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Sonic Boom (BRB/Sanzaru, WiiU/3DS) gameplay preview/info, screenshots, and trailer

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
First Preview: http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/6/538...-over-to-western-studios-and-gave-him-a-scarf

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTP-JbDBSCw&feature=youtu.be

Summary:
-Big Red Button (Wii U) and Sanzaru (3DS) are making the game. The two SKUs are different games in the same universe.
-Sonic Boom Wii U is what the info below pertains to.
-The game runs on CryEngine.
-Big Red Button is lead by Bob Rafei, a Naughty Dog veteran of the Jak & Daxter series and Uncharted 1. A lot of the team members also worked on Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank.
-The Sonic Boom series as a whole is being run out of Sega of America as a fully Westernized version of the franchise, whereas Sonic Team in Japan is managing the Japanese based series. The concept actually started with the TV show (made in France) and then they decided to make games with Western devs to support that.
-While speed is an element in the game, it's not the main focus for the Sonic Boom series.
-Combat and "strong narrative" are major aspects of the game.
-While not an open world, the levels are notably more open to allow for more exploration based gameplay. They describe it as "a series of classic sandbox levels branching out into more levels in a spoke-like system".
-There is a "critical path" and also a lot of side content that you can do if you want to, similar to other open world/sandbox type games.
-The game director notes that his experience on Uncharted was part of their influence in making the game in a more action/adventure direction, and that the team is making a game they would want to play. However, they want to make sure it still feels like a Sonic game instead of just Jak or Ratchet with a Sonic skin.
-Each character has different special abilities which tie into both combat and exploration.
-They made Amy Rose a much bigger character in the game because they wanted there to be more strong female characters and also for the game to appeal to girls more. They also note "If she was to break out and have a game of her own you'd probably get an idea of what that would look like based on this game."
-Their goal is that each of the four characters feel unique gameplay wise and like main characters instead of just Sonic and a bunch of supporting cast.
-The game has 2 to 4 player co-op. I'm having issues finding it right now, but I believe I saw another preview that said the game features 2 player co-op for the whole campaign and some modes that support 4 player, but I could be wrong.
-The new main enemy is "darker and more foreboding than Eggman is."
-Sonic Team will still make games focused on speed that aren't part of the Sonic Boom series. These are being developed in parallel, so (Nirolak's conjecture) expecting annualization is not unreasonable.

Here are some screenshots, more at the link:

sonic-boom-video-gameircna.jpg


sonic-boom-video-gamet0djb.jpg


bobbychalkers said:
 

Riki

Member
Really loving what I'm hearing from all this!
Excited to see what this team can do with Sonic. I think a more adventure focused game will really be great.
 

Tucah

you speak so well
I hate the new designs but I'm at least sort of curious in a Jak and Daxter-esque Sonic game.
 

NotLiquid

Member
Amy being described as "acrobatic" has me interested. It sounds like she's the character closest to emulate some old school Ratchet game play.

I actually look forward to trying all these characters seeing how they're being made by a team who actually might know what they're doing, and have experience in doing it.
 

hal9001

Banned
-Big Red Button is lead by Bob Rafei, a Naughty Dog veteran of the Jak & Daxter series and Uncharted 1. A lot of the team members also worked on Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank.

-The game director notes that his experience on Uncharted was part of their influence in making the game in a more action/adventure direction, and that the team is making a game they would want to play. However, they want to make sure it still feels like a Sonic game instead of just Jak or Ratchet with a Sonic skin
Very optimistic this will turn out to be a great game.
 
Character designs suck but being helmed by ex-Naughty Dog folks, especially Jak & Daxter and Drake's Fortune, and Ratchet & Clank guys, means it has the potential to be the best Sonic game in a long ass time.
 

D-e-f-

Banned
Open-world, huh? So basically a Sonic game "Jak-and-Daxter"-style? I can dig it.

Specifically NOT open world. Hub area with multiple paths.

Game looks like it has potential but does WiiU really need another platformer lol !

Do the other consoles need more shooters? No. But they get them anyway.

If the game is good, what's the problem? It's not like they wouldn't be making a new Sonic game anyway.
 
-While not an open world, the levels are notably more open to allow for more exploration based gameplay. They describe it as "a series of classic sandbox levels branching out into more levels in a spoke-like system".
-There is a "critical path" and also a lot of side content that you can do if you want to, similar to other open world/sandbox type games.
-The game director notes that his experience on Uncharted was part of their influence in making the game in a more action/adventure direction, and that the team is making a game they would want to play. However, they want to make sure it still feels like a Sonic game instead of just Jak or Ratchet with a Sonic skin.
-Each character has different special abilities which tie into both combat and exploration.
-They made Amy Rose a much bigger character in the game because they wanted there to be more strong female characters and also for the game to appeal to girls more. They also note "If she was to break out and have a game of her own you'd probably get an idea of what that would look like based on this game."
-Their goal is that each of the four characters feel unique gameplay wise and like main characters instead of just Sonic and a bunch of supporting cast.
OK now I'm hyped.
 

jts

...hate me...
This is like one of those platform games that are generally praised but I barely ever touched because of bad/wack char design like Jak & Daxter, Ratchet, Crash etc. Just irks me out.

Hope it's well received though.
 
Acceptant toward Tails's redesign.
Indifferent toward Amy's redesign.
Unacceptant toward Sonic's redesign.
Hateful toward Kunckle's redesign.

The new main enemy is "darker and more foreboding than Eggman is."

Why? Eggman is fine. They keep trying with these new bosses, and they just end up being silly. The furious five, or whatever, from the last game? Deadly five? Fuck it--you follow me--they were abysmally silly. Eggman is that right mixture of cartoony yet sinister.

Initial artwork looks terrible, but the gameplay looks decent. I'll remain skeptical yet hopeful that this will be seriously improved throughout development.
 

Marjar

Banned
Huh, despite the godawful character designs this actually sounds interesting.

Definitely gonna keep an eye on this one.
 
-While not an open world, the levels are notably more open to allow for more exploration based gameplay. They describe it as "a series of classic sandbox levels branching out into more levels in a spoke-like system".

Sounds pretty good. I hope they pull that off well. I really want good exploration in Sonic, and we aren't really getting that in the recent games.
 
D

Deleted member 126221

Unconfirmed Member
First time I was the trailer, I was disgusted and I thought it looked terrible.

But now that I know it's by part of the Jak and Daxter team, I looked at the trailer again a couple of times, it looks like a spiritual successor to Jak and Daxter with ugly character models.

I... think I'm excited.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Finally Naughty Dog ends up on Nintendo *smug*
 

wrowa

Member
Sounds good to me. There's a real lack of platformers more similar to Jak and Ratchet & Clank and this guys seem to have the experience to pull off a great game in the genre. It remains to be seen whether the concept will still work with the Sonic forumla attached to it -- and whether or not Big Red Button is actually a good studio and not just a studio that sounds talented on paper.

Surprised that DEMPS won't be making the 3DS counterpart like they so often do

Dimps will be doing the 3DS counterpart for whatever game Sonic Team puts out next.
 

Blackage

Member
-Combat and "strong narrative" are major aspects of the game.

I call bullshit, combat and strong narrative have never been major aspects of any Sonic game, I WON'T BELIEVE YOUR LIES SEGA!!
 

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Not optimistic about the 3DS version not getting shortchanged fun-design-wise.
 

Kriken

Member
I'll be keeping an eye on this in the coming months, I said the same thing about Lost World, but between Rayman Legends and Super Mario 3D World, I fufilled my quota of platformers for the time
 
Specifically NOT open world. Hub area with multiple paths.

Well, I wasn't sure how else to describe the level design of the Jak and Daxter series.

Still though, having the entire game basically be one continuous area with no levels or loading screens in between... it sounds great to me! We need more action-adventure games these days.
 
I agree with the consensus that the game itself looks alright and normally I'd be excited to see a different developer's take on the series, but the character designs are just...ughghghghgh. Tone down the legs/bandages and I'd be more willing to give it a shot.
 

Silky

Banned
so a Jak and Daxter/Crash Twinsanity approach to the overworld and actual Sonic/Tails/Knuckles/Amy levels as sub worlds?

In there.
 
I'm actually excited about the gameplay, but god the narrative is going to be horrendous. This is actually a good move by Sega (well besides putting it on a doomed system)
 
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