Sonic Generations Review

I've grown up on a SEGA Genesis, a SEGA DreamCast, Sony's PlayStation 2 and I'm currently playing on the newer PlayStation 3, for this very game. I'm what we'd call an "all around" Sonic fan, having fond memories of games from all 3 eras. A small part of my life has been me growing up playing Sonic the Hedgehog, as the same could be said for many other people.

Sonic Generations centers itself around the past 20 years of Sonic, taking some of the best memories we have and some of the not-so-great ones and making it into something completely awesome. From Green Hill Zone to Planet Wisp, Generations covers almost every major pivoting moment in Sonic's history, and brings it back in beautiful HD, with new twists and turns to be added in as well.

The plot begins on Sonic's birthday (reference, anyone?) and Sonic's friends have held a surprise picnic for the hedgehog. Sonic shows up and the party starts, but things don't go so well when suddenly a mysterious force arrives and kidnaps all of Sonic's friends. Each one of Sonic's allies are taken to an area from one of Sonic's past adventures, scattering them to some familiar spots, where Sonic must save them from the new mysterious foe.

The biggest addition to Generations is respectfully, Classic Sonic. The pudgy little short hero of the Genesis days. Classic Sonic plays (or at least is intended to play) like his old self. There's much more limitation in his attacks and movements than his older counterpart. Playing Classic Sonic's stages might bring a tear of nostalgia to some 90's gamers' eyes. After all, Sonic Generations main "gimmick" is essentially taking nostalgia and using it to the advantage of gamer's attraction. After all, who wouldn't love the original 16-bit hero?

Don't be fooled into thinking this is all just a nostalgia-fest though. There's plenty of things Sonic Team has pulled out of their magic hat. Seeing some of the Classic Sonic's part of Modern stages can provide for some unique creativity, as well as seeing Modern run through some of the classic stages. There's a fresh pinch of nostalgia, but it's easy for those who've never played the games to still find some easy enjoyment through it, whether a casual gamer or a hardcore fan of the series.

Still kickin' it, baby!

Presentation (Appearance and Music)

Sonic Generations has more to show than just a pretty character, though. The graphics are absolutely stunning in every meaning of the word. I've seen people compare these graphics to that of the Uncharted games. That's really saying something, there. There's plenty of cool effects to see and all the character models look smooth and very well done. Environments of levels are also something to be reckoned with. There are plenty of beautiful green grassy plains to be seen in Green Hill Zone, and in contrast plenty of destruction in Crisis City. Each stage does a fantastic job of capturing the emotions we all first felt when we made our first run through them.

Going hand in hand with the amazing graphics is the wonderful and very expansive soundtrack. Sonic games have had plenty of great songs over the years, and Sonic Generations is like a giant album that collects each one and changes it to where it fits a more "modern" standard. Hearing City Escape the first time told you that there was a great new adventure ahead of you. Hearing it again reminds you of not only that one level, but the entire flood of happy memories when first picking up that controller.

The best thing about the soundtrack though, has got to be the option to change songs at command. This can create some of the craziest mixtures. This will make some fans very pleased, for sure. There's been much debate over the years over the style of the music in the Adventure games. The great thing about this function is, for those who never enjoyed that rock style that came with Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, it can easily be taken away and replaced with another song. Ever wanted to hear the theme of Rooftop Run in Speed Highway? Yeah, me neither, but hey, you could if you wanted to.

Gameplay

As we've already covered, in Sonic Generations we get the pleasure of playing as two different versions of Sonic. The classic hero of the 16-bit wars, and the new more advanced Modern Sonic. There's 3 stages for each era (Genesis, Adventure/DreamCast, and Modern) with 2 acts. Act 1 you will run through as Classic Sonic and Act 2 as Modern Sonic.

Classic Sonic's gameplay feels relatively similar to the Genesis and Megadrive days. The physics are once again a bit off, however they're certainly nowhere near as bad as Sonic 4: Episode 1. The only major issue with the physics engine from what I can tell, is the rolling. In the original Sonic the Hedgehog there was always a heavy use of physics, particularly rolling down slopes and hills. I'm very sad to say rolling (like in Episode 1 of Sonic 4) plays very little to none of a roll in Sonic Generations. In turn, we now see that the spindash has returned, and is sadly a bit over-powered.

While I'm not particularly pleased with the physics for Classic Sonic's acts, I will say this: It does not by any means ruin the experience of playing as Classic. It's still a great time to be had.

In contrast to the typical run and jump styled gameplay of Classic Sonic, we have the speedy racing styled gameplay of Modern Sonic. There's the return of the highly debated "boost" feature, which allows Sonic to reach even new levels of absolute speed. Also returning is the homing attack, which allows Sonic to lock on to his enemies and throw himself at them. The homing attack is commonly used in Generations as a "pathway" to get over quite a few bottomless pits and other obstacles blocking Sonic's way. There's also very much grinding and a very clean switch between a 3D perspective and a 2D perspective to go along-side.

This new style of gameplay started with the daytime stages in Sonic Unleashed and ever since it's been debated among fans. There's been a common argument of this style being "boost to win". To me, it doesn't matter how the game plays. It matters if it's fun or not. I'm willing to admit when the formula was first introduced it was too linear, however, over time things have certainly picked up. The "boost to win" theory is completely abolished in Sonic Generations. Try boosting all the way through Rooftop Run or Seaside Hill, I dare you.

After beating all 3 zones (with both acts) you'll need to complete some challenges to reach the boss battle and get the chaos emerald that each boss has. Challenges are pretty fun for the most part. They can range from racing a doppelganger through a zone to using the assistance of a saved friend to make it through some obstacles. While most challenges are rather enjoyable, there's always going to be a black sheep of the herd. Some challenges just aren't fun or are too hard. If you're what I like to call a "completion freak" you're going to hate this.

That is probably not a good sign!

While struggling through a few challenges might be a price to pay, it's very much well worth the effort. Sonic will be pitted against some familiar enemies over the years. Most boss fights come in different stages, along with the rival fights. Both make themselves out to be fairly easy and fun to run through.

Just look at this.

Story

You would think the meeting of Modern and Classic Sonic would provide for an in-depth story, full of humor, some comical dialogue, and a few moments to where the fourth wall is broken. Think again. While Sonic games have never been known for a deep and involving plot, Sonic Generations takes it to a whole new level. There's hardly any character interaction and this is the biggest missed opportunity for the entire game. It's almost like there's something missing.

Instead of going back and exploring around in different areas for the cutscenes, almost all take place in the dull world Sonic travels to acts in. It's uncreative, uninspiring, and worst of all, it's boring. I'm sorry if I seem like I'm crying over something that doesn't matter, but I was very excited to see some interactions between Classic Sonic and other characters, and I get hardly nothing. It's quite clear now just why we never saw a cutscene for the game before it was released.

In Conclusion

Sonic Generations makes itself out to be an amazing birthday gift for Sonic. There's buckets of nostalgia for anyone who played the classics or the DreamCast games, and even for those who never played them it's still enjoyable. When I first played Sonic Unleashed, I could tell Sonic was getting better slowly. When I first played Sonic Colors, I knew Sonic had found a definitive style to call his own. When I play Sonic Generations, I see just how much SEGA has listened to it's fanbase and I see the best Sonic game I've played since Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

The Good

* Plenty of replay value for players
* Nostalgic, while bringing something new to the table
* Great music
* Some of the best graphics to be seen in a Sonic game
* Classic Sonic's return
* Level design and bosses are innovative of their original forms

The Bad

* Lack of interesting story
* Classic physics still feel "off" and not quite right
* Some challenges are fun, while others may feel like a chore
* Classic Sonic gets a mere two bosses while Modern Sonic has 4.

Overall, I can recommend Sonic Generations to any dedicated Sonic fan, because it's not just meant to please one group of the fanbase. It's been made to please all Sonic fans from all around. I'm willing to give this game a well deserved...

8.5/10