Sonic Forces

Sonic fumbles once again in this mediocre addition to the franchise. Really, what can I say that hasn't been said: the levels are short, the physics wonky as heck, Classic Sonic is a dead cow being milked to its limits, mischaracterization of characters, and I'm just scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

Some of the redeeming qualities of this game is the soundtrack, the custom creator, the environments of the stages, some set pieces are pretty cool, but that's about it.

Not bad, but not very good.

Loved that you can make your own avatar, loved the plot, loved the backgrounds, but the gameplay is terrible.

For the most part it's super easy (so easy it's boring), but then there will just be a part of the map you have no way of knowing about so you can't not die a few times. Seems like the developers where like, "Let's make the game so easy a three year old can play it, but let's make sure they die a few times at random parts of the game just so they think it's hard."

Once you have played the entire map once you can play it again with your eyes closed. It's all about knowing where that one place you need to jump is.

Would have been a better game if it were open world instead of everything on a track.

So this is an interesting game for sure, I'm not really sure what to think of it. On the one hand is it as bad as some people would have you believe? No, not really. Would I say that I think the game is great? Probably not either. It's in this weird state where I think that the hate it gets is unwarranted but I'd hesitate to recommend this game entirely.

Basically put, if you like the way Generations or Unleashed played and would like more levels in that style then this is more of the same with regards to game play. But the story is a bit rubbish and some of the bosses are a bit on the weak side but I don't have many complaints with either the visuals, the music or the performance. They're all pretty good.

So I'd say, pick this up on sale if you'd like a "Generations level pack" but this is not really the game I wanted or needed, but I enjoyed my time with the game play and collectables that you can hunt for

Ever since the garbage that has been Sonic Boom, I was hoping when SEGA would just stop, rethink their actions, and go back to what made them great. When I first saw Classic Sonic in the trailer, I got a bit excited that this would be a sequel to Generations or a new experience. But, nope. It's just Super Mario Odyssey with the main focus being the OCs, a lower budget, horrible, unwanted voice acting, boring story and villains, unnecessary side characters, and trash character development. What's the point of having most of the characters here if they're just cheerleaders and aren't playable? However, what SEGA did to Tails is unforgivable. In Adventure 2, he defeated Eggman on his own, but since Unleashed, he's just a mere background character that does absolutely nothing. Wow, what a way to go.

As a person who owns this game and played it, I do agree it does have problems, but they never bothered me.

Basically, the story is Dr. Eggman has created a new scheme to take over the world, and after the first stage, Sonic is defeated by the mad scientist, especially since he has the aid of Infinite, a new villain for this game. After Sonic's defeat and imprisonment in space, Eggman goes on to take over 99% of the planet, but Knuckles forms a resistance, alongside some of Sonic's friends, to fight back. The story sounds a lot like Sonic SatAM, but getting rid of characters like Sally Acorn and replacing them with the game cast. However, they get a new member, the Rookie, which is a character you get to create using one of seven different species, each having a special ability, and being able to use Wispons, weapons using wisps' color powers without needing the wielder to transform. Once you make your Avatar (as the game will call it), he or she is sent on a mission to break Sonic out, eventually leading to the two teaming up, Also, Classic Sonic joins the fight, coming to the Modern Sonic dimension due the events of Sonic Mania.

So, the game allows you to create your own character for use in Avatar stages as well as the stages where he/she teams up with Sonic. However, one of the problems with it is how limited the selections are. You are limited to one Avatar until you beat the story, and customization options are limited from the start, as new clothing and Wispons are unlocked as you progress through the story as well as complete specific tasks. As for customization, don't expect to make a perfect replica of characters like Sally Acorn or any other non-game character, because the customization has it where shirt and pants are one single outfit, and females are forced to wear bodysuits (although you can make it the same color as the skin, but it will still show).

Depending on the stage, you play as Sonic, Classic Sonic, or the Avatar. Some stages have Sonic and the Avatar teaming up. Each one controls differently (the Avatars have a wire attack and can use Wispons, Sonic has his usual homing attack and can boost using white wisps, and Classic Sonic plays like he did in Sonic Generations). Sadly, another problem is the game can be beaten very quickly if you decide to go straight to the goal, with it being extended only if one decides to go for the collectibles like Red Star Rings that are hidden in almost every level. Also, some of the challenges can be a bit grindy, with some ranging from killing a certain number of enemies with a certain Wispon, to getting a certain medal rank as a certain species. While completionists and achievement hunters will find this nice, others will find it excessive and boring.

However, to ease the grinding, the game adds daily challenges that will add a score multiplier when completed. Sadly, these are insulting easy, as some will require you to change a certain article of clothing on your Avatar.

Other gripes include Episode Shadow, which acts like a prequel, and when beaten, unlocks Shadow for play in Modern Sonic's stages (the episode only has three stages, and Shadow is nothing more than a reskin of Sonic) and the fact that Classic Sonic was put in this game to link it to Sonic Mania (and solidify the game's entry as an anniversary title). Otherwise, the game is okay and is worth checking out if you are a Sonic fan.