What was wrong with planet wisp?

[jarryjaming]

I see so many people complain about it and I just beat act 1 & 2 for the first time today and don't see any problems with it?

[Leonard]

For Act 2, people usually prefer the 3D over 2D and planet wisp has the largest amount of 2D.
The stages are good, could be better though.

[NBOX21]

Also, the spike wisp that is used in Act 1 is not only a bit sluggish, but kind of awkward to control, which is also true to the original source.

[jarryjaming]

Originally posted by NBOX21:

Also, the spike wisp that is used in Act 1 is not only a bit sluggish, but kind of awkward to control, which is also true to the original source.

Thanks for being specific, I just saw that there was a lot of controversy over planet wisp compared to the other levels and I really didn't understand what there wasn't to like. Most of the issues that people point out can apply to the other stages and acts however I can see how the wisp abilities can be awkward at times.

Overall, (In my opinion) out of all the levels I don't think planet wisp was the worst. I think that the worst level should go to Rooftop Run for not being true to the original stage. The best part about sonic is the running and I don't understand as to why Sega had to 'enclose' the environment to small portions and add more 2D platforming. As for Act 1, the enemies are very finicky to combat sometimes since the egg fighters can parry a spin dash and directly jumping on top of a egg launcher can randomly not kill it.

However that is just my opinion, I don't feel that specifically planet wisp should get all the hate for generations' gameplay problems.

[NBOX21]

Honestly, Asteroid Coaster would've made for a much better level to represent Colours. Not only would it fit a lot better as a final level, but it would also be much faster paced and a lot more challenging than Planet Wisp that does a better job of testing your skills with the game up to that point while using some different wisps that control better and don't slow the game down too much.

I feel like most of the disappointment from Planet Wisp in Generations is that when playing through the zones in chronological order, it's the final zone before the final boss and ending sequences, but it doesn't feel like it at all from the difficulty to the level design and especially the theme, but instead it feels like the halfway point of the game.

While I don't feel the same way you do about Rooftop Run, I do think that Arid Sands or Jungle Joyride would probably be better picks to represent Unleashed personally. But that's a different topic entirely.

[jarryjaming]

Ah I see, so its more the players are disappointed to have it as the last level before the final boss fights. That's understandable and I do feel the same way now that you have pointed it out. Asteroid coaster would have also been a good choice for the final level definitely. It must have been generations coming out too soon that discouraged people from liking planet wisp as the final level as well maybe?

Arid sands would have been perfect to represent unleashed. Honestly, when I think of unleashed I don't immediately think of Rooftop Run and was kinda disappointed when Sega chose it out of 7 others. The level it self in unleashed was perfect but the redesign in Generations ruined it for me.

[Mez Koo]

Too much 2D, it made since in Colors because there was only 1 Sonic but here with a specifically 2D Sonic it should've had more 3D.

[Mez Koo]

I think the problem with Jungle Joyride and Arid Sands is that it would've been harder or more complicated to make 2D levels only out of them.

[NBOX21]

Originally posted by Tamura:

Ah I see, so its more the players are disappointed to have it as the last level before the final boss fights. That's understandable and I do feel the same way now that you have pointed it out. Asteroid coaster would have also been a good choice for the final level definitely. It must have been generations coming out too soon that discouraged people from liking planet wisp as the final level as well maybe?

Heck, I think even that could be alleviated somewhat if they did something similar to what Unleashed did with the Eggmanland stage at the end by having maybe a time distortion kind of level where you play one much bigger zone that combines all the assets from previous zones to make for a much grander, more exciting climax. That way, Planet Wisp could be seen as one last hurrah right before the end, rather than the end itself.

Originally posted by Mez Koo:

Too much 2D, it made sense in Colors because there was only 1 Sonic but here with a specifically 2D Sonic it should've had more 3D.

Eh, there was also a DS version of Colours that was fully 2D. Even the Wii version didn't need as much 2D as it did.

[Housse]

Gameplay wise it isn't fun, the wisps are pace breakers and the 2D sections are a chore

[jarryjaming]

Originally posted by Adurin:

Gameplay wise it isn't fun, the wisps are pace breakers and the 2D sections are a chore

So essentially you don't like planet wisp for the wisps? 2D sections feature in every other stage within generations and many of them are as, or more, annoying than planet wisps 2D sections. How is planet wisps 2D sections worse compared to every other stage?

I never found the wisps to be pace breakers IMO, with the spike wisp you can still spin dash to go faster and with the rocket wisp it propels you quickly and allows you to skip certain portions of the stage. Legitimate pace breakers in this game are like the fire geysers in crisis city or slow moving platforms (that you don't know are moving platforms until you land on them), at least with the wisps you can control the pace to a degree.

[jarryjaming]

Actually I also wouldn't consider planet wisp to be the final stage of the game anyway since before the boss fight with time eater, you need to fight metal sonic, shadow & silver if you didn't already do so. Even after that there's still the Egg Dragoon boss fight which kinda does make up for any lost hype with planet wisp.

[Housse]

They're pace breakers because they interrupt the flow of regular platforming to make you solve dumb puzzles or watch a glorified cutscene of the rocket taking off too many times while also interrupting the music. Having to break through ceilings over and over again and spin the chainwheels over and over again is annoying at best and draining at worst. The 2D sections with the rockets and the carts are just way too punishing for no reason. The rivals and bosses are usually fought while playing the game, not everyone ignores them and goes back to tackle them later like you do. It's ok if you like something other people don't but don't dismiss the legitimate gripes players have with the glaring flaws of this level. The first part before the it turns into a factory doesn't have all these problems and the rest of the levels of the game don't either.

[Housse]

And I don't get why Rooftop Run not being true to the original is a problem, it's literally a new game that remixes previous levels in the series! Windmill Isle is more iconic than all of the other Unleashed levels anyway and the Unleashed Project is there if you wanna play a more accurate Rooftop Run.

[jarryjaming]

Sorry man I only dismissed you since you didn't explain yourself with your first response. You can't expect someone to understand your opinion if you don't explain yourself. However now that you have explained it kinda makes sense. But yeah you're definitely right about it being a preference thing since I can't see how the wisps are worse pace breakers than anything else in the game such as the water or fire geysers.

To explain why rooftop run, it's kinda the same problem you have with planet wisps and the wisps. The problem I have with it is firstly it did not need a remix at all, the original level was perfect, the way Sega had remixed it really ruined the pace of it for me with the new 2D sections and verticality, I can't just boost through it like i could with the original, I have to take my time with some sections and jump accordingly instead of being able to just boost through it.

Originally posted by Adurin:

And I don't get why Rooftop Run not being true to the original is a problem, it's literally a new game that remixes previous levels in the series! Windmill Isle is more iconic than all of the other Unleashed levels anyway and the Unleashed Project is there if you wanna play a more accurate Rooftop Run.

Its easier IMO just to do it through RPCS3. The one in unleashed project isn't accurate to the original anyway.

[alternativeSymphony]

I would just like to say, that as a child, Planet Wisp broke my sanity. I stopped playing the game for MULTIPLE YEARS because I couldn't get past it. After many years of reflection and practice, I did beat it...and then got stuck on the next level. The sounds of that stage and Eggman's lines during the Egg Dragoon battle will forever haunt me.