Sonic Chronicles

[Toadthroat]

I've played it, and I'm here to tell you, its actually pretty fun.

The battle system is standard turn-based affair with a small twist. When you or your opponent do special attacks, you can do stylus commands to make it do more damage, or make the attack miss (in your opponent's case).

The story so far (I'm only in chapter 2), is that Robotnik is (supposedly) dead from some epic battle a few years ago or something. But now some organization called the Marauders have come and stolen the emeralds and kidnapped Knuckles. NOW ITS UP TO SONIC AND HIS CREW TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MYSTERY.

Exploration is also fun. There are no real platforming elements like in the old game, but you can jump around certain sections of the map. Each character has a special ability they can use to get around the map. Sonic has a dash ability that allows me to dash across speed loops or up ramps and areas like that. Rose has a smash ability to break crates, and she can also get the dash ability at later levels, though I'm guessing it can't get as high as sonic's (certain areas require a certain level of an ability, like large gaps require your 'Fly' ability to be at level 2). Tails and Rogue get the fly ability to get across gaps and chasms.

As you explore the map you can get rings, which are used to buy items and equipment. You can find eggs which hatch into Chao, which can be equipped to characters for special upgrades and the like. There are sidequests you can get from NPCs standing around. There are puzzles to solve, the two I've done so far involve moving each of your 4 party members around the map to press switches, move crates, and things of that nature.

There is a small amount of customization with each character. At level up you get automatic stat bonuses and 1 extra point to put into whatever stat you want. Then you get skill points to buy different skills with each char. The first level of the skill costing 5 points (You get 5 per level), the second level costing 10 points, and the third costing 15. There are also Team abilities that you can buy. An example being the blue bomber attack in which Tails picks up Sonic, flies into the air, and throws him at an enemy.

But anyways, its a fun game, anybody thats a fan of typical jRPGs and Sonic oughta find it fun. So far its nothing groundbreaking or anything, but its a solid game. Battles do get tedious from time to time, but luckily there are no random battles (enemies appear on map), and its easy to flee.

[Moo2u]

I'll probably pick it up. It looks like Sonic's answer to Mario RPG, which is something I truly can get behind. It's nice to know Sonic's still in games that don't suck.

[amtalx]

It's nice to know Sonic's still in games that don't suck, when the developer isn't SEGA.

Critical information added.

[Toadthroat]

It looks like Sonic's answer to Mario RPG, which is something I truly can get behind.

A lot of people have been making that comparison, and its understandable. But I dunno if I'm ready to put Sonic Chronicles on the same level with Super Mario RPG. But keep in mind, I'm wearing a giant pair of nostalgia goggles, SMRPG is probably one of my favorite games.

Also, just got Cream in the game, and she is probably one of the most useful characters I have.
A quick run down of the characters and what they're like:

Sonic, typical main RPG character. High attack, ok defense, speed isn't as high as I thought it would be. I mean, he -is- Sonic after all.

Tails is a nice utilitarian character. Has a nice healing spell (though I had troubles pulling it off the first few times due to the stylus commands required). A buffing spell, a scan spell, and an attack that weakens Machine type enemies.

Amy is a pretty nice all around. She has good attack, a few attack spells, and a few buffs.

Bigs is exactly what you'd think he'd be. Tons of HP and attack. He also has a spell that gives him regen and higher defense. A poison attack, an attack that hits everyone, and a strong single enemy attack.

Knuckles is also strong. Strong attack spells, and strong team combos.

Rogue has a steal spell, and a few so-so attack spells.

Cream has nothing but healing and buffing spells. So far shes the only char that has a revive spell. She also has a spell that restores PP (used for spells) for everyone, including herself, which pretty much makes it free casting. Also has a spell that heals everyone. Best medic in a game, evar. But you have to do a sidequest to get her in your party.

one more thing. The music, its disappointing. No remixed old school sonic tunes or anything. The least they coulda done is used the old Green Hill Theme for the same area in the RPG, but NOPE.

[Monochrome]

Dang, shame about the music. Still sounds like something solid though, thanks for the review, Toadthroat. At this point, I trust forum reviews more than "pro" reviews. At some point, journalism died..

Must...purchase...this...

[Aisha_Clan-Clan]

The US one wasn't at the store when I went there about a week ago. Ah well. I'll get it when I find it.

Sonic Chronicals(Eu) was dumped. I poked around some of the files. Some interesting items avalible. "Leftover parts from disassembled E-100 series robots. Moderately increases armor but decreases defense."

Edit: Other text is in strings.tlk, like story and item info. I haven't gone through it fully yet.

[Kent]

...So am I to understand that it isn't a steaming pile like most of BioWare's work?

[Toadthroat]

...So am I to understand that it isn't a steaming pile like most of BioWare's work?

Trick question. Its a good game.

[amtalx]

...So am I to understand that it isn't a steaming pile like most of BioWare's work?

Could you explain this?

[Kent]

Could you explain this?
Well, for the most part, BioWare isn't exactly good at making... Storylines for games. e.g. NeverWinter Nights (and the expansions that were done solely by BioWare, as opposed to those done with help from Obsidian, which were really good)

As fun as the general gameplay can be in these sorts of games, the progression in most of them that I've played strike an incredibly sour note - for the most part, it's a giant series of fetch quests, with random dispersements of story characters regurgitating their life stories every time the wind blows in the wrong direction.

You could say that piles and piles of nigh-emotionless dialogue isn't something I enjoy that much. Coupled with some rather unforgivable and completely obvious glitches (things that there is no way they could've been missed in testing - like the Carth glitch), they have not earned a favorable stance from me, especially as far as storytelling goes. I do so enjoy using the NWN engine, though, even if the second one feels a little less polished, for having new features.

Now, I didn't play Mass Effect simply because of these. It could've been a lot better - I don't know, but perhaps if I'm feeling frivolous one day, I'll go and find a copy in a bargain bin or something.

On the other hand, I have been hearing a lot of good things about Sonic Chronicles, which means they may have started taking steps in the right direction.

[SpikeOtacon]

Now, I didn't play Mass Effect simply because of these. It could've been a lot better - I don't know, but perhaps if I'm feeling frivolous one day, I'll go and find a copy in a bargain bin or something.



Mass Effect is pretty amazing to me, but there are a lot of dialog trees and lengthly monologues and such inbetween snippets of actual gameplay. Like a Metal Gear Solid syndrome.

Some people have encountered some insane glitches, like teammates getting stuck in walls but my first playthrough was relatively glitch free.