Not too surprised the game's getting the scores it has. It may be more tolerable to play compared to the last two Boom titles, but that's really not saying much. In order for Fire & Ice to be a good game, it would have had to have been a major retooling of Shattered Crystal's game structure IMO (if not a complete break away from SC completely).
My takeaway is that Sanzaru is probably a very safe choice to helm the Sonic Boom mainline games if they want to give them a reasonable budget.
After how hard Rise of Lyric and SC tanked, I really doubt we will be seeing anymore Boom games (outside of possible smartphone titles, that is). The only reason Fire & Ice exists is arguably due to contractual obligations; and even though its a marked improvement over the past two games, I don't think it will be able to salvage the Boom label.
It's worth noting Fire & Ice was originally set for release last year around this time before the delay, which would had been barely one year after SC was released. That pretty much points to the game arguably starting development before the first two Boom games even got out the door; the notion of making a third Boom game after the first two games' reception would had been most assuredly inadmissible (though you never know with Sega).
I'm not so sure if I'd be interested in another DIMPS Sonic.
Rush 1 was cheap in most levels, but at least they were fun, with an amazing soundtrack to boot.
Rush Adventure fixed most of those problems, but eventually went bad in the 2nd half, first half was really good, albeit material grinding did get annoying.
Colors DS was crap, every level was either too long, boring, filled with obnoxious gimmicks, or a combination of the 3. The only memorable thing was that Sonic's friends like Knuckles appeared.
Lost World 3DS is a game I consider to be on the same level as Sonic 06, I hate that game so much.
More or less consigned with this. As uninterested I am with Sanzaru's work, a Dimps Sonic game to me has as much worth as no Sonic game at all. They could probably churn out a decent 2D Sonic fighter (they've been responsible for the DBZ fighters as well as the Street Fighter games as of SFIV); but they've had their chances at handheld/2D Sonic; and they proceeded to run it six feet underground.
Dimps' game design quality with Sonic games is tantamount to their (2D) level design--it only goes downhill. Don't give that studio the keys to make Sonic platformers anymore.
And on a less-related note, speaking of 2D gameplay...
IGN said:
Sonic Boom successfully draws from much of what makes the best of classic Sonic game play satisfying, sprinkles in a better-conceived exploratory structure, and remixes it into an intelligent, cohesive, and rewarding package.
It’s gone quickly, no matter how nice it might taste. The game is somewhere between the classic franchise titles and the modern ones, but it holds truer to the originals, and y’know, that’s a good enough start.
There's that misconception again...apparently only being in 2D and having Sonic is all it takes to make for "classic Sonic gameplay". They may as well be saying Sonic in Smash Bros. is classic Sonic gameplay too...
If they want an
actual classic Sonic gameplay fix, they should have their eyeballs on Mania. Fire & Ice is based on another definition of 2D Sonic entirely (Rush and its derivatives).
