If such hidden items and the branching paths result in level playthroughs that feel significantly different, I could easily see completionists coming back multiple times to find and collect everything. There were also several items hidden throughout the level, some of which were only accessible by one character or another. If I got tired of using Sonic's homing attack to cross dangerous gaps, I could switch to Amy and use her hammer and gymnastic skills to swing and balance my way around an obstacle.
SONIC BOOM INTO THE WILDERNESS FULL
While I wasn't blown away by the idea of a villainous laboratory full of robots, I appreciated the feel of controllable movement and the alternate paths offered throughout. Or it would have been, if not for the iconic and well-known heroes. Combined with their jump height – which, like movement speed, felt hamstrung – and the aforementioned shift in combat controls, it was hard to recognize this as a Sonic game at all. While certainly energetic and popping with lively animations, Sonic and Amy felt no faster than Jak, Daxter, Ratchet or Clank. I couldn't help but notice Sonic's relatively slow movement speed as well. Alternatively, if I switched control to Amy Rose, my combos were defined by hammer swinging. Although the famous spin attack is part of Sonic's repertoire, I found myself most often resorting to combos of punching and kicking.
I was told that the final game would similarly be broken up so that Sonic and pals would explore a hub city before sprinting through the wilderness on their way to a level where the action would slow down and turn the game into a 3D platformer.įighting my way through waves of robot enemies felt strange at first. The Wii U Sonic Boom demo I played at PAX Prime was broken up into three parts: an underground laboratory full of 3D platforming challenges, a boss fight and a twisting pathway reminiscent of classic stages, where speed was pivotal. Yet Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric developer Big Red Button Entertainment has done just that, and in an ironic twist, the slowest parts of the game may end up being the best. The assumption, of course, is that making Sonic slow would strip him of his defining asset. With the addition of another dimension however, too much speed makes Sonic difficult to control. And it's all because he's too fast.įocusing on speed worked in the days of the Sega Genesis – days when players only had to worry about going left, right, up and down.
His games find only so-so levels of success, and there's even a meme named after the cycle of hype and disappointment that each new title generates. Ever since transitioning to 3D, our dear blue hedgehog has stumbled.
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