The GHZ Forum

Yeah. This song is fucking terrible. For crying out loud Sega, are you even trying anymore?

I've been listening to it on repeat all day. I love it! I love it! I love it!

The music is good, the lyrics aren't that bad, it's just the singing that lets it down. I get the impression that the director kept on screaming at the singer to be more passionate and emotional, while the singer isn't really suited to doing such a performance.

big_smile wrote:The music is good, the lyrics aren't that bad, it's just the singing that lets it down. I get the impression that the director kept on screaming at the singer to be more passionate and emotional, while the singer isn't really suited to doing such a performance.

Or the song is just half-assed like everything else Sega does.

It says the singer is from Hoobastank. Someone on the team must be a fan - I can't think of another reason to get him specifically. I wonder if he wrote any of it.

As a fan of the Crush 40 themes, I'd definitely put it above the likes of Reach for the Stars and Endless Possibility. Actually, if I close my eyes and pretend it's not Sonic Forces, I'd put it above every main theme we've had since 7 Rings in Hand. I don't like the tune as much as Knight of the Wind, but the lyrics are less cringy (With Me is better, though - that crosses far enough over the cheese line that it achieves Flash Gordon effect).

Yeah but the vocals are embarrassing terrible.

Yes, but how are the lyrics any more embarrassing than other songs in the series? Pretty much every Sonic song has embarrassing vocals.


I take the lyrics as a call to 'rise up' against Eggman's forces. I'm going to sound like a massive dork here, but it got my adrenaline going.


Together we can show the world what we can do!
You next to me, and I'm next to you!
Pushing on through until the battle's woooonnnnn!


I think the game itself is going to be typical boost-to-win garbage, but I really want to see where the story is going with this, above anything else.

Lyrics don't mean a whole lot to a song if the singer is our of key, the guitar is not tuned to proper pitch or the drummer's out of time. Most songs lyrics are nonsensical, but the rhythms, arrangements, harmonies and melodies are appealing. You can listen to lyrics in a different language and a song can be great.

The vocals suck.

Infinite's trailer is up. His powers include being a rival who is faster than Sonic and having a theme song from an early 2000s video tutorial.

I wonder if their fully embracing this... approach has anything to do with Mania targeting different market shares. Like no more half-measures now they are diversifying.

That "Classic Sonic from another dimension" thing that's been popping up lately is sounding more and more appealing on a personal level, but to the general public it's still one big franchise and Sega may taken a massive shit in the swimming pool.

Batman survived Batman & Robin, but that wasn't a brand floundering the rock bottom in pop culture's consensus.

Every new piece of media makes this game look less and less appealing. Where to start? Sonic getting thrown around into brick walls like Superman, Tails trying to identify Infinite with a Poke-dex, the shitty music, the lamest villain design I have seen from Sega, the obvious, tired, ruse where Infinite will betray Eggman and Eggman will have to team up with Sonic.

Story wise, it's like they are trying to do SA2 all over again (which makes it feel out of date), but then they are going for Lost World/Colours style comedy (which doesn't mesh with SA2 style stuff). Like the rest of the game, it feels very muddled.

I wouldn't even mind a SA2 rehash as it's been ages since we've had a decent story (and yes, I know SA2 was very flawed, but it was better than what we've had recently). But I think Ken Pontac and Warren Graff are the wrong people to deliver it.

Tails trying to identify Infinite with a Poke-dex

I think Tails has had that device since Unleashed. He uses it quite frequently to identify things.

You know who wrote a pretty good story? Kiyoko Yoshimura, writer of Unleashed (and it's accompanying short, and the majority of episodes of Sonic X). Chip was pretty cheesy, but I thought the characterization of the core cast (especially Eggman) was excellent without having to resort to snark or references.

big_smile wrote:I think Tails has had that device since Unleashed. He uses it quite frequently to identify things.

How could you forget a name like the "Miles Electric"?

Really minor thing, but Infinite's use of the term "Blue Savior" really harkens back to the mid-2000s where grandiose titles were thrown around in Sonic games willy-nilly. It really Iblis Trigger-ed me.

I'm honestly ambivalent on how I feel about Ken and Graff writing this thing. On one hand, I actually liked a lot of their stuff in Generations and Lost World and every impulse in me is saying that this game's atmosphere won't mesh with their usual campy schtick. On the other hand, they did do Mad World, so maybe they can possibly pull this off.

They've done it. They've created the ultimate Sonic OC. He's faster than Sonic, stronger than Silver, and edgier than Shadow.

But will he chuckle?

The masculine voice seems to indicate* it's male, but the mask could contain a voice modulator, so the "stolen OC" angle could still apply.

But somehow it occurred to me this could be a bitter jaded Ray the Flying Squirrel and once the mask is off you're rebuked with a petulant high squeaky voice.

*check privilege cis-scum, etc.

I couldn't but laugh at Infinite's trailer. It really does feel like deviantART the game now.

The Infinite theme is the funniest thing I've ever heard.

If this had come out when I was 14 I would have fucking hated it.

Dr. BUGMAN wrote:The masculine voice seems to indicate* it's male, but the mask could contain a voice modulator, so the "stolen OC" angle could still apply.

When I first saw him more clearly I had the strong impression that he looked female until I heard the voice, so I'm with you there. Now that we've gotten a better look at the mask I'd say it looks more like a kitsune than a bat. The tail could pass for a fox, though disheveled - the only thing that doesn't fit is the wavy hair/quills. My current theory is that Solaris survived being blown out by Elise and force-fused with the Tails and Silver from Sonic 06, consumed that whole universe, and came here to consume this one as well. But, finding it to be a much better constructed universe than he was used to, he needed to trick Eggman into building something to help him so he's been pretending to be his partner.

Also, I happened to pause on the right frame to notice his shoes. Nice detail; it really speaks to how over-the-top full of himself Infinite probably is. Actually, between the diamond on the chest, the attitude, and the powers, I get a Nazo vibe from him.

Infinite honestly makes me appreciate Shadow's character design much, much more. Anybody with a cursory knowledge of the Sonic franchise can take a look at Shadow and immediately pick up on his main role as an antagonistic counterpart to Sonic. With the possible exception of his shoes, Shadow's nearly as streamlined as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, with the only additional complexity almost entirely going to convey his role in the series.

Infinite, on the other hand, seems like Sonic Team's character design came in during the morning, created Infinite's base, and kept adding shit to it until their shift was over. It's like cancer entirely composed of Sonic OC design elements and the unlucky victim refusing to die. If Infinite is indeed corrupted in some way, then his design would actually make a lot of sense. Otherwise, they just should have made a wholy unique design that's smaller and more on Sonic's scale, like Zavok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHcRhah7Kgw

Do you think Iizuka has played Mania? I mean, really played for enjoyment as opposed to a cursory review to sign off on it? Do you think he has any concept of why it's good? I'm positive he'll learn the wrong lessons from it. He'll assume it's just the nostalgia and continue ramming that umbrella into every game. We can at least hope that he'll give Headcannon more control over the inevitable sequel.

Jesus, why do they talk on screen so much? They took an annoying part of Star Fox and thought "Hey, I can worse." And the voice actors are terrible.

This game's going to go platinum.

https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/stat ... 3485898752

^ A special Bonus Edition of the game with extra DLC outfits and a controller skin is going to be released.
Too bad they couldn't bring bad some DLC outfits from the 90s, like Streets of Rage and Golden Axe.

Not a fan that Shadow and Chaos are suddenly villains again. Weren't all their anger issues sorted out in their games of origin over 15 years ago? Why not throw Knuckles and Silver in as villains as well since continuity clearly doesn't matter anymore?

That said, I'm not going to lie, I am kind of excited for this game. I have no idea why. Maybe residual hype from Mania.

So, what could save this game and make it more appealing?

Playable Shadow the Hedgehog.

I wonder if he'll have his guns again.

Gaz wrote: I wonder if he'll have his guns again.

He'll use black-and-red wispons. Their elements are angst and despair.

I love - love - how the first non-Sonic playable character in the Boost era is Shadow, not Tails or Knuckles. Now all we need is some Silver DLC and we've got Sonic 2006: Episode 2 on our hands, baby!