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Sonic Forces - Casino Forest gameplay

What a sad sad sight. I really hope this game turns out good. They've had 4 years to make this...

Also the music from Sonic Forces sounds extremely bland and uninspired. That's a first for a Sonic game.
 
Forces should have been strictly modern design only, look at sonic Colours and improve on that they would have made a great 3D sonic game.
 

SkylineRKR

Member
Nothing about this indicates its going to be as solid as Mania. Perhaps if this game gets slammed, we'll get more Mania.
 

Togh

Member
LOVED the music, hated the physics. I see Izuka didn't improve a single bit over classic Sonic gameplay from Sonic Generations... I just can't understand how they can't get it right but a bunch of indie developers, can. Jump seems off (he go up and go down fast without momentum), lot of scripted events where he get super fast from nothing as soon as he steps on some places, and the same way he get fast from nothing, he also stops from nothing as when he get to the green flipper. Not to mention when he picked up the momentum on the way down and suddenly stops at the end to make the "over the edge" animation...
 

Ristifer

Member
I just wish it looked more challenging. You have this tiny Sonic running around, with everything else being massive. The flippers are humongous. Wouldn't be terrible if they were scaled a bit so that you actually had to land on them properly. Instead, you can miss it by a considerable amount, but you're fine because the flipper takes up half the screen.
 

Dissent-

Neo Member
I think someone can replay Mania 4 or 5 times and not get sick of the amazing level design and music.

I've 100%'d about six save files across multiple platforms, got every achievement on PC, and STILL booted it up again last night to casually romp through it while watching a Twitch streamer play PUBG.

Forces will never be that good for anyone.
 

Frumix

Suffering From Success
You know you really got that Sonic design down when you have to put multiple speedboosters on downhill slopes to make Sonic go fast.

ge4VAZv.gif


Sonic goes down a hill and hits a speedbooster. He hits a steeper downward slope and SLOWS DOWN. Then he falls off a ledge and hits another speedbooster on a downward slope and hardly gets any height off the ramp it leads to. Generations didn't do this kind of shit. How is this game worse than Generations?

Visually the level needs more lighting but is an okay concept.

Music: as awful as this game's Green Hill. Seems like they're going to overuse that synthetic drum in every Classic Sonic track because they think that's what the Genesis games sounded like just like with Sonic 4.

Sonic 4ces
 
I'm guessing this is a zone where they thought they had a really cool idea and made a great modern sonic level, but then when they got round to making a classic level they had no idea how to translate into 2D in an appealing way, so they just made a forest level and stuck some neon bumpers in and a few casinos in the background.
I don't think Forces is doing the classic/modern stage duality for the sonics. There might be a custom character version of this stage, though.
 

Camjo-Z

Member
Nothing about this indicates its going to be as solid as Mania. Perhaps if this game gets slammed, we'll get more Mania.

Shocking spoilers for the future of Sonic ahead!!!
Mania will get better scores than Forces, but Forces will sell better than Mania. You will get sequels to both regardless.
 

Galang

Banned
This looks like a level made by an in-game level creator. Floating, bland blocks dotted with preset interactables drifting by a background that doesn’t quite mesh with the levels art style.

Complete with ‘just spam rings all over’ section.

Yeah this is an accurate description. Disappointing
 
I don't think it looks as bad as many of you are saying. It doesn't look particularly great either, keep in mind, but it looks alright
 

DorkyMohr

Banned
The muted lighting of the Green Hill Zone video returns in the Casino level? A level that's about bright colored lights? Ouch
 

brad-t

Member
If this was an indie Sonic-inspired title and it played like this, it would get savaged by fans and non-fans alike. Totally embarrassing.
 

Seik

Banned
Compared to many, I think the level seems fun enough.

However, something about the graphics just looks off.

IDK if it's lighting, or just the way everything renders, but there's something that gives a 'bland' look to everything.
 
You know you really got that Sonic design down when you have to put multiple speedboosters on downhill slopes to make Sonic go fast.

ge4VAZv.gif


Sonic goes down a hill and hits a speedbooster. He hits a steeper downward slope and SLOWS DOWN. Then he falls off a ledge and hits another speedbooster on a downward slope and hardly gets any height off the ramp it leads to. Generations didn't do this kind of shit. How is this game worse than Generations?

Visually the level needs more lighting but is an okay concept.

Music: as awful as this game's Green Hill. Seems like they're going to overuse that synthetic drum in every Classic Sonic track because they think that's what the Genesis games sounded like just like with Sonic 4.

Remember when Sonic Team built games that utilized momentum and speed? Amazing how Whitehead and the other fan developers that made Mania managed to understand that better than the Sonic Team.
 

Sami+

Member
I don't think it looks as bad as many of you are saying. It doesn't look particularly great either, keep in mind, but it looks alright

I'd take unmitigated garbage that's at the very least unique and kind of interesting like 06 over mediocre shite that's just the same thing as what came before except worse like Shadow and this.

🤷

Edit - both suck obviously but I feel like I should make that clear lol
 
It’s so weird. After Mania, I can’t really get excited for this. It’s supposed to be Generations 2, which is great from a gameplay standpoint, but...
 
It’s so weird. After Mania, I can’t really get excited for this. It’s supposed to be Generations 2, which is great from a gameplay standpoint, but...

Even if the classic physics were borked Generations had much more interesting levels. Seeing the Death Egg setpiece gorgeously re-enacted in Sky Sanctuary, avoiding the truck in a different perspective in City Escape, chasing the signpost in Crisis City, taking down the airship in Rooftop Run, etc.

What’s the throughline with Casino Forest? What’s the memorable setpiece? Why does the ending come out of nowhere with no buildup? Where’s the scenario design? Even the more fundamentals-focused levels in Generations like Speed Highway were well rounded in length.
 

Mr-Joker

Banned
Arrggh I fucking hate casino levels in Sonic games, they are all terrible and just not fun to play.

Also when I saw my little brother watching the gameplay on this phone, I legit thought that he was watching a mod of Sonic Generation in Casino Night Zone.
 

Ristifer

Member
You know Gaf, fear of not being noticed means hyperbole is the way to go.
It doesn't really seem like hyperbole to me. Sonic Team has had chance after chance to improve. Maybe there's more to these zones, but the level design was similar-to-better in the classic Generations stages. So, after six years, I think it's reasonable to level some criticism at these design choices.

I can usually defend Sonic Team, but after this long, I have to see this for what it is. People complained that they were remaking GH so many times. So, we get a "new" Casino Night with less colour and flair and the same boost pad design we've had to endure for years in Modern Sonic games. I'm honestly surprised that some can accept this when it's essentially another reworked zone with fluff.
 

liquidtmd

Banned
I loved Generations, I liked Colours, was kinda meh on Unleashed but hell put me in the club that liked Adventure 1 and some of 2 on release. Mania was a joy to play

This looks bad.
 

ZeoVGM

Banned
I love how people are super ready to shit on this game, but flip their shit if someone didn't like Sonic mania.

I'm not sure I understand why this seems strange to you.

This game simply hasn't looked very good at all. The classic Sonic gameplay looks nearly the same as Generations, which was passable then but absolutely not after Mania has released. The level design for classic Sonic looks poor, the music isn't standing out for the most part and the art direction is bland.

Meanwhile, Mania was an acclaimed game that looked great from the moment is was revealed.
 

Camjo-Z

Member
I'd take unmitigated garbage that's at the very least unique and kind of interesting like 06 over mediocre shite that's just the same thing as what came before except worse like Shadow and this.

You know, you can just say you don't like Forces without coming up with nonsensical justifications for it. Sonic 06 is literally just a worse version of Sonic Adventure. Same gameplay, same hub worlds, same ill-advised attempt to place a cartoon hedgehog in a world of realistic humans and ancient evil beings.

OT title right there

I'm all for dumping on the game if it turns out to be garbage but let's at least let the OT be a neutral ground for people who actually want to play the game without starting it out on a negative tone.
 

Kneefoil

Member
I'm not going to comment on the level design because I've only seen one route and I've not yet played any of this game, but presentation-wise I think this isn't even as good as Generations. Both classic levels I've seen, this and Green Hill, have just seemed a bit bland in comparison.

They seem to have put all the interesting details in the background while Generations seems more willing to put some objects, like trees and waterfalls, in front of the lane Sonic is running on. Gens doesn't do it to the point where it gets obnoxious or distracting though - just enough to make the zones look a bit livelier and more pleasant.

Another thing, and IMO the more noticeable and effective thing that Generations does to boost its presentation that I haven't seen in the two classic Sonic stages is forces has something to do with the camera: Gens' camera is more dynamic. Forces' camera does zoom in and out as needed, but in Generations the camera would also sometimes change the viewing angle so that Sonic isn't always moving at a 90 degree angle to the camera. It helps making the the action a bit more exciting, and it's something I've yet to see in Forces.


Oh and the music in this one wasn't very good, but that's another point entirely.
 
I like the composition behind this and the new green hill theme but what is up with the soundfont??? Its not quite as bad as Sonic 4's desperately artificial retro sound, but its in the same ballpark
edit- the only time this sound has fully worked for me so far is during the eggman fight they showed at e3

Casino Forest sounds surprisingly close to the general Megadrive soundfont, and feels much more genuine than your general Sonic 4 track. The Green Hill and boss tracks on the other hand sound like they're aiming less for emulating that sound verbatim than they are making a faux-retro take on it while using bits and pieces of the actual font. Not saying either option is better or worse, but I think the use of that soundfont is pretty on-point concerning accuracy and that the composition here feels well realized for what it's trying to do.
 

Toxi

Banned
You know you really got that Sonic design down when you have to put multiple speedboosters on downhill slopes to make Sonic go fast.

ge4VAZv.gif


Sonic goes down a hill and hits a speedbooster. He hits a steeper downward slope and SLOWS DOWN. Then he falls off a ledge and hits another speedbooster on a downward slope and hardly gets any height off the ramp it leads to. Generations didn't do this kind of shit. How is this game worse than Generations?
What the hell. How can Sonic Team fuck something this basic up.
 

Szadek

Member
Casino Forest? Seriously?
"Shit, we can't use casion night zone again, what should we do? Casion Forest?
and then the went with it for the lack of better ideas.

Visually the level just doesn't work. Casino levels are supposed to be bright and fun, but here the primary colors of the background/ walls are dark green and dark gray.
Also, like other people have said, where the fuck are the enemies?
 

Slermy

Member
I really dig the melody but the choice of instruments could be better since it sounds like they were going for a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive vibe.

Yeah, I agree. The choice of instruments sounds like someone trying to replicate a "retro" sound without ever listening to what a 16-bit Sega console actually sounded like.
 
Actually, I miscounted. There are 3 boostpads on that downhill slope.

Sonicboomified:

zxIU3if.gif

Need a boostpad just before the lip because you know, the player might not be going fast enough.

There's a boostpad in the small half pipe before that area too, because again th player obviously can't figure out what spindashing would do in that situation even though they make it a one button input and auto rev.
 

Watch Da Birdie

I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
WHAT even is this game?

I mean, we're only like a month away from release and the tone of this game and its "goal" is all over the place.

I'm tempted to go on blackout from here and just buy it blind because it looks like it'll deliver in terms of sheer absurdity.
 
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