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Sonic Lost World |OT| Too X-treme for the Galaxy
- Thread starter Dark Schala
- Start date
So my first impressions
-I like the actually like the controls. iT would have been nice to have a general tutorial at the beginning but I figured it out pretty quickly. I love the spindash and sonic doesnt seem to slip around at all like past 3d games.
-the game is gorgeous.
-3d sections kick the crap out of the 2d ones which do feel oddly slow. He just feels heavy.
-the sonic,tails and eggmans voicr acting is good. The deadly six are kind of annoying.
- level design can seem a bit messy at times but overall not bad.
-oh and did I mention this game is freaking gorgeous.
-I like the actually like the controls. iT would have been nice to have a general tutorial at the beginning but I figured it out pretty quickly. I love the spindash and sonic doesnt seem to slip around at all like past 3d games.
-the game is gorgeous.
-3d sections kick the crap out of the 2d ones which do feel oddly slow. He just feels heavy.
-the sonic,tails and eggmans voicr acting is good. The deadly six are kind of annoying.
- level design can seem a bit messy at times but overall not bad.
-oh and did I mention this game is freaking gorgeous.
Community Forum
Member
Now that I've put more time into the game (Wii U), I can safely say I hate it. Like I really actively hate this game, which is not normal for me. Normally I can overlook even the most glaring of flaws, but something about the way this is put together is just not right. Sorry to be a negative Nancy, but I just had to vent before I submit my trade-in.
havent finished the game yet due to spending time with Mario. Im up to Silent Forest Zone 2, and while Im liking it well enough so far (its not as good as Colors/Generations tho) Im really confused why they removed the 100 rings = extra life mechanic.
The level design seems designed with it in mind, otherwise why do I care about going out of my way to collect most of the rings? It feels like a lot of them can just be ignored.
I dunno the game mostly feels like the team tried to do the Tokyo EAD thing of "Cram in as many ideas as possible" without really pulling it off as well. Im not really saying anything new, but it feels like the game should have focused on exploring its traversal mechanics.
The level design seems designed with it in mind, otherwise why do I care about going out of my way to collect most of the rings? It feels like a lot of them can just be ignored.
I dunno the game mostly feels like the team tried to do the Tokyo EAD thing of "Cram in as many ideas as possible" without really pulling it off as well. Im not really saying anything new, but it feels like the game should have focused on exploring its traversal mechanics.
On the topic of the hidden world, I liked it for the most part. Zone 1 was an interesting design idea: in your first time playing the level, you can only last so long so you'll find the end condition eventually. But the first time through should have had an enemy counter of about 15 or so as the end condition and then change to the endless mode for future runs.
Would type more but I'm on phone.
Would type more but I'm on phone.
Hold A, it makes it a lot less frustrating to control.
Thomas_Daly
Banned
soundtrack is amazing my favourites are
Wonder World
The Lost Hex
Windy Hill Zone 1
Sea Bottom Segue
Frozen Factory Zone 1
Double Down
Tilt the Machine
Sky Road Zone 1
Sky Road - Bonus Stage
Wonder World
The Lost Hex
Windy Hill Zone 1
Sea Bottom Segue
Frozen Factory Zone 1
Double Down
Tilt the Machine
Sky Road Zone 1
Sky Road - Bonus Stage
Tye The Czar
Member
So, how would everyone rank this with the other 3D Sonic Games?
Not as good as Colors/Generations, but better than almost any other 3D Sonic game. Worth it if you're a fan of the franchise.
I'd put Adventure/Colors/Generations over it.
I don't really think this game is good... just okay at best.
thesolidshark
Member
This is where I'm at with it too. It's definitely different than most other Sonic games, and it's not that far from being as fun to me as Colors or Generations. It's definitely a polarizing Sonic though, whether or not you like or get used to the controls.
BlazeHedgehog
Member
Above Sonic Heroes but below most of the Sonic games I actually like. I have more nostalgia for Sonic Adventure (even if I admit it's not a good game anymore) than I got enjoyment out of Lost World.
It's really good, I think it's on par with Sonic Generations. Sega needs to fix some problems with Lost World.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Yeah, I'd go with this too. Only for the fact that Lost World doesn't make me feel nauseous like Sonic Heroes did.
I wouldn't classify this game as "good". More like "average" or semi-below that for its incoherence and lack of clarity with respect to communicating its concepts and conceptual design to the player. I never found a lot of what it tried to do clever. A lot of it felt like a 'me too, but let's throw this thing that we put in a previous game so it feels like a Sonic game!' style of design.
Linkstrikesback
Member
Worse than Unleashed(Wii, didn't play the HD version)/Colours/Generations.
Maybe on par with the earlier games, but I think they were all terrible before unleashed anyway.
They never make good use of the tube mechanic outside of that one level where you're running down a hexagonal shaped cylinder type thing. In fact, that level is the only redeeming thing about the game at all. Some of the mostly 2d stages kinda work, but they would have been better if you were controlling Colours/Generations sonic.
And don't get me started on the forced motion/touch screen crap they decided to add for wisps. Ugh.
So, I bought this at launch, played a few levels, and got distracted by a bunch of other games. I just booted the game back up in over a month. I remembered struggling with getting an S-rank on Windy Hill Zone Act 3 and I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. I pretty much play these Sonic games still because of the classic Sega blue skies, S-ranks, and the music, lol! I was really put off by the fact that the ranks were so hard to achieve (and this is coming from someone who's A/S-ranked the entire 3D Sonic library...including 06...) Aside from cutting corners here and there, there weren't too many shortcuts in that stage. What the fuck was I doing wrong?
I felt like there was something I wasn't utilizing or understanding about the new control scheme or mechanics. I knew because I was only managing to get a B-rank that it had nothing to do with my understanding of the stage's flow or design. I felt like I wasn't going fast enough. So, I broke down and looked up some information and read that there's a way to infinitely spin dash! It made running through that stage INFINITELY more enjoyable and I got my S-rank! Game's back in my wheelhouse again and I can finally make some more progress, hah!
I felt like there was something I wasn't utilizing or understanding about the new control scheme or mechanics. I knew because I was only managing to get a B-rank that it had nothing to do with my understanding of the stage's flow or design. I felt like I wasn't going fast enough. So, I broke down and looked up some information and read that there's a way to infinitely spin dash! It made running through that stage INFINITELY more enjoyable and I got my S-rank! Game's back in my wheelhouse again and I can finally make some more progress, hah!
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
thesolidshark
Member
So after finally getting all the red rings/Super Sonic and unlocking all the stages, I agree with the 7.5/8 ish range of reviews for the WiiU version. A fun game with that hold it back from being excellent.
Similar to my time with W101, there's a lot of trial and error to the game to learn the first playthrough; it'll be pretty frustrating until you get it, but it feels good to get it. I really like all of the new moves and control scheme of Lost World. I know the Sonic stigma is "gotta go fast" and I love when they keep that up, but having a button specifically works for LW, and could really work for in a future title like Adventure 3. Other than that, the parkour and kick moves are awesome too. It's a nice bit of variety to kick > homing attack some enemies, or take out a lined-up group on the 2D levels. Parkour is great, but a bit tricky at times (especially if you're aiming for something). I like how there are several ways to use it, but I would've liked more chances to use it. Like some mentioned before though, the momentum jumps and the speed dropping when you're running and turning felt off during the gameplay. One move I think that needed more to it was the ice-skating jump. Something specific for targeting enemies (especially the penguins) would've made Frozen Factory and a few similar stages a lot better.
The enemies in LW I think were good. Love how most of the robots were classic designs, and that not all of them could be beaten with a spin-dash/homing attack. Also glad Eggman wasn't the head, or only boss in the game; the Zeti had stereotypical personalities that I surprisingly didn't dislike. Zor, the emo one, ended up my favorite. The boss battles were really easy, unfortunately, even if the some of the aesthetics were nice (Zomom's face changing stage especially). Sonic boss battles have mostly been on the easy side, but I was hoping for this one to be different.
The presentation was more decent than I thought it'd be. Didn't have any problems with the cutscenes; I've never liked Tails more as an NPC as in this one, and Eggman was pretty funny. The music was decent too; not as memorable as Generations remixes, but did work for the game. And compared to others, I'll say the ending was simple. I don't think it ended abruptly, because we're used to a lot of games where it'll be fake resolved for a minute before a bigger/final threat appears.
Lost World not being as easy as Generations and maybe Colors, they should have kept in the traditional 100 rings = extra life, especially for those starting out. Being able to farm out extra lives in certain zones is a substitute (best place is cloud section of Tropical Coast zone 1), but should be on top of rings giving lives. If that's something they can patch in later, I hope they do. It's nice that there's a warp option for skip to the next checkpoint if one section is kicking your ass, but I might've preferred a more lenient level design instead. I'm glad it's an option since I don't use it anymore.
The stage design, probably where most complaints of the game originate from, is a mixed, varied bag with me. I do agree with most that it's stronger at the start of the game, and tapers out the further you get. I don't think the later stages are bad, but definitely not as good. The pinball section of the casino stage really shouldn't have been mandatory for progressing in the game. As a bonus game, or designed more like Sonic Spinball with more safeguards, sure, but not at a point where you lose lives. The floating stage in Sky Road had control scheme was frustrating to work around. Would have been much better controlling with the analog stick, and/or don't have it (so easily) to fall out of the bottom of the screen. I'll probably be one of the few to like the snowball stage, cause I knew about breaking (and later spin-dashing) on that stage by the time I played it. Most of the general 2D/3D stages I liked, especially the stage-flipping in 2D and the alternate 3D paths. I'm not sure how many alternate paths there are to take per stage, but I really like what I've seen so far. It would've been even nicer to alternate end-points too though. The most disappointing stage I think are definitely the first Hidden stage; it seems like it was supposed to be very different from what it was, and with more development time, it was going to be more of a Rubik's cube-type solving game instead of a "time-out to win" game (if there's a proper or better way to play it, please correct me). The Wisps in LW were also a little disappointing too. Fun to use when the option was there, but felt mostly there as an optional afterthought. I did like Crimson Eagle and Yellow Drill, but the rest didn't hit any high notes. The bonus circus stages are an ok distraction and nice use of the gamepad, but it gets really hard to tell where Sonic/Tails are with the particles. Overall I like the variety in the game, but it does come at the cost some stages not being as developed as they could be.
In terms of Sonic Team trying new things with the franchise, this was an experiment worth doing. Does take a lot from the Mario (Galaxy) formula and is rough around the edges, but still a fun game at it's core and fortunately still it's own game. I look at LW like a Nintendo-exclusive spin-off in the series; it may not be as good as Generations for me, but it'll probably be played as much as Generations was. Being different from other Sonic games was and still is the draw Lost World has for me. I do hope if they make another Sonic with the same control scheme, they'll put more focus and tighter controls and level design into it.
/end unexpected review rant
Similar to my time with W101, there's a lot of trial and error to the game to learn the first playthrough; it'll be pretty frustrating until you get it, but it feels good to get it. I really like all of the new moves and control scheme of Lost World. I know the Sonic stigma is "gotta go fast" and I love when they keep that up, but having a button specifically works for LW, and could really work for in a future title like Adventure 3. Other than that, the parkour and kick moves are awesome too. It's a nice bit of variety to kick > homing attack some enemies, or take out a lined-up group on the 2D levels. Parkour is great, but a bit tricky at times (especially if you're aiming for something). I like how there are several ways to use it, but I would've liked more chances to use it. Like some mentioned before though, the momentum jumps and the speed dropping when you're running and turning felt off during the gameplay. One move I think that needed more to it was the ice-skating jump. Something specific for targeting enemies (especially the penguins) would've made Frozen Factory and a few similar stages a lot better.
The enemies in LW I think were good. Love how most of the robots were classic designs, and that not all of them could be beaten with a spin-dash/homing attack. Also glad Eggman wasn't the head, or only boss in the game; the Zeti had stereotypical personalities that I surprisingly didn't dislike. Zor, the emo one, ended up my favorite. The boss battles were really easy, unfortunately, even if the some of the aesthetics were nice (Zomom's face changing stage especially). Sonic boss battles have mostly been on the easy side, but I was hoping for this one to be different.
The presentation was more decent than I thought it'd be. Didn't have any problems with the cutscenes; I've never liked Tails more as an NPC as in this one, and Eggman was pretty funny. The music was decent too; not as memorable as Generations remixes, but did work for the game. And compared to others, I'll say the ending was simple. I don't think it ended abruptly, because we're used to a lot of games where it'll be fake resolved for a minute before a bigger/final threat appears.
The Zeti and Eggman were beaten and everything was restored at the end; it might've been silly for extend things just for the sake of.
Lost World not being as easy as Generations and maybe Colors, they should have kept in the traditional 100 rings = extra life, especially for those starting out. Being able to farm out extra lives in certain zones is a substitute (best place is cloud section of Tropical Coast zone 1), but should be on top of rings giving lives. If that's something they can patch in later, I hope they do. It's nice that there's a warp option for skip to the next checkpoint if one section is kicking your ass, but I might've preferred a more lenient level design instead. I'm glad it's an option since I don't use it anymore.
The stage design, probably where most complaints of the game originate from, is a mixed, varied bag with me. I do agree with most that it's stronger at the start of the game, and tapers out the further you get. I don't think the later stages are bad, but definitely not as good. The pinball section of the casino stage really shouldn't have been mandatory for progressing in the game. As a bonus game, or designed more like Sonic Spinball with more safeguards, sure, but not at a point where you lose lives. The floating stage in Sky Road had control scheme was frustrating to work around. Would have been much better controlling with the analog stick, and/or don't have it (so easily) to fall out of the bottom of the screen. I'll probably be one of the few to like the snowball stage, cause I knew about breaking (and later spin-dashing) on that stage by the time I played it. Most of the general 2D/3D stages I liked, especially the stage-flipping in 2D and the alternate 3D paths. I'm not sure how many alternate paths there are to take per stage, but I really like what I've seen so far. It would've been even nicer to alternate end-points too though. The most disappointing stage I think are definitely the first Hidden stage; it seems like it was supposed to be very different from what it was, and with more development time, it was going to be more of a Rubik's cube-type solving game instead of a "time-out to win" game (if there's a proper or better way to play it, please correct me). The Wisps in LW were also a little disappointing too. Fun to use when the option was there, but felt mostly there as an optional afterthought. I did like Crimson Eagle and Yellow Drill, but the rest didn't hit any high notes. The bonus circus stages are an ok distraction and nice use of the gamepad, but it gets really hard to tell where Sonic/Tails are with the particles. Overall I like the variety in the game, but it does come at the cost some stages not being as developed as they could be.
In terms of Sonic Team trying new things with the franchise, this was an experiment worth doing. Does take a lot from the Mario (Galaxy) formula and is rough around the edges, but still a fun game at it's core and fortunately still it's own game. I look at LW like a Nintendo-exclusive spin-off in the series; it may not be as good as Generations for me, but it'll probably be played as much as Generations was. Being different from other Sonic games was and still is the draw Lost World has for me. I do hope if they make another Sonic with the same control scheme, they'll put more focus and tighter controls and level design into it.
/end unexpected review rant
This is why I entered this topic
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Ok it turns out my rant was for nothing. Seems like a very strange place to put settings though...
It really sucks how childish and generic Sonic has become. All the best to the people who enjoy the Colors/Generations/Lost World style, but this is just too dopey for me to enjoy. Eggman is an idiot and every protagonist is cocky and unlikable. Its all so cheesy and bad. I remember thinking AoStH was corny back in elementary school, but I didn't mind it b/c I knew the games were on another level. This is leagues worse than AoStH.
I like the music (not the boss music though...) and the level aesthetics, but the cutscenes and the Zeti...ugh. Sonic is supposed to be better than this. I can't believe, with its fanbase and legacy, that Sonic games have become so fucking boring. This is supposed to be a flagship video game franchise, not some shitty throwaway cartoon. I'm sorry if this is coming off harsh, but I just got to the final boss and couldn't be more let down. Fuck this.
I like the music (not the boss music though...) and the level aesthetics, but the cutscenes and the Zeti...ugh. Sonic is supposed to be better than this. I can't believe, with its fanbase and legacy, that Sonic games have become so fucking boring. This is supposed to be a flagship video game franchise, not some shitty throwaway cartoon. I'm sorry if this is coming off harsh, but I just got to the final boss and couldn't be more let down. Fuck this.
thesolidshark
Member
I missed the rant. What did you think was missing?
I disagree with Lost World being worse than AoStH (with Scratch and Grounder, right?), but I'll understand if you don't like where they went with LW. I'm guessing the highlight for you with the series was the Genesis titles or the Adventure series in terms of characters and presentation, or do I assume wrong?
Terrible_Majesty
Member
so it looks like sonic colors was the definitive 3d sonic game to come out since sonic 3. im going to pass on this and get w101 and sm3dw instead.
Nicktendo86
Member
Downloaded the demo on the 3DS the other night, my god what a pos. Am I missing something here? Terrible graphics, felt REALLY slow, seemed to be the same level over and over. I know it was only a demo and had live two levels but they were exactly the same, run forward, jump, spin dash into enemies, get to the end. Is the retail game any better?
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
...when? You're talking about the Genesis games right? Please tell me you're not talking about the Dreamcast and Cube-era games
If you didn't like that then don't even think about buying it. You could try it again, see if doing some exploration or playing around with Sonic's moves helps at all, but if that's not fun then everything I've heard would lead me to believe that this is not the game for you.
BlazeHedgehog
Member
While I am going to tell you that the retail game is definitely worse and one of the worst games I've played this year, your complaints sound a little weird.
The two levels available in the demo were the tutorial and Windy Hill Stage 1, arguably the two most playable stages (as is the case with a lot of Sonic games). What you're saying is akin to finishing the first level of Good Egg Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy and going "UGH ALL YOU DO IS JUMP AROUND"
Like... yeah... that's kind of what a Mario game is. If you're already bored by that, maybe you need to... play an entirely different game. Or, uh, genre.
These games have been pissing me off. I didn't believe you Blaze when you said some 3DS were 20 minutes long but they are. Who the hell thought that was a good idea??
And the Wii U version is plagued by worse level design than the 3DS version (which I like better!). I've seen the game over screen 4 times now in the Wii U version. If its not a homing attack that doesn't work, its a cheap shot by an enemy or yet another bottomless pit that does me in.
I cannot understand how after releasing multiple more than competent Sonic games Sega/Sonic Team made Lost World. How does that happen? Does no one actually tell the development team that the level design is simplistic and repetitive? That enemies are no fun when you can't tell how you should attack them since you made two different attacks (which is needless!)? That its absolutely maddening to play a special stage or use a particular color power with fucking gyro controls?
Seriously, what the hell?
And the Wii U version is plagued by worse level design than the 3DS version (which I like better!). I've seen the game over screen 4 times now in the Wii U version. If its not a homing attack that doesn't work, its a cheap shot by an enemy or yet another bottomless pit that does me in.
I cannot understand how after releasing multiple more than competent Sonic games Sega/Sonic Team made Lost World. How does that happen? Does no one actually tell the development team that the level design is simplistic and repetitive? That enemies are no fun when you can't tell how you should attack them since you made two different attacks (which is needless!)? That its absolutely maddening to play a special stage or use a particular color power with fucking gyro controls?
Seriously, what the hell?
WheelHoss1
Member
So what is the GAF consensus on this game? It looks damn pretty and fun to me, but those reviews . . .
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
5/10 game for me
Level design and game design gets too cheap and annoying halfway through, and there's some baffling decisions throughout the entire game. Wasn't a fan of the 2D physics either
Use the shoulder buttons and A to activate wisp powers, then analog to control them. I think the rocket and eagle powers still require motion though.
As for 3D Sonic rankings (from last/current gen only) Colors > Lost World > Generations > Unleashed HD. The only reason why Generations is third on the list is because they really could have gone in a more varied direction with the zone choices after Sky Sanctuary.
Lost World should get props for being the first 3D Sonic game with a spin dash that works the way you'd expect it to. The parkour moves are a good addition, and should be a staple imo.
HUELEN10
Member
Aye, and rocket becomes even more of a pain if you are playing on just the Gamepad without and external display.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Wait until it's cheaper and formulate your opinion when/if you do get it.
Otherwise, impressions are mixed.
Personally, I don't think much of it. I think it's a nudge below average after going for a lot of the red rings to the point of just not feeling like I'm enjoying myself as much. Lots of design decisions that don't seem to jive well with me. It's a good start with respect to the parkour mechanic and the rails with different speeds allocated to them, but the execution truly does leave quite a bit to be desired.
In the end, I'm not sure what the game wanted to do or what it wanted to be. I feel like it exhibited some sort of identity crisis, especially due to its lack of cohesion. It felt completely all over the place. The best world, and the most realized world, is ultimately the first one. It's the best version of their concept realized and executed in the game. The other concepts seem to fall short, or they are borrowed concepts that added to the lack of coherency and identity in the game. I... genuinely dislike when games do this sort of thing (ie: throwing in everything + the kitchen sink, or trying to go with a "me too!" concept), but not everyone dislikes that sort of thing.
So who knows? Maybe you would like it when you do try it. Again, opinions are mixed here and in a lot of other places.
Steer clear from the 3DS version. Some of the levels are poorly-paced, especially for a portable platformer.
----------------
Anyway.
Sega released Badnik Concept Art last week: http://blogs.sega.com/2013/12/06/sonic-lost-world-concept-art-characters/?0=1
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
100 Rings = Extra life being patched in. Button controls are being patched in for the motion controlled wisps.
http://blogs.sega.com/2013/12/10/sonic-lost-world-for-wii-u-gets-free-update/
http://blogs.sega.com/2013/12/10/sonic-lost-world-for-wii-u-gets-free-update/
IrishNinja
Member
Schalas how much do you think these changes will adjust your overall impression of the game? because on the outside it seems to address some of the biggest/most common complaints, but then there's still questionable design decisions (even in the demo i didn't get a proper feel for wall running or when to use either of the homing attacks), and i recall complaints about checkpoint locations/etc
kunonabi
Member
I'd put it behind Adventure, Colors, and Secret Rings but ahead of everything else so far. That might change as I get farther along.
Rad, think I'll actually go for the red rings now.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Very little, considering the issues I had with the game weren't at all about difficulty (as I didn't find the game too difficult), and more or less about how incoherent the game is, and a myriad of other issues with respect to the game's design philosophy. If Sega ever wrote postmortem articles, I'd love to hear about how the development cycle for this one went.
It addresses much of the most common complaints with respect to base playability, but it doesn't fix much with respect to the game's design at all. That was my problem with it. The game didn't seem to have much direction in terms of what it ultimately wanted to accomplish, and it's starting to become something that I've become increasingly disappointed with lately with game design in general (not just this game alone). It's moreso disappointing to me because it just didn't feel much like a Sonic game anymore. It felt like it took a lot of aspects from the genre in general, threw everything in including the kitchen sink, and strung them together to make a product that would try to appeal to everyone with the detriment of just not feeling like a 'complete blend', I guess.
I mean, that's probably more on me, but since other people have expressed similar issues, perhaps that is one of the issues that the game exhibits.
3DS version 5/10. This is after purchasing for $20 as well.
SpikedGunner
Member
I think this is the first time Sonic Team has ever fixed/patched a non-PSO game...though I might be wrong since I think Unleashed was patched to receive the DLC.
A good looking game with a cool parkour mechanic but ruined by questionable design choices with the game being downright boring and progressively worse as you get further and further into the game.
I say try out the demo first and make your choice from there.
Azure Dream
Member
It is wrong. 06 was even patched, but in the most minor way possible (I think it was mainly to set up for DLC, I think). Unleashed patched did the DLC setup, but also a few minor things, including fixing a "lap" exploit/glitch in the looping levels. Generations got a patch to fix the slowdown in the Rouge mission in Seaside Hill.
They're not very good about patching the issues out of their old games, but at least this is a small start. It's the first "gameplay adjustment" patch I think I've seen from them, changing how lives are handed out.
It's a decent game with shit bosses and questionable/frustrating level design in the late game, and is obviously rushed.
thesolidshark
Member
They did this a lot sooner than I expected. Already have all the red rings, but still nice to have the old ring feature present. Hopefully optimistic about the other fixes too.