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Sonic Forces - Green Hill Gameplay

I LOVE the iconic greenhill zone. Its a must to begin every sonic game just like it is for mario platformers to begin in the mushroom kingdom. The devs can get creative in the latter zones but zone 1 must always be greenhill.

Exactly this. There's always a "Green Hill Zone" equivalent. Mario titles have followed the same formula. Mega Man always has elemental-based stages and bosses. If it was Emerald Hill or Palmtree Panic, people on here would be equally dismissive. If it wasn't there, there would be a sense that something is missing. You're also right that the developers can show off more ideas in later stages. I've seen these comments and thought "Get a grip" - One comment suggesting that it's "dated as Yooka-Laylee". Really!? Sonic Boom introduced lots of very neat ideas (although some were poorly executed). He gets new friends, and they're dismissed as "shitty". So, they strip some things away, and now they're upset about the "lack of depth", or "the same level, which isn't the same". At this point, a Sonic version of the following pic would be too appropriate... ;).

ca8.png
 
It's going to be split like Generations. We've seen 3D Sonic gameplay already.

This is not the same thing as Mania, even in the side-scrolling sections. Sonic Generations was incredible and this is shaping up to be a sequel, clearly.

Getting both in one year is awesome.
Not sure I agree. Sonic Mania makes classic Sonic in Forces seem kind of redundant. Especially since Mania was pushed back and they'll be launching pretty close to each other
 
Exactly this. There's always a "Green Hill Zone" equivalent. Mario titles have followed the same formula. Mega Man always has elemental-based stages and bosses. If it was Emerald Hill or Palmtree Panic, people on here would be equally dismissive. If it wasn't there, there would be a sense that something is missing. You're also right that the developers can show off more ideas in later stages. I've seen these comments and thought "Get a grip" - One comment suggesting that it's "dated as Yooka-Laylee". Really!? Sonic Boom introduced lots of very neat ideas (although some were poorly executed). He gets new friends, and they're dismissed as "shitty". So, they strip some things away, and now they're upset about the "lack of depth", or "the same level, which isn't the same". At this point, a Sonic version of the following pic would be too appropriate... ;).
I mean, "you fucking make it then" is pretty much what Sonic Mania is, and it has had an extremely positive reception. So... there's something to be said for working to accurately emulate the classic Sonic style and creating new experiences therein, I think.

There's nothing wrong with having a "Green Hill" equivalent, but just making Green Hill over and over seems lazy and uninspired. It's even worse when they don't get proper Green Hill remixes - if they didn't want to pay for licenses, they should have either made an original Green Hill-like or remixed a later one that they had the rights to. A halfassed Green Hill doesn't do any good for anyone.
 
Looks... mediocre.
The music, the stage (why green hill again, im a sonic casual fan and even me would love if they try to bring other 1st zones of the other games), everything looks bland when in the first generations showing all was exciting.

And not to forget this seem to all be attached to a dreadfull deviantart fanfic story.
 

Eumi

Member
Looks like a worse 3D version of a good 2D sonic game.

That chip tune music does not fit that 3D style.
 

Zutrax

Member
I like the look of it, I especially enjoy the small detail of all the grass flowing in the wind, looks like current gen Green Hill Zone to me. The gameplay seems fine, it feels like it's typical 3D sonic platforming fare right now, the good and the bad.

But to the people praising the music, I'm kind of baffled. Maybe I'm in a minority, but it really grated on me. Something about how high pitch sounding it was really hurt my head.
 

Sciortino

Member
It really does look bland...I feel like they're playing it way too safe making a "Generations 2" type game. And the music is weak.
 

conpfreak

Member
Yep looks like Sonic

Not even die hard fans can be excited by this.. again?

But does it play like Sonic? It looks like trash. Sonic Mania is going to likely be much better than this for classic gameplay. Literally no one asked for a Sonic Generations rehash using the same locals. They could've just ported Generations with additional content and saved some effort. Sega needs to give the mainline Sonic games to devs who are actually capable of producing a reimagined 3D Sonic game. Obviously, after several middling titles, that isn't Sonic Team.
 
Awful.

Terrible music, in Green Hill Zone, come the fuck on Sega.
The physics and animation are all over the place.

The level design is terrible too and the object placement. Bad reminders of Sonic 4.

How difficult is it to implement Classic physics? Just ask Christian for the source code!
 

LordKasual

Banned
I say "almost literally" because I'm more expressing the scale and obviousness of the mistakes this game makes with its movement than pointing out a specific problem, although the enemy-bouncing in this footage is comically shitty.
But does it play like Sonic? It looks like trash.


This is starting to look like one of those threads to be abandoned early...

Of all the 2.5D gameplay shown in a recent sonic game (that's trying to be classic) this trailer easily showcases the best of it, physics included

Just about the only suspect feature seems to be the stopping after landing, but since Sonic can roll on land, i don't see the reason to complain about it


this thread is about to decay into armchair game designers complaining about physics control in a game they haven't touched yet
 

muteki

Member
I do wonder what is keeping the old physics from the genesis games on the genesis.

Is it just not technically possible to port the math behind it to a modern engine? Or are they intentionally trying to not do it?

Not an expert obviously and not trying to say that it would be simple, just insanely curious why the feel seems to be impossible to duplicate.
 
It is a speed running / high score aspect. The spring slows you down as opposed to avoiding it by jumping slightly beforehand. Avoid it and you can get a better time / higher score. Nothing wrong with it, really.

As opposed to running into the ledge which has the similar slowing you down aspect covered. Feels a bit redundant.
 

Spaghetti

Member
I... dunno about this. I'd need to get my hands on it to be sure but it looks like a few of the physics complaints from Generations still exist. They were forgivable first time around in Generations because of the novelty of playing Classic Sonic again in 3D, but you can't repeat that trick again and expect people to ignore the flaws. Especially not with Mania releasing in the same year.
 

nkarafo

Member
I LOVE the iconic greenhill zone. Its a must to begin every sonic game just like it is for mario platformers to begin in the mushroom kingdom. The devs can get creative in the latter zones but zone 1 must always be greenhill.
Ok but if you are going to bring the iconic Green Hill you should also bring it's music with it.
 
Oh so we're returning to misusing the Sonic 1 drums again? Great! It's not like one of the worst parts of Sonic 4 was it's music (then again this isn't THAT bad, but could do some more work). The rest of this looks ok I guess, I remain cautiously optimistic. It's weird that this doesn't seem to have upper, middle or lower routes like classic sonic usually does. Upper routes are always the hardest, but the faster, but it seems like a lot of times here you don't really have a choice

As opposed to running into the ledge which has the similar slowing you down aspect covered. Feels a bit redundant.

Not really, since it slows downs your progress instead of completely halting it. One of people's main complaints about classic sonic is how you stop all the time. Now they fixed it and people are still complaining, lol
 
Well that level design looked amaturish. And surely that is the speed shoes/invicinbility music and not the actual level theme...

Either way Mania is coming so all I have to ask is why? It's really redundant when Mania is set out to cater to classic fans, so what is Forces trying to do by pandering to nostalgia when there's a game already aiming at that (and will probably do it far better)?

So far Forces is looking to be shit... maybe Bubsy will save this game?
 

I Wanna Be The Guy

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
If this was Sonic Maker I'd think this was kinda neat. I mean yeah that level design is super bland but what do you expect from fan made level. Still a Sonic level creator could be cool.

Oh this is just Sonic Team not giving a fuck anymore and devoid of all creativity. Alrighty then. Thank fucking christ we have Sonic Mania.
 

Melpontro

Member
Looks like both classic and modern sonic control almost identically to Generations. Porting over mods to Forces should be fun.
 

LordKano

Member
Looks like both classic and modern sonic control almost identically to Generations. Porting over mods to Forces should be fun.

Not really. Physics looks better in Forces, not as slippy or rigid at start than in Generations (or, even worse, Sonic 4).
 

Spaghetti

Member
R.E - music. Might have been said already, but there are legit references to Splash Hill in this new Green Hill Zone music. I thought it might have been Windy Hill initially, but then my repressed memories of Sonic 4 unlocked...
 

Qasiel

Member
That... Wasn't great. If anything it's made me happier that Sonic Mania releases soon because, to me, that's what a side-scrolling Sonic should at least look like.
 

Ein Bear

Member
Ehhhhhh this looks very... Off.

Isn't doing itself any favours by re-using bloody Green Hill Zone again either. It's exactly what we've seen before in Generations, only with worse looking physics.
 

whipihguh

Banned
Is...is this what Sonic Team has been doing for the past five years? This looks and sounds worse than Generation's Green Hill level. The level design even looks like a downgrade.

Doesn't help that the brief Modern Sonic segment they showed earlier seemed more linear than the stages from Generations and Colors, too. Getting pretty concerned about this game....
 

nkarafo

Member
One thing i noticed is how most platforms and the ground is completely straight/flat. In comparison, Sonic Mania has many more slopes and height variations on the ground that you can run on. Maybe they did this to avoid showing off how they can't do proper physics?

There are also very few (if any) paths.

Here's Green Hill in Sonic Mania for comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMko0HL-I6w

Feels like this game is on a completely different level.
 

Sami+

Member
Sonic Mania makes this look like such a joke.

This looks like a joke, it's literally the same shit from five years ago but way uglier and with Baby's First BGM backing it.
 

Baleoce

Member
Yeah, the music sounds boring.

Yeah I couldn't quite get past that. Music didn't do anything for me. It wasn't the usual Sonic calibre of music. Typically first stages are pretty strong as well in that regard. The aesthetic and gameplay didn't grab me either. All I can go from is this video, but that's the first impression I got. Generations did 2D Green Hill better than this.
 

I Wanna Be The Guy

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Is...is this what Sonic Team has been doing for the past five years? This looks and sounds worse than Generation's Green Hill level. The level design even looks like a downgrade.

Doesn't help that the brief Modern Sonic segment they showed earlier seemed more linear than the stages from Generations and Colors, too. Getting pretty concerned about this game....
If Sonic Mania wasn't a thing I'd be really, really angry right now. Everything about it looks so poor, and that includes what they showed of modern sonic gameplay too. But instead I'm just disappointed but I can shrug it off in the knowledge that we're still getting a great Sonic game this year elsewhere.
 
Yeah I couldn't quite get past that. Music didn't do anything for me. It wasn't the usual Sonic calibre of music. Typically first stages are pretty strong as well in that regard. The aesthetic and gameplay didn't grab me either. All I can go from is this video, but that's the first impression I got.

Not only that, but this seems poorly mixed as well. Just blaring.

Ugh, I'm hoping that this is pre-release holder music, but I'm probably wrong.
 
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