Shadow Hog
Member
Pretty much, yeah.
Tizoc, can you change the date to July 21st? Thanks.
Tizoc, can you change the date to July 21st? Thanks.
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Freedom Planet |OT| Dogs and Cats, Fighting Together; Mass Hysteria
- Thread starter Tizoc
- Start date
JasonUresti
Member
Demo was quite fun, so much so that I was able to overlook the furry fetish characters. I like that its a retro styled platformer that isn't pretending that all those 8 and 16 bit platformers were crushingly difficult.
Tizoc
Member
Hmm OK, although I think it'll be released on either 22 or 23 July.
They're only 'furry fetish' if you think with your dick.
They're cartoon animals, why the heck can't any of you look at in that way? It's a throwback to how back in the 90s there were various cartoony animals as video game protagonist.
Shadow Hog
Member
The email that got sent out explicitly said Monday, so I'm going with Monday.
I skimmed through that interview and one of the creators said he/she had to split the final level in 4 separate stages because it was initially one long level... =/
Hmm...hope this game doesn't have long-stage syndrome. There's nothing worse than playing a 2D platformer/action title like this that doesn't know when to wrap things up in a stage, so to speak. I'm intrigued by this game because of the Ristar (one of my fav Gen games ever) and other cool-kid Sega game name drops/inspiration, but I'm hoping it's fairly competent on its own merits. Too lazy to try the demo lol, I'll just wait until it releases.
EDIT: I guess I'll try the demo actually =/
EDIT 2: Just played through Dragon Valley demo stage. Expectations confirmed, levels are pretty lengthy. Took 8 minutes to clear, could be cut in half. Wonder if final game is adjusted? Game's pretty neat though. Controls feel relatively tight and the Ristar influence is all over the place. Don't know what to make of this yet...
Hmm...hope this game doesn't have long-stage syndrome. There's nothing worse than playing a 2D platformer/action title like this that doesn't know when to wrap things up in a stage, so to speak. I'm intrigued by this game because of the Ristar (one of my fav Gen games ever) and other cool-kid Sega game name drops/inspiration, but I'm hoping it's fairly competent on its own merits. Too lazy to try the demo lol, I'll just wait until it releases.
EDIT: I guess I'll try the demo actually =/
EDIT 2: Just played through Dragon Valley demo stage. Expectations confirmed, levels are pretty lengthy. Took 8 minutes to clear, could be cut in half. Wonder if final game is adjusted? Game's pretty neat though. Controls feel relatively tight and the Ristar influence is all over the place. Don't know what to make of this yet...
From what I played of this, the stages are pretty long. I'd love to see what speedrunners do to this game- I see a lot of speedrun potential in this. Hopefully it makes the next GDQ.
I guess it's a game to take slowly, chew, and enjoy, instead of wolfing down.
Tizoc
Member
From what I've seen a first run through any stage would take 10-15 minutes maybe less by 2-3 minutes. In my case I'll play the game in short bursts, I'm of the mindset that in a platformer a stage shouldn't take more than 5 minutes, but that's cuz I am a fan of the Crash and Mario 3D games XP
Long as in long enough, hah! At one point the player reaches the "end" of a screen and is transferred to a "new" stage, but it's still part of the same level. That should have been the end of Dragon Valley, Act1/Part 1/whatever you want to call it. Furthermore, the "second" area presents the player with some new ideas/challenges (like some underwater segments and such). For me, having all of this thrown together in one long session devalues the ideas/mechanics/gimmicks presented to the player. I think I've just personally grown to enjoy tight, cohesive stage design. Present an idea, build on it/layer it and then end it in a satisfying way. It's not like these are the longest/most grueling levels I've played (the game's fast as it is so that helps too), but I just feel like the feel/flow of the game could be better if the stages were segregated. I mean, who knows, maybe the final game is like this? Just my impressions from the demo.
Wonko_C
Member
They look quite innocuous to me. If you told me these characters were a new bunch of "Sonic's shitty friends" (TM) I would've believed that, no question.
KillerIsJed
Member
I. Can't. Wait. For. This. Now. Damn. You.
Finally played the Demo. Pretty good. Definitely captures the spirit of old Sonic games. Felt like there was some janky-ness in the sprites, like they needed more animation frames during certain jumps.
Also -and I'm going to come off as sexist- I'd really prefer to play as a male character.
Also -and I'm going to come off as sexist- I'd really prefer to play as a male character.
Piston Hyundai
Member
They look more like fan characters, hopping right out of DeviantArt and into their own game.
I mean, green and purple? Seriously?
HUELEN10
Member
I need a gaming PC, trust me. Tried the demo and it could run better. That and I am not interested in getting an OS X version should it be released on OS X Steam, rather have it on my PC, which I need to replace.
Welp, this OT has basically confirmed one thing for me. This game, which looks like the 16bit era's version of Shovel Knight, will pretty-much go overlooked because people can't help but make the association between cartoon animals and furries. Many indie games come out with clear inspirations from Mario and Mega-Man, but the second someone tries to revive the Megadrive Sonic era, it gets this kind of reception. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm celebrating that it seems heavily inspired by Classic Sonic, considering it's something Sega are rather reluctant to do. Rant over.
Anyway, on the talk of levels being too long, I'm not that concerned if they're like the Sonic 3&K levels, which change up between acts and are filled with interesting gimmicks and minibosses to hold my attention. The stage I played in the demo felt a lot like that, so I'm not too concerned about the stages being too long to the point of being boring.
Anyway, on the talk of levels being too long, I'm not that concerned if they're like the Sonic 3&K levels, which change up between acts and are filled with interesting gimmicks and minibosses to hold my attention. The stage I played in the demo felt a lot like that, so I'm not too concerned about the stages being too long to the point of being boring.
freethoughtbubble
Member
I'm so conflicted about this game. I absolutely dig what I'm seeing mechanically, but find the character design and story really unappealing. I don't even mind the whole anthro thing -- it's just the way it's executed, I don't know, feels creepy to me
That said, hope the game lives up to people's expectations and that the dev goes on to make more games that are hopefully more my speed.
That said, hope the game lives up to people's expectations and that the dev goes on to make more games that are hopefully more my speed.
Shadow Hog
Member
Why wait? The shitposts have already begun.
Yeah, the game does a fairly good job of mixing up Acts 1 and 2 like that. The stage as a whole might take you 20-30 minutes (including dying to the bosses multiple times, like I did), but the individual halves, less so, and each half has gameplay mechanics that the other does not.
Each act of the final stage is only as long as a normal Act is, though. Difference being, you get to save in between them.
At least most of the people who reply defend the game.
Candescence
Member
This project did start off as an actual Sonic fan-game, mind you. Then Strife decided it would be better to replace all the blatant Sonic assets with original material, among other things, and rework the concept into a homage. Lilac even got a species change.
JasonUresti
Member
Relax my man. There was no value judgment. I enjoy cartoon animals (big fan of classic Looney Tunes, Scrooge McDuck). I think its clear that the character art in in this game is inspired more from the furry fandom (fandom is the more appropriate word choice, not fetish) style of recent times than those classic cartoons, or even 90s mascots like Bubsy, Gex, Aero or Ty the Tiger. That's fine, I would just prefer something more like the classics.
I enjoyed the level featured in the demo. Long but it felt like it had distinct pieces to keep it fresh/moving along. Multiple characters will help in keeping things fresh, though why you wouldn't want to play as a kick boxing, motorcycle riding green dragon cat is a question perhaps best left unanswered.
Candescence
Member
Just to note, the game is now basically finished, the latest beta is the current release candidate.
To be fair, the art style in this game is more in the vein of 'Sonic, but even more Japanese'. It really wasn't meant to emulate classic 'western' cartoon icons, even if Sonic's style was originally rather 'western' in nature anyway. I like the classics as well, mind you (my cartoon diet when I was growing up was a mixture of western and Japanese animation, ranging from Warner to Disney to Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat to DBZ to Sailor Moon to classic Cartoon Network (including Batman TAS and Justice League) and the sixties version of Spider-Man for some reason), but this game's setting is basically a fantasy version of ancient China with modern technology (or a fantasy version of China if the communists had never taken over), and a 'western' style probably wouldn't have fit very well. That, and well, as said, originally a Sonic fangame, haha.
That being said, Strife has indicated that he wants to move away from Sonic-like proportions for Freedom Planet's sequel, he even showed a mockup sprite of an idea of what Lilac's new design could be on Sonic Retro, with her being an adult, taller, and with having pieces of armor on her new outfit.
To be fair, the art style in this game is more in the vein of 'Sonic, but even more Japanese'. It really wasn't meant to emulate classic 'western' cartoon icons, even if Sonic's style was originally rather 'western' in nature anyway. I like the classics as well, mind you (my cartoon diet when I was growing up was a mixture of western and Japanese animation, ranging from Warner to Disney to Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat to DBZ to Sailor Moon to classic Cartoon Network (including Batman TAS and Justice League) and the sixties version of Spider-Man for some reason), but this game's setting is basically a fantasy version of ancient China with modern technology (or a fantasy version of China if the communists had never taken over), and a 'western' style probably wouldn't have fit very well. That, and well, as said, originally a Sonic fangame, haha.
That being said, Strife has indicated that he wants to move away from Sonic-like proportions for Freedom Planet's sequel, he even showed a mockup sprite of an idea of what Lilac's new design could be on Sonic Retro, with her being an adult, taller, and with having pieces of armor on her new outfit.
Diablohead
Member
Going by the timer on the steam page it's going to be 2AM tuesday for people in the UK to play this game, the wait has been long 
Going by the timer on the steam page it's going to be 2AM tuesday for people in the UK to play this game, the wait has been long
Going by the timer here, it'll be unlocked at 2 AM here in the Netherlands as well... weird.
RicoTheMad
Banned
Seems like a nice game for fans of Sonic type games, I actually met these guys at Florida Supercon earlier this month since they happened to be our booth neighbors (we were guests there too). I had a play at their demo and sucked at it since that wasn't my usual kind of game, but they're really nice people and I hope they have a good launch week!
They have a lot of voice artists!
They have a lot of voice artists!
Diablohead
Member
Freedom planet is a reminder that sega will never make such games ever again.
Such a wonderful game, congratulations GalaxyTrail
Such a wonderful game, congratulations GalaxyTrail
NinjamicWZ
Banned
Don't even care... this looks fucking great. Makes me feel like a kid again... it's like Sonic, Dynamite Headdy, Rocket Knight Adventures all singing in harmony.
Tizoc
Member
I mostly was asking regarding sites like Eurogamer, etc., but I'll link that in the Steam thread so more GAFfers take interest.
That's the thing, I checked around and Destructoid is the only "main" game website that has covered Freedom Planet in any capacity. Same thing happened to Oniken.
That's kind of unfortunate to see it's not getting coverage from the main review sites. Good to see all the positive steam reviews though. I'm seeing a lot of "better than Sonic 3&K" so I'm excited to play it when I get a chance to.
Shadow Hog
Member
Must admit it's somewhat embarrassing to have my review be the first one highlighted.
I wouldn't go as far as "better than S3&K", though. That game's an all-time classic! Freedom Planet is absolutely worth your time and money, but let's not go crazy here.
I wouldn't go as far as "better than S3&K", though. That game's an all-time classic! Freedom Planet is absolutely worth your time and money, but let's not go crazy here.
With it's name and it's Sonic inspiration I could not help but think of planet freedom from the Sonic movie.
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