![]() While Sonic Superstars’ cooperative play is the main new feature of this game and what most of the game’s reveal focused on, I only had the chance to try it by myself. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try that out. Still, I’m most excited by how different this experience will feel while playing with others. That isn’t to say there’s no nostalgia-baiting, though some special stages are based on those in Sonic the Hedgehog 1, and Fang the Sniper is already being teased as an important character. It also felt good that all of these boss patterns, and the stages for that matter, weren’t just directly copying ideas or sections from previous games. None of these radically alter core gameplay, but they enthrallingly test player skills. I outran a big mechanical fish trying to eat me as the stage fell apart, ran up a wire shot at me by a boss to damage it, and caused Eggman to attack himself as he launched projectiles at Sonic. I’d go so far as to say the four bosses I fought during my time with Sonic Superstars are some of the best I’ve seen in a 2D Sonic game. Sega Forward momentumĪnother thing that stood out to me during the Sonic Superstars demo was its bosses. I managed to make my way up to a point where I could glide over a lot of a level with Knuckles, gained enough speed to clear certain obstacles as Sonic, and came away happy that the game enabled me to do that as both characters. The routes these Emerald Powers can open up then pair well with each character’s unique abilities. Emerald Powers enhanced how much I could explore, and in turn, I was typically rewarded with coins, a medal, or a new elevated path to progress on. The four Sonic Superstars stages I tried fit that formula and felt like they had a bit more verticality than the series’ pixel-based 2D titles. The best Sonic levels are big, multilayered affairs where players have lots of opportunities to go fast, but also must deal with unique stage gimmicks. That’s a relatively straightforward interaction, but it highlighted these stages’ solid level design. ![]() In the four stages that I played, I could use the Water Emerald Power to climb up waterfalls as any character. Emerald Powers are special abilities that will allow Sonic and his friends to interact with levels in different ways after they collect a Chaos Emerald. While Sonic has had multiple players before, Emerald Powers feel wholly original to this game. In the final release, I could see myself playing each level four times to see how the experience varies from character to character. Sonic’s faster and can Drop Dash to get a massive speed boost, while Knuckles can glide and climb over vast expanses of levels. SegaĮach character has distinct abilities and a slightly different game feel. ![]() During my time with the game, I only had a chance to try Knuckles and Sonic. Right now, we know that you’ll be able to play Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. The first significant difference is how much Sonic Superstars emphasizes its distinct playable characters. Thankfully, running and jumping feel great, thanks to excellent momentum-based gameplay that rewards skilled play with exhilarating speed. That’s why I’m glad to see that series publisher Sega and Fantasian and Balan Wonderworld co-developer Arzest made some bold creative decisions with Sonic Superstars.Īt its core, Sonic Superstars uses the same level-based platforming formula as most 2D Sonic games, so it’s not reinventing the wheel in that aspect. It’s hard to do better than almost perfect, so my feeling has been that if Sonic were ever to return to 2D outside of a direct Mania follow-up, its developers would have to go for something that looks and feels a bit different. In 2018, Sonic Mania perfected the classic 2D Sonic formula with its excellent level design, silky-smooth controls, and boatloads of callbacks and fan service that only served to enhance the experience.
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