Goldenhog
Wandering Protagonist
Greenflower Zone
Techno Hill Zone
Deep Sea Zone
Castle Eggman Zone
Arid Canyon Zone
Red Volcano Zone
Egg Rock Zone
I don't really have a whole lot to say about it, given it's the tutorial stage and I already know how to play the game but there's one thing I do want to talk about: The two tutorials in act 1.
I liked the way the spindash tutorial was done - the ring box in the beginner route brings attention to the gap in the wall which the beginner may inspect until they discover that they can use the spindash to pass under tight gaps. The problem with this is that this is pretty much the only spot like this in the game, so by the time beginners get to ERZ and its "spindash to pass under this obstacle or die, bitch!" they most likely forgot about it. Not to mention the whole "press jump to cancel a spindash" bit which is not something a beginner is going to know and expecting them to find out about it while on top of a moving platform floating above an instant-death bottomless pit is pretty bullshit.
Then there's the Whirlwind Shield tutorial. Its double jump ability is insanely useful and without it, this shield is nothing more than a gray-colored Pity Shield, offering zero advantage when put up against the other shields. And as such, I don't think it's appropiate for it to be hidden away with no hints at all pointing to it (like the spindash tutorial with the ring box). This isn't as big a deal as it is with the spindash thing since the double jump isn't required anywhere (unless the beginner happens to somehow end up in RVZ's secret area, in which case they're stuck there) but it's something to think about. I guess you could say "well, exploration!" but come on, this is the first stage in the game.
I agree with the other people that said that the beginning of act 2 could use some more visual improvements. Or at least proper tiling of all the double-size GFZROCK and some more grass here and there.
Damn, so much for "I don't really have a whole lot to say about it".
5/10
I liked the way the spindash tutorial was done - the ring box in the beginner route brings attention to the gap in the wall which the beginner may inspect until they discover that they can use the spindash to pass under tight gaps. The problem with this is that this is pretty much the only spot like this in the game, so by the time beginners get to ERZ and its "spindash to pass under this obstacle or die, bitch!" they most likely forgot about it. Not to mention the whole "press jump to cancel a spindash" bit which is not something a beginner is going to know and expecting them to find out about it while on top of a moving platform floating above an instant-death bottomless pit is pretty bullshit.
Then there's the Whirlwind Shield tutorial. Its double jump ability is insanely useful and without it, this shield is nothing more than a gray-colored Pity Shield, offering zero advantage when put up against the other shields. And as such, I don't think it's appropiate for it to be hidden away with no hints at all pointing to it (like the spindash tutorial with the ring box). This isn't as big a deal as it is with the spindash thing since the double jump isn't required anywhere (unless the beginner happens to somehow end up in RVZ's secret area, in which case they're stuck there) but it's something to think about. I guess you could say "well, exploration!" but come on, this is the first stage in the game.
I agree with the other people that said that the beginning of act 2 could use some more visual improvements. Or at least proper tiling of all the double-size GFZROCK and some more grass here and there.
Damn, so much for "I don't really have a whole lot to say about it".
5/10
Not much to say here either, the revamp 2.1 gave to this zone certainly worked wonders.
For act 1, I agree with the others that the character path split could have been done better (especially the path split itself, which I feel pulverizes the flow of the level) and... that's all I have to say about act 1. It's a very good level, which plenty of exploration to be done while allowing the player to just speed through it all if they want.
Act 2 is pretty much perfect, outside of the entrance of the big factory not being really visible and there not being an alternate route for those who don't like the elevator near the end. More minor things include some of the tubes still being squares, and dumb positioning of one buzz enemy right before the path split with the turret and the crushers (you can gas jet up the nearby tubes and get hit in the head by it).
As for act 3... why is the boss still underground? Just why, man, you have this really cool-looking city skybox and instead of making the little box be hanging on rails with the skybox just moving around it, you still have it underground. Bleh. As for the fight itself, it's just the same ol' Egg Slimer. He's fun and all, and the changes certainly make him more challenging and engaging to fight, but that's all I can really say.
And the Spring Shell could use a bigger hitbox for the spring part.
9/10
For act 1, I agree with the others that the character path split could have been done better (especially the path split itself, which I feel pulverizes the flow of the level) and... that's all I have to say about act 1. It's a very good level, which plenty of exploration to be done while allowing the player to just speed through it all if they want.
Act 2 is pretty much perfect, outside of the entrance of the big factory not being really visible and there not being an alternate route for those who don't like the elevator near the end. More minor things include some of the tubes still being squares, and dumb positioning of one buzz enemy right before the path split with the turret and the crushers (you can gas jet up the nearby tubes and get hit in the head by it).
As for act 3... why is the boss still underground? Just why, man, you have this really cool-looking city skybox and instead of making the little box be hanging on rails with the skybox just moving around it, you still have it underground. Bleh. As for the fight itself, it's just the same ol' Egg Slimer. He's fun and all, and the changes certainly make him more challenging and engaging to fight, but that's all I can really say.
And the Spring Shell could use a bigger hitbox for the spring part.
9/10
Wow, ugly. Big-ass empty rooms, Moiré effect everywhere. What a mess. Especially after THZ.
As for the gameplay, act 1 is just a bunch of big empty rooms strung together by corridors. The platforming is basic and boring and yeah there's not much to say about this act. Bland. Two things though: One, whose idea was to put friggin' mines in the pool below the ring cache below the electric shield next to one of the emblems? You get the shield, get the rings, lose the shield thanks to the pool, then fall into a mine. Yay. Two, what's the gargoyle path supposed to be? If it's meant to be a regular path, then it's way too hidden for that. If it's meant to be a shortcut, then it's way too long compared to the other paths. And if it's meant to be a secret path, then it fails to do that because it doesn't offer the player any goodies. No lives or anything, just some boring-ass puzzles. Also, you guys REALLY need to add the "1-up becomes a sound instead of replacing the music" as a console command because listening to the song repeat itself from the beginning 6 times at the end is not cool.
Act 2 is better than the first, mostly by not boring me to death. My only real issues with it are the electric shield given after the waterslide in the left path (if you're Sonic, you can only go back up the normal path by going into the water again, meaning you lose the shield and it's all a bit pointless. Still got 20 rings out of deal, I guess), the block puzzle which is just annoying as fuck and not something that belongs in the main path and the replacement for the waterfall's platform which is just... inadequate, given what it replaced. Other than that, it's an OK level. Nothing really mind-blowing.
The boss is great. Maybe give the player a little bit more time before Eggman shocks the water, but other than that it's a pretty fun fight! The changes the arena went through paid off greatly too.
In conclusion, none of what I said matters because this zone is getting completely reconstructed anyway. Welp.
6/10
As for the gameplay, act 1 is just a bunch of big empty rooms strung together by corridors. The platforming is basic and boring and yeah there's not much to say about this act. Bland. Two things though: One, whose idea was to put friggin' mines in the pool below the ring cache below the electric shield next to one of the emblems? You get the shield, get the rings, lose the shield thanks to the pool, then fall into a mine. Yay. Two, what's the gargoyle path supposed to be? If it's meant to be a regular path, then it's way too hidden for that. If it's meant to be a shortcut, then it's way too long compared to the other paths. And if it's meant to be a secret path, then it fails to do that because it doesn't offer the player any goodies. No lives or anything, just some boring-ass puzzles. Also, you guys REALLY need to add the "1-up becomes a sound instead of replacing the music" as a console command because listening to the song repeat itself from the beginning 6 times at the end is not cool.
Act 2 is better than the first, mostly by not boring me to death. My only real issues with it are the electric shield given after the waterslide in the left path (if you're Sonic, you can only go back up the normal path by going into the water again, meaning you lose the shield and it's all a bit pointless. Still got 20 rings out of deal, I guess), the block puzzle which is just annoying as fuck and not something that belongs in the main path and the replacement for the waterfall's platform which is just... inadequate, given what it replaced. Other than that, it's an OK level. Nothing really mind-blowing.
The boss is great. Maybe give the player a little bit more time before Eggman shocks the water, but other than that it's a pretty fun fight! The changes the arena went through paid off greatly too.
In conclusion, none of what I said matters because this zone is getting completely reconstructed anyway. Welp.
6/10
The layout for the first act seems really random to me. Like you guys decided to justify the "castle" part of the zone by retexturing and doing some slight changs to random parts of the map to give them a castle-like look, and completely forgot the castle isn't supposed to be entered until the end. Then there's the lake part. I don't think there's anything I can say about it that hasn't been said already. Also some path imbalance with how much shorter the left path is from the right one. But other than that, it's a really harmless map, much like DSZ2.
Act 2's beginning is fine when you go through the upper path (why was the chain to take you there moved to a less obvious spot?), but it can be slow and boring if you go through the lower path, which has the rising water room. But it gets really good after the paths join. So many different paths but you never really get lost. So many nooks and crannies with hidden power-ups and such, and then there's the whole hidden PATH with the spikeballs which was maybe a little bit excessive. There's just so much stuff in this level and all of it feels really good to find or go through. It just needs some changes to make the beginning as good as the rest of the level and this could be another THZ2-tier hit. One thing though: The range of the Robo-Hoods needs to be toned down. I don't want a rain of arrows crashing down upon me after every step when misstep and fall off into the bottom of the last area.
The boss fight suffers from two problems: One, I can't see what Eggman is doing! Well, I can, but he should be more visible given that the player can't know how the spikeballs are going to change trajectory without him. Two, if the player happened to fall down into the coliseum when Eggman has a single hit left... how is he supposed to climb back up? The spikeballs move way, way too fast. But other than that, it's a cool and unique fight. I like it.
8/10
Act 2's beginning is fine when you go through the upper path (why was the chain to take you there moved to a less obvious spot?), but it can be slow and boring if you go through the lower path, which has the rising water room. But it gets really good after the paths join. So many different paths but you never really get lost. So many nooks and crannies with hidden power-ups and such, and then there's the whole hidden PATH with the spikeballs which was maybe a little bit excessive. There's just so much stuff in this level and all of it feels really good to find or go through. It just needs some changes to make the beginning as good as the rest of the level and this could be another THZ2-tier hit. One thing though: The range of the Robo-Hoods needs to be toned down. I don't want a rain of arrows crashing down upon me after every step when misstep and fall off into the bottom of the last area.
The boss fight suffers from two problems: One, I can't see what Eggman is doing! Well, I can, but he should be more visible given that the player can't know how the spikeballs are going to change trajectory without him. Two, if the player happened to fall down into the coliseum when Eggman has a single hit left... how is he supposed to climb back up? The spikeballs move way, way too fast. But other than that, it's a cool and unique fight. I like it.
8/10
Nothing to say. Only bad thing about this zone is how there's only one act. And that won't get solved until 2.2.
8/10
8/10
Incredibly linear, and way too short. Couldn't really say more if I tried. Maybe the secret area should have some sort of hint to it, because right now I find it impossible to believe anyone will ever enter it without knowing about it beforehand.
6/10
6/10
10/10
And that's that. What else am I supposed to say here? Remove the Snailer in the yoku blocks section, make the second act a little bit shorter and get rid of the upside-down part of Metal Sonic's race and... uh... it'll get an 11/10, I suppose. Geez, these got shorter over time.
As for the final boss, loving the fact that you guys listened to my feedback and made the flamethrower attack shorter/added an extra rocket to the rocket attack (I can't remember which one was the change and I don't really feel like booting up 2.1.0 to check). And even if it wasn't because of me, I'm glad it happened anyway. Anyway, this fight is excellent and the only fault it has is that the barrels aren't too visible when the crosshair attack starts. I missed them quite a few them my first time through.
And that's that. What else am I supposed to say here? Remove the Snailer in the yoku blocks section, make the second act a little bit shorter and get rid of the upside-down part of Metal Sonic's race and... uh... it'll get an 11/10, I suppose. Geez, these got shorter over time.
As for the final boss, loving the fact that you guys listened to my feedback and made the flamethrower attack shorter/added an extra rocket to the rocket attack (I can't remember which one was the change and I don't really feel like booting up 2.1.0 to check). And even if it wasn't because of me, I'm glad it happened anyway. Anyway, this fight is excellent and the only fault it has is that the barrels aren't too visible when the crosshair attack starts. I missed them quite a few them my first time through.