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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II |OT| Let's Go, Friend of Friends!

PS: Wait.. Ezodagrom does this mean they fucked up the sound effects? Watching your video everything seemed normal to me so.. did they fuck it up?

Dimps has some weird thing about flip-flopping the Spin Dash and Rolling sound effects. They did it in Episode I, I think they did it in 3DS Generations, and they've probably done it in Episode II as well. Honestly they've done it so much I have trouble keeping it straight now.
 

DeVeAn

Member
Well I am excited. It's about 30 mins until it out. Got Diablo 3 ready too but, gonna play Sonic first!
 

Lijik

Member
I think I bought this game while drunk one night because I noticed it in my steam roster while going to Rayman Origins earlier today. Might as well play it later after it unlocks I guess.

Also noticed I owned Lego Batman, not sure where that came from either.
 

Rikkun

Member
Dimps has some weird thing about flip-flopping the Spin Dash and Rolling sound effects. They did it in Episode I, I think they did it in 3DS Generations, and they've probably done it in Episode II as well. Honestly they've done it so much I have trouble keeping it straight now.

I never noticed in 4-1, hopefully won't notice now while playing this one.
 
The 1UP review seemed pretty promising, but it also mentioned that it could be finished in one sitting... At five dollars less, this might have been more acceptable.

Also, do you get the bonus Episode Metal on the ios? (where I bought episode 1)
 
So the ending if you get all red rings and chaos emeralds is on youtube. It's
exactly the fucking same as the beta. Collecting the rings does nothing at all.
Yeah.
 

DeVeAn

Member
Finished the game and damn bosses are a bitch this time. Yes the boss themes are so repetitive. Some awesome tracks in there but overall one of the weaker OST's in a Sonic game. I feel the the momentum change is not necessary in this game. It felt weird. Levels were much longer though. Lots of automated parts though. I missed the ring at the end every time because of the new physics.

All in all worth the money just not as good as it could have been.
 
So the ending if you get all red rings and chaos emeralds is on youtube. It's
exactly the fucking same as the beta. Collecting the rings does nothing at all.
Yeah.

From what I've seen of the beta, there seems to be an awful lot of
exactly the same. Even a couple of the odder things that could've used tweaks, like Tails flying up crooked at the end of Special Stages. I think the only new things I've seen are a couple extra message boxes after levels, mostly to mention the combo moves, and they fixed Episode Metal's levels to not always play the Stardust Speedway cutscene.

One thing that really strikes me, the levels are easier, but in a good way. Episode I's levels to me felt way too much like a string of dick moves sometimes, especially near the end where something would always blindside you until you memorized it was there. They increased this for Metal's version of the four acts they included, but it doesn't make them harder, just irritating. Episode II level's can be played more instinctively, and even though that makes them easier, I feel like they're more enjoyable to play. They've also got more alternate routes to them, and I honestly wish there were more Red Rings to reward you better for exploring.

Comparing Episode Metal to Episode II is night and day. Metal got the short end of the stick.

Edit: Scratch that,
they didn't even fix the Episode Metal intro replaying when you pick a stage in trial mode. Smooth.
 
Did anyone actually expect fixes from that beta up to now? lol.

Can you still get 99rings pressing a keyboard button like in the beta?
 

ezodagrom

Member
What. Are you serious, you can't change the rez up to 1080p?
Posted about this in the previous page:
Sonic 4 Episode 2 is now out in Europe on Steam, unfortunately the PC version is like Episode 1, 1280x720 is the native resolution, and any other resolution is just a lazy upscale or downscale.
The game also has no native Anti-Aliasing option, but it's possible to force anti-aliasing through the graphics card drivers (at least for AMD/ATI graphics cards). Forcing anti-aliasing only works at the native resolution of the game though, that is, it only works at 1280x720.

Game at default settings:
sonic20120515001833817.jpg


8x SSAA + Edge Detect Filter (24x Samples):
sonic20120515002154307.jpg
 
Just like in Episode I, if you're near the end of a Special Stage and you know you're not going to make it, pause and hit Restart to return to the beginning.

I think SS7 might actually be easier with two players. There's plenty of times where there's two separate paths of rings to grab. Unfortunately, I'm stuck playing Single Player right now...

Edit: Got it. You have to be pretty lucky with
grabbing a ton of rings around that first full tunnel spiral. I swear I can't hit that tow rope power-up for the life of me, even jumping straight into it.
 

Crub

Member
To people who have completed the game: how lilkely is another episode, based on the ending? Please reply without spoiling.
 
To people who have completed the game: how lilkely is another episode, based on the ending? Please reply without spoiling.

It's all going to be based on sales, truthfully. That's the word straight from Sega.

But if you want to know something a little disheartening about a follow-up episode's chances...

There's clear evidence something was missing from the Beta, and a "To Be Continued" image goes unused even if you get all Red Star Rings and Emeralds and beat the game again. People expected it to be used in the final version of the game... and Hitlersaurus above, it's not. Which means they may have yanked a teaser for the next episode they had planned.
 

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
What's the verdict on this, is it terribad like Episode 1 was, or is it just mediocre this time around? Also, is it up on EU PSN, or do we have to wait until tomorrow?
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
The 1UP review seemed pretty promising, but it also mentioned that it could be finished in one sitting... At five dollars less, this might have been more acceptable.

Also, do you get the bonus Episode Metal on the ios? (where I bought episode 1)
How times change.

You could finish all of the Genesis Sonic titles in one sitting (they were, in fact, designed to be played like that as you couldn't save).

What exactly is wrong with that? They retailed for upwards of $60 back while this is just $15. Doesn't seem like a bad value proposition to me.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
How times change.

You could finish all of the Genesis Sonic titles in one sitting (they were, in fact, designed to be played like that as you couldn't save).

What exactly is wrong with that? They retailed for upwards of $60 back while this is just $15. Doesn't seem like a bad value proposition to me.

100% agree on this. It's such a stupid remark to make and to point it as a negative.
 
How times change.

You could finish all of the Genesis Sonic titles in one sitting (they were, in fact, designed to be played like that as you couldn't save).

What exactly is wrong with that? They retailed for upwards of $60 back while this is just $15. Doesn't seem like a bad value proposition to me.
I'm still excited to pick it up. It's just a shame you can beat it in under two hours while there are sub $5 dollar PSN games that have lasted me weeks. I'm gauging the price right now in today's market comparing it to the length of other games. $15 is a lot for a two hour game. There are so many people that won't even touch some full retail titles until it's $20 bucks or less. But whatever, picking it up later this week.
 

ezodagrom

Member
What's the verdict on this, is it terribad like Episode 1 was, or is it just mediocre this time around? Also, is it up on EU PSN, or do we have to wait until tomorrow?
It is better than Episode 1, movement physics are alot better, but still worse than classic Sonic in Generations.

About the level design, it's Dimps, expect speed boosters and springs to be overused.
 
You could finish all of the Genesis Sonic titles in one sitting (they were, in fact, designed to be played like that as you couldn't save).
You could save in Sonic 3/& Knuckles. Sonic 1-2 also included debug and level select codes intentionally to ease playthrough.
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
You could save in Sonic 3/& Knuckles. Sonic 1-2 also included debug and level select codes intentionally to ease playthrough.
Yes, Sonic 3 included a save, but standalone Knuckles and Sonic 1-2 did not. Sure, you could use codes, but the games WERE designed for a single sit down and can easily be completed in a couple hours (at most).

Focusing on making a lengthy game was one of the primary missteps Sonic Team made with the series since Sonic Adventure. By stripping out all of the fat they can actually come closer to delivering the kind of experience people have been asking for. For this reason I find it silly that people are complaining about length.

I think Sonic Generations really nailed it, however, as it focuses purely on Sonic while adding in optional Sonic based missions as an aside.

Both Sonic 4 Episodes have the right idea, but Sonic 4 simply didn't play as well as the Genesis games (though I still had some fun with it). I'm hoping Episode 2 plays better but its length is definitely NOT one of its problems.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
The reviews I've seen so far are in the OT.

Oil Ocean Zone Act 2 sounds the same. :|
They didn't yank the dying ducks from the beginning? Yikes.

So the ending if you get all red rings and chaos emeralds is on youtube. It's
exactly the fucking same as the beta. Collecting the rings does nothing at all.
Yeah.
Seriously? This is making me flashback to FFXIII-2 for some reason.

It is better than Episode 1, movement physics are alot better, but still worse than classic Sonic in Generations.
Sonic Generations... 3DS, you mean, or the console version? The physics and mechanics in the 3DS were at least a little decent and that was developed by Dimps too.

Still gonna wait for GCT for a demo.
 

ezodagrom

Member
They didn't yank the dying ducks from the beginning? Yikes.


Seriously? This is making me flashback to FFXIII-2 for some reason.


Sonic Generations... 3DS, you mean, or the console version? The physics and mechanics in the 3DS were at least a little decent and that was developed by Dimps too.

Still gonna wait for GCT for a demo.
I didn't play Generations 3DS, I meant the consoles version.
 
Yes, Sonic 3 included a save, but standalone Knuckles and Sonic 1-2 did not. Sure, you could use codes, but the games WERE designed for a single sit down and can easily be completed in a couple hours (at most).

Focusing on making a lengthy game was one of the primary missteps Sonic Team made with the series since Sonic Adventure. By stripping out all of the fat they can actually come closer to delivering the kind of experience people have been asking for. For this reason I find it silly that people are complaining about length.

I think Sonic Generations really nailed it, however, as it focuses purely on Sonic while adding in optional Sonic based missions as an aside.

Both Sonic 4 Episodes have the right idea, but Sonic 4 simply didn't play as well as the Genesis games (though I still had some fun with it). I'm hoping Episode 2 plays better but its length is definitely NOT one of its problems.

So should they charge $60 for Sonic 1, 2 or 3 on PSN?
 

Dusk Golem

A 21st Century Rockefeller
Multiplayer is hectic, it's fun but can get you killed until you get used to it.

Also this game is lot more difficult than I thought it'd be. Beat it earlier, but died a lot more than I thought I would. Played through the game with a friend online throughout.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
launch trailer doesn't say "to be continued" looks like Iizuka-san already made up his mind and got rid of Dimps?

http://segabits.com/blog/2012/05/15/sonic-4-episode-ii-launch-trailer-proclaims-to-be-concluded/
Maybe they'll release Ending DLC. :p

Nah, it's probably a third episode which includes Knuckles.

I didn't play Generations 3DS, I meant the consoles version.
Ah, I see. I didn't really expect console Generations-type of stuff in Sonic 4, but at least the stuff seems to be improved?
 

ShadiWulf

Member
I think it could mean either way

I've read that "To be continued" screen has been taken out of the final version, it was in the beta.
 

Teknoman

Member
I still cant see how after Colors and Generations, Episode 2 still has a mediocre soundtrack...Jun should just stop trying to mimic 16 bit music and just go with what he knows. It's not like the tracks he's done for modern Sonic games were bad...so he should really just give up attempting classic tunes.

Either that or just take him off the project and let Fumie Kumatani, Mariko Nanba, Tomoya Ohtani, or any of the Colors crew have a shot. Everything they've been involved in has been catchy and cool.

Also Sonic really needs to hit a higher speed with a fully powered spindash.
 
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