Info about SONIC SUPERSTARS: Official game description: Feature List ============ Digital Deluxe Edition ====================== About the Game ============== The **SONIC SUPERSTARS Digital Deluxe Edition featuring LEGO®** contains SONIC SUPERSTARS and the Digital Deluxe Upgrade featuring LEGO®, which includes: \-LEGO® Fun Pack \-Sonic Rabbit Skin \-Mecha Sonic Skin for Battle Mode \-Bonus Main Menu Wallpapers​ \-Digital Artbook & Mini Original Soundtrack Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to 3 other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks before it’s too late! \-A new Spin on a Classic: The 2D Sonic high-speed sidescrolling action platforming you know and love, reimagined with fully 3D graphics, new powers and abilities, an all-new setting, and new ways to play! You’ve never played classic Sonic like this before! \-Play as your Favorite Characters: Choose from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy and take advantage of their unique abilities to blaze a path across the Northstar Islands as they race to defeat Dr. Eggman, who has teamed up with an old nemesis, Fang, and a mysterious new armored adversary. \-Harness the Power of the Chaos Emeralds: Multiply, swim up waterfalls, change form, and more with the powers of the Chaos Emeralds. \-More Friends, More Fun: For the first time ever in a Sonic game, play through the entire campaign with up to 3 other players with drop-in and drop-out 4-Player Local Co-op. \-Challenge Players From Around the World: Compete locally or online with up to 8 players in the all-new Battle Mode! Release date: Oct 16, 2023 Categories: 2D Platformer, Action Platformer, Cooperative Multiplayer, Local Co-op, Character Customization, Speedrunning, Collectathon, Multiplayer Feature scans: - MTX: score 40; verdict: Aggressive Monetization; summary: The analysis of user reviews reveals several key themes related to the monetization and perceived value of the game. The most prominent issues include overpriced cosmetics and DLC, complaints about the base game price, and concerns about the overall value for money. These factors contribute to a negative perception of the game's monetization strategy and can deter potential buyers. - Proton/Linux: score 20; verdict: Works Well with Caveats; summary: The game has significant DRM and online requirements that can hinder offline play, particularly on the Steam Deck. However, it performs well on the Steam Deck when an internet connection is available, suggesting good compatibility and performance optimization for this platform. - Steam Deck: score 70; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals significant issues related to DRM and online requirements, launcher and DRM glitches, and stability problems. While there are some positive reports on performance, the overall experience is heavily impacted by the need for constant internet connectivity and the presence of Denuvo and Epic Online Services, which introduce additional steps and glitches. - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: - Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00 - Reasoning: The evidence consistently points to a community sentiment that the fair price for the game is around $20. Multiple reviews mention that $20 is a fair price, especially when the game is on sale. The general consensus is that the game is not worth the full price of $60, but $20 is a reasonable and acceptable price point for most users. - Playtime Metrics: - Game completion: 4.0h - Story completion: 4.0h - Session length: 1.2h - Endgame: 10.0h - Reasoning: The evidence provided gives a range of playtime metrics. The first quote suggests that the main campaign can be completed in around 4 hours. The second and third quotes indicate session lengths, with one user playing for about 70 minutes and another having 70 hours total playtime on their Switch. The fourth quote highlights that final bosses can take around 10 minutes per attempt, which can contribute significantly to the endgame playtime. - Time-to-fun: - Summary: The game's fun starts after players adapt to the multiplayer mode's challenges and find ways to enjoy it despite its flaws. - Stance: Fun then drops - Anchor: Adapting to multiplayer mechanics - Time to anchor: 0h 30m - Friction: Bugs in multiplayer; Camera issues; Poor multiplayer implementation; Respawn problems - Unlock drivers: Playing with friends of similar skill levels; Adapting to multiplayer mechanics - Conditions: Playing with friends; Similar skill levels among players - Player Archetypes: - Multiplayer Enthusiast (sale) - Motivation: Enjoys the cooperative and competitive multiplayer experience. - Playstyle: Focuses on playing with friends, either cooperatively or competitively. - Experience: mixed - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: Co-op Player; Competitive Player - Reference games: Sonic 2; Sonic 3 & Knuckles; New Super Mario Bros. - Nostalgic Single-Player (buy) - Motivation: Enjoys the classic Sonic gameplay and nostalgia. - Playstyle: Prefers single-player mode, focusing on the classic platforming experience. - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: Classic Sonic Fan; Nostalgic Player - Reference games: Sonic 1; Sonic 2; Sonic 3 & Knuckles; Sonic Mania - Value-Conscious Gamer (deep sale) - Motivation: Seeks good value for money and waits for sales or discounts. - Playstyle: Plays the game in either single-player or multiplayer, but is very conscious of the cost. - Experience: mixed - Purchase stance: deep sale - Labels: Budget Gamer; Sale Hunter - Reference games: Sonic Colors; Sonic Origins; Shadow Generations Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Classic Sonic gameplay experience (weight 0.35): The game is praised for its classic Sonic gameplay, appealing to fans of the original 2D Sonic games. It is seen as a competent and enjoyable addition to the classic Sonic series. - Good overall gameplay and controls (weight 0.31): The game is generally well-received for its good gameplay, responsive controls, and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the game's physics and overall quality. - Visually appealing graphics (weight 0.29): The game's visuals are frequently mentioned as impressive, colorful, and appealing. Players appreciate the vivid colors and expressive animations. - Enjoyable multiplayer and co-op (weight 0.23): Players find the multiplayer and co-op modes to be fun and enjoyable, especially when playing with friends. These modes are seen as good additions to the game. - Chaos Emerald powers add variety (weight 0.22): The Chaos Emerald powers are highlighted for adding variety, replayability, and new strategies to the game. Players enjoy the unique abilities granted by the Chaos Emeralds. - Well-designed and enjoyable levels (weight 0.22): The levels in the game are praised for their design, variety, and overall enjoyment. Players find most levels to be well-designed and fun to play. - Challenging and fun bosses (weight 0.13): Boss battles are noted for being challenging and fun, adding to the game's enjoyment. Players appreciate the variety and design of the bosses. - New character Trip is fun (weight 0.12): The addition of the new character Trip is well-received. Players find Trip to be a fun and likable character. - Overall enjoyable game (weight 0.08): Players generally find the game to be enjoyable and entertaining. The overall experience is seen as fun and worthwhile. - Multiple playable characters (weight 0.08): The game offers a variety of playable characters, each with unique abilities. This adds to the game's replayability and enjoyment. Common complaints: - Game is overpriced (weight 0.26): Many players feel that the game is overpriced at $60, with some suggesting it is not worth even a fraction of that price. The high cost is not justified by the content and quality offered. - Uninspired music (weight 0.23): The music in the game is often described as generic, boring, and forgettable. Some tracks are considered repetitive and below the standard expected from the series. - Weak narrative (weight 0.07): The story is criticized for lacking clarity and being nonsensical. Players find the narrative confusing and not well told. - Online play requires Epic account (weight 0.07): Players are frustrated that online play requires an Epic Games account, which is seen as an unnecessary barrier. Gameplay feedback: - Multiplayer and co-op modes (weight 0.25): The game offers various multiplayer modes, including co-op for up to 4 players, online battle mode, and time attack mode. - Classic 2D Sonic gameplay (weight 0.23): The game features classic 2D Sonic gameplay with a mix of 2D and 2.5D elements, reminiscent of older Sonic games like Sonic 4 and Sonic Mania. - Chaos Emeralds and powers (weight 0.22): Chaos Emeralds are collectible items that grant unique powers and abilities, accessible through special stages. - Diverse level design (weight 0.21): The game features a mix of original and unique level designs with various gimmicks, branching paths, secrets, and optional zones. - Character selection and abilities (weight 0.16): Players can choose from different characters, each with unique abilities and physics. - Challenging boss fights (weight 0.14): The game includes boss fights that are designed to be challenging and unique, with some bosses featuring multiple phases. - Final boss battle (weight 0.06): The game features a final boss battle with unique mechanics and difficulty. - Special stages and bonus levels (weight 0.06): The game includes special stages and bonus levels, accessible through various means such as collecting rings. - Trip's story mode (weight 0.06): The game includes a story mode featuring the character Trip, which players find enjoyable. - Visual and art design (weight 0.06): The game features appealing visuals and art direction, contributing to its classic style. - Mixed reception on design elements (weight 0.05): The game has received mixed feedback on various design elements, including art style, level design, boss fights, and character controls. - Accurate physics (weight 0.04): The game is praised for its accurate and on-point physics, enhancing the gameplay experience. - Harder campaign mode (weight 0.03): The game offers a harder campaign mode with a progression in difficulty. Performance notes: - Well-optimized and runs smoothly (weight 0.1): The game is noted for being well-optimized, running fine on various platforms including Steam Deck and PC, with solid FPS and stable performance. - Graphics and music praised (weight 0.08): Players appreciate the high-quality graphics and music, which run at a stable 60 FPS and contribute positively to the overall experience. - Softlocks and game-breaking glitches (weight 0.07): The game has instances of softlocking, where progress is halted indefinitely, and other game-breaking glitches that severely impact the player experience. - Spin dash bug at high FPS (weight 0.06): A specific bug where the spin dash ability breaks when the game runs above 60 FPS, affecting gameplay significantly. - PC version and online issues (weight 0.05): There are notable issues with the PC version, particularly concerning online play and general performance problems. - Audio and visual glitches (weight 0.05): Players have reported issues with audio being messed up and visual glitches such as clipping through walls and floors. - Game fails to launch (weight 0.04): Some players report issues with the game not launching or booting up at all, which is a critical problem preventing gameplay. - DRM and launcher issues (weight 0.04): The game's use of Denuvo DRM and its launcher has caused various glitches and issues for players. - Specific stage and attack glitches (weight 0.04): There are specific glitches reported during certain stages and attacks, such as the Frozen Factory Act 2 and during one-shot attacks. - Controller and input issues (weight 0.02): Some players have experienced issues with controller inputs and general input lag, affecting the responsiveness of the game. Recommendations: - Buy on sale only (weight 0.4): Many players recommend purchasing the game only when it is discounted or on sale, suggesting that the full price may not be justified. - Sonic Mania preferred (weight 0.14): Several reviews suggest that Sonic Mania is a better alternative to this game, often recommending it over the current title. - Recommended for Sonic fans (weight 0.14): The game is often recommended for die-hard Sonic fans or those who enjoy classic Sonic games. - Not recommended at all (weight 0.04): Some reviews strongly advise against buying the game, even at a discounted price. - Avoid the PC version (weight 0.02): Some reviews specifically advise against buying the PC version of the game. - Play with classic music (weight 0.02): A suggestion to enhance the gaming experience by playing with classic Sonic music. - Add more characters (weight 0.02): Players have expressed a desire for additional characters, such as the armadillo and squirrel, to be included in the game. - Add a retry option (weight 0.02): A specific suggestion to improve gameplay by adding a retry option for special stages. - Good for younger players (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for younger audiences, specifically people 12 and under. - Nostalgic and fun (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for those looking to relive nostalgia and have fun. - Decent 2D platformer (weight 0.02): The game is acknowledged as a decent 2D platformer, providing a good experience in that genre. Other player notes: - DRM and Denuvo issues (weight 0.04): The game includes Denuvo DRM, which has caused issues and dissatisfaction among players. Emotions: - Frustration (weight 0.33): Players are primarily frustrated by the game's boss fights, which are described as difficult, poorly designed, and overly long. Additional frustrations stem from technical issues such as bugs, glitches, and poor multiplayer experiences, as well as gameplay mechanics like lack of checkpoints and control issues. - Disappointment (weight 0.24): Disappointment arises from the game's high price relative to its perceived value and length. Players also express dissatisfaction with the game's design flaws, including poor level and boss design, lackluster soundtrack, and comparison to other Sonic titles, particularly Sonic Mania. - Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players enjoy the game's visual design, level design, and music styles. The varied emerald powers and fun level gimmicks also contribute to a positive experience. The gameplay and new characters are highlighted as enjoyable aspects. - Joy (weight 0.08): Joy is derived from the fun and interactive gameplay, particularly when playing with friends or family. Players appreciate the game's level design, variety of characters, and the overall positive experience of playing a classic Sonic game. - Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Players feel satisfied with the overall positive experience and gameplay. The game meets expectations with its classic Sonic gameplay, good graphics, and charming art style. The varied locations, good soundtrack, and level design are also noted. - Anger (weight 0.04): Anger is primarily caused by frustrating boss fights and overall poor game quality. Technical issues such as game bugs, poor gameplay, and multiplayer problems contribute to this emotion. Additionally, DRM issues and poor customer service exacerbate the frustration. - Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's classic Sonic elements and comparisons to 16-bit titles. The recreation of classic magic and mentions of Sonic Mania evoke a sense of nostalgia for the franchise's earlier days. - Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the game's creative chaos emeralds power system and beautiful graphics. The varied phases, character customization, and the return to old Sonic style with modern gaming tech also contribute to this feeling. - Positive (weight 0.02): Players have positive feelings about the game's overall experience, including its beautiful and fluid gameplay. The variety of playable characters and different gameplay styles are also appreciated. - Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness comes from liking the gameplay and characters, as well as the modern mechanics and fresh animations. Players appreciate the game as a huge evolution of classic Sonic games. - Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the care put into making the game, including the cutscenes with Eggman. The majority of the game is seen as really good, contributing to a sense of appreciation. - Love (weight 0): Players feel love for the game due to it being made with love and respect to the original games. This emotion is tied to the game's faithfulness to the classic Sonic experience.}