JinjoUnchained
Member
Wow, I must be WAYYYY off from modern critics because I just finished this game and had a great time. I almost feel bad letting it slide further into my backlog in part due to MetaCritic. It's not that I trust MC, I don't, but a 63 game is usually something you either love or hate and I should've known that many modern "press A for Awesome" critics wouldn't have the right perspective to judge this kind of game. The critical consensus seems to be "there's a brilliant game somewhere under the imprecise controls and cheap deaths", but that false narrative falls apart quickly under some quick analysis. Looking at a few common complaints.
BS Critic Complaints:
So-called "imprecise controls". Really, the controls are subtle and take practice to achieve mastery, but they are not unfair. Sonic's normal jumps have a little float, but it's actually not a problem here because the homing attacks keep you on point. Floating is only really a problem if you can't control where you land, and that's not the case here at all. There are several control quirks that less-skilled reviewers might mistake for "control screws". Like being caught running up a wall when you just wanted a running start to do a running jump, or the lock-on reticle preventing you from doing a double jump. These are the kind of mechanics you get used to with a bit of patience and practice and are rewarding once you get control over them.
So-called "horrible ideas or levels". I agree with some of these assessments, but these one-off levels are very few and far between and are eminently doable with some trial and error (not a bad thing). I didn't like the flying levels either, but there are only 2 of them in the whole game and they're fine once you play around with them and realize that you can bounce off the top of the screen, but not the bottom. Bouncing on the clouds can be annoying, but it's also pretty rare and the narrow camera angle is just part of the challenge. Better to have a narrow angle and a closer perspective to land on narrow footholds, I'd say.
So-called cheap deaths or trial-and-error game play. I feel the ratio of challenging deaths to cheap deaths is more than acceptable. You'll die a lot in this game, but loading times are almost instantaneous, check points are plentiful and fairly spaced, the game almost always gives you a few rings close by the check point, and it even keeps the music going when you lose a life so it doesn't feel like you're grinding to a halt. Essentially, you get used to losing lives and the game is designed around that to challenge you to improve. In a way, dying in Sonic:Lost World reminds me of falling off the track in Mario Kart 8: you're penalized, but both games do a good job of snapping you back to the track quickly and getting you back on your feet. It honestly sounds like some reviewers have self-esteem issues and just can't handle the idea of a fail state: like it's an unacceptable insult to their ego and a fatal flaw if the game lets you experience them.
So-called "lack of focus". Hey, one player's "lack of focus" is another player's "game play variety". Unless you are a low-skilled player who can't handle juggling a couple of different play styles, you should have no problem jumping from 2D, to 3D, to free-running on a regular basis. I feel like the designers were trying to keep the game play fresh and the transition from one style to the next is usually very smooth.
Actual Issues:
The controls (particularly the parkour and ledge-grabbing abilities) take some practice and getting used to, but the game doesn't do a great job of enforcing mastery with level design early on. For example, dashing along a wall, jumping to the next wall, and using the momentum to continue from wall-to-wall is not explained well at all and I didn't really get it until much later in the campaign. I felt somewhat out-of-control for the first 2-3 worlds and only started to master the controls later when it was really required. The game could have used some properly explained "noob bridges" early on.
The bosses are well-designed and memorable, but the method to defeat said bosses are often unintuitive,
I'm fine with trial-and-error and even guess work, but this feels more like I have to read the designers' minds to advance and manipulate the controls to advance.
The implementation of the Mario Galaxy-styled gravity mechanic is uneven. It's enjoyable in the levels that feel like classic Sonic 2D levels flipped on their side (i.e. the first level). But I didn't particularly like the gravity mechanic or the design in the Galaxy-style isolated small spheres. Once again, these areas are pretty few-and-far-between and they're not bad or anything, but they don't really add anything to the game and Sonic moves to quickly for that perspective to work, IMO.
Wisps and Miiverse implementation are superfluous. Wisp usage seems like a tacked-on effort to use the Game Pad and distract from the fun of the game play. Fortunately, you can simply ignore them in most scenarios and the few mandatory Wisp sections are short and easy. They tried to implement Miiverse similarly to New Super Mario Bros U, but it doesn't add anything. I never used any outside items in the levels and it's annoying to be prompted with that "you got a Wisp" screen and then have to manage an Inventory I never use after many of the levels. Perhaps there is an option to turn this off buried in a menu somewhere, but I never found it.
Characters, story, and cut scenes. I haven't played enough modern Sonic to know if the game made proper use of Sonic characters or bastardized them. I really don't care, either. It all seemed fair enough to the game's universe, but I could be wrong there. There are cut scenes after several levels, fortunately they are all short and can be skipped instantly. I even made productive use of the cut scenes by turning on English audio and French text so I could practice my French! Merci beaucoup, Sonic Team! Some have questioned the new enemies and their groan-inducing antics. Yeah, I can see that, but you have to remember that the game is also trying to appeal to kids, so I can let most of that slide.
TLDR/Overall Impression
Screw the haters, Sonic: Lost World rocks. The graphics and soundtrack are outstanding, the controls provide a good balance between classic high-speed Sonic action and 3D exploration, the level design is mostly great, and the challenge level is tough and satisfying. There are some legit gripes on some mostly minor issues (i.e. not teaching some moves through level design, half-assed Game Pad/Miiverse usage, a few unenjoyable levels), but on balance, the good far outweighs the bad. I'd heartily recommend Sonic Lost World to Wii U owners and Sonic fans. Prepare to have your ass handed to you: I'll see you on the other side!
BS Critic Complaints:
So-called "imprecise controls". Really, the controls are subtle and take practice to achieve mastery, but they are not unfair. Sonic's normal jumps have a little float, but it's actually not a problem here because the homing attacks keep you on point. Floating is only really a problem if you can't control where you land, and that's not the case here at all. There are several control quirks that less-skilled reviewers might mistake for "control screws". Like being caught running up a wall when you just wanted a running start to do a running jump, or the lock-on reticle preventing you from doing a double jump. These are the kind of mechanics you get used to with a bit of patience and practice and are rewarding once you get control over them.
So-called "horrible ideas or levels". I agree with some of these assessments, but these one-off levels are very few and far between and are eminently doable with some trial and error (not a bad thing). I didn't like the flying levels either, but there are only 2 of them in the whole game and they're fine once you play around with them and realize that you can bounce off the top of the screen, but not the bottom. Bouncing on the clouds can be annoying, but it's also pretty rare and the narrow camera angle is just part of the challenge. Better to have a narrow angle and a closer perspective to land on narrow footholds, I'd say.
So-called cheap deaths or trial-and-error game play. I feel the ratio of challenging deaths to cheap deaths is more than acceptable. You'll die a lot in this game, but loading times are almost instantaneous, check points are plentiful and fairly spaced, the game almost always gives you a few rings close by the check point, and it even keeps the music going when you lose a life so it doesn't feel like you're grinding to a halt. Essentially, you get used to losing lives and the game is designed around that to challenge you to improve. In a way, dying in Sonic:Lost World reminds me of falling off the track in Mario Kart 8: you're penalized, but both games do a good job of snapping you back to the track quickly and getting you back on your feet. It honestly sounds like some reviewers have self-esteem issues and just can't handle the idea of a fail state: like it's an unacceptable insult to their ego and a fatal flaw if the game lets you experience them.
So-called "lack of focus". Hey, one player's "lack of focus" is another player's "game play variety". Unless you are a low-skilled player who can't handle juggling a couple of different play styles, you should have no problem jumping from 2D, to 3D, to free-running on a regular basis. I feel like the designers were trying to keep the game play fresh and the transition from one style to the next is usually very smooth.
Actual Issues:
The controls (particularly the parkour and ledge-grabbing abilities) take some practice and getting used to, but the game doesn't do a great job of enforcing mastery with level design early on. For example, dashing along a wall, jumping to the next wall, and using the momentum to continue from wall-to-wall is not explained well at all and I didn't really get it until much later in the campaign. I felt somewhat out-of-control for the first 2-3 worlds and only started to master the controls later when it was really required. The game could have used some properly explained "noob bridges" early on.
The bosses are well-designed and memorable, but the method to defeat said bosses are often unintuitive,
i.e. the emo boss in the robot owl who fires explosive coconuts (???), but you have to run at the coconuts at a certain angle and height to trigger the homing prompt. Or the boss on the robot dragon who has three phases, has the same attack in all three phases, but you have to hone in on him a certain way only in the third phase to knock him off.
The implementation of the Mario Galaxy-styled gravity mechanic is uneven. It's enjoyable in the levels that feel like classic Sonic 2D levels flipped on their side (i.e. the first level). But I didn't particularly like the gravity mechanic or the design in the Galaxy-style isolated small spheres. Once again, these areas are pretty few-and-far-between and they're not bad or anything, but they don't really add anything to the game and Sonic moves to quickly for that perspective to work, IMO.
Wisps and Miiverse implementation are superfluous. Wisp usage seems like a tacked-on effort to use the Game Pad and distract from the fun of the game play. Fortunately, you can simply ignore them in most scenarios and the few mandatory Wisp sections are short and easy. They tried to implement Miiverse similarly to New Super Mario Bros U, but it doesn't add anything. I never used any outside items in the levels and it's annoying to be prompted with that "you got a Wisp" screen and then have to manage an Inventory I never use after many of the levels. Perhaps there is an option to turn this off buried in a menu somewhere, but I never found it.
Characters, story, and cut scenes. I haven't played enough modern Sonic to know if the game made proper use of Sonic characters or bastardized them. I really don't care, either. It all seemed fair enough to the game's universe, but I could be wrong there. There are cut scenes after several levels, fortunately they are all short and can be skipped instantly. I even made productive use of the cut scenes by turning on English audio and French text so I could practice my French! Merci beaucoup, Sonic Team! Some have questioned the new enemies and their groan-inducing antics. Yeah, I can see that, but you have to remember that the game is also trying to appeal to kids, so I can let most of that slide.
TLDR/Overall Impression
Screw the haters, Sonic: Lost World rocks. The graphics and soundtrack are outstanding, the controls provide a good balance between classic high-speed Sonic action and 3D exploration, the level design is mostly great, and the challenge level is tough and satisfying. There are some legit gripes on some mostly minor issues (i.e. not teaching some moves through level design, half-assed Game Pad/Miiverse usage, a few unenjoyable levels), but on balance, the good far outweighs the bad. I'd heartily recommend Sonic Lost World to Wii U owners and Sonic fans. Prepare to have your ass handed to you: I'll see you on the other side!
