Sonic Generations

"SONIC GENERATIONS" (2011) got me very excited when it was released. It looked to be the best Sonic game since "SONIC HEROES" (2003). Although I was initially impressed with the graphics the game became a bit of a bore. It's very well packaged but, again, old levels rehashed, games mashed together and much the same.

Sonic Generations is a fantastic celebration of Sonic's history, blending classic and modern gameplay styles into a polished, enjoyable experience. Each level is carefully crafted, reimagining iconic stages from the series in stunning high-definition graphics that bring Sonic's world to life. Playing as both classic Sonic, with his traditional side-scrolling action, and modern Sonic, with his high-speed 3D mechanics, adds a great variety and ensures there's something for every fan to enjoy.

The visuals are vibrant and detailed, and the soundtrack is a highlight, featuring both remixes of classic Sonic tunes and new compositions that perfectly fit each level. The gameplay is smooth and responsive, capturing the speed and thrill of the Sonic experience while offering plenty of alternate paths and hidden secrets for players to discover.

However, the story is fairly minimal, missing some opportunities to deepen the unique dynamic between classic and modern Sonic. The character interactions are limited, with dialogue that could have added more personality or humor to the game. Additionally, the final boss is really dissapointing and nowhere near the level of quality of the other boss fight in the game, that are actually some of the best in the franchise.

Despite these minor flaws, Sonic Generations remains a joy to play. It's a must-play tribute to the franchise that excels in level design, visuals, and gameplay, making it one of the most memorable Sonic games for fans both new and old.

Sonic the Hedgehog and disappointment go hand in hand these days. Anyone who played the abysmal Sonic 4 when released in late 2010 will know what I mean. No matter how many times they crank out another Sonic game Sega just don't seem to learn what makes the game great and what makes the game bad. This self-congratulatory 20th-Anniversary pastiche of his so-called 'best bits' transports across all of Sonic's strengths and, unfortunately, all of his crippling weaknesses.

The story has Robotnik/Eggman ravage Sonic's world with a time vortex, leaving him stuck in a Limbo that only high speeds through various levels can repair. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Sonic just does NOT belong in a 3D world. His best stuff is 2D. Sega have had many chances at getting the 3D presentation right but they just don't get it. It's incredibly difficult to keep control of Sonic, as a weird inertia pulls him in directions you don't want him to go, and if you get the timing wrong just once you'll pretty much have to quit the level and start over as you're always being judged on speed; something that this game consistently prevents you from achieving. Even with the 2D sections in this game they don't seem to understand that hurtling the character down a declination at a furious speed, the screen unable to keep up with him, only to hit an unforeseeable dead end, is ABSOLUTELY INFURIATING!

My biggest complaint is one which ALL Sonic fans will be familiar with. The one where Sonic is on an ever-so-slight inclination but just cannot get up it because he needs to build up speed. This character, this hedgehog, is sold on speed. GIVE US SPEED! Stop giving us dead ends and cement shoes! What don't they understand? And can anybody, anybody at all, explain to me the purpose in giving us tokens that knock 5 seconds off the counter when it takes about 10 seconds to reach and collect said token? Is it no more than a sick joke at our expense.

Graphically, the game is very intense, and it may take a while for you to get used to it. The soundtrack is, as usual, absolutely brilliant and features many unlockable classics from Sonic's history, but I think they really missed a trick by not including the Lava Reef Zone theme (undoubtedly the best Sonic tune), Bridge Zone, or even a new version of 'A New Venture' from Sonic Rush Adventure. The games they chose to pay homage to are a curious assortment too. I expect reincarnations of stages from Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic & Knuckles but why give us re-hashed levels from the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Unleashed - games that were universally hated and practically disowned by Sega. They should be ashamed of those titles, not referencing them. The Sonic Advance games were far better, as was Sonic Rush. Why were they not remade instead?

The game also features 50 trophies, but there's no way I'm going for the Platinum, I've got better things to do with my time than play the same levels over and over and over and over. I got to 52% and I'm happy with that.

Sonic Adventure DX, despite it's flaws, was a better game, which is quite sad as it's 12 years older than Generations. I really wish Sega would initiate stricter quality control with their mascot. The one thing that brings Sonic down again and again is the controls (and frequent agonizing slowness).

Pros:

Lots of sunshine, blue skies. Brilliant soundtrack by Jun Senoue.

Cons:

Unresponsive, sluggish controls. Lots of slow sections.

Graphics A Sound A Gameplay C Lasting Appeal C

Considering the time this game came out, It was refreshing to see Sonic go back to his roots to fix the troubled history of the franchise. The story isn't too complicated but it didn't need to be since this was a game celebrating the franchise's anniversary after all, and it didn't disappoint.

The early 2010s were an interesting time for SEGA since they were looking back in hindsight of some of the blunders of the previouse decade like Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic 06, SEGA took into account of fan's complaints and created Sonic Unleashed with the cutting edge Hedgehog Engine which broke the limits of what Sonic games could be. Following the awesome and imaginative Sonic Colours for the Wii, Generations is the second game that uses the hedgehog engine and improves on the gameplay even more.

With reimagined stages from past games, Sonic runs faster than ever before with stages so crisp and colourful, It's a joy to play every time. The return of classic sonic was also a great idea as every stage has a modern and classic mode to please all fans.

I loved this game and thought it was the perfect way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic character. With the Sonic movie coming out now listening to the fan's voices about what they really want to see from the character, Sonic's future is looking bright. Maybe SEGA will make a 3rd game using the Hedgehog Engine, come on SEGA, I know you read these reviews

Generations is a really decent game but suffers some very serious drawbacks that frustrates more then pleases. But first on the good end of things. For the PS3 the graphics are all created in stunning HD. The landscapes and levels are wonderfully crafted both in graphics and in other details like sound. The game is a wonderful nostalgia trip for old time Sonic players with some level call backs that can be played both as the modern version and classic version of Sonic. The music is all remixed to fit the mood of the old level depending on what character you play. The story is fun but surprisingly simple, though not too surprising after a series of over the top and mediocre story lines.

The game features a lot of unlockables such as old music and artwork and even a playable Sonic 1 game.

Unfortunately the game has seriously heavy drawbacks which keep me from going higher in my score, which is a shame because I honestly thought this would be the best Sonic game of all time.

The games physics are okay however they are choppy and a bit on the stiff side.. Suffering some of the same lag and drawbacks as Sonic 4 and taking away some abilities gained in previous titles that would be more than handy. Getting stuck on walls while homing, not climbing loops, unable to clear small gaps and an unstable control that prevents you running in a straight line. Sonic can barely jump more than 3 feet high which requires precision accuracy when platforming and believe me, you will be doing a lot of it.

The game seems to want you to rely on near cat like reflexes to navigate tight corners at high speed not fall to your death in an endless parade of instant death bottomless pits and manage to make it to the goal in one piece. Too often the camera gets stuck on one of these corners and you loose all track of where you are.

Some of the stages are just downright ridiculous, Shadow's boss fight requires you to navigate a large plane while spamming the boost button to collect power ups to defeat him rather than a typical run and hit boss like a majority of the other rival bosses such as Silver, Metal Sonic and Eggman boss, and with the so-so hit detection it's very difficult to fight the Egg Dragoon which requires precision use of the homing attack.

The Final Boss is just undeniably cruel as it lacks any adequate instruction to defeat it and lacks an adequate supply of rings to maintain super form. It's understandable a Final Boss would be difficult but this is simply too difficult as navigating a large 3D Environment while trying to maintain a ring count and dodge debris is simply too much.

For those of us who per-ordered we'll be very disappointed to find the unlockable Casino Night Zone is nothing more than a trumped up minigame of Pinball that you could play on your PC. I'd say it wasn't worth the extra $5, which leads to the final problem is this game is simply too short. A great 20th Anniversary edition title with remakes of old classic levels is ridiculously short. Excluding boss levels the game has only nine stages only three from the classic Genesis games, two from the DreamCast/Game Cube days, one from the ill conceived disaster Sonic 2006, one stage from Sonic Unleashed, and one from last years Sonic Colors.

The one thing that adds to extended play time is a lot of pointless minigames but not an extra bundle of classic levels or a more expansive storyline to show off the new cast. Such a short game hardly justifies a $50 cost and only makes me think Sega is taking us for a bunch of suckers who will buy anything with the name Sonic the Hedgehog on it. For the record the 3DS version has fewer levels most of them exclusive to that. Topping the flaws off players will notice a jerky frame rate from time to time.

Painful as it is to nitpick I still felt this game could have been so much more. Sonic Colors was enjoyable with a lot of speed and a modest amount of platforming and even a fun gimmick. This game has a lot of platforming and not enough speed and an unstable control scheme. The game is certainly worth a play but it isn't worth $50. Those anxious to play will find it fun, and I did find it fun but I also found it very frustrating Earns a 6.5. The game deserved a bit more for the cost.