LTTP: Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed [PC]

T

TnK

Member
Okay, where to start. Currently finished about 50% of the game, and I have to say that this is one of the best racing games I have ever played. On PC @ 60 FPS, this game is bliss.

The art direction in this game and stage design is top notch. Every stage fills you up with so much joy, it's insane. There are so many things going on in each stage, and you have to act fast accordingly. It also helps that the stages are aracde-like video game-y to the max.

The constant transformation in each stage adds a lot to the variety. Each lap is different than the other, and one has to memorize the layout. Talking about stage layout memorization, this game quite difficult. Unlike most racing games, being first does not guarantee that you will stay there. On top of that, there were so many races where I won in the last second, with all racers being really close to each other. I am used to racing games, but this game has quite the difficulty.

Everything in this game does so many things right, and even the items don't feel over powered. To an extent they require skill to use, and there are no blue shell like bullshit items in this game.

It also helps that I actually have some nostalgia for these old sega games. Was really waiting for another sega arcade racer, and I found it in a kart racer.

What I want to know is, did this game do well? Because I would REALLY love to see another sequel and made even better. Studio Sumo did an excellent job with this game.

EDIT: Oh yeah, the OST is also amazing.

EDIT 2: Forgot to mention that boost stacking makes you think how to approuch the different paths in each stage, and how to properly stack each boost.
 
I think it's overrated because of its slick looks and vehicle changes. Enjoyable for sure, but courses themselves are a bit too generic to _race_, ie you never feel like you interact with the courses or are challenged to think about what you're doing.
 
It's one of the best kart racers in years.

Actually makes me want to boot it up again, I think I've still got it installed.
 
Peru said:
I think it's overrated because of its slick looks and vehicle changes. Enjoyable for sure, but courses themselves are a bit too generic to _race_, ie you never feel like you interact with the courses or are challenged to think about what you're doing.
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Eh, there are many courses with multiple paths that take advantage of the transformation system.
 
I don't think of it as a kart racer. it plays more like a arcade racer.

It is very good though. I was hoping for some DLC support in the form of new tracks.
 
It sure is a fantastic game. I love the 4 player splitscreen matchmaking and the boost stacking makes it require some serious skill to play.
 
Peru said:
I think it's overrated because of its slick looks and vehicle changes. Enjoyable for sure, but courses themselves are a bit too generic to _race_, ie you never feel like you interact with the courses or are challenged to think about what you're doing.
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I actually feel the exact opposite. You need to constantly make decisions on the ideal path to take, and are constantly avoiding obstacles.
 
Gordeli said:
It sure is a fantastic game. I love the 4 player splitscreen matchmaking and the boost stacking makes it require some serious skill to play.
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Don't forget how much more fleshed out the single player content is than Mario Kart and so is the MP. What they did to the Battle Mode on MK8 aint right.

Peru said:
I think it's overrated because of its slick looks and vehicle changes. Enjoyable for sure, but courses themselves are a bit too generic to _race_, ie you never feel like you interact with the courses or are challenged to think about what you're doing.
Click to expand...

I think your issue with the courses is the course size which they are pretty wide but I think that was smart considering the way the cars handle.
 
pixlexic said:
I don't think of it as a kart racer. it plays more like a arcade racer.

It is very good though. I was hoping for some DLC support in the form of new tracks.
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I think thats why its easily my fave kart racer. Its like Outrun 2 with karts and the world needs more Outrun style racers.
 
man i suck at this game, at first i thought the transformations are kind of gimmicky but they really make you learn the map to take full advantage of it and the boosts, so I'm kind of getting better each time I play

I do think it's too heavily focused on the speed boosts, like the air tricks and such, it's not very apparent to new players so I think the game will be a bit harder for my friends to pick up compared to other kart racers, I'll probably have to explain all that shit to them when we have time to play together.
 
gelf said:
I think thats why its easily my fave kart racer. Its like Outrun 2 with karts and the world needs more Outrun style racers.
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Word.

Playing Mario Kart 8 right now. That game is a solid (amazing) kart racer, but feels so barren compared to Sonic, especially single player wise. At least Sonic made a nice campaign more alongside Grand Prix with some additional "minigame tracks" added.

One thing I think Sonic has over MK8 is the transforming tracks. Seriously awesome on some of them (like the Skies or Arcadia one). I had hoped Mario Kart would do something similar but alas. Some small tweaks in the subsequent laps but nothing "levolution" like as Sonic did it.
 
gelf said:
I think thats why its easily my fave kart racer. Its like Outrun 2 with karts and the world needs more Outrun style racers.
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The more the world ha sega style arcade racers, the better. This game really feels like the old racing games I used to play in the arcade, and racing games.
Outrun 2 4 player local vs in the arcade is one of the most fun things ever. Good thing we have a Sega Republic Arcade where I live.
Anteater said:
man i suck at this game, at first i thought the transformations are kind of gimmicky but they really make you learn the map to take full advantage of it and the boosts, so I'm kind of getting better each time I play

I do think it's too heavily focused on the speed boosts, like the air tricks and such, it's not very apparent to new players so I think the game will be a bit harder for my friends to pick up compared to other kart racers, I'll probably have to explain all that shit to them when we have time to play together.
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I guess if you keep going at it, the better you will become. The secret is to stack up boost in each race. This game emphasizes on that more than the use of items.
 
Friend and I both bought Mario Kart 8 today. Spent the day clearing GP, it was okay. Then we played some online multi against each other. Five games into it, we said fuck it and switched to Racing Transformed on PC and had a blast.

This game is just the best Kart racer I have ever played.
 
Probably my favorite entry in the genre and I say that as someone that just doesn't really like Sega's mascots and older properties all that much.
 
Anyone have any idea how the Vita version is? Worth downloading? Wouldn't mind having this game on the go, but if it's gimped I won't bother.
 
Haven't played it too much but its one of the only racing games I've ever enjoyed playing.
ZeroX03 said:
Anyone have any idea how the Vita version is? Worth downloading? Wouldn't mind having this game on the go, but if it's gimped I won't bother.
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I second this. This would be a great on the go game for me as long as it performs well and has all the content.
 
ZeroX03 said:
Friend and I both bought Mario Kart 8 today. Spent the day clearing GP, it was okay. Then we played some online multi against each other. Five games into it, we said fuck it and switched to Racing Transformed on PC and had a blast.

This game is just the best Kart racer I have ever played.
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this
yesterday I played Mario kart 8 for 3 hours with my friends
return to my home and played sonic on PC
 
I know it's more of an arcade than a kart racer, but it ruined Mario Kart 7 for me. I keep wishing it had the same balance between battle and racing SASRT has.
 
Not saying that others are not good or great, just that this is the greatest, in my humble opinion of course. The pc version that is. Only game this Gen or last that I bought all dlc.
 
Just fired this up on PC to check.

Yes. It looks glorious at 1080p at 60fps with AA. Much better looking then Mario Kart 8.

Someone should do a thread. Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed vs Mario Kart 8. It would be fun.
 
cyberheater said:
Just fired this up on PC to check.

Yes. It looks glorious at 1080p at 60fps with AA. Much better looking then Mario Kart 8.

Someone should do a thread. Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed vs Mario Kart 8. It would be fun.
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That would actually be a good thread. I would love to see that comparison. Yesterday, I played MK8, and while loving it, it lacks a bit of that sense of "speed".
 
Lol, this game has tons of lttps.

And for those asking, the game is great on vita with the exception of a few maps that get unplayable framey. Like 10 fps. I can only remember one map that does this tho. Other are around 30 to low 20s.
 
Andodalf said:
Lol, this game has tons of lttps.
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Yes, I believe this is the fourth one in two months. :p Not that I am complaining, though! It's a great game.

I mean, I don't think it is better than Mario Kart (enemy racers' use of items is way more annoying in this game, and paradoxically, items also feel more useless), but it is definitely the best racer you can get on PC, IMO.
 
Best kart racer ever. It's amazing, and entirely down to skill rather than the clusterfuck of items and blue shells that Mario Kart has become.
 
It's pretty good, but to be honest I'm not really a fan of the whole "Transformed" gimmick. Boat sections are just like car sections but with worse controls, and flying sections don't have much depth beyond pointing your plane towards the next booster.

Still, it's good fun.

cyberheater said:
Just fired this up on PC to check.

Yes. It looks glorious at 1080p at 60fps with AA. Much better looking then Mario Kart 8.

Someone should do a thread. Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed vs Mario Kart 8. It would be fun.
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Hmm. I don't agree at all. Playing Mario Kart, I've just been impressed by how much better it looks than Sonic. And yes, I played Sonic on the PC.
 
This is one of the games that made me feel very guilty. I didnt trust/buy it at $60, just because it was made by Sega... Started playing the free PS+ version on Vita. Only few characters to un-lock and completed most of the challenges. Man.. this game is addicting.

The balance and difficulty of the game is just beyond brilliant. My $60 is ready when Sega puts out the next iteration.
 
Wreck-It Ralph said:
It's pretty good, but to be honest I'm not really a fan of the whole "Transformed" gimmick. Boat sections are just like car sections but with worse controls, and flying sections don't have much depth beyond pointing your plane towards the next booster.

Still, it's good fun.
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1) I assume you havent unlocked the 10sec air drift trophy yet ?.
2) There are couple of trophies for triple tricks, left->right->backflip->forward flip etc. Every time you do a trick while jumping into water.. you get extra boost.
 
It is the best Kart racing game of all time. PC version is amazing.

cyberheater said:
Just fired this up on PC to check.

Yes. It looks glorious at 1080p at 60fps with AA. Much better looking then Mario Kart 8.

Someone should do a thread. Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed vs Mario Kart 8. It would be fun.
Click to expand...

I think in just few months (maybe even weeks) GAF will be filled with these threads.
 
cyberheater said:
Just fired this up on PC to check.

Yes. It looks glorious at 1080p at 60fps with AA. Much better looking then Mario Kart 8.

Someone should do a thread. Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed vs Mario Kart 8. It would be fun.
Click to expand...

In just about EVERY SART thread, at least one person posts SART>Mario Kart.
 
Andodalf said:
And for those asking, the game is great on vita with the exception of a few maps that get unplayable framey. Like 10 fps. I can only remember one map that does this tho. Other are around 30 to low 20s.
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Ouch that sounds bad, but if everything else is okay I'll live. DLing now.

Why would you do that? said:
I mean, I don't think it is better than Mario Kart (enemy racers' use of items is way more annoying in this game, and paradoxically, items also feel more useless), but it is definitely the best racer you can get on PC, IMO.
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Really? In Sonic items do feel weaker, and that's a good thing. No item is a guarantee to kill you, the homing attacks can be dodged with a well timed drift boost) and things like rocket/snowball require skill to hit. It feels very fair and balanced to me. Everything has multiple uses, while nothing is overpowered. Item distribution is good too, you tend to get more defensively oriented options when in first.

In MK8, enemies tend to just get blue + red shells in the final lap while you get coins and you're basically fucked. Sonic can get rough but always gives you a chance. If MK8 replaced the coin powerup with Sonic's glove I'd be so much happier.

Ysiadmihi said:
Let's slow down a bit. The busted physics are pretty hard to overlook.
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Fine with the physics and prefer the control of the Karts but the game's framerate on console and number of bugs and glitches is pretty bad. Easy to get stuck in certain areas if you aren't watching out or do something weird like flip your kart around and drive backward at full speed. Really needed a coat of polish.
 
StevePharma said:
Word.

Playing Mario Kart 8 right now. That game is a solid (amazing) kart racer, but feels so barren compared to Sonic, especially single player wise. At least Sonic made a nice campaign more alongside Grand Prix with some additional "minigame tracks" added.

One thing I think Sonic has over MK8 is the transforming tracks. Seriously awesome on some of them (like the Skies or Arcadia one). I had hoped Mario Kart would do something similar but alas. Some small tweaks in the subsequent laps but nothing "levolution" like as Sonic did it.
Click to expand...
The transformation gimmick isn't always present though when talking about locations rather than your own vehicle. For every track like the NiGHTS or the House of the Dead stage you'll have one like the Afterburner stage where nothing (or very little) 'evolves' for the next lap, and the four brought over from the original Sonic Racing (which I'm not a fan of) just felt awful in comparison. I'm sure it must've been a budget or time-constraint though and the majority of the stages were incredibly fun to race on regardless of the inconsistency, but I'm hoping SEGA allows SUMO to go all-out on this if they're pursueing the same style for a sequel.

Another tweak I'd appreciate would be re-doing the way item pick-ups are handled. Nothing about the actual weapons themselves (their balance is great barring their generic aesthetics), but I want them to copy the style from Blur, Diddy Kong Racing or Skydrift. Items are set instead of completely randomized, and you can stack them up to make 'em more potent in their effectiveness. Blur and Skydrift also take this one step further and allow you to cash-in your pick-up for more turbo in your boost meter, alongside every weapon having one or more counters. Skydrift also has tighter airplane handling, but unfortunately it's slower than Transformed in comparison.

ZeroX03 said:
Anyone have any idea how the Vita version is? Worth downloading? Wouldn't mind having this game on the go, but if it's gimped I won't bother.
Click to expand...

MvmntInGrn said:
I second this. This would be a great on the go game for me as long as it performs well and has all the content.
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Supposedly it's a solid port (unlike the 3DS version), but it's 30 fps instead of 60. Don't remember whether there were (severe or not) framerate drops; can't recall what others have said in previous threads.

cyberheater said:
Just fired this up on PC to check.

Yes. It looks glorious at 1080p at 60fps with AA. Much better looking then Mario Kart 8.

Someone should do a thread. Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed vs Mario Kart 8. It would be fun.
Click to expand...
Lack of AA and a lower resolution notwithstanding, I'd give the edge to Mario Kart 8 after having played both. Mario Kart 8 is just far more vivid and has more lush lighting in place, even with Transformed being plenty colorful itself. Both are very clean and lovely looking games though.

Wreck-It Ralph said:
It's pretty good, but to be honest I'm not really a fan of the whole "Transformed" gimmick. Boat sections are just like car sections but with worse controls, and flying sections don't have much depth beyond pointing your plane towards the next booster.
Click to expand...
Risk boosting. Game doesn't really inform you about this existing though and it's only applicable for planes.
 
Been playing MK8 like crazy, absolutely love it. I still consider Transformed better. Waaaayyyyyy more content in Transformed, items are handled better, and just a bunch of ways to play (they at least took time to add implement a proper battle mode). The rubberbanding is nowhere near as bad either. Unfortunately the console versions aren't as smooth and gracious. MK8s saving grace for me is how incredibly smooth online is, it's lacking in content besides that though. I'm already bored with the CPUs and I have more stuff to unlock.

The customizations were much more simple and concise, and almost every configuration has its advantages. In MK8 a lot of them are garbage and I usually keep them the same. In Transformed if you knew what you were doing you could switch up your set up to optimize your performance on certain tracks if you wished.
MK8 definitely kills it in presentation though, and the controls feel a bit tighter and the over all game feels more polished. It shits on MK Wii though.

I was much better at boosting in Transformed. The skill in stacking them was so fun and felt satisfying.

Online wasn't too shabby and you can even take 3 others with you, it was much better for me on PC though. We need to see a sequel this generation, it would be glorious. SUMO outdid themselves, incredible game, I don't even think it ever saw a $60 release too (think it released at a discount price). Which made it more than worth it.
 
SpinDasher said:
Online wasn't too shabby and you can even take 3 others with you, it was much better for me on PC though. We need to see a sequel this generation, it would be glorious. SUMO outdid themselves, incredible game, I don't even think it ever saw a $60 release too (think it released at a discount price). Which made it more than worth it.
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Here it released at full price on Wii U, Vita and 3DS but was discounted on PS3, 360 and PC.

Would love a sequel with more tracks and less glitches. Maybe some more variety to online modes too. They pretty much nailed single player and items though, no complaints there.
 
Wreck-It Ralph said:
Hmm. I don't agree at all. Playing Mario Kart, I've just been impressed by how much better it looks than Sonic. And yes, I played Sonic on the PC.
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I do think MK8 looks lush but in terms of image quality, SART rules. 1080p at 60fps with AA. Looks super lush.
 
MK8 looks amazing in motion.

The screenshots for it have a ton of aliasing and terrible IQ from what I've seen.

Some incredibly beautiful tracks and character models though.
 
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