I'll tempt you with a goldfish Temple in Tomb Raider til the end of time @RogerRoger!!!
And phew I'm glad to hear you enjoyed reading it! Was a little worried it wasn't quite up to snuff personally
I never mentioned it in the review but considering what goes on in the game there are of course a few images shown through it that can make you a little uneasy Rog but they're never too detailed and blood is stylised in the game to be bright neon pink (I'm not sure if that's to get past the japanese ratings, a creative choice or a mixture of the two).
As I mentioned one chapter is a bit heavy going in particular as well with senstive subjective matter and you could potentially find one or two revelations about the characters a little off putting as well.
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Does Cold Steel 1 run on a calendar system? At least in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Persona 4/5, I found the structure made even short gameplay segments feel satisfying, which made up for their own sometimes slow pacing.
Anyway, if anything of consequence happens before hour 50, then it's automatically better than Trails in the Sky FC.
Also, great Danganronpa review! Glad you took to it! Unless you're going for the platinum trophy in Danganronpa V3, I don't know that I'd call any of the games difficult, but what I can say is that the sometimes predictable trial writing in the first game improves dramatically in DR2 and especially V3, leading to more satisfying mysteries. But, yeah, they're all pretty mild as far as the difficulty goes. Which doesn't particularly bother me: while I like a challenge in a lot of my games, hard adventure games usually end up being pretty aggravating. Especially the older ones with really inscrutable environmental puzzles.
The games definitely aren't technical powerhouses, but I really took the visual style of them. As with Persona 5, Okami, The Wind Waker, and so on, I've found the games that stand out to me as being most memorable are ones that embrace a unique visual identity.
I will say, though: between Teddie in Persona 4, Monokuma in the Danganronpa series, and Zero Jr. in Virtue's Last Reward, I'm kind of over animal characters making animal puns constantly.
On the "sensitive material" front, I really, really disliked everything about how Chihiro's real sex was revealed and discussed within the game. With that said, a lot of Japanese media is bad about stuff like that, so it's hardly the end of the world, but it does also add to my dislike of the original game relative to its (imo) superior sequels.
@RogerRoger These games have the most intense discussions you'll ever see in a video game, since you're always pretty much one logical slip-up away from certain death in a class trial and people are often panicked and talking over one-another. That might help to contextualize why discussions are set to pounding electronic music.
Not a fan of Troy Baker, I take it?
@nessisonett I hope it's a Steins;Gate situation with Sky SC. The first half of that show was slow as sin, but once it got going halfway through, it never really slowed down until the end. If FC's development informs a thrilling second game, I'll probably feel a little kinder toward it.
@Ralizah I loved how Steins;Gate totally pulled the rug in its second half. It played up on your preconceptions about these sorts of shows and whacked you over the head with them. I wouldn’t say Trails in the Sky SC is a literary masterpiece but I really enjoyed how it had a totally different structure for the first game and built on relationships from the first game. It’s very Japanese and of course quite tropey so I’ll never quite understand Kratos’ overwhelming love compared to some more forward-thinking and innovative games but it’s one of the best games I played on Vita.
@Ralizah Yeah Kratos loves Cold Steel but I’ve seen enough of those games as well to know that in objective terms of plot and tropiness, it’s pretty similar to Sky and Zero. Zero’s been alright, I miss the turbo button so much and the quartz system feels like a step back but I quite like the setting and it’s a good translation all things considered. I found out what was going on though, if I put the Vita into sleep mode for more than roughly 10 seconds then the light flickers which is an indicator that it’s going into deep sleep. Deep sleep is what is causing my saves to vanish/not let me save until I reset the game. Just one of those things I guess!
@nessisonett I think what puts me off Cold Steel is the character designs. The designs in Sky are nice (maybe aside from Joshua and his emo scarf), but the people in the Cold Steel games look like the most generic anime people ever.
I can confirm that the characters in Cold Steel are pretty tropey @Ralizah & @nessisonett.
I've found them pretty likeable but they aren't exactly the most original and I'd say some of them get more focus then others in the grand scheme of things with the fairly large cast to keep track of.
Does Cold Steel 1 run on a calendar system? At least in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Persona 4/5, I found the structure made even short gameplay segments feel satisfying, which made up for their own sometimes slow pacing. Anyway, if anything of consequence happens before hour 50, then it's automatically better than Trails in the Sky FC.
It's not a 1-1 you play through every day system like Persona 3, 4 & 5 but the game does take place over the course of 7 months @Ralizah.
I think I said before that there's typically a free day on campus to view the social events and side questing, your combat exam/training om a seperate day and then your field study for 2-3 days. Each chapter taking place over the course of the month or so.
Just pushing it I think in that particular time limit of 50 hours (Especially because I did spend a bit of time faffing about and the likes) but you should get some notable developments or two by then? From the sound of the Trails series Falcom seems to quite like a bit of a slow burn for the stories.
Also, great Danganronpa review! Glad you took to it! Unless you're going for the platinum trophy in Danganronpa V3, I don't know that I'd call any of the games difficult, but what I can say is that the sometimes predictable trial writing in the first game improves dramatically in DR2 and especially V3, leading to more satisfying mysteries.
Oh I'm pleased to hear you think it's good too. I was umming and ahhing all over it, shifting things about, re-writing sections and all that 😥
And that's very good to hear regarding the writing of the trials getting a little more unpredictable. I'm really looking forward to trying the second soon and it'll hopefully be a good counter to the possible fury Cuphead will induce 😅
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Thanks for the heavy content warning; to be honest, with those kinds of things in games, movies and television shows (as I think I can guess the ballpark, at least) it's less about subject itself and more about how it's handled. If something presents a tricky and serious situation well, it's incredible but if they gloss over it, sensationalise it or misrepresent it... well, that's when I'd have a problem. The comment @Ralizah added after your reply makes me slightly more cautious but, as they say, it's a Japanese game and will therefore approach things from a Japanese perspective. I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever contemplating a try-something-new purchase in future. Cheers!
Oh, and Ral, regarding Troy Baker... well, what gave me away?!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
RogerRoger's Random Sonic the Hedgehog Retrospectives
Part One: SONIC LOST WORLD
October 2013 / 3DS, PC (version played) and Wii U
Right, I've got a slight confession to make. Despite being a massive super-fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, I'm not very good at his games. If there's a game over screen in a Sonic game, I'm guaranteed to see it many times before I see the credits roll. Usually I'm left practicing on earlier stages over and over, until I can blunt-force-trauma my way into the tougher endgame with forty-seven lives stored up.
Normally I don't mind doing this, but Sonic Lost World saw me cursing my inability to progress on a number of occasions. The reason for this was twofold; firstly because of the gameplay itself (which I'll address a little later) but also because of the story. Its broad strokes are standard fare, but its execution and detail made me smile more than once, and its humour was a step towards the tone of the genuinely funny Sonic Boom television show. Nothing puts a crimp in your enjoyment of a good yarn like repetitively banging your head against a desk as Sonic flings himself into an abyss for the umpteenth time.
Ah, this looks familiar, and pretty safe. Give it ten minutes and I'll be dead, then.
So, where are we? Well, it's your typical deal to start with. Sonic and Tails chase the nefarious Dr. Eggman to the mysterious Lost Hex, a floating and fragmented world upon which Eggman is hatching his latest plot. To aid him, he's ensnared a dirty half-dozen of belligerent beings called the Deadly Six, controlling them against their will. What usually happens next is that, for the entire game, Eggman would work on harnessing their power, only to come a cropper after the "final" boss, presenting the players with an actual, apocalyptic final boss in which they're tasked with saving the world from some gargantuan monstrosity. You know the type; lots of tentacles, limited vocabulary, big glowing weak spots.
This dance has happened five or six times by now, so I was pleasantly surprised when, after the second level, the Deadly Six broke free from Eggman's clutches and started running amuck... and I was equally surprised by the fact that this catastrophe was entirely Sonic's fault, too.
For the rest of the game, Sonic is forced to work with his nemesis and stop the Deadly Six, each of which he tackles in turn before they all gang up on him for the big finale. In the meantime, there's a subplot involving Tails chafing against his sidekick role, whilst Sonic's arrogance and shoot-first-ask-questions-later personality is called into question. None of this is presented with any depth or drama, but it prevented any of the platforming's context from becoming stale.
It's just a shame that, on the PC version available via Steam, all cutscenes are pre-rendered and locked to a sub-standard resolution. It may be a great story, but it's also a fuzzy one. There's also the matter of the Deadly Six themselves; some are okay, but others are lazy stereotypes. You've got your archetypal "emo kid" avatar, there's a glutton who deflects the fat jokes away from Eggman, and the only girl in the group spends the entire time distracted by her hair and make-up. I like to hope that, even back in 2013, I'd be rolling my eyes at a couple of them, but it did make spin-dashing them upside the head oddly satisfying.
They usually call him the "Blue Blur" because he runs fast, y'know.
Let's get back to the gameplay. Way before launch, many fans took one look at a trailer packed with cylindrical and spherical stages and immediately started accusing it of aping Super Mario Galaxy and it's true, one of the gimmicks in Lost World is this new (for Sonic, at least) approach to level design. About 40% of the platforming you'll be doing is based around chunks of landmass suspended amidst the clouds, and they'll provide more than a few gravity-bending, camera-breaking challenges. I've never played Super Mario Galaxy myself, but a cursory glance at some footage on YouTube shows a passing resemblance, for sure. Given how much Mario has unashamedly stolen from Sonic over the years, however, I think it's about time the tables were turned.
For the most part, these levels work okay, but they're the weakest element of the gameplay for me. Many of them supposedly encourage Sonic's parkour abilities but, more often than not, there's a path of least resistance you'll invariably find yourself zipping along. I preferred them when they introduced puzzle-esque USPs, such as rolling oversized fruit into spinning fans to create torrents of juice that Sonic could then ride to the next area. Another place had Sonic spinning himself into the centre of a snowball, which you then rolled around to pick up rings and Badniks as you went, a'la Katamari Damacy. These random detours never lasted long enough to infringe copyright, but I found them the most memorable moments of my playthrough.
The Lost Hex must have some insane air traffic control issues, is all I'm saying.
The other 60% of the time, Sonic is serving up in his greatest hits. There are 2D sidescrolling levels, as well as rail-grinding sequences and speed sections where forward motion is maintained for you, and your job is just to dodge and jump your way to the goal. These are done well, as they should be by now, but they also manage to inject more of those moment-to-moment objectives along the way (my favourite was a 2D stealth section, demanding Sonic avoid spotlights projected by a robotic owl). Even with such unexpected delights, some introduced halfway through an otherwise traditional level, these environments afford an accessible breather, allowing veterans like myself to sit back and enjoy the game's presentational plus-points.
It really says something when "falling without a parachute" is one of the sedate levels.
Scattered throughout every location, regardless of its flavour, are the usual assortment of trinkets which help chivvy you along. New areas of the Lost Hex are unlocked by rescuing enough animals (or Flickies, as I've always called them) so you'll need to bash as many Badniks as possible on your way through, although I never found the target numbers obtrusive thanks to the return of the 2D era's large end-of-zone capsules. There are five Red Star Rings hidden on every stage; collecting all of them apparently unlocks Super Sonic, and I say "apparently" because, well... good luck with that. Wisps also make a return, adding a couple of new colour powers to their ever-expanding repertoire.
Despite these familiar aids, and contrary to the story spawning the good kind of frustration, Lost World always feels a little sadistic in its intent, no matter the level type. Victory always seems to hinge on trial and error, figuring out some crucial split-second action to perform, or there'd be a left-field design choice that'd bring any sense of momentum screeching to a halt. You could say the same about many a modern Sonic game, and it'd be a valid criticism on a small handful of occasions, but Lost World seems to double down on this trait. There's a definite consistency in its cruelty.
And I'd still be saying that after compensating for my own lack of skill, hence my earlier confession. I'm also compensating for my stupidity, since I ignored the game's opening recommendation to play it with a controller and opted to stick with my computer's keyboard. Given that Sonic's controls are totally overhauled (you have to hold down a run button; this isn't as criminal as it sounds, as it makes parkour a player's choice) at least I wasn't fighting my own muscle memory, but it was still a struggle to avoid that aforementioned abyss-flinging. No matter what I did, outside of the 2D sections, controlling my heroic 'hog felt more than a little cattywampus. He's either too fast in a straight line, or stopping on a dime because I'm trying to adjust course mid-stride. As a result, most stages became stop-start affairs.
At least, when I've stopped to figure out a jump here, Sonic won't exactly go hungry.
I obviously still got through it all and, as always, it felt satisfying to beat that final boss and wrench my fingers back out from the tense claw shape they'd adopted. My reward was the post-credits Hidden World, which has some really cool (if brief) minigame zones to muck about in. The best of these was some manner of giant rotating Rubik's Cube challenge, whilst the calmest and most fan-service-y was a time trail aboard Tails' biplane, the Tornado. It was enough to leave me smiling.
The only thing left to mention is, of course, the music. Here I don't mind sounding like a biased fanboy, especially since Lost World is that most delicious of rare treats; there are no obnoxious vocal tracks in this game, at all. The entire soundtrack (composed primarily by Tomoya Ohtani and Takahito Eguchi) is built around an epic orchestral theme, bringing in diverse styles and instruments to match the visuals where appropriate. It never fails to hit the mark. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest Sonic soundtracks of all time and therefore, in my book, one of the greatest soundtracks, period. No hyperbole.
Favourite track? Too many to decide. Highlights include one I've championed on the forum before, which accompanies a couple of the game's underwater locales.
I was also caught off-guard by the accompaniment to that stealth section I mentioned before. I'd given it a listen previously and thought it was okay enough but, in the context of creeping past that all-seeing owl, my opinion of it has skyrocketed.
These are pretty chill choices, though. Rest assured, when things become manic and fast-paced (this is a Sonic game, after all) the music more than matches the mood.
I'm gonna be humming that all day now... and I don't even care!
Damn it. I should've started with the music, because now I feel properly awful drawing my inevitable, analytical and dispassionate conclusion as those joyful notes fade away. Like many of Sonic's modern games, Lost World has an abundance of imagination and good intentions but, in their dash to the finish line, the developers tripped over a couple of hurdles and didn't even bother trying to jump over some others. The biggest shame? That such an approach has become entirely predictable for them. I had no idea what to expect going in, except to expect that. Kinda says it all, don't you think?
Sonic Lost World = 7/10
All this reminds me of when SEGA tried to shake up their mascot's formula in the twilight of the MegaDrive era. I might be wrong about this, but I reckon it's the only other time Flickies have been used as a yardstick for completion, too.
Sonic the Hedgehog will return.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
It continues the turn from JRPG to Action Adventure the past couple games started, and it's really starting to feel comfortable in it's new role.
Gone is the level based progression of the past couple games, replaced with a more proper overworld to explore, and dungeons best described as traditional Zelda lite. You'll still be exploring it in a pretty linear fashion, but each area is large and full of secrets to find.
The most prominent secret to find are the hidden Toads (they are hidden in creative & imaginitive ways, and while some will return to Toad Town or some other Kiosk out in the world to open up a shop, most will join your in battle audience, which you can pay to help out during battles), who often have a humorous zinger they utter before running off. You also unlock Toad Points for every one you find, which you can spend in the Museum in Toad Town to unlock concept art (which is a feature I always love seeing in games).
Other things to find are Treasure Chests & "?" Blocks (which house coins or collectable trophies which can be viewed in the Museum), Not-Bottomless Holes (these are filled in with confetti, which you get when defeating enemies or by hammering objects in the environment, and you get coins for doing so. Sometimes a new path is opened up when you fill one in as well). Lastly you have HP Up hearts, and much like Heart Containers in Zelda, they increase your maximum HP when collected (they come in +5, +10, & +20 varieties, increasing your base 50 HP up to a maximum of 200, and for every 20 HP increase your attack power increases as well, which allows you to defeat some weaker enemies in the overworld without having to enter a battle). If you miss any, you can talk to the "Love Toad" in Toad Town (he has to be rescued first, though) who will give you hints as to where missing HP Up hearts are.
Regular battles come in 2 flavors. The most common are turn based battles with Mario at the center of a ringed arena, and you have a small window of time to manipulate the rings and line (or group) up the scattered enemies. It's more of a puzzle game in that respect, where if you solve it you get a power boost and often get to defeat all enemies without them getting a turn, and if you fail you're going to take some damage before trying again (you can spend coins in battle to increase the amount of time you have to solve the puzzle, or you can have the Toads in the audience help you out by throwing you items and/or partially solving the puzzle. The more you spend the better their help is, and I assume the help is better the more Toads you have rescued). The other type of battle is against big paper mache enemies (called paper macho here), which occurs in real time in the overworld. The name of the game here is to get out of the way when they charge you, then whack them with your hammer (they have a weak point on their back that makes it easier to take them out if you hit that first). These are rarely just out there though, and are often scripted encounters.
Boss battles as well come in those two flavors as well. The puzzle bosses change things up by having the boss at the center of the arena, and you have to manipulate the rings in order to set up a path for Mario to follow to safely get to the boss to attack. Each boss usually has a unique gimmick of it's own on top of this, resulting in the most engaging & unique encounters of the game. The Paper Macho bosses happen in real time and are often really impressive in terms of scale (these are a nice change of pace, and I enjoyed them as well)
Examples of both puzzle & real time boss encounters.
Your base hammer & boot attacks are unlimited, though you can obtain more powerful versions as well. These have a limited number of uses, though once you obtain one once you can buy more from the Toad Town shop. These get better as you go on, with the hammers & boots you find in one area generally being better than the ones you found in the previous areas. Some have unique effects though, such as Ice or Fire variants that can have an elemental advantage, or reward more coins during battle.
There are also items you can use in battle (or sometimes outside as well). The most common are are mushrooms which restore health, but other Mario staples such as Fire & Ice Flowers, POW Blocks, & Tanuki Tails show up as well & do as you'd expect. I honestly only ever used Mushrooms.
In some regions you will have a partner who will join you in your adventure (and battle). They all only have one attack, and it'll either hit or miss. They tend to get more useful the further you get though. The first one refuses to join you in dungeons, and their attack is a single target move that seems to have a 50/50 chance of hitting. The later ones tend to follow you into dungeons, and have multi target attacks that seem to get more reliable.
You can buy accessories that help you out in battle or elsewhere. Battle accessories can increase the maximum time you have to solve puzzles, increase your HP during turn based battles, or decrease the damage you take. Other accessories have useful effects outside of battle (such as increasing the range at which you can collect confetti or giving you discounts at shops), or are just fun (such as changing your confetti to Sakura petals or enabling retro jump & coin sounds).
There is the occasional minigame to take part in as well, whether it be fishing, shooting gallery, or even a game show segment. I found these to be hit or miss, with some I enjoyed (like the shooting gallery), while others I hated (well, just the game show segment).
Audio/Visual:
It's a really sharp looking game, with an amazing sense of aesthetic. Everything looks to be made out of some sort of paper craft, and every region is a joy to explore due to some creative theming, whether it be a theme park based on feudal Japan, an open sea segment that's a clear homage to Zelda (particularly the seafaring games), or even paper craft renditions of famous Mario locales such as Bowser's Castle.
Some great vistas await.
I think it was a brilliant move to make the enemies origami versions of all the classics, as this frees up the wide gamut of Bowser's minions to appear as friendly NPCs. While there are still lots of Toads, you'll find yourself visiting a Monty Mole village, a shrine popular with Koopa Troopas, and more (other Mario staples such as Luigi & Birdo show up ocassionally as well). It really seems like they're getting pretty good at working with the "core Mario characters only" rule, and I hope they can continue this trend in the future as long as the rule persists (if anything, Odyssey should open up their options considerably).
It has good music selection as well. I'm not one to pay much attention to music in games, but it definitely had some beats I was bopping along to.
Story/Writing:
While Toad Town is preparing for an Origami festival, the Origami King, Olly shows up to capture Peach's castle and begin his plan to transform the entire world into Origami. After Mario escapes with the help of Bowser & Olivia (Olly's sister), he goes on an adventure to stop the dastardly king. It's not a terribly deep narrative, but it's surprisingly touching in places, and can even get unnerving at others. It's not as involved as the older JRPG entries (or Super Paper Mario), but it's definitely a couple steps above your typical Mario platformer (or Sticker Star, for that matter), which is appreciated.
The humor can be pretty good in spots, and at times it seems like they're giving a sly middle finger to the restrictions in place (such as when Olivia tries to find a name for Bob-Omb, and eventually repeatedly calls him "Bobby", even though he officially doesn't have a personalized name).
Overall
I really enjoyed my time with this. While I can see why some would say the battling becomes tedious, I think the puzzle aspects make them engaging in their own right (especially the bosses), and I think it's becoming much more comfortable in it's new Action-Adventure role, despite a few stumbles here & there. I'd place it just under the top tier of Switch exclusives (below Odyssey, BotW, & XC2, same place Luigi's Mansion 3, Link's Awakening remake, & DKC: Tropical Freeze, above Kirby Star Allies, & Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3).
You're back on top, Paper Mario.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
@RogerRoger Nice review. Considering it was designed with HD platforms in mind, it's a bit weird that the cutscenes would be low-res. I understand when it's something like a PS1 JRPG being remastered on modern consoles, but these should have been designed for viewing in full HD from the start.
I'm not surprised you had a bad time with the controls if you were controlling a 3D platformer with a keyboard. Especially one as fast and unpolished as a 3D Sonic game.
In general, you mention a sort of "trial-and-error" element to the gameplay and weird design choices bringing gameplay momentum to a halt, which taps in a bit to why I've never gotten on with Sonic's games: design-wise, they seem to always be a sort of uneasy medium between speed and precision platforming, and, more often than not, I don't think Sega finds that balance. It's good to hear they're integrating some interesting objectives into the different gameplay styles, though, like 2D stealth gameplay segments.
Those music tracks you posted are mostly pretty decent. Sea Bottom Segue, in particular, is quite gorgeous and atmospheric. Sounds Sonic-y, but also evocative. I like it.
Also:
"Given how much Mario has unashamedly stolen from Sonic over the years, however, I think it's about time the tables were turned."
???
I've played almost every Mario game out there and a handful of 2D/3D Sonic ones, and I'm struggling to think of any real design similarities between them. What have Mario games borrowed from Sonic?
@RR529 Good piece! Glad to see you also enjoyed TOK. I agree that the devs seem to be getting a better grasp on how to make these games satisfying without relying on RPG mechanics. And yeah, the dungeons and some environments also reminded me of The Legend of Zelda games. It's almost impossible not to think of The Wind Waker when the open sea sailing segments arrive.
And yeah, I agree that it's a solid B-tier exclusive for the system, and easily one of the best games to come out of Nintendo this year.
@RR529 Yet another positive write-up about The Origami King, and another well-written one, too. I'd scribbled the game on my partner's Christmas list in pencil, then I inked over it, and now I'm going over that ink with a permanent marker. It sounds delightful. Thank you!
***
@Ralizah Thanks! Given it was 2013 (well, 2014 by the time it hit PC) I think the cutscenes are 1080p and I'm just too late to the game, because I'm pushing 4K. The in-game graphics are gorgeous!
I'd politely take issue with calling Sonic games "unpolished" (only one of his 3D outings was rushed to release; all others have been significantly more playable at launch than most modern games) and Lost World is technically sound, with zero bugs or glitches throughout. As I said, I just think keyboard controls are possible, but not preferential and heck, the game warned me as much. Its physics and feel make sense within their own environment, to the point where, had I used a controller (and gotten over my muscle memory), I think I could've started to ace some of the earlier levels, at least. There are certainly plenty of players who have, and they make it look real good.
I think I've mentioned this before, but the level design in Super Mario Odyssey is heavily inspired by various Sonic games, most notably the Sonic Adventure series, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colours. There are also reports that Nintendo knew of Sonic games in development, mostly the spin-offs and novelty games, and would rush Mario-branded versions to be "first" (although I'd take them with a grain of salt, because petty fans can and will make up any old rubbish).
Glad you like the music! There'll be more peppered throughout the rest of the games I'm planning to cover, so hopefully you'll find some other tracks that suit your tastes. Music being as subjective as it is, I'm always pleasantly surprised by how different people react differently to different songs.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
Thanks! Given it was 2013 (well, 2014 by the time it hit PC) I think the cutscenes are 1080p and I'm just too late to the game, because I'm pushing 4K. The in-game graphics are gorgeous!
Ah, that makes more sense. Well, just one more reason I'll not be "upgrading" my display any time soon. Everything looks good in 1080p.
Anyway, I'm playing an old game right now where the cutscenes legitimately look blurry on my monitor. Thus my assumption.
I'd politely take issue with calling Sonic games "unpolished" (only one of his 3D outings was rushed to release; all others have been significantly more playable at launch than most modern games) and Lost World is technically sound, with zero bugs or glitches throughout. As I said, I just think keyboard controls are possible, but not preferential and heck, the game warned me as much. Its physics and feel make sense within their own environment, to the point where, had I used a controller (and gotten over my muscle memory), I think I could've started to ace some of the earlier levels, at least. There are certainly plenty of players who have, and they make it look real good.
Well, some 3D Sonic releases, like Rise of Lyric and Sonic 06, have been pretty buggy, but I wasn't saying the games are buggy in general. I was referring to how the platforming, controls, and level design feel in general to me when I play a 3D Sonic game. In Sonic's 2D adventures, the controls are very tight, and he's satisfying to move around. I haven't had that same experience in 3D Sonic games I've played. I also think Sega sometimes struggles with the level design in their 3D outings. Although I've also not played any of the Wii entries, Unleashed, or Forces, so I can't speak to those.
It has been a while, though. Maybe I'll give Sonic Forces a shot, since it's free on PS+ anyway.
I think I've mentioned this before, but the level design in Super Mario Odyssey is heavily inspired by various Sonic games, most notably the Sonic Adventure series, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colours. There are also reports that Nintendo knew of Sonic games in development, mostly the spin-offs and novelty games, and would rush Mario-branded versions to be "first" (although I'd take them with a grain of salt, because petty fans can and will make up any old rubbish).
Frankly, 3D Mario games are technically flawless standard-bearers for the 3D platformer genre that receive nearly universal acclaim when they're released. They're about the last games in the world I'd ever say were 'rushed' during development. And certainly not to compete with Sega's divisive 3D Sonic output. Many of which, remember, happened to release on Nintendo consoles anyway.
So, yes, I'd say "petty fans making up any old rubbish" is probably your culprit.
Out of interest, though, what about the level design would you say is Sonic-inspired in Mario Odyssey?
@Ralizah Yeah, I've shot myself in the foot a couple times by having such a high resolution. Given that 1080p is the yardstick for many of the last decade's greatest games, I'd say you're safer where you are.
Rise of Lyric doesn't count, as it wasn't developed by Sonic Team, but Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was indeed the game I was referring to. The controls might just be a personal preference thing, and that's cool; a lifetime of primarily playing Sonic's 3D platformers means I don't notice any general issues as much as those who've sampled a wider range. Switching to keyboard for the first time possibly highlighted what my experience would've otherwise glossed over.
Unleashed (the full-fat version, not the Wii version), Colours and Forces get progressively better, in that order, since Unleashed was the first game to use the bespoke Hedgehog Engine for its daylight stages. Everything that followed just refined the formula.
Well, I did specifically say that such accusations were levelled at the "spin-off and novelty" games (something about Mario Party racing to beat Sonic Shuffle to market, maybe?) because you're right, nobody could never accuse a mainline Mario game of being rushed. It's usually in such overlooked undergrowth that people like to hide such fabrications, however, and I'm certainly no flag-waiver when it comes to the old console war of the early 90s. I just know what I like (and perhaps listened a little too closely to some attendees at a Sonic convention I went to in my youth).
I'm sure I've shown you this image before, but...
There's also New Donk City (which shares traits with Station Square from Sonic Adventure, Soleanna from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Empire City from Sonic Unleashed, not least of which are its realistic humanoid NPCs) and the T-Rex, which Sonic tangled with in Sonic & the Secret Rings. The concept of using Cappy to transform Mario into various objects and animals is also similar to the Wisps, which were introduced in Sonic Colours (a game deliberately altered by Nintendo during its development to make it a "better fit" as a Wii exclusive).
None of which stopped me from finding Odyssey an utterly charming and captivating experience when I played it for my partner. I just laughed internally a couple times, s'all.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@Ralizah@RogerRoger I did find New Donk City very 3D Sonic. I loved Odyssey of course but I did find it amusing to see elements of Sonic bleeding into Mario after Lost World being the other way round. Sonic Adventure 2 is the pinnacle of the entire series though, perfect mix of cringe, jank, great(?) soundtrack and replay value.
@nessisonett Not to give anything away, but one of the forthcoming retrospectives I'm working on may or may not focus on your favourite. I'm trying to revisit the oft-overlooked games; enough has been written about the classics, the first Adventure, etc. and I've got wonky tastes anyway, so I usually end up preferring the underdogs (which, let's be honest, this franchise has plenty of).
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
A round of applause to all of those who have done reviews over the last few pages as I've been catching up with them over the last day or so (I normally visit the site on my phone but like to read those pieces on my laptop).
A particular shoutout to the Origami King reviews as it's a game that looks great but one I will certainly never play..
Unleashed (the full-fat version, not the Wii version), Colours and Forces get progressively better, in that order, since Unleashed was the first game to use the bespoke Hedgehog Engine for its daylight stages. Everything that followed just refined the formula.
Well, that seals it, then. I'll give Forces a try and see what I think. Thanks!
Well, I did specifically say that such accusations were levelled at the "spin-off and novelty" games (something about Mario Party racing to beat Sonic Shuffle to market, maybe?) because you're right, nobody could never accuse a mainline Mario game of being rushed. It's usually in such overlooked undergrowth that people like to hide such fabrications, however, and I'm certainly no flag-waiver when it comes to the old console war of the early 90s. I just know what I like (and perhaps listened a little too closely to some attendees at a Sonic convention I went to in my youth).
Yeah, I misread your post there. Apologies. I'm not sure how someone would determine that, but if someone with knowledge about development timetables for various Sonic and Mario spinoff games was to come forward and discuss this, it might be interesting.
There's also New Donk City (which shares traits with Station Square from Sonic Adventure, Soleanna from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Empire City from Sonic Unleashed, not least of which are its realistic humanoid NPCs) and the T-Rex, which Sonic tangled with in Sonic & the Secret Rings. The concept of using Cappy to transform Mario into various objects and animals is also similar to the Wisps, which were introduced in Sonic Colours (a game deliberately altered by Nintendo during its development to make it a "better fit" as a Wii exclusive.
I know my first thought when I saw New Donk City was to think of Sonic Adventure, both because of the heavily urban environment and because of the realistic humans who don't mesh well with the Mario artstyle at all.
Thinking back... I do recall you talking about how Steam Gardens looked eerily similar to a Sonic environment when we talked about Odyssey!
I am curious about Nintendo "[altering Sonic Colors] during its development to make it a 'better fit' as a Wii exclusive," though. Was Nintendo involved with funding and/or development of the Wii Sonic games?
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