Sick update guys!!! I love all of the new levels!
Little adjustments to the GFZ's are nice! Even the smallest things that broke up the familiarity made me slightly excited. I guess I've just played the game so many damn times, that the new stuff really POPS in a good way!
The new THZ is especially cool. The second zone finally feels like a big hazardous factory and that's SICK. Also CEZ's boss fight is one of the funnest times I've had in single player. Good job on those boss fights, by the way! They actually feel like an essential part of the game now!
Just a few complaints, though, in no particular order, just as they sprout from my brain:
Scenery quality is all over the damn place. This is maybe because we have old ugly level design juxtaposed against newer more detailed architecture, but really, you can see this everywhere. There are two segments of the game in particular that stand out in my head:
1. Coming out of THZ2 into DSZ1. We were just barely part of a veritable buffet of cool new visual effects and inventive scenery, and immediately after coming out of that we have... giant square monotextured rooms and the flattest lighting jobs in the game. Not saying DSZ is bad per se, just that it feels like an antique when you step into its blander spaces with THZ2 fresh in your memory. Seriously, get Spherallic (I'm pretty sure I saw his name in the credits!) to come in here and just liven up the place or something because DSZ downright hideous in places. Which is a shame, since there's a ton of visual potential in the sunken temple theme.
2. CEZ2 - the whole zone. The detailed areas are delicously beautiful while the rest suffers from monotonous texturing and questionable lighting. I can't help but feel like I'm noticing the ugly oldness standing in stark contrast to the vibrant newer areas again.
Also, outrunning metal sonic feels kinda funny, since the whole level feels like it's supposed to be a chase. But eh, what can you do? That level was loads of fun anyway.
I'm sure I had more complaints, but I've forgotten them at the moment. The special stages are orgasmic and that particular emblem in CEZ2 was a pain in the ass to get to but really cool nonetheless ;)
Good job guys! You seriously rock!