Author Topic: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings  (Read 35028 times)

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Offline Svevan

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REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
« on: March 05, 2007, 07:53:06 PM »
Slight improvements don't change Sonic's bad luck in 3-D.

Sonic and the Secret Rings is miles ahead of the crew of hedgehog miscarriages that Sonic Team and Sega have turned out over the past several years, but this is unfortunately not enough to save the game from falling into some of the same traps as its older brothers. While the basic game design seems to be revolutionary for Sonic, the game itself makes no apprehensions about existing in the same realm as Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog for Xbox 360 and PS3, and Sonic Adventure 2. Like those games, Secret Rings revels in gameplay features that bastardize Sonic and have nothing to do with the core concept of his original 16-bit games. I'm really surprised that Sega was able to screw this up.    


Secret Rings main innovation is quite welcome: no longer do we have open, 3-D levels that Sonic must roam about, but rather there are  linear levels that Sonic progresses through on a track. Sonic moves forward automatically while the player moves him left and right by tilting the Wii Remote, similar to Excite Truck. Players can also make Sonic jump, stop, and move backwards. While jumping, the player can thrust the Wii Remote forward to perform a homing attack on a nearby enemy. There is no camera control.    


The control system isn't awful, although it is quirky. Moving left and right with the Wii Remote is a fine feature, and I hope Sonic Team uses it again. Jumping is a different matter: holding down the jump button causes Sonic to grind, and only upon releasing does he jump, causing a delay. Even a quick tap of the jump button has a delayed reaction, and jumping overall slows Sonic down. Also, homing attacks can only be performed after jumping, and you must “lock on" to an enemy to perform them. There are two problems here: one, it takes too long to jump. Two, you must be in the air for a certain amount of time before you actually “lock on." If you are running at full speed towards a gap and see an enemy at the last minute, you are likely to jump, performing your homing attack without locking on, and fall to your death. This means that whenever something unexpected shows up in the levels, you will die. There's never enough time to dodge, jump, or attack. Sonic Team wanted the game to be fast paced, but why did they make Sonic's attacks so slow?    


Where Secret Rings really falls apart is in level design. Replicating the main mistake of Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Team has put too many obstacles in the way of Sonic as he attempts to zoom through a level at high speed. These obstacles range from simple obstructions to groups of enemies that must be defeated or puzzles that must be solved. One area has you transporting dinosaur eggs to their appropriate nests, but since there are many branched paths, you have to loop around the level just finding the darn eggs before you can go on a hunt for the nests. The on-rails concept just doesn't fit the exploration necessary in this level. Other times, the levels will have long side scrolling portions where you must inch yourself left and right to avoid spikes and jump over barricades. It is awkward when Sonic stops in one of these areas so you can have complete control over his movement, then once he is past a specific obstacle will begin running automatically again. It is also awkward in general to have 3-D movement controls intact while playing from a 2-D perspective.  It must be said that the level design does not reach Shadow the Hedgehog's heinous heights. Some of these levels are inadvertently fun, but they're few and far between.    


One early level puts Sonic in front of a pack of raging Triceratops, and he must hit as many of the familiar “speed pads" as he can to avoid them. The problem is that Sonic Team has attempted to create a cinematic dinosaur chase that is shown from many different angles but, for simple gameplay purposes, I need to see where I'm going. The camera is often looking in the wrong direction, or at an awkward angle that confuses your left/right movement. It is also hard to actually hit the pads, and if you miss a few of them, the Triceratops will trample you. It also just so happens that in this level gaining rings is your top priority. It's a really sadistic level that you may have to play many times before completing.    


The game is lacking linearity where it could use some – since you're unlocking everything out of order, often you have to go back to the early stages to play a mission you missed before you can progress. There is also an experience point system that is entirely out of place. As you level up, Sonic will gain new “abilities" which range from useless to absolutely necessary: “Improve steering control," or “Accelerate faster." The game is nearly unplayable at first until you gain these key abilities, making the controls go from awful to adequate. Some of the skills become necessary, like the ability to slow time down or speed it up, but it's never clear when to use these until too late. The organization of these skills (which must be equipped prior to starting a level) in the menu is confusing and annoying… actually, so is every part of the menus.  You'll be seeing the menus a lot because every time you complete a single level (some of them in less than 45 seconds) you'll be sent back to select a new one.    


No surprise again, Sonic Team has thrown in an overlong and ridiculous “plot" that attempts to motivate Sonic's adventures inside of the book “Arabian Nights." The voice acting is terrible, although the hand-drawn images are rather beautiful. Likewise, the game's graphics are perhaps the best on Wii, outside of Zelda. The levels look clean and polished, much unlike the stop-and-go gameplay mechanic. In terms of music, Sonic is once again billed as a “rough dude," which is why we hear angst-rock most of the time. Some of the level tunes break this mold and are catchy, in a Sonic way, almost making you think you could be playing an old Sonic game.    


Secret Rings throws in a multiplayer party game extra that is amusing if you have people over. It attempts to emulate Mario Party with a game board interface, but the only part that's actually worthwhile are the mini-games themselves. Like most first generation Wii developers, Sonic Team was able to think up some fun and stupid mini-games that make the Wii Remote seem really cool. One of the best ones I encountered has you pretending to play a violin with the Wii Remote, and there are others similarly inventive. The party game element isn't too complicated, which means it will get old fairly quickly except for the occasional replay of an awesome mini-game.    


Overall, Secret Rings isn't a new low, just a new disappointment. It seemed like, maybe, we would finally get a Sonic game that achieved its goals, namely speed and fun. Sonic Team needs to take the on-rails concept and thoroughly rework their previous notions about level design, and then perhaps we can get the 3-D Sonic game we've always wanted.

Pros:
       

  • Great graphics
  •  
  • Innovative ideas
  •  
  • Party games are fun


  •        Cons:
           
  • Control is uneven
  •  
  • Level design counteracts Sonic's speed
  •  
  • Frustrating difficulty due to design flaws


  •                Graphics:  9.0
           The varied environments are detailed and lush with good water, lava, and smoke effects. The framerate never drops and the animation is fluid. Cinema scenes are communicated through dynamic hand drawn pictures that are really gorgeous. Graphically, Sonic is a huge success.

                   Sound:  6.5
           There are catchy songs, as well as some horrid awful ones. The voice acting is terrible. Sound effects are convincing and canonical.

                   Control:  5.0
           Some great ideas are on display here with the Wii Remote used in unique ways. Unfortunately, timing jumps is awkward, as is Sonic's primary attack. When the game goes into a 2-D side-scrolling mode, the controls just don't work as they should – sometimes moving the Wii Remote left and right causes Sonic to move to his left and his right, other times the same motion causes him to move to the player's left or right.

                          Gameplay:  3.5
           It's too stop-and-go, thanks to the level design. Some levels must be replayed over and over just to learn where all the obstacles are so you can get through without dying. Other levels have awkward camera angles or require you to have a skill that you haven't earned yet.

     


           Lastability:  8.5
           Every level is jammed with secrets, and you are scored with medals depending on how fast you complete them. Missions are also unlocked, and there is a whole party game mode to satisfy multiplayer cravings. This package is full; it's just too bad that the main game isn't satisfactory.

     


           Final:  5.0
           There's a lot to hate about this game, but with all the extras and the unique control scheme, some people may find it worthwhile. I don't recommend the game to anyone, though, and instead encourage a rental to the morbidly curious.      

    Evan T. Burchfield, aka Svevan
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    Offline TrueNerd

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #1 on: March 05, 2007, 08:07:43 PM »
    Ouch.

    Offline that Baby guy

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #2 on: March 05, 2007, 08:15:57 PM »
    I'm a little iffy on some of the level design complaints I've heard in Sonic games.  I'm glad you clarified that.  Running into enemies that slow you down has always been a part of Sonic games, however, chasing around dino eggs in a level all throughout seems much less interesting.

    I'm still going to try the game, but it seems like I might take my time and wait for a price drop or the Summer before spending time on it.

    Offline IceCold

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #3 on: March 05, 2007, 08:22:56 PM »
    I wonder how a Nintendo-made Sonic would turn out? As it is, they'd be better off outsourcing both the 2D and 3D games to Dimps now..
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    Offline The Traveller

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #4 on: March 05, 2007, 09:36:42 PM »
    I found that triceratops part annoying too, but i still completed it within 3 turns.. The egg nest thing took me almost 13 mins though.. I also feel that you are watching secret rings play itself more so than the other 3D sonic games. It doesnt feel like your playing in some parts.  

    Offline Shift Key

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #5 on: March 05, 2007, 10:01:26 PM »
    Time to comment solely on the review. Throw the numbers aside, and throw the actual game aside. Its time we talked mano-e-mano Svev.

    Quote

    Even a quick tap of the jump button has a delayed reaction, and jumping overall slows Sonic down.


    Well, considering that no-one is able to react instantly, this is hardly surprising. Sure, games could choose to ignore reality, but when you factor in blisteringly fast speed, then something's gotta give.

    Quote

    Replicating the main mistake of Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Team has put too many obstacles in the way of Sonic as he attempts to zoom through a level at high speed.


    Safe drivers never speed. I guess its the same thing in this game. I didn't think this game would be easy, but maybe you found the hard part of the game.

    Quote

    It is awkward when Sonic stops in one of these areas so you can have complete control over his movement, then once he is past a specific obstacle will begin running automatically again.


    Again, maybe this is a "I haven't actually played the game" disclaimer, but perhaps there's a change of speed in the game at this stage. I'll bet the SAYGAH developers didn't create this game with the purpose of you "going a bazillion kilometres an hour and then finishing the game in fifteen minutes".

    Quote

    The game is lacking linearity where it could use some – since you're unlocking everything out of order, often you have to go back to the early stages to play a mission you missed before you can progress.


    OH NO IT COULD BE LIKE MOST GAMES! BAD SEGA BAD! DOUBLE STANDARDS! DOUBLE!

    Quote

    No surprise again, Sonic Team has thrown in an overlong and ridiculous “plot" that attempts to motivate Sonic's adventures inside of the book “Arabian Nights."


    Ahahahaha perhaps Sonic has had a story recently, but you're expecting quality? Seriously, just go and read Arabian Nights and announce the spoilers as the story goes along. Because Sonic was always about collecting more rings, not about saving a princess.

    In summary, I think this has been an awfully biased review. Maybe it is to justify the score, maybe he's had a genuine issue with the game. He's more than welcome to argue with me regarding this, but I think he went into this game expecting something entirely different. Its disappointing that he's managed to get this review onto GoNintendo, which as we all know is the gateway to the greater interweb!



    EDIT: Don't think these are the only arguments I have Svev, these are merely points that caught my eye.


     

    Offline RocketDarkness

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #6 on: March 05, 2007, 10:06:33 PM »
    Okay, I have to call BS on this review.

    Quote

    Jumping is a different matter: holding down the jump button causes Sonic to grind, and only upon releasing does he jump, causing a delay. Even a quick tap of the jump button has a delayed reaction, and jumping overall slows Sonic down. Also, homing attacks can only be performed after jumping, and you must “lock on" to an enemy to perform them. There are two problems here: one, it takes too long to jump. Two, you must be in the air for a certain amount of time before you actually “lock on." If you are running at full speed towards a gap and see an enemy at the last minute, you are likely to jump, performing your homing attack without locking on, and fall to your death. This means that whenever something unexpected shows up in the levels, you will die. There's never enough time to dodge, jump, or attack.


    First off, the game explicitly refers to charging a jump as sliding, because, well, that's what he does. Not grinding. Secondly, homing attacks acquire targets as soon as you begin to slide, far before you even go airborne. The only reason you'd homing attack into oblivion is because you're BELOW your target, meaning you didn't jump high enough or waited too long. Lastly, there's a brake button for a reason. Try using it before you run off the edge next time. Heck, you can even quickly tap the brake and go into an extremely slow slide for the jump.

    Quote

    These obstacles range from simple obstructions to groups of enemies that must be defeated or puzzles that must be solved. One area has you transporting dinosaur eggs to their appropriate nests, but since there are many branched paths, you have to loop around the level just finding the darn eggs before you can go on a hunt for the nests. The on-rails concept just doesn't fit the exploration necessary in this level.

    One early level puts Sonic in front of a pack of raging Triceratops, and he must hit as many of the familiar “speed pads" as he can to avoid them. The problem is that Sonic Team has attempted to create a cinematic dinosaur chase that is shown from many different angles but, for simple gameplay purposes, I need to see where I'm going. The camera is often looking in the wrong direction, or at an awkward angle that confuses your left/right movement. It is also hard to actually hit the pads, and if you miss a few of them, the Triceratops will trample you. It also just so happens that in this level gaining rings is your top priority. It's a really sadistic level that you may have to play many times before completing.


    In regards to Dino Jungle, I will concede that the two missions mentioned are quite obnoxious, though the Egg-collecting mission has a few shortcuts to get where you need to. It's only really brought down by the random egg/nest locations.

    Quote

    As you level up, Sonic will gain new “abilities" which range from useless to absolutely necessary: “Improve steering control," or “Accelerate faster." The game is nearly unplayable at first until you gain these key abilities, making the controls go from awful to adequate. Some of the skills become necessary, like the ability to slow time down or speed it up, but it's never clear when to use these until too late. The organization of these skills (which must be equipped prior to starting a level) in the menu is confusing and annoying… actually, so is every part of the menus. You'll be seeing the menus a lot because every time you complete a single level (some of them in less than 45 seconds) you'll be sent back to select a new one.


    Okay, it can't be that hard to figure out that you should use Time Break when you see a tricky obstacle approaching, can it? Come on! "Hm, there's a rotating fan in front of me! Too bad I don't have any abilities that let me better maneuver through its blades!" Secondly, you can sort the skills FIVE different ways, many of which group them together based on similar usages. Being kicked out to the menu isn't that bad, due to the fact you can get back into a level within probably 20 seconds, including loading times.

    Additionally, while it is slightly annoying to mix "essential" abilities such as Speed up and Charger into the more specialized abilities, in some missions, you'll be glad you're able to lower your maximum speed, or turn down your acceleration. Trust me. And when you beat the final boss, you gain the ability to turn off even your normal abilities, so you can ditch the homing attack if you should so desire (it's very useful to do this for some missions), or maybe eliminate the charge jump. Heck, you can turn off all his fancy 3D abilities and try playing through the game like a 2D Sonic if you want!

    Quote

    angst-rock most of the time

    No.

    Lastly, why no mention about the massive amount of unlockable content within the game? You get at least one thing unlocked for every gold medal you get, including concept art, songs, cutscenes, and other cool stuff.

    To those reading this: yes, the game is hard. You'll fight with the controls. You'll swear. You'll curse the camera. But it gets exponentially better, and you'll be able to eliminate the issues almost completely. There's a ton of different stuff to do. Even when the missions are the same (ie Don't collect any pearls), the way the level is set up can generate a completely different experience other than "well, it's the same mission in a different level".
     

    Offline Infernal Monkey

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #7 on: March 05, 2007, 10:23:14 PM »
    Quote

    Gameplay: 3.5
    It's too stop-and-go, thanks to the level design. Some levels must be replayed over and over just to learn where all the obstacles are so you can get through without dying


    That's a good thing for a platform game.

    Offline Mario

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #8 on: March 05, 2007, 10:50:01 PM »
    I bet if you could clear the level in one go, you'd say it's too short/easy/simple instead.

    Offline Nephilim

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #9 on: March 06, 2007, 12:23:42 AM »
    "That's a good thing for a platform game."

    wasnt that the major fault of the recent PSP sonic game also? fact u had to replay stages because they were so poorly designed, reminds me of that annoying inair stage in sonic advanced *shives*

    Days of having hard games, purely because they were designed badly should of died with the nes
    There are others ways of adding difficulty, such as megaman series has done

    Offline NWR_pap64

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #10 on: March 06, 2007, 12:58:55 AM »
    This wouldn't be the first time NWR has severely rated a decent/solid/good game (case in point Wii Play, Rayman Raving Rabbis etc.)...

    But boy is GoldenPhoenix going to be all over this one...
    Pedro Hernandez
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    Offline RocketDarkness

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #11 on: March 06, 2007, 02:31:44 AM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: pap64
    This wouldn't be the first time NWR has severely rated a decent/solid/good game (case in point Wii Play, Rayman Raving Rabbis etc.)...

    But boy is GoldenPhoenix going to be all over this one...


    Next up: SSX Blur is "broken" and the Wii controls are a "shoehorned gimmick". =p

    Offline Ceric

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #12 on: March 06, 2007, 02:36:30 AM »
    I think the Lastability score should have been lower to keep in line with the review. (or the gameplay scored higher.  I mean According to the scale a 3.5 is 1.5 points below average.  While an 8.5 is pretty good.  So how can you have a pretty good lastibility without at least average gameplay?)
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    Offline ShyGuy

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #13 on: March 06, 2007, 03:04:24 AM »
    I'm no huge Sonic fan, but this game deserves a better review.

    Offline Caliban

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #14 on: March 06, 2007, 03:29:15 AM »
    Evan, I think this time you went a little overboard with your overly critical movie reviewing skill, which I think shouldn't be used for videogames.

    Offline trip1eX

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #15 on: March 06, 2007, 04:02:25 AM »
    I rented this game and I agree with the review.  A total exercise in frustration is how I would sum up the first half of the game.  I won't be playing the 2nd half.

    The 'Levitated Ruin' world which is maybe halfway had me saying enough is enough.    It has these strong winds in it and I must have been blown back 30 times and it seemed like it was unavoidable.  And when I mean blown back I mean you're watching Sonic move backward slowly for 5 seconds while you just sit there pulling your hair out.  And the other half of the level is Sonic moving along paths of light and that part is pretty much on autopilot.  Actually alot of the game is on autopilot.  

    It's just a very poor design. The graphics are good, but I think that makes the frustration you feel all the worse.

    Yeah and the jumping?  It sucks.  The quick jumping is ok.  You can just tap the button and Sonic jumps.  It still doesn't feel great, and it's barely passable.

    But alot of the time you have to jump high and to do that you have to hold down the jump button for a second and you don't jump until you release it.  It just kills any sense of speed or excitement.  And this is different from your Mario game where you jump right away no matter what, but the longer you hold it down the farther you jump.  I'm puzzled as to why they didn't go that route??!??!

    Other hair pulling examples is one level that has you going around in circles looking for some eggs or something.  YOu find 1 or 2, but not the others.  Well there's a certain point in the level that you're just supposed to jump off on instead of jumping and dashing and at that point is the 'gateway' to the other half of the level.   I don't think it's supposed to be secret.  It's just a terrible design.  You can't control the camera so it's pretty hard to spot.  Also the game design plants a 'bumper' at that spot that lights up with a red target indicating you're supposed to dash which really makes it hard to find this 'gateway.'

    I could go on about the terrible ring system and skill points and experience and the tedious button pressing in between missions or the random unlocking of missions and worlds.  That part of the game should have been thrown out.  No reason for  it.  It's an idea that wasn't working and they should have dropped it.  

    Eh stay away.  Sadi-masochists only.  I imagine if you put up with alot of early pain you get squeeze some reward out of the game.  But imo then you're only supporting more of these games in the long run.  It's not that the game is well-done, but hard like say Ninja GAiden.  But that it's not well-done and so you're constantly not sure what you're supposed to do or where you're supposed to go or how the controls work or if they work and that leads to frustration and hair pulling.  

    I will say 2 good things about it.  The dashing motion control mechanisms feels great except on the wind blowing level and jumping in a winged pot and flying upwards with motion controls also feels great.  

    Still please rent first.  

    Offline Acefondu

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #16 on: March 06, 2007, 04:05:38 AM »
    Chalk this review up with the: "Since I can't play it, I don't like it" catogory.

    Wow, just wow. If memory serves, the old Sonic games had stop and go too, and the joy came when you memorized a level to a point where the stop never came back. This game has that.

    The surfing part in the game, riding a bullet, slowing time down, all these things made were fabulous.

    This is honestly the first Sonic game I've actually enjoyed. If you're frustrated with the game then get better at it!

    Offline pyrokamileon

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #17 on: March 06, 2007, 04:42:53 AM »
    wow, I wish I had had a chance to read this review before the game shipped.  you guys need to get closer to these companies so that you don't have to wait like everyone else to get games...  I heard from all the sites that had either had previous experience with this game or who got it early so they could review it and I doubt if I heard one bad thing about it!  so I bought it, I was excited for it (hell I bought Sonic Adventure 2 for the 'Cube and I actually liked that one).  but now that I have it...  well let just say I feel your pain.  I don't feel like going back to the review and dissecting and analyzing it.  how about this:  if they could get the basics right then the rest of the game should be passable.  well I'm not satisfied with the controls.  it feels like they broke the game and said well ya know the farther you get in the game the more tools we'll give you so you can fix it yourself!  and uh well...  isn't the beginning the part of the gamer where I'm supposed to be drawn in!?  so much for that.  in retrospect I kinda wish I had just rented it first... but then again I am still at the beginning I do plan to play the game farther than that (hoping it gets better all along the way). I'm just a little discouraged at the moment.  being a sonic fan and being that I already spent the money on the game (it's not like I can undo that part) lets just hope I enjoy the rest of the game more than I did the beginning.
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    Offline NWR_pap64

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #18 on: March 06, 2007, 05:38:34 AM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: pyrokamileon
    wow, I wish I had had a chance to read this review before the game shipped.  you guys need to get closer to these companies so that you don't have to wait like everyone else to get games...  I heard from all the sites that had either had previous experience with this game or who got it early so they could review it and I doubt if I heard one bad thing about it!  so I bought it, I was excited for it (hell I bought Sonic Adventure 2 for the 'Cube and I actually liked that one).  but now that I have it...  well let just say I feel your pain.  I don't feel like going back to the review and dissecting and analyzing it.  how about this:  if they could get the basics right then the rest of the game should be passable.  well I'm not satisfied with the controls.  it feels like they broke the game and said well ya know the farther you get in the game the more tools we'll give you so you can fix it yourself!  and uh well...  isn't the beginning the part of the gamer where I'm supposed to be drawn in!?  so much for that.  in retrospect I kinda wish I had just rented it first... but then again I am still at the beginning I do plan to play the game farther than that (hoping it gets better all along the way). I'm just a little discouraged at the moment.  being a sonic fan and being that I already spent the money on the game (it's not like I can undo that part) lets just hope I enjoy the rest of the game more than I did the beginning.


    Renting is ALWAYS the best way to go if you are not 100% sure about a game. There will always be chance that you will be disappointed with a game even if it got great reviews and lots of fan appreciation. That's what happened with S_B and Elebits. He thought he was getting a good game due to good reviews and solid impressions, but he ended up being disappointed by it.

    So again, rent if you are not sure if you will like the game.
    Pedro Hernandez
    NWR Staff Writer

    Offline GioGio

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #19 on: March 06, 2007, 05:57:39 AM »
    I really loved the game. I didn't find it as hard as everyone complains that it is, sure I died a few times but once I figured out what to do, I'd get past it easily. Like with that tricaratops part in the review. I noticed that one of the dino's will move its head before charging forward, so I just paid attention to that.

    But oh well if people don't like it. At least we all can agree it's far better than Sonic 2006.

    Offline NinGurl69 *huggles

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #20 on: March 06, 2007, 06:19:54 AM »
    "One early level puts Sonic in front of a pack of raging Triceratops, and he must hit as many of the familiar “speed pads" as he can to avoid them. The problem is that Sonic Team has attempted to create a cinematic dinosaur chase that is shown from many different angles but, for simple gameplay purposes, I need to see where I'm going. The camera is often looking in the wrong direction, or at an awkward angle that confuses your left/right movement. It is also hard to actually hit the pads, and if you miss a few of them, the Triceratops will trample you. It also just so happens that in this level gaining rings is your top priority. It's a really sadistic level that you may have to play many times before completing."

    Is this serious?

    I got it right on my first try, with an audience watching, to boot.  This can't possibly be one of the so-called "badly designed" early obstacles in the game.  Was I just lucky to get past it?  I'm literally expecting crazier, more unfair stuff than that to be mentioned as a review complaint.  The rest of the stage was just standard run-into-enemies-that-are-kinda-hard-to-see, and I was more worried about running into walls due to late jumps than anything else.this is as far as I've played in 2 weeks, and i'm hoping to see more twisty challenges  
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    Offline Smash_Brother

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #21 on: March 06, 2007, 06:36:50 AM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: NewsBot Secret Rings revels in gameplay features that bastardize Sonic and have nothing to do with the core concept of his original 16-bit games. I'm really surprised that Sega was able to screw this up.


    Considering that the original games were based upon the principle of moving very quickly while forcing the player to react with split-second decisions, I don't see how this game does anything but follow in their footsteps.

    Quote

    The control system isn't awful, although it is quirky. Moving left and right with the Wii Remote is a fine feature, and I hope Sonic Team uses it again. Jumping is a different matter: holding down the jump button causes Sonic to grind, and only upon releasing does he jump, causing a delay. Even a quick tap of the jump button has a delayed reaction, and jumping overall slows Sonic down. Also, homing attacks can only be performed after jumping, and you must “lock on" to an enemy to perform them. There are two problems here: one, it takes too long to jump. Two, you must be in the air for a certain amount of time before you actually “lock on." If you are running at full speed towards a gap and see an enemy at the last minute, you are likely to jump, performing your homing attack without locking on, and fall to your death. This means that whenever something unexpected shows up in the levels, you will die. There's never enough time to dodge, jump, or attack. Sonic Team wanted the game to be fast paced, but why did they make Sonic's attacks so slow?


    Ev, did you...finish the game? Specifically, did you play past the Dinosaur Jungle or did the egg mission frustrate you to the point that you just opted to give up?

    The reason why I ask is because every fault you listed in the above paragraph becomes rectified through new skills which are unlocked as you level up. First, you receive a skill which dramatically reduces the time you need to hold the jump button to jump. Second, you receive a skill which greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to lock on to new targets, allowing you to rifle off homing attacks in rapid succession.

    Quote

    Where Secret Rings really falls apart is in level design. Replicating the main mistake of Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Team has put too many obstacles in the way of Sonic as he attempts to zoom through a level at high speed. These obstacles range from simple obstructions to groups of enemies that must be defeated or puzzles that must be solved.


    Obstacles and puzzles have always been a part of the Sonic formula. In fact, we get far more of that here than we ever did in the "hold forward" games like SA. Weaving puzzles into the gameplay, like forcing players to wait before using the homing attack for an enemy to appear or to leap and use the jump cancel to land on platforms, makes the game challenging.    

    Quote

    As you level up, Sonic will gain new “abilities" which range from useless to absolutely necessary: “Improve steering control," or “Accelerate faster." The game is nearly unplayable at first until you gain these key abilities, making the controls go from awful to adequate. Some of the skills become necessary, like the ability to slow time down or speed it up, but it's never clear when to use these until too late. The organization of these skills (which must be equipped prior to starting a level) in the menu is confusing and annoying… actually, so is every part of the menus.  You'll be seeing the menus a lot because every time you complete a single level (some of them in less than 45 seconds) you'll be sent back to select a new one.


    First of all, it was clear that Sonic Team didn't want players moving at a blazing speed right out of the gate and feeling they have no control over the game, hence why the system of unlocking abilities was added. Second, I didn't have a problem with the very first tutorial level which required me to steer left and right to collect rings. In fact, I didn't miss a single ring and I don't consider myself "steady handed". In fact, watching me trying to hold my hand steady will immediately pang of a Parkinson's patient.

    Quote

    No surprise again, Sonic Team has thrown in an overlong and ridiculous “plot" that attempts to motivate Sonic's adventures inside of the book “Arabian Nights." The voice acting is terrible, although the hand-drawn images are rather beautiful.


    Now that just isn't fair. First of all, the voice acting is fine, especially compared to other games in this day and age. Second, the plot is an off-shoot plot (basically a "Neverending Story" take), but what is the comparison to here?

    Quote

    Secret Rings throws in a multiplayer party game extra that is amusing if you have people over. It attempts to emulate Mario Party with a game board interface, but the only part that's actually worthwhile are the mini-games themselves. Like most first generation Wii developers, Sonic Team was able to think up some fun and stupid mini-games that make the Wii Remote seem really cool. One of the best ones I encountered has you pretending to play a violin with the Wii Remote, and there are others similarly inventive. The party game element isn't too complicated, which means it will get old fairly quickly except for the occasional replay of an awesome mini-game.


    Thank you for giving more credit to the minigames than most reviewers have.

    Quote

    Overall, Secret Rings isn't a new low, just a new disappointment. It seemed like, maybe, we would finally get a Sonic game that achieved its goals, namely speed and fun. Sonic Team needs to take the on-rails concept and thoroughly rework their previous notions about level design, and then perhaps we can get the 3-D Sonic game we've always wanted.


    Here's where I take issue with this review: yes, the game takes tangents which involve slower gameplay or puzzle solving, but for the most part, you are ALWAYS hurling forward, even in most of the missions, like "Collect Rings" or "Beat the clock". However, the speedy gameplay is awesome, and it's HARD. Holy crap, we FINALLY get a game which isn't afraid to force the player to get better or learn the layout of the level in order to succeed.

    Between steering to avoid obstacles, homing in on enemies in mid-air, jump canceling to get Sonic on the ground faster and using the small jump to clear minor obstacles like spikes, the game comes hurling at you in such a way that your reflexes had better be pretty decent or you're going to get creamed. And I don't see anything wrong with that.

    I think this is a massive improvement over any other 3D Sonic game, and while I acknowledge that the game would have been even more fun if it was just steering Sonic through obstacle courses for 15 straight hours, the side missions don't take away so much from the game that I stop enjoying it.

    I'm guessing the speed gameplay just didn't jive with you for some reason, and if that's the case then I would have passed this off to another reviewer for the same reason I would personally pass off turn-based RPGs off to another reviewer: I already know I don't like them.
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    Offline Koekoenutt

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    RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #22 on: March 06, 2007, 07:05:26 AM »
    I think you guys are kind of being to harsh on the reviewer and I think this review deals with a lot of the problems in the game. The game itself is just frustrating, and it can be fun at times. I'm all for a challenging game, and I don't like when my games are too easy, but this game is just on the lines of frustrating. The level design was poor, especially in Pirate Bay and Dino Jungle. Granted, I have beaten the game and went back and did most of the missions afterwards even, I am still disappointed in this title, and I really think most of you just want this game to succeed.

    The controls really are iffy. When people complain about the controls, it seems everyone is taking it as moving left and right. I really think jumping doesn't feel natural at all, and the flicking to attack/shoot forward in air is really tacked on. I think when the reviewer was talking about targeting the enemies, I don't think it was about being able to target generally... You have to wait for it to turn red to actually make the attack, and having it as a green target does nothing for you most of the time. On top of that, moving backwards seems really tacked on. Granted, after getting to about the 3 World.. You are used to the controls and getting level upgrades that help the control out a lot.. but this game NEEDS precision and timing. I find it way to easy to slip up the controls and do the wrong thing under pressure for how delecate you need to be. It's a game of memorizing the level, and I find that annoying.. Especially when you go threw the whole level and they make the last 5 seconds of the level unexpectedly and unreasonably hard. You can get past it of course, but I found it annoying on most levels that you have to start at the very beginning when the only real challenge is at the end. Granted there are some levels that use a waypoint system, but most of the time they don't. I really don't see how anyone who has completed most of the game, can't say that a lot of levels have poor, lazy level design and some missions/levels were poorly thought about. I found myself pissed a lot of times, becuase I knew when and what I needed to do exactly, but becuase of the level design and poor layout of controls, made it extremely annoying to pull off.

    Don't get me wrong. The game has it's enjoyable parts. Riding on a bullet, the Magic carpet ride.. It's just to bad you don't see stuff like this more, than some lazy level design that has you memorizing a level completely. I'm not all for beating a level in one single ride, but the way they did most obstacles, seemed like they put it there just to be annoying. A lot of obstacles in the game seemed unreasonably placed. I think there is a huge difference between a good, reasonable challenge and putting things in the game just to frustrate you, just to make it harder.  It is a fun game, but I also feel that the game holds you back from enjoying it more, and really holds itself back in general. It's a perfect example of one of those games that are "Just Good Enough", and being the only 3D Sonic game that is slightly enjoyable to come out in the past few years.. Makes it even easier to let yourself sink into.

    In general, I thought this review handled the problems with the game quite well. He could have talked about more of the positive things about the game, like the boss fights being pretty well done and challenging. I really only had a problem with one boss fight, and that had to do more with the controls than the boss encounter itself. I enjoyed the game "enough" to play it most of the way threw, but in the back of head I was down right disappointed. Way to many times in the game I asked myself, "Wtf were they thinking?". It's a likeable game, but it's still just an average sonic that isn't anything to boast in my opinion. Better than what has game out from Sonic/Sega Team, but the game lacks and holds you back a lot at times.  
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    Offline GoldenPhoenix

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #23 on: March 06, 2007, 08:23:26 AM »
    I have to applaud Evan for being critical of the game, even though I'm sure he knew there would be a backlash (Just like I encountered). With that said I think the review may be a tad bit harsh, I would probably give the game a 7, it is slightly above average but hampered by flaws. In regards to the game "getting better", I'm sorry but a game that starts out with alot of flaws and frustration can be quite serious, it shows lack of balance, and it should be taken into consideration (perhaps harshly so) when writing a review. If it is chore to get through the first few levels of a game because of level design, or controls, that is a poorly designed game, regardless if it gets better later on. NO ONE'S opinion should be pushed aside because they didn't finish a game, because a well designed games pushes you to complete it and grabs your attention.
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    Offline wandering

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    RE:REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings
    « Reply #24 on: March 06, 2007, 09:00:26 AM »
    I fear you're too late, svevan. A Secret Rings epidimic is already sweeping the nation.

    The problem is Nintendo fans. They're addicted to crappy games. Oh, they may tell themselves, as they tighten the strap around their arm, that they play games like Secret Rings because they enjoy them. But, deep down, they know they're wasting their life away on bad games with no redeeming value. And they know they're doing it, not out of want, but out of need. What's worse is that, to make themselves feel better about themselves, they try to rope in other people. They'll say things like "Just one try won't hurt, c'mon, just one rental," and "everyone's doing it", and "Sonic and the Secret Rings doesn't suck."

    But I hope your review does help some people. Maybe it will make someone realize that winners don't play Sonic. That bad game users doesn't just hurt themselves, but everyone around them. And if your does that - if it saves just one life - then it'll all be worth it.    
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