Is it time to put Sonic down?
To say sonic has had a interesting history as a video game would be an understatement. And at 20, there will be many thinking is it time to let the little blue hedgehog have a nice long endless sleep. Now I should say I'm definitely in the ‘old guard’ when it comes to sonic games, being only a few years older than him, my very first memory of a video game is being two and hiding behind a sofa as the counter for air ticks down to death in labyrinth zone. To top that, as a 6 year old, Sonic 3 & kunckles was the first, and one of the few, games I've completed 100%. As a kid I loved the ‘classic’ Mega Drive games, Dreamcast and onwards is another matter.
I thought both the Adventure games where ok, ruined by a cast of characters i wanted to throttle each time they spoke. Sonic Hero’s was flat out broken, I tried hard to enjoy it but when the core mechanic of swapping characters would switch to a character you dint choose, followed by a camera that took pleasure in killing you at every opportunity meant it became the first sonic game i never finished. The sour taste put me off trying Sonic ‘06, Black Knight & Unleashed.
Not until sonic 4 did I decide to see how SEGA was treating the game mascot of my childhood. Ive spent £10 on far worse things, but also far better things, about sum’s it up. It wasn't the comeback expectations had been PR massaged to think, but to call it an abomination would be harsh. So I then decided to give Sonic Colours a shot and was pleasantly surprised, an inoffensive platformer aimed at kid’s that struck a good balance of all of its elements.
So you can see I came into Sonic Generations with baggage, and when I hovered over the icon in steam I did think ‘am I going to risk it’. Sonics 20th celebration, celebrating ‘classic’ and ‘modern’ sonic, at £20. Was my childhood nostalgia going to be destroyed in-front of me with his contemporary making me regret being fooled by SEGA’s PR department once again?
No. This is a good game. A good Sonic game, on a PC!
Sonic Generations takes elements and areas from each sonic game, mixing them up so there not copy's but fitting tributes to there source. With nine zones from the main Sonic games, each with the distinct visual design and theme from there originals. Splitting each zone into two acts, one ‘classic’ that plays enough like the rose tinted glasses that the original sonic is viewed with. Played in a 2d left to right manner, with the mechanics that it entailed. The only substantial change being a spin-dash on demand button that works well and is fun to use. To top that the sonic you play as in the ‘classic’ acts, is the classic sonic, in all his tubby rounded glory. He’s a mute as well, only communicating with body language, that I've gotta say makes the child in me smile.
The second act’s are the modern take of each zone. This means the super enjoyable boost, the homing attack, fast grinding down obscenely long rails. Smooth transitions from 2d and 3d planes of movement, vast lane’d highways to well paced platforming of both plane types. These acts do entail playing as modern sonic, which dose mean each word uttered by him is irritating but ultimately Saturday morning cartoon quality, inoffensive and disposable. The result is 3d acts that are enjoyable to play, feel fast and feel like sonic should in 3d.
Now that's not to say that the classic or modern sonic game-play is perfect. Both retain the pitfalls of there source’s. Classic still has running into badnicks you couldn't see from the zoomed in nature of classic. Bottomless pits out of the blue, spikes appearing when you lest want them. And yes he still drowns, oh god does he still drown. And moderns game-play still has the flaws its all ways had as well. Lock-on that decides to be patchy at the worst times. Running off ledges when going too fast and iffy controls when drifting at his fastest etc. But for both types these flaws are minor in the larger scheme of things, cropping up infrequently and never substantially detracting from the experience.
On top of the eighteen acts of the main zones you have five challenges for each as well as four bosses and three rival fights. After completing three zones you have to finish a challenge for each before being able to take on a boss then unlocking the next three zones. This does mean than the main sequence of the game can be relatively short, a few hours if you plough through, but the challenges, as well as hidden red-rings in the main acts, do provide allot of content. From simple time-trial like beat a ghost, to use a certain power up to get to the goal. Most take aspects from each sonic game and takes a interesting spin on them. Not all are good, with the ones involving sonics ‘friends’ ranging from bare-able to insufferable. But each does unlock a piece of concept art or a soundtrack from almost every sonic game. Meaning you don’t miss out massively by skipping them but the reward can be nice if they are your thing.
There is a ‘story’, there are cut-scenes, that thankfully are the only other real involvement of the side-characters, all done in a cartoony feel and script that takes gentle jabs and nods to both new and old, good and bad. Nothing amazing, but never horrible like past modern sonics have been.
The game looks beautiful. Each zone takes its source and turns each one in to a great looking level to play. Green hill zone for example looks like it should, Lush colours, large loops, waterfalls and caves. Each act never an exact copy of the original, but enough to trigger the memory's of old, with changes that make them feel fresh and new without losing there touch. Little Easter eggs are dotted all over, whether that's posters of the long lost characters appearing in the foreground or things in the background appearing from various sonic outings. You can tell each level has been made by people that love sonic, old and new. As well as the levels, the iconic music of sonic, have all been re-mixed. Its a great sound track, treated with the same care as the zones them self. The audio design is one of the strongest aspects, with the sound of classic sonic jumping being of particular nostalgic glee. Everything feeling up beat and sonic-like in the best possible sense.
I never experienced any slow down, for me it ran silky smooth with flawless performance. I only had one bug during a 2d to 3d switch where my sonic went straight when the level went 3d, sending me to my death, but only once. The controls with a Xbox controller where responsive and never felt wrong, the keyboard controls were serviceable but nothing more.
Sonic Generations is a great pick-n-mix of new and old. The only real low points being a few challenges, Vector’s especially, an abysmally designed last boss and words being spoken from the cast of chums. With the very worst low being Robonick’s name change. The rest is a Sonic at its finest, classic and modern. Bright, colourful and smooth visuals that do proud of each game their inspired from. With a sound design that has all the noises just right. At £20, fans of old, new or both cannot go wrong. So put away that medicine to put sonic into a long sleep, I think SEGA have proven they haven't fully lost touch with sonic just yet.
