Sonic Generations

[j-man]

See, that's what I loved about those videos! I was utterly baffled, thinking "where the fuck would I go at this point?", and I think that's genius; it means exploration and careful platforming in natural-looking, busy environments. Some of the alternate paths in Sky Sanctuary made me squeal like a little girl! It is literally what I imagined Sonic games would look like in 'the future' when I was a kid, ever since I saw that Sonic 2 commercial on Sonic Jam. I am all over this game like a cheap suit.

[(...)]

Anyone played the new demo yet?

They seemed to have fixed a lot since the last demo. Classic Sonic is bigger on-screen, and his jump feels less analogue, and the game now has anti-aliasing. Modern still allows players to boost all the way to the finish, but there are a lot of alternate routes for exploration.

Omochao is in both versions, and he is still annoying.

[Crowbar]

This was ripped from it. I think it's pretty good.

[Wombatwarlord777]

I'm a little disappointed that there were no new melodies after the Planet Wisp bit of the ending theme. I'm wondering if there's going to be any sort of last story in this game. I would especially love a chaotic final level that incorporates a mash-up of elements featured from the previous levels. Imagine chunks of buildings from Crisis City haphazardly materializing out of thin air as you travel along a stretch of Speed Highway that rapidly disappears behind you while passing the clock tower from Rooftop Run that just happens to be stuck in the bay from Seaside Hill. It's something like that which I want.

[Esrever]

I was really pleased by how Modern Sonic handled in the new demo. The controls are really tight and responsive, particularly at low speeds. I tried just messing around in a few of the more open areas, walking around and trying to make precision jumps. It's like night and day compared to the out-of-control train controls of Sonic Unleashed. And it's also a big step up from the version of Generations I played at San Diego Comic-Con. (It's nice to know someone over there was actually working to improve this thing. Go figure!) I can't believe it took them this long to get it right... especially since it was something they basically ALREADY got right in the original Sonic Adventure... but they've done it. Sonic controls properly in a 3D space. Amazing!

The modern Green Hill zone is shallow, but fun. There are a few branching paths here and there -- primarily in the 2D sections -- but as we all know, it's a very simple and linear stage compared to the later modern stages. I'm really curious to see if the more complex and open levels still manage to feel as tight and polished as this one does, or if they devolve into unintelligible chaos.

There are tweaks to classic Sonic's handling, too. On the whole, they make him feel closer to the original. But a surprising side-effect seems to be that he no longer has enough momentum on feet alone to carry him through a full loop. Running towards a loop at full speed, without spin dashing or hitting a boost pad, will get Sonic ALMOST to the top of the loop, but not quite. The loops aren't scripted or anything -- hitting them at different speeds still takes Sonic up and then back down again accordingly and naturally. But a regular running pace just isn't fast enough to get him over. His top speed is too low. You need the extra kick of a spindash. The physics feel good to me, and I'm happy with anything that behaves consistently and predictably... but still... it's just kind of weird.

That's my only real niggle with what I played. They've made a ton of smart, little changes. Everything looks and feels great. The framerate is higher. The background for 2D Sonic has been tweaked a little to contrast more strongly with the foreground. They removed the trip steps. They adjusted the "slide under the barrier" obstacles so that the prompt now comes up early enough for you to react comfortably. They made changes that, I swear to god, must have been based on actual playtesting. The thing is astonishingly polished for a Sonic Team game. We'll just have to wait and see if the actual levels they've built inside this pretty, technically solid box are... you know... any fun to play.

[Radrappy]

I played around with it a little bit this morning and think it's good fun. I can't agree about the controls at slow speeds though, Esrever. Precise they may be but smooth they are most definitely not. It felt like Sonic couldn't walk in a circle to save his life, he was always jerking around and there was motion blur on his movements even then(wtf?!).

Also I guess you can't wall jump at will any more which douses creative solutions a little but oh well. Looks like they traded that for the drift, which can now be used whenever you want.

[Gaz]

Finally got round to playing the demo. The Classic Sonic level definitely felt a lot more polished than the last demo. It seemed a lot smoother and controlled a little better. The spin dash still goes stupidly fast though. I had more fun with this version than the last demo but it still felt like an inferior version of a level from 20 years ago.

I wasn't expecting to like Modern Sonic much but I was pleasantly surprised. It was lot of fun. It controlled well and had decent level design. My only real complaints would be it felt like a bit of a boost fest at times and there were some fairly cheap traps(although you generally weren't punished too severely if you hit one). It actually felt more like a proper re-imagining of Green Hill compared with the classic version. It does make me wonder how later levels are going to feel. Ultimately, the demo left me looking a lot more forward to the game.

[Majestic Joey]

I actually really liked both parts of the demo. This game looks like it may be a day 1 buy for me.

[M.C.Dillinger]

Sonic generations is available for pre-order now on steam. It's being sold for $30 and has incredibly lame pre-order bonus: a free copy of Sonic 3 knuckles and 3-D Blast. Personally have my suspicions on how good this version will be. It's so tempting however since cost $20 less than the console version.

[M.C.Dillinger]

Sorry to double post but another thing I just noticed is that the achievements are listed as well. They mentioned something about challenges for sonics friends and theirs something else about “custom skills”. Strangely enough schemas listing percentages of people who have obtained the achievements even though the game will be available until November 5, I'm assuming this is just a bug.

[Majestic Joey]

ok thought of one thing I did not like. Omachao talks fucking way too much again.

[Alexrd]

ok thought of one thing I did not like. Omachao talks fucking way too much again.

Hopefully there is a way to turn it off.

[cjmcray]

What is the friggin' POINT in including OmoChao if you can't inflict bodily harm upon him?

Sonic Team knew he was an annoying character when he debuted in SA2. That's why they allowed you to hurt him. Abusing him is what makes him likable! Take that away and he's just another shitty friend like Cream or Vector.

We all know how to jump, home-attack and boost. The kids know that, the adults know that. We're not idiots. Nobody cares what he has to say, we just want to throw him into badniks or into bottomless pits.

Otherwise, game's lookin' good.

[Esrever]

It looks like you can turn him off. Someone ripped some texture files out of the demo -- one of them was all the text for the Options menu, and there was totally an "Omachao" category.

Naturally, I assume the options will be "On", "Off", and "Hurl off a cliff".

[cjmcray]

Not sure if this has been posted already..



I think I see a mustache on that face.

Dumb theory: Could the Time Eater be ..Eggman? That might explain why Sonic is fighting Perfect Chaos without his super form. Maybe Eggman is going back in time and grabbing all Seven Emeralds from several different eras, giving him dozens upon dozens of Emerroldss. The POWER of the Emerwoods is too much for him, and mutates him into.. this?

[M.C.Dillinger]

I hope not! That would be retarded.

I'm tempted to get the PC version save $20 but I have doubts as to how good it will be or if you will receive any post-launch DLC the console version might.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Pssst! The Time Eater is totally Tiger.

Think about it; he was pulling the strings all along, like from the beginning. The whole "organic battery" excuse for capturing small prey animals was just a front hiding the man-behind-the-man's true sinister impetus: meals on wheels.

P.S. Spoilers don't frackin' work on links. Boo, hiss!

[Crowbar]

It did work until I clicked on it.

[gr4yJ4Y]

Sonic 1 (Gen/MD) will be unlockable. Now all the kiddies will get a chance to see his roots and will probably still say that SA2 Battle, Sonic 06, or wherever else they started with was much better.

[Radrappy]

this is hard to get excited about seeing as how I own 3 different versions of the game. (Sonic Jam, Mega collection, Ds Collection)

[K2J]

Now all the kiddies will get a chance to see his roots and will probably still say that SA2 Battle, Sonic 06, or wherever else they started with was much better.

I started with SA2 and Sonic 1 is a better game.

[Emperor Omochao]

I started with Sonic 1 too and had most of the games since. To be honest the 3 games I've been playing over and over are S3&K, SCD and Sonic Rush Adventure. The 'playing them over and over' came before consciously saying which game I thought was the best. It's one thing saying which game 'deserves' to be the best and quite another to realise which ones you'de played more of.

How many people can honestly say they played S1 or even S2 more than S3&K for example?

[Radrappy]

It's true, given the choice I will always go to S3&K. To be fair though, that was my first sonic experience so I may just be nostalgia blind. Sonic and Knuckles collection for pc baby.

[Alexrd]

How many people can honestly say they played S1 or even S2 more than S3&K for example?

I can. I started with Sonic 1 and it's still the Sonic game I play the most. Although I think S3&K is better than Sonic 2, Sonic 1 is still my favourite.

[G.Silver]

I can say that for Sonic 1, too. It really has more to do with being a quick play, and S3&K is my least-played for the same reason, it's just so long that playing it the way I'd prefer to (from start to finish) isn't as practical.

But it also might just be that it's the one I played first.