Sonic Generations Review
Sonic the Hedgehog as a character could not seem to get the universal acclaim it once had, with each iteration into the era of 3D bringing in more complaints ranging from control issues, gimmicky gameplay decisions, and cringeworthy storylines. With each year, the Sonic fan base’s numbers dwindled, with only those most loyal to the franchise remaining. These fans are rewarded for sticking it out this long, as Sonic Generations is arguably one of the best games in the series since the Dreamcast era.
When you first start a new game, the play is immediately thrown into a 2D remake of the classic Green Hill Zone. From this point, you can tell that the developers were going for, as this is a great way to hook in players who are nostalgic of the time-honored Genesis games, creating a mood for the rest of the game to follow. When it comes time to play as Modern Sonic, those who enjoyed the recent Sonic games are rewarded with a fantastic recreation of Green Hill Zone with the boost style gameplay Sonic Team currently uses. The developers clearly made an attempt to try to please everyone with this game, and the formula works perfectly.
The progresses in this style, giving you recreations of a level in both the classic and modern style, while throwing in old rivals and bosses to fight along the way. There are three levels remade for each of the three eras(Classic, Dreamcast, and the Modern eras), giving a total of eighteen levels. Each level remade includes all the special quirks that made them special, like the tubes in Chemical Plant, the Truck Chase scene in City Escape, and the use of Wisps in the remade Sonic Colors level, Planet Wisp.
Each level comes with ten challenges. Most are pretty unsurprising, including standard challenges like racing against ghosts, collecting a certain amount of rings, and getting through levels without taking any damage. For the most part, the challenges are used as an easy way to flesh out the game’s seemingly short length, and will only appeal to those looking for more of a challenge. Most players will be burned out from doing these as the game progresses. The rivals and boss fights in the game are pretty standard themselves, which involve remade fights from the likes of Shadow and Metal Sonic, as well as fighting Dr. Eggman several times as the story progresses. These fights are pretty easy for the most part. Switching them to hard mode doesn’t add to the difficulty much, but they’re still a pretty fun addition.
The art style for Sonic Generations should be praised for its recreation of the atmosphere those levels held, while still maintaining its own style. The sense of speed displayed will please fans, as no level is without its signature moments. The soundtrack in the game is probably one most enjoyable parts of the game, combining all the classic songs and music from each game. Listening to classic Genesis music and the more modern Crush 40 songs will make you appreciate the history of the music in the franchise, and the feature to play any of your unlocked songs in any level you want just makes it even better.
Overall, if you enjoyed any standard Sonic the Hedgehog in the past twenty years, you’ll find something to enjoy in Sonic Generations. Sonic Team successfully implemented all the gameplay elements that made Sonic successful throughout his carreer, and there is rarely a hiccup in its application. This addition to the franchise brings hope that Sonic the Hedgehog is back on track, learning from past lessons what made the series fun in the first place.
