Review for Freedom Planet
Mar. 8th, 2016 12:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dmxratedWell, I finally got around the other day to reading Jake's Sonic fic Stealing the Spotlight, and wasn't able to form any real opinion on it. Asked him if I could make it up in a review for Freedom Planet, assuming that he wanted me to practice writing more than just a sentence or two (if even that) for everything I read, but he specified what he wanted being me to help him figure out what works and what doesn't and coming up with ideas for events in subsequent chapters. For that, I could bring the fic up with Chelle whenever she's ready to critique stuff again, but I might have to show her a playthrough of Sonic the Hedgehog for the Game Gear and/or Master System, along with some already planned differences that Jake is aiming for, in order to show her where he wants to take the story, and even then, she might need him to come up with some themes (nothing overly sexual) before she brainstorms anything.
In any case, I'm not sure if Zerodius has been able to reach Steven DiDuro about my first entry regarding Freedom Planet, but if he does at any point, I'm sure DiDuro would be glad to read something like this.
-----
To start off, I understand that Milla has recently become available to play, although all of the game's actual updates are available only on Steam. I've contacted Strife almost a week ago regarding whether or not there's a way to apply updates from Steam to a copy of the game itself from GOG, but still have yet to hear back.
It's pretty ironic, actually, that I bought a copy of the game hoping to be able to get my hands on content under the assumption that each piece would be available only temporarily (based on my past experiences w/ Pokemon), and it turns out instead that I might just have to eventually wait and buy the game again once it's complete. (Jake told me before, if I recall correctly, that Steam is not something he was able to create an account for; might have to ask him about that.)
Originally, I was gonna wait until all five playable characters would be available for the game's Adventure mode. Jake suggested otherwise, though, because people have been known to complain about the sheer difficulty to such a point that it's been toned down more than once. With only Lilac and Carol at my disposal, I made a point of playing the game through, starting over with each game over, particularly to render that a moot point in the long run, and also so that I know where things like Tao tokens and collectible cards are or where to think of when I eventually check out a walkthrough for them.
Not as rewarding, suffice to say, as if all five characters already were available. If anything, though, this would be comparable to Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for the Sega Genesis. Between that game's release and any initial news of Sonic & Knuckles, it would've been only natural to assume that that was the game already at its completion. If I had known otherwise, I would've made a point of bringing home both games' manuals from a childhood friend's house of mine, instead of just that for the former game.
Once Torque and Spade both become available, though, that's when I'll make a point of doing everything there is to do in that game, with all five, and even beating Brevon without any game overs. (And no, I'm not gonna wait for some fabled day that my own fangame goes through, especially considering what happened to Project S, the unofficial attempt at a second chance for Sonic X-treme.)
-----
By far, the most I have to say about this game is the music. Let me tell you, if I was still interested in writing Monster Collection Chronicles, I would surely imagine situations (mostly battle-oriented) to which a lot of this game's songs could complement. I find myself with that urge regarding Starbound whenever I listen to something I like, but not only would some songs work poorly in an RPG (exploration interrupted constantly by battles, as opposed to non-stop action in which you move fast and kick ass!), but the kind of action that it's meant to go with would work better if the mains in that story had their hair free enough to stream behind them instead of bunched up atop their heads.
(Speaking of which, Jake has told me that, according to Zerodius, there actually is an RPG in the works, though this is not to be confused with the already announced Freedom Planet 2. Also, while something like Sky Battalion could only work in something action-oriented, if you were to take Earthbound, upgrade its entire soundtrack with an MSU-1 chip, and swap stuff in from other games, something like Battle Glacier part 1 might work pretty well in Winters during its invasion, and part 1 of Thermal Base would work easily inside the aliens' base beneath the stonehenge. Even in this game, what plays in a monologue by the Royal Magister during the prologue is the same song you hear in the hyper-fast-paced second-to-last level.)
(Out of curiosity, I did try watching some footage and listening to some songs from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, just to see if any of its music was similar to "normal" Sonic games. Barely viewed much of either, and the only song I heard the whole way (which plays in a (not snowbound) city) was a pancake-flat and monotonous rendition of the Diamond Dust theme from Sonic 3D Blast. That's right: For a Nintendo DS game, its music isn't even on par with the Genesis, let alone the Game Boy Advance or Super NES. Listen to it, and you should already have an idea of what certain PC-FX games like Makeruna! Makendou Z and Ruruli Ra Rura sound like despite running on disks.)
Another great thing about FP's soundtrack, is that most songs don't follow any sort of formula. Anyone familiar with the Mega Man classic series will notice that most songs in those games are arranged as three sections, each with two versions of the same set of notes, and each loop tends to last about a minute and 20 seconds. Here, the only songs I've noticed to fall under that pattern are the unused Rage Ravine/Cedar Point and the aforementioned third round of Final Dreadnaught. Everything else in this game varies in pattern and loop-length.
I will admit that I'm not entirely fond of how the music gets remixed between the first and second halves of each level. Will also admit the same about Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and while I do get it here as part of this game's homage to Sonic the Hedgehog among other franchises, I pretty much would prefer being able to listen to the song I was introduced to as long as I'm at the respective stage, rather than never hearing it again once I reach the midway point.
Then we have the more than few boss themes in this game. While I do understand the use of different boss themes from the regular one based on circumstances, the one that plays at the ends of Aqua Tunnel (from what I gather) and Trap Hideout just seem random. The same song plays when you fight Syntax for the second of two times inside Thermal Base, but it would've been all the more menacing and dramatic if it was used just there. Really, the other two fights could have been accompanied just as easily by the one you first hear at the end of Dragon Valley (or Relic Maze, if you're playing as Milla), although the fact that you get to hear that one once again while fighting Syntax again at the end of Final Dreadnaught part 1 after not hearing it for three main levels since Jade Creek does work greatly.
-----
Other things I liked include the special stages, where you knock a die down to roll around and give you a random prize. Said prizes, though, are restricted to shields and 1ups. I feel that these could have had more variety, including orbs, crystals, and petals. I know the bonus rounds in Yoshi's Island yield only cards or 1ups depending on the game, but the former of those have all sorts of effects when you actually decide to use them, including adding seconds to your timer, restocking your eggs, or attacking everything on the screen. Still, this does make for some good replay value.
Also like how the last few levels feature enemies that you've fought mostly in only one prior level each, kinda like Dr. Wily's fortresses throughout the Mega Man series.
Not too fond of how the developers have been cutting parts of different cutscenes with each update. I get the concept of story integrity, but even if whatever's cut isn't strictly necessary for the story, it still is unique, and that's exactly why I made a point of playing this game after being informed about that.
And finally, there's the final boss, Lord Arktivus Brevon. Even though I did say earlier that I'd prefer the music to remain the same from beginning to end in a given level, those are just for levels. I'm all for implementing two or three different songs for a given game's final battle, and the second one that plays here kicks ass! Brevon himself can sure give you a hard time, though, being unpredictable and all over the place as he is, but I don't actually consider that a bad thing.
-----
Despite what some people think, this game was not templated from the 16-bit Sega Genesis, but from the 32-bit Saturn and Playstation. Really, that music is way too rich for the Genesis to handle, and I've seen one person on a forum somewhere also rule the Sega CD out. My hopes for a 32-bit aesthetic for Day of the Beehive is exactly why I tried this game out, and this game in turn (along with Mother 4, based on Mother 3 for the Game Boy Advance) gives me all the more reason to pursue such a project of my own.
In any case, I'm not sure if Zerodius has been able to reach Steven DiDuro about my first entry regarding Freedom Planet, but if he does at any point, I'm sure DiDuro would be glad to read something like this.
-----
To start off, I understand that Milla has recently become available to play, although all of the game's actual updates are available only on Steam. I've contacted Strife almost a week ago regarding whether or not there's a way to apply updates from Steam to a copy of the game itself from GOG, but still have yet to hear back.
It's pretty ironic, actually, that I bought a copy of the game hoping to be able to get my hands on content under the assumption that each piece would be available only temporarily (based on my past experiences w/ Pokemon), and it turns out instead that I might just have to eventually wait and buy the game again once it's complete. (Jake told me before, if I recall correctly, that Steam is not something he was able to create an account for; might have to ask him about that.)
Originally, I was gonna wait until all five playable characters would be available for the game's Adventure mode. Jake suggested otherwise, though, because people have been known to complain about the sheer difficulty to such a point that it's been toned down more than once. With only Lilac and Carol at my disposal, I made a point of playing the game through, starting over with each game over, particularly to render that a moot point in the long run, and also so that I know where things like Tao tokens and collectible cards are or where to think of when I eventually check out a walkthrough for them.
Not as rewarding, suffice to say, as if all five characters already were available. If anything, though, this would be comparable to Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for the Sega Genesis. Between that game's release and any initial news of Sonic & Knuckles, it would've been only natural to assume that that was the game already at its completion. If I had known otherwise, I would've made a point of bringing home both games' manuals from a childhood friend's house of mine, instead of just that for the former game.
Once Torque and Spade both become available, though, that's when I'll make a point of doing everything there is to do in that game, with all five, and even beating Brevon without any game overs. (And no, I'm not gonna wait for some fabled day that my own fangame goes through, especially considering what happened to Project S, the unofficial attempt at a second chance for Sonic X-treme.)
-----
By far, the most I have to say about this game is the music. Let me tell you, if I was still interested in writing Monster Collection Chronicles, I would surely imagine situations (mostly battle-oriented) to which a lot of this game's songs could complement. I find myself with that urge regarding Starbound whenever I listen to something I like, but not only would some songs work poorly in an RPG (exploration interrupted constantly by battles, as opposed to non-stop action in which you move fast and kick ass!), but the kind of action that it's meant to go with would work better if the mains in that story had their hair free enough to stream behind them instead of bunched up atop their heads.
(Speaking of which, Jake has told me that, according to Zerodius, there actually is an RPG in the works, though this is not to be confused with the already announced Freedom Planet 2. Also, while something like Sky Battalion could only work in something action-oriented, if you were to take Earthbound, upgrade its entire soundtrack with an MSU-1 chip, and swap stuff in from other games, something like Battle Glacier part 1 might work pretty well in Winters during its invasion, and part 1 of Thermal Base would work easily inside the aliens' base beneath the stonehenge. Even in this game, what plays in a monologue by the Royal Magister during the prologue is the same song you hear in the hyper-fast-paced second-to-last level.)
(Out of curiosity, I did try watching some footage and listening to some songs from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, just to see if any of its music was similar to "normal" Sonic games. Barely viewed much of either, and the only song I heard the whole way (which plays in a (not snowbound) city) was a pancake-flat and monotonous rendition of the Diamond Dust theme from Sonic 3D Blast. That's right: For a Nintendo DS game, its music isn't even on par with the Genesis, let alone the Game Boy Advance or Super NES. Listen to it, and you should already have an idea of what certain PC-FX games like Makeruna! Makendou Z and Ruruli Ra Rura sound like despite running on disks.)
Another great thing about FP's soundtrack, is that most songs don't follow any sort of formula. Anyone familiar with the Mega Man classic series will notice that most songs in those games are arranged as three sections, each with two versions of the same set of notes, and each loop tends to last about a minute and 20 seconds. Here, the only songs I've noticed to fall under that pattern are the unused Rage Ravine/Cedar Point and the aforementioned third round of Final Dreadnaught. Everything else in this game varies in pattern and loop-length.
I will admit that I'm not entirely fond of how the music gets remixed between the first and second halves of each level. Will also admit the same about Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and while I do get it here as part of this game's homage to Sonic the Hedgehog among other franchises, I pretty much would prefer being able to listen to the song I was introduced to as long as I'm at the respective stage, rather than never hearing it again once I reach the midway point.
Then we have the more than few boss themes in this game. While I do understand the use of different boss themes from the regular one based on circumstances, the one that plays at the ends of Aqua Tunnel (from what I gather) and Trap Hideout just seem random. The same song plays when you fight Syntax for the second of two times inside Thermal Base, but it would've been all the more menacing and dramatic if it was used just there. Really, the other two fights could have been accompanied just as easily by the one you first hear at the end of Dragon Valley (or Relic Maze, if you're playing as Milla), although the fact that you get to hear that one once again while fighting Syntax again at the end of Final Dreadnaught part 1 after not hearing it for three main levels since Jade Creek does work greatly.
-----
Other things I liked include the special stages, where you knock a die down to roll around and give you a random prize. Said prizes, though, are restricted to shields and 1ups. I feel that these could have had more variety, including orbs, crystals, and petals. I know the bonus rounds in Yoshi's Island yield only cards or 1ups depending on the game, but the former of those have all sorts of effects when you actually decide to use them, including adding seconds to your timer, restocking your eggs, or attacking everything on the screen. Still, this does make for some good replay value.
Also like how the last few levels feature enemies that you've fought mostly in only one prior level each, kinda like Dr. Wily's fortresses throughout the Mega Man series.
Not too fond of how the developers have been cutting parts of different cutscenes with each update. I get the concept of story integrity, but even if whatever's cut isn't strictly necessary for the story, it still is unique, and that's exactly why I made a point of playing this game after being informed about that.
And finally, there's the final boss, Lord Arktivus Brevon. Even though I did say earlier that I'd prefer the music to remain the same from beginning to end in a given level, those are just for levels. I'm all for implementing two or three different songs for a given game's final battle, and the second one that plays here kicks ass! Brevon himself can sure give you a hard time, though, being unpredictable and all over the place as he is, but I don't actually consider that a bad thing.
-----
Despite what some people think, this game was not templated from the 16-bit Sega Genesis, but from the 32-bit Saturn and Playstation. Really, that music is way too rich for the Genesis to handle, and I've seen one person on a forum somewhere also rule the Sega CD out. My hopes for a 32-bit aesthetic for Day of the Beehive is exactly why I tried this game out, and this game in turn (along with Mother 4, based on Mother 3 for the Game Boy Advance) gives me all the more reason to pursue such a project of my own.