lot better than we'll probably get from any mainstream Sonic game for a while.

Gameplay: I breezed through it. Combat really isn't that tedious, especially if you use the Enerbeam to throw enemies into hazards.

Graphics: They need to patch this department up. Not just the graphics themselves but how things load/render. Some textures looked flat and there's a lot of lag.

Overall: Not a stellar Sonic game but it's not terrible.

More in depth, spoiler thoughts:

Spoiler

While the cliffhanger is intriguing... I really hope they tighten up the story and graphics next game, assuming there is one.

I also hope they do a prequel instead of a sequel first. I'd really like to get some more background about this world; if they essentially have their SEGA canon backstories going for them, what was the point? They knew each other, Shadow, Eggman, Metal, etc... it may as well have been a main title story-wise.

Interested to see exactly what Eggman could get up to with Lyric's Iron-Queen-Ripoff button, either way.

...I just hope Shadow's in for a reason besides fanservice next time.

[RedAuthar]

I think the 3DS one is the sequel of the Wii U one....

[Ogilvie]

I think the 3DS one is the sequel of the Wii U one....

Apparently they meet Lyric for the first time in both games.

Split timeline, maybe?

"You know what we should do? This is already a split timeline from the main Sonic canon... let's split it again!"

What's weird is both have elements that tie more into the cartoon.

[NeonBlack]

Haven't had the pleasure(?) of trying either game since I don't own any game consoles, but the footage I've seen indicates that both games were pushed out the door about 6 months before they were ready. Are they badly designed, or just badly optimised?

[LogiTeeka]

Haven't had the pleasure(?) of trying either game since I don't own any game consoles, but the footage I've seen indicates that both games were pushed out the door about 6 months before they were ready. Are they badly designed, or just badly optimised?

I'll place my money on "badly optimized". The level designs and gameplay could've easily worked had they further refined the game program. But sadly, the game's progress was slowed down by various BRB members leaving the game during production.

It's not at all like "Sonic '06", where the idea was flawed from the start. Had 06 been completed, the story still would've been terrible and the overall direction a complete betrayal to most fans.

[Uncle Ben]

Haven't had the pleasure(?) of trying either game since I don't own any game consoles, but the footage I've seen indicates that both games were pushed out the door about 6 months before they were ready. Are they badly designed, or just badly optimised?

 

Kinda both

[Uncle Ben]

So a report came out today that Boom has been in development since as early as '09.

 

http://www.tssznews....om-concept-art/

 

If its true... then they really botched this game

[stm858]

What's mentioned here, coupled with the amount of redesigns and concepts (still love the Sonic with t-shirt and short, btw), it just sounds like they had no idea what direction they wanted to take it. Like Sega just approached them and asked them to make a new Sonic game but not a Sonic-Sonic game, and left it at that.

 

Like they were told they had freedom, but not too much freedom. Do what you want with it, but don't stray too far from the path we've laid out for you.

 

This is starting to sound more and more like a complete and utter shamble from day one.

[ILOVEVHS]

This video shows a lot of things I'd hate.

Sonic Boom is a Sonic Bust.

[LogiTeeka]

@ILOVEVHS It greatly depends on who's reviewing it.

So far, these reviewers have been the most fair In judgement:

https://m.youtube.co...h?v=198OyG1YX64

https://m.youtube.co...h?v=aS8tkajJ6uw

[stm858]

I think it's fairly safe to say now that this was a complete disaster. I could accept a half-assed platforming game that Rise of Lyric seems to be at first glance, but coupled with the issues and bugs that it has and this seems to be a completely irrelevant game. I was tempted by Shattered Crystal at first since I have the 3DS, but not too big a fan of modern 2D stuff, and the "collecting everything in each level" is a put-off for me. I liked the full-3D game of Lost World, so this seems like a step back for me.

[Uncle Ben]

Currently sitting at 33 on Metacritic.

 

For the record thats 13 points lower than '06

[ILOVEVHS]

I played through the demo. Oddly enough, I liked it.

I might get it when I see it in a bargain bin.

[Uncle Ben]

I'm still standing by the 5/10 i gave it

[RedAuthar]

Haven't beaten it yet, but I still give it a C

[Raven]

I have taken a long look into Sonic Boom with lets plays and reviews, then playing the actual game myself for some while. And here's what I've come up with:

 

While Big Red Button was ambitious in their attempts, they were simply misguided and rushed far too much. They were probably 50% through and about to have some major revising before it's release. Somehow... Somehow Big Red Button has managed to take everything fun about a Sonic game and throw it out the window. Insultingly simple puzzles, frustratingly nondescript open world landscapes, half assed combat system... All these are the basic mechanics that cripple Sonic Boom. I understand the idea, and if it were a different franchise, I'd give them an A for effort, but it's Sonic, the "Fastest Thing Alive". What exactly about Sonic Boom resembled the classic Sonic games we set the standard by? Those weak, short mach speed sections with a camera that seems like it was mounted on a heledrone flown by a preschooler. 

 

But that's all the mechanics, I haven't even started on characters, cut scenes, voice acting, and some other things.

 

The characters are a joke! Sonic sounds like he has a carrot shoved up his ass the entire game, and those mini quills are an odd yet not terrible touch, Knuckles... I actually liked Knuckles' physical design, save the fingers. But I hate how he was made out to be an absolute moron. Normally Knuckles is just tough and the "Punch first, ask questions later" kind of guy. He's not dumb, but he's no Robotnic. But almost every line of dialogue, every cut scene with him in it, everything, every single moment they can, Sonic Team portrayed the rough, tough, red echidna to be a dim witted moron. I get it, one little doofy line here and there sells the point, "Yeah, he aint bright" But putting him five points above mental retardation is degrading to the character. Now Amy, she's actually pretty cool. A bit more sassy and less clingy to Sonic, very fitting for her. Tails.... I don't have anything good or bad to say about him. And Shadow, my childhood favorite, the antihero, the Ultimate Lifeform.... Reduced to a creepy sounding punk. His voice is honestly the worst I've heard so far, and he sounded like a constipated pedophile in Sonic Generations. He just shows up to pick a fight with Sonic, for, and I shit you not this is the real reason, because he wants to show Sonic how weak he is because of his devotion to his stupid friends.... SHADOW DON'T WORK THAT WAY! Shadow doesn't give two flying, shiny fucks about what the hell Sonic is doing! He would never pick a fight for such a stupid reason! If Shadow wants to fight Sonic, he'd just show up and be all like, "Hey Sonic, I'm gonna kick your ass because I feel like it." Sonic Boom was the nail in the coffin for Shadow's image. Not like his own game did him justice, but he at least had dignity. 

 

 

Other problems, frame rate tanks from time to time, the AI is beyond idiotic, the textures take three years to load, hit boxes are a myth in this game, rings have little value since you can only have 100 and they are scattered EVERYWHERE, the animation has no soul. The characters have blank, often expressionless faces and a thousand yard stare. Amy is the most expressive of them all, though thats to be expected of her. 

 

 

I am very disappointed with the Big Red Button. I give Sonic Boom a Q/63.

 

One last note... FUCKING BOUNCE PADS!!!

[RedAuthar]

 

What exactly about Sonic Boom resembled the classic Sonic games we set the standard by?

A Blue Hedgehog that can run really fast being followed by a computer controlled partner that a player could control.  

 

To be truthful here, this is the fans' fault, not Big Red Button or SEGA.  Why?  Well Sonic Boom stated from the start that this was an Adventure game not a speed game.  While that isn't the ideal choice for a Sonic game, we knew ahead of time this wasn't going to play like your normal Sonic Game.  

 

And that's not a bad thing.  SEGA's biggest problem is they try too hard to hold onto the Classic Sonic Games' style, which just isn't working.  They need to rework the games from the ground up.  Rather than focus on imitating the games of the past, they need to focus on making a game that WORKS.

 

The Mega Man X series also suffers from trying to imitate it's past games too.  In fact they did a rather good job of that.  But it didn't work in the 3D world of games.  

 

Super Mario Brothers broke from the tradition of their Classic Games with Mario 64.  That game established nearly every game of the N64.  

 

I'm not saying Sonic Boom is good, it's quite bad.  What I'm saying is fans should NOT compare new Sonic games to old Sonic games.  They should look at each one as its own entity and decide if that game is good or bad.  Only if the game is a direct sequel should it really be compared to the games before it. 

 

So yeah comparing Sonic 4 to the classic Sonic games is fitting as it was SUPPOSED to be the same. 

 

 

Now Amy, she's actually pretty cool. A bit more sassy and less clingy to Sonic, very fitting for her

Really?  Cuz while I completely agree with your opinion on Knuckles (Seriously what the heck Red Button? By the way...how's the Master Emerald Doing?) I find Amy uninteresting and completely boring.

 

While yes her personality over the years has been quite annoying, when you take her mad fan girl desire for Sonic, she's just another nice Hedgehog.  Worse is she comes across as the trope that the girl only competent character, and the boys are dumb.  Between the two, Amy that makes mistakes because she's madly in love with Sonic vs. Amy who is the competent girl character, classic Amy's personality is more interesting.  

 

It's not a step in the wrong direction, but it's not a step in the right direction either.  It's a step to the side.  Same distance from the goal, but doesn't really help you.

 

Now this is for the game itself as in the show her personality is expanded a bit more and it's a little bit more interesting...just still not for me.  

 

 

And Shadow, my childhood favorite, the antihero, the Ultimate Lifeform.... Reduced to a creepy sounding punk. His voice is honestly the worst I've heard so far, and he sounded like a constipated pedophile in Sonic Generations. He just shows up to pick a fight with Sonic, for, and I shit you not this is the real reason, because he wants to show Sonic how weak he is because of his devotion to his stupid friends.... SHADOW DON'T WORK THAT WAY! Shadow doesn't give two flying, shiny fucks about what the hell Sonic is doing! He would never pick a fight for such a stupid reason! If Shadow wants to fight Sonic, he'd just show up and be all like, "Hey Sonic, I'm gonna kick your ass because I feel like it." Sonic Boom was the nail in the coffin for Shadow's image. Not like his own game did him justice, but he at least had dignity. 

 

 

I agree completely save for one detail.  The Shadow we know and love comes from a universe where he had a traumatic past of witnessing his only friend murdered in front of his eyes.  His personality is built on the fact he doesn't want to be hurt again, he avoids attachment.  Since Sonic Boom did away with the Master Emerald, it is safe to say that they also did away with the Ark incident.  Because of this Shadow would need a new back story which would change is personality.  

 

While the method they chose is STUPID, and Shadow is ultimately just thrown in to bring in the Shadow fans, it makes sense his personality would be different.  They just focused on his rivalry with Sonic. 

 

Also I think it's completely based on that first fight with him in SA2 where one of your hits on him he spouts, "I'm the Coolest," for no reason.  

[LogiTeeka]

Okay, here's something I don't get...

Most fans are perfectly fine when the gameplay departs from the norm, because it's a spinoff title. But when it comes to alternate continuities, they complain that the characters aren't the same.

Um... Isn't that part of the definition of an "alternate continuity"? It's a different interpretation of the original series; which includes the cast of characters. It's came to be expected with many other popular franchises, so why not here?

In all honesty, I kinda enjoy the "Boom" version of Knuckles. He has some of the funniest lines and there is something endearing about his character in the series. He's not the smartest knife in the drawer, but he certainly isn't useless, being the most powerful member of the team. And because he's an alternate interpretation of the character, it doesn't bother me much, unlike most other fans.

What DOES bother me, however, is how the main-canon version of Knuckles is depicted as an idiot. If you're familiar with how he was in the main games ("Sonic 3 & Knuckles" to "Sonic Heroes"), you knew he was a fully capable guy and a devoted guardian. But ever since "Sonic X", he was flanderized into a complete moron that easily succumbed to his short-temper and gullibility. Now this would've been fine, had it been exclusive to that continuity; but ever since the show started, that characterization was adopted into the games, and the red echidna has lost all respect since then.

There's a difference between having a character with a specific personality in one series, and gradually turning him into something he wasn't before. To me, the latter is worse.