There's a Sonic Forces Demo on the Japanese eShop, But It Has a Strange Limitation

played it short, real short but the gameplay felt pretty good tbh

also classic sonic has drop dash

This game is going to be awful.

Just tried it and I can't decide whether or not I like it

Gotta go fast!

What a weird restriction

1 minute.
Enough time.
Gotta go fast

Well, least we can get a good idea if its any good or not.

And hey, speedrunning a demo.

Reminds me of the demo of Wind Waker on the Zelda Collector's Edition disc. I spent so much time playing it over and over just to get a little bit farther each time.

Tom Whitehead says the phrase "this scribe" at least once every article. Lol. It's just kind of funny.

@invictus4000 He’s a jolly old scribe

One minute so you're forced to quit before you can realize how monotonous the stages are.

Played each stage once and will likely delete it. I thought I could be tempted to buy the game if it got good reviews but the brief demo has made my mind up for me,I won't be going near it regardless of reviews.

This would be super cool IF they had such confidence in the game that they had you demo levels you had to go impossibly "fast" in and couldn't complete them in the time limit - teasing Sonic's overused phrase and also giving you a taste of the game, would be a cute marketing thing. But this just seems like...what ya hiding that's so bad?!

I really enjoyed it! A lot like generations and looks great!

Portable Sonic is a dream come true for me anyways, since I played Generation stages over and over!

I'm... Not really feeling this demo, to be honest.

@Dr_Corndog All Sonic levels are monotonous to some degree. Even Mania's. Why do you think the ''beloved'' Adventure games mask them with varying character gameplay?

I'm of the mind the ''best'' type of Sonic game is the first one you play. Unless it's 06 or Rise of Lyric.

Well nothing else in Nov for the Switch. Is this or overpriced ports of games i played ages ago. You even get a few bonus with the pre-order.

@thesilverbrick geez man so much negativity.

Can't wait for its release.

Oh no way I'm buying it, I just want to see the reactions.

If its good, then the praise and joy from the internet ought to be pleasant.

If its bad, plenty of funny review videos on Youtube.

If its mediocre, plenty of funny back and forths in comments section from people who feel their opinion must be shared by others.

Either way I win! Except my waistline from all the M&M's and chocolate Buttons I'll be eating from watching any of these.

1 min demo time may not be common with demos, but it doesn't seem all that strange to me-- SEGA just wants to give a taste, and imo, that's about all you need to really know if you're in on Sonic Forces or not. Not really a lot of gray area when it comes to 3D Sonic games...

I think two or three minutes would've been a decent at least. I'll be home in a little while and try it out and put in my two cents. I actually hope it turns out well but we'll see.

Wow... massive facewall for SEGA on this... jeez...

This demo was so awesome! This is gonna be such a great game

Reminds me of the Masterpieces on SSBB.

This game is going to be trash! (shut up about Sonic colors and generations! Those games are trash too!)

@AlternateButtons this game is black licorice. You either love it or you hate it, there is no middle ground.

@Biff_ARMStrong There better games than ARMS could ever hope to be.

I hope the demo comes to NA!

Any speedrunners able to finish a level ?

Downloaded it. Played it. Can't tell if it's rubbish or not. That minute seems to end as the level gets going!

What a ridiculous demo

Weird demo with 3 bite size pieces of gameplay but as far as first impressions go I'll say

1. The "modern" Sonic was fun in 3D but a bit iffy in 2D.
2. "Classic" Sonic level looks good and plays good too.
3. Avatars gameplay was basically the same as modern Sonics but slower and just plain boring. If I get the game I can see myself hating this part.
4. No SEGA sound effect at the beginning and the whole presentation from booting to playing is garbage compared with Mania.

On a side note I see no reason why this is only 30 fps (it has no bearing on whether I'd buy the game) as the visuals are hardly great and downright ugly in places, like a hi res PS2 game.

Ultimately feels like a Generations sequel with a hugely unnecessary Avatar mode stuck on it

There's giving a "taste" but this barely seems to be a lick.

Are they... ashamed of what they're putting out?

Sonic hate is real in the comments section.

It's an Nintendo site so I shouldn't be surprised. ¯(ツ)/¯.

Anyway, In my honest opinion, this game probably will be received with OK reviews, or at worst; mediocre. Forces looks like Generations but without the surprise of Classic Sonic, but with addition of your own character and a few new mechanics, like not being able to grab dropped rings. Can't judge too much because I haven't played any verison of this game yet but that's what I feel so far...

I can only pray that the story will be good in some sense.

@AlternateButtons I never hear any valid points against this (other than simply not liking boost style in general), just vague bellyaching or ''points'' that are incredibly inane, like ''being too linear''. Because what everyone wants out of Sonic is more Knuckles The Treasure Hunter, apparently.

Something else that may be influencing opinion is the seductive notion of underdog fans making ''better'' games (Mania, AM2R) than big, stupid evil game companies.

@waluigifan1 BAAAHAHAHAHA! At least ARMS has never had camera issues, which Sonic games STILL can't seem to grasp.

That time limit tells me they feel if people play the game for longer periods of time they will begin to not enjoy it.

Kinda like New Coke. Great in small amounts, not so great in a full size can.

I shall pass on this for sure.

A 1 minute demo is both an insult and a warning to the consumer. I hope the US version demo is expanded.

It's Sonic. A minute is more than enough to judge whether you want this game or not.
Heck, you probably already know before you click the download!

Not as much fun as repeat treks through the city in the SA2 demo, though.

This demo was SO fun, but man...I beat the whole thing twice in 6 minutes.

@ZurapiiYohane They have a timer on the Odyssey demo? I work at Target, and I don’t think our demo is timed. I’ve seen people leave it on and it just lingers on Mario shivering until somebody else picks up the controller.

Go play it at Target!

@SonicIsMyWaifu Oh snap, so you just can’t grab dropped rings at all? I thought I was imagining that during the boss battle.

Here’s how you play the Modern Sonic stage: Just hold up, and jump periodically. Dont worry about turning, you’re always taken to the middle of the road.

@thesilverbrick i really didn't believe it would be bad until this demo, heard it was bad from Alex but, i really see what he's saying i'm worried about this game

The game feels good I think, but yeah, not sure why anyone thought 1 minute was a good idea. Of course I still don't know why never brining chao back seems like a good idea.

@JJ286 No, just being realistic. Based on the history of 3D Sonic, I have no reason to believe this game will be anything but mediocre at best. The most well loved 3D Sonic games are mediocre and are well loved for being just acceptable, not great.

Whether fair or not, I feel NL is already poised to drop a big fat turd on this game for its review.

I've watched some gameplay of the Switch demo version and it looks like the frame rate drop for this version is going to significantly hinder the performance unfortunately. It's really too bad, because I was highly anticipating this game.

This game will be RUBBISH

Anybody trying to construe the minute time limit as a lack of faith in the product better be ready to apply that logic to any game that lacks demos.

Demos rarely have a significant positive impact on sales unless they trick consumers into thinking the real game is better than it really is. Most of the time they reduce them by being too generous and making people feel they got enough game for free, or convincing them they don't like it. To make a demo is pretty much a goodwill gesture towards consumers, because the chances of them increasing profits are slim.

Socialist Sonic can go wrong... right?

A whole three minutes, you say? Well then, you know what that means...

https://ringthedamnbell.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/3-minute-warning.jpg

I hope sonic adenture 2 comes to the switch

@thesilverbrick: Say what you will, but Sonic Adventure 2 was well beyond "mediocre". Same with Colors and Generations.

@UnseatingKDawg Adventure 2 has aged very poorly. Try playing it now without looking at it through the rose-tinted lens of nostalgia. Colors and Generations were OK, but they certainly weren't genre-defining experiences. In fact, had they not starred Sonic, they would have been quickly and entirely forgotten. And it's also worth noting that the best parts of Generations were the 2D levels, and even Colors relied heavily on 2D segments. The gold standard for 3D Sonic so far has been just slightly above mediocrity. That should tell you something.

@carlos82 While its looks do leave a lot to be desired, its visuals certainly look better than a PS2 game.

@HawkeyeWii Even if it ran smoothly on the Switch, I'd still be concerned, this game is really lacking a main draw for me.

Lol

@meleebrawler Nah. I've played Sonic since the 90s. The good ones are no more monotonous than most games you could name. And there have been some good 3D Sonic games, too. Based on everything shown so far, Forces seems to lack everything that made them good.

@meleebrawler I have no idea what you're talking about. plays demo for puyopuyo tetris near daily
Also, don't judge my collection of Dreamcast Magazine demo discs....

Actually is a smart move. 1 min gives players enough to get them interested and even hooked based on a small taste. I find that a lot of demos probably give too much time with the game for the player to either loose interest or confirm that the game isn't for them. Especially if you have an unpolished game, this is a good way to place focus only on the strongest part of the game.

@Biff_ARMStrong Your right ARMS has a good camera, too bad it didn't get anything else right.

@duffmmann for the most part definitely but the level where you play as the avatar was very poor in places

@thesilverbrick Adventure 2 hasn't aged poorly it was just rubbish back then too 😃😃😃

Well the Sonic bits were ok but my god were the Knuckles stages rubbish, just gliding around hoping for the indicator to flash on the screen and the Tails bits weren't much better

@thesilverbrick: You sound a lot like other people online who can't seem to get past the early 90's. Sonic Adventure 2 is still as fun now as it was then (as for it's predecessor, that's another story). As for the high-speed gameplay in Unleashed onward, I really don't see how that's mediocre. There's still plenty of different pathways and secrets, it's just 3D mixed with 2D. I'm only being as "realistic" as you are here; it's just that I happen to enjoy it more than you, without it having to be nostalgia related.

I like it. I'll be keeping my preorder.

@AlternateButtons Because there are always sections in crap games that feel good for short periods of time before it sinks in..."oh, that's kind of all that's gonna happen here." Sega has released enough awful Sonic games that they should be working harder than they even think they have too, to convince us this game isn't going to be "at least it's not bad - at least it's not broken - at least it's not Sonic Boom - at least there a couple fun parts". I pre-ordered this after playing Mania and falling into some Sonic hype - but everything I've seen since only makes my pre-order more and more certain to be cancelled, when I pick up Odyssey or Doom or Skyrim or LA Noire or one of the ton of other games that look wayyy better and been slotted into the release schedule since Forces could be preordered (I have to go in-store to cancel).

@thesilverbrick claps that's why you're my favorite person on the site - perfectly stated

@waluigifan1 Every Nintendo IP ever made runs circles around all the garbage ass 3D Sonic games. Also the music, the music is soooo cheesy and lame. ARMS has some of the BEST music ever. There is no comparison. ARMS is a well made game with care and effort. Sonic games just cash in on naive fanboys

@thesilverbrick Seems like, man that gameplay sure bored me more than a could expect to...

I feel like they are hiding most of each level because they are actually badly designed, but I hope I am wrong.

Thankfully, the 30 fps framerate matches up with Sonic Generations on consoles, so that is one sigh of relief I can breathe.

For what it's worth, people who actually played this demo are quick to point out it controls fine, it's just the timer killing the excitement. But by all means continue to treat borderline tutorial levels as indicative of the full game.

@Dang69 I'm flattered, but I think you might be giving me more credit that I deserve.

I really enjoyed what I played, although the 1-minute time limit was kinda frustrating. I would've been more than happy just to play Generations on the Switch though, so quite looking forward to this.

@UnseatingKDawg It's worth noting that I've never seen a casual fan of Sonic or someone unfamiliar with the series defend any of the 3D Sonic games. The only people on forums and in comment sections of websites who jump to the defense of 3D Sonic games are big fans of the series, who usually have a Sonic-related username or a user icon of a Sonic character. Conversely, people who have only casual interest almost always point out the massive flaws of 3D Sonic games, critics included. The most common thing I hear when people defend 3D Sonic games is that the games are good if you ignore certain major parts of them.

And I certainly wouldn't say I "can't get over the 90s," but the overall consensus is that Sonic works far better as a 2D game. Look at the universally positive critical reception for Mania earlier this year. It's disappointing to see Sonic flop again and again in various 3D games, ranging from slightly above average titles (Generations and Colors, which even then used a lot of 2D) to absolute abominations (Sonic 06, Sonic Boom, etc.). Granted, not every game is a masterpiece, but it's frankly unbelievable that a game like 06 or Boom could even make it to market. Those games aren't just below average or even mediocre. They're downright awful. An icon like Sonic should not be headlining awful games, especially while his former rival, Mario, has starred in nothing but critically-acclaimed platforming masterpieces, even after jumping to 3D.

If you find things to like in 3D Sonic games, by all means, keep playing and enjoying them. I would never want to take that away from you. For what it's worth, I hope you find a lot to like about Forces, and honestly, I would love to be pleasantly surprised. But everything I've seen so far and the vast majority of the hands-on impressions I've read seem to indicate some massive problems with this game, not to mention the inherent performance issues with the dumbed-down Switch port.

I’m going to have to disagree. I think the 1 minute timer is a genius design decision for a sonic demo. To re iterate: This type of limitation can really only work with a) a sonic (or speed running) game and b) a free demo.

I get the impression that the main draw of this sonic game (and most really) is that you should be trying to go as fast possible. A 1 minute timer forces you to go as fast as you can if you want to see more of the stage or try and finish it. Multiple playthroughs will have you remember where enemies and obstacles are, so you can avoid them better and get further... If you want to linger, explore and take this sonic game slowly, then perhaps this demo and possibly this game is not for you (and that’s perfectly ok too). Now whether the controls warrant repeat playthroughs is another story entirely (I haven’t played it so I can’t comment on controls).

do we have numbers on how many great games are afraid to show you more than 30 seconds of a level?

@AlternateButtons I could be mistaken, but your previous comments in this thread lead me to believe you're someone who has played a fair amount of 3D Sonic games. Your extensive knowledge and experience kind of disqualifies you as someone who has just casually dabbled in a little bit of 3D Sonic for fun. You wouldn't call yourself a fan of the series?

Guys, there's another situation that also bugs me. Do ya'll notice that the Switch version is the only one with a downloadable demo? I find this very perplexing, suspicious, and off. Like where is the demo for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC fans?🤔😕

@Slasher It's most likely to prevent data mining. The switch is the only modern console to not get jailbreaked yet.

Played it, but a minute is not enough time to decide weather you like it or not..dumb demo.

@AlternateButtons You'll have to forgive me, then. But a quote like "Wow you guys suck. I feel like everyone is being negative just because it's cool to hate on Sonic" makes me think you're a little biased. You don't think it's possible that people simply didn't enjoy what they've played of the game? We're actually talking about people who just played a demo and didn't enjoy it. But according to you, the only reason why anyone could dislike it is because they're committed to "hating on Sonic." Can you see why a line like that might cause someone to think you're biased? And to be fair, most of the hands-on impressions I've read from professionals in the industry have been negative or hesitant at best.

@Biff_ARMStrong ...Well instead of appearing like THAT kind of Nintendo fan that is stuck in the past when there was a rivalry with Sega, explain to me WHY you think Sonic Colors and Generations are bad games. The camera complaint is irrelevant because it's only annoying when you are trying to move back which is something you don't really do often.

It's to stop you realising how busted the game is and stopping you making a full purchase. Waiting for the reviews to tell us that anyway.

@AlternateButtons I get what it's like to enjoy something that's unpopular. People look at me crazy when I tell them that I love Metroid: Other M, Paper Mario Sticker Star or Starfox Zero. I sometimes think that people just jump on a bandwagon of hate because it's easy to go along with the crowd. But at the end of the day, when I hear people's actual complaints, I do see where they're coming from. Other M's story progression and characterization of Samus are awful. Sticker Star felt too architected and limited, removing a lot of the traditional RPG elements of past games. Starfox Zero's unconventional controls took a lot of getting used to. Granted, for me, none of those things were dealbreakers, but I can admit the games had some pretty big flaws that might turn others off.

There are things in those games that are almost universally unappealing, especially since people will always compare those games to their arguably better predecessors. The same goes for 3D Sonic. You may be able to look past the myriad of issues in 3D Sonic games and not compare them to their arguably superior 2D counterparts, but the public at large can't. It doesn't make anyone wrong or biased; it just means your tastes don't lie with the majority.

Forces seems like more of the same in terms of 3D Sonic games, and most people have walked away from past 3D Sonic games with a bad taste in their mouth. When they see or experience an echo of something they didn't like in the past, can you blame them for being negative about their experience?

@AlternateButtons The only valid complaint for Sonic Forces is how linear the stages seem to look while Colors and Generations had plenty of branching pathways in each stage.

@PipeGuy64Bit ...meanwhile I love the 2D Sonic games which are the only good Sonic games. Sega can't make a good 3D platformer because they can't figure out how to work the camera. Or how to include likeable voices for the characters. This series is an embarassment and I hope it fails so that we see more 2D Sonic games.

Cautiously open-minded when it comes to Sonic games. You'd think given the stigma that surrounds the modern Sonic franchise Sega would be more generous with its demo. Sega gon' Sega, I suppose.

@Biff_ARMStrong Sonic games have really good music. Listen to Sonic Adventures and Sonic 06's osts. Great stuff there. Not all Nintendo IPs are better than Sonic. Here are some examples: ARMS, Wii series, Mario Party, Mario Tennis, 1 2 Switch, Kirby, Kid Icarus, Pushmo, and Pokemon.

Sonic Forces doesn't have the care and heart that Colors and Generations had for me. Classic Sonic and the customizable character really have iffy control issues

Thought it was decent until I realized I could barely even move left or right. Sonic literally felt like he was running by himself at one point smh. I'll be buying, but not expecting much from this.

I just tried the demo this morning and it was like SEGA was screaming at me: "don't you ever think about buying this game!"

That few seconds only limitation to try a stage is horrendous in so many levels...

The demo was over even before I knew which button did what. It had a very bad impact in my opinion of the game.

SEGA, what a way to discourage people into liking your game... Worst PR decision ever.

I thought that one user was kidding about the time to download being longer than the actual demo. WTF It stops right as you learn the controls (though granted they're stupidly simple and Sonic is basically controlling himself). Like???

If any new IP tried this, I'd be giving their game a complete miss.

Sega can't even make a demo right...

Alright, I posted this elsewhere but since I can finally get a feel for the controls I can write some of my thoughts about this game and feel somewhat justified stating them:
https://i.imgur.com/hjE9oal.png
(Warning: Grammer Issues)
Long story short: Modern Sonic has potential, have zero hope for Avatar levels at this point.

I really like Lost World but I don't think Sega is bringing it bad given the review. I actually don't like Generation style as much as Lost World.

Nintendo always put a new meaning to the word demo...

@Dr_Corndog
I do think this is the actual reason xD

May give this demo a shot tonight; I mean I think I can spare 5 minutes seeing as that is all Sega seem willing to give.

Although with the possibility of Odyssey arriving today...

That's funny, as I don't find it that strange to be honest. Being mostly a DOS/Windows gamer back then, I played a whole lot of timed demos. The most memorable might be the demo of Fur Fighters for the PC - it featured one complete location, although you only had 6 minutes to play it. Even though I played it to death, it wasn't nearly enough to complete even the half of the level. Ended up exploring different parts of the level within each playthrough.

I still think Sonic can work in 3D. What I don't understand is why they haven't just adapted the 2D formula into 3D?

Momentum based physics

Reward players with speed/physics by offering alternate paths

Reward players for experimenting with Spin Dash

Knuckles and Tails for easier navigation/exploration

Platforming sections, which 2D Sonic has that slows the gameplay down at times

They have never done this. I just don't get it. SA1, SA2, SH's big selling points were the large number of characters and playstyles, then we got boost which removes a lot of Sonics abilities. They have not once taken what people liked about 2D Sonic and implemented it into a 3D game and it is for that reason, I believe there is so much hate to 3D Sonic.

If I knew what I was doing, I would love to make a concept of a 3D Sonic to demonstrate this but unfortunately I would not know where to start.

Well, that's one way to guarantee that the demo doesn't help sales. Having the game cut off that quickly is sure to leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth that plays it.

@waluigifan1 At this point you’re really pushing it.

@thesilverbrick well to each their own. I don't find 3D Sonic titles mediocre at all. I like Generations, Colors, Adventure 1/2, Heroes.

They just need to not be so Sonic Team JUST NEEDS to NOT be so limited in their thinking, when translating what speed means in a Sonic game. Think outside of "running-makes-the-game-feel-fast"; think about time as a level mechanic a new way; retool the platforming between running with quick and tricky but satisfying to master parkour while avoiding enemy fire, etc, to reach secret zones inbetween long stretches of of running. They need a creative and solid new execution of speed.

@JJ286 There's been 13 console 3D Sonic games by my count (14 with Forces). So, liking 38% percent of the whole, makes that whole mediocre by definition. If we expect better, we will eventually get better. Don't buy mediocre and they will takes steps to make a TRULY/ACTUALLY well thought 3D game again.

@AlternateButtons I do think the customization avatar thing is super smart on Sega's part. Sega was listening and watching the Sonic community online and that will sell the game on its own.

Which means you... gotta go fast.
The genius of it is right there folks.

Wow that's a very weird demo restriction for this game. But in all honestly though i have a feeling this game is going to flop.

@Dang69 thing is you assume I play the others. The ones I mention are the ones I have play and I have like them all. I'm pretty sure if I ever play the others I will like them too.

@JJ286 Then you can't really testify to the games "not being mediocre at all".

@Dang69 yes I can testify to that. You just can't put all Sonic games into a bottle and say they are all bad. This is the argument since comment one. The first dude that I respond to stated that he didn't have any hope cause Sonic sucks but I disagree cause Sonic has very good games so Forces can be good as well.