Null Space from Sonic Forces (SC_CM_Null_Space.wad)

[Chicmunk]

Did you hate the fact that the actual Null Space part of the stage in Sonic Forces was just 15 seconds of automation? Whelp I fixed that by remaking Null Space in SRB2. ^-^

I have made two secrets in this stage, see if you can find them. ^-^

I'd recommend playing this stage in single player first as the subtitles show when a player enters their triggers and someone else might trigger another one, preventing you from reading them.

You might also find it amusing to spam them as it resets the voice clips when you enter the triggers again. XD

And yes there is a total of 1461 spikes in this stage, I was limited to spikes, monitors (wisp capsules) and rings. ^-^

Thanks to toaster for helping me shrink the Level Select image (as seen below) and TrailBlazer for his LOOPPOINT tutorial on his YouTube channel. ^-^ (How to make your own Custom Music Pack)

COMPRESSION UPDATE (v1.1):
Removed excess vertices from the skybox from 228 down to 76 to increase the frame rate on higher resolutions.
Changed the OGG quality from 10 to 0 since there is no difference in quality at all to be honest :/ which knocked off roughly 6MB from the file size, thanks to LJ Sonic for pointing it out to me ^-^.
Added a thok barrier at the end of the stage just in case you fly through the wall.

 

[Prime 2.0]

Welcome to Releases!

 

[Latius]

Yeah, having Null Space being just that little part of that stage (and only reappearing for the final boss) is a perfect example of they wasted a perfectly good plot.

Anyway, this is something I'm interested in having a look at. Even though I might suck at actually doing it.

 

[Chimes]

I tried playing the thing, and while it's pretty good, I actually couldn't figure out what to do.
I couldn't go fast, as I'd slip, and I couldn't hamfist it without falling off.
I had to use Pandora's Box to see if there was more.

 

[Latius]

Yeah, when I checked it out, I saw how hard it was during the first 'half' - but I saw how it ends using Zone Builder. (Which means I saw both secrets, but I'm saying nothing about them)

 

[Rumia1]

What a way to get back into SRB2 after not playing it since December, precision platforming and walking around as Sonic @_@.

The aesthetics are great although I feel like the spikes could use a different coloration, maybe dark red and red instead of red and pink to make them look a little bit better and maybe scale the size of them up a tad?

The stage is mostly precision platforming which tends to slow down the gameplay a lot and I feel that you were going for a close-to-final-stage feel in terms of difficulty, which is fitting for the stage itself but I feel like there could've been more enemies or bigger spaces for running sections.

Overall, not bad.

EDIT: I also happened to see one of your control sectors on my first playthrough so that's a thing.

 

[Latius]

The stage is mostly precision platforming which tends to slow down the gameplay a lot and I feel that you were going for a close-to-final-stage feel in terms of difficulty, which is fitting for the stage itself but I feel like there could've been more enemies or bigger spaces for running sections.

Well, given that Null Space is a place where nothing exists, in a sense, I don't think enemies would be in it. So the primary challenge would be the stage itself.

 

[Simon_T]

Nice stage, better than Forces version
Can you make Sunset Heights?

 

[Snowy]

The stage is mostly precision platforming which tends to slow down the gameplay a lot and I feel that you were going for a close-to-final-stage feel in terms of difficulty, which is fitting for the stage itself but I feel like there could've been more enemies or bigger spaces for running sections.

During the playthrough in the pre-final build I was lucky enough to participate in, they mentioned they were only working with pits, platforms and spikes, so I think they were attempting to mimic how Forces implied it worked.

 

[glaber]

I can't help but feel that there should have been more after the stage ended, but then that comes from playing Sonic Forces and Enjoying it.

 

[5ania]

Better than the 15 seconds.

Together we can show the world what we can do
You are next to me and I'm next to you
Pushing on through until the battle's won!


(Great level!)
(This is better than the 15 seconds you get in forces)

 

[Snowy]

Suppose I should put my review, eh?

After a time of compiling my own thoughts, I figured it was my time to type up a review.
Thankfully, I'll put anything 'spoilery' in spoiler tags, such as any secrets. Though I only mean in regards to this specific map. Not Forces. Apologies!

Level Design
I love it, it's really fitting to the whole 'empty nothingness' that Null Space should be, which lets it really help sink in that feeling of lonelyness, though it also encourages playing with at least one friend as Tails to help with jumps you are unsure about, thus mimicking the Sonic+Avatar stages.

However, I feel some jumps are a bit too tight and/or difficult, thus resulting in a LOT of moments where you JUST miss it, accompanied by the fact you sometimes need to build up the EXACT speed to land on the next platform while not skidding off into a pit. This is especially prevelant at the start of the level, which should be used to get players used to what they are getting into and ramping the difficulty as they go, in my honest opinion.

The spikes, for the most part, are placed decently enough. However there are many that are right next to your only available path to jump, which can lead to an unfair situation where you make it, but JUST skim the edge of a spike hitbox and cause yourself to fall off.

Difficulty
I'd rate this to be, on difficulty scale, 4/5. VERY difficult, but not impossible at all. However, this is sometimes due to what is stated above causing minor and/or major annoyance. If it were not here, I would give it a 3/5 in terms of difficulty.

Details and Speed
You CAN try to go really fast in this level, but you are more likely to fall to your death. So I say this level is 'average' speed.

Details, however, this stage excels at. I already gave my thoughts above, so you know what I think of the 'look'. But TL:DR, spooky level.

Overall rating
I give this level a "Check it out" rating. It's worth a look, and is definately a nice experience should you find yourself enjoying it.

TL:DR
Difficult, spooky level with a few annoyances here and there, worth at least a short look.

Spoiler

The secret at the ending made me so giddy, as someone who played Forces myself. So props to you! I, personally, just wish that was the actual 'end' to the stage instead of it being a secret.

 

[tails13exe]

This is better than Sonic Forces version! (even tho I didn't play Forces)
You make some awesome mods! ^v^

 

[Chicmunk]

I did not expect this to be as successful as it is now so quickly O_O Thank you guys so much! ^-^

 

[Chicmunk]

COMPRESSION UPDATE (v1.1):
Removed excess vertices from the skybox from 228 down to 76 to increase the frame rate on higher resolutions.
Changed the OGG quality from 10 to 0 since there is no difference in quality at all to be honest :/ which knocked off roughly 6MB from the file size, thanks to LJ Sonic for pointing it out to me ^-^.
Added a thok barrier at the end of the stage just in case you fly through the wall.

 

[Dragon99]

D O U B L E B O O S T
This is awesome, better than these 15 seconds in sonic forces
11/10
(that rate is joke)

 

[PKMNLives]

Review by PKMNLives

I had just played the level. Honestly, it was kind of boring. It needed enemies, not a million and one THING-BASED SPIKES. However, the skybox was awesome, and so was the double boost segment. Also, the level went one for a while, compounded by downright cheap platforming. I give this a 5/10.

The sole reason for the difficulty was the amount of spikes over death pits. Getting hit by the spikes is a OHKO in most scenarios because it sends you into a death pit. In addition, you forgot to add a gimmick to spruce up the level. I get that "nothing exists in null space," but the gameplay was still boring. You could of had more running or even enemies (that are not badniks) that are somewhat threatening to make it enjoyable. The end of the level (the double boost part) was the most enjoyable.


In addition, some things were not obvious, like how the red spikes are actually spikes and not thing decoration. Also, the level (outside of the skybox) was not visually or technically impressive. No polyobjects, no moving platforms. Only a double boost and some basic Lua-based text w/soundbites of sonic speaking about being in null space.


TL;DR: Had a lot of potential, both in gameplay and technical aspects, but it was wasted. Maybe if you come back to this you could add moving platforms, slopes, even a few polyobjects, and some neat gimmicks.