• Review: Sonic Generations (PS3)

    by
    Jason Arriola
    Published on 11-18-2011 06:25 PM
    1 Comment Comments


    Sonic Generations

    Developer: Sonic Team
    Publisher: Sega
    Platforms: PlayStation 3, XBOX 360
    Genre: Platformer, Adventure
    Rating: Everyone
    Release Date: November 1, 2011

    In the year of the 20th anniversary of Sega’s beloved mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Generations brings fans a wonderful blend of classic and modern Sonic gameplay. For those gamers who consider themselves victims of being stuck in the so-called elusive “Sonic cycle”, Sonic Generations makes that term disappear. What you’re left with is one of the best Sonic the Hedgehog games in these recent years.

    Presentation

    If you’ve been excited for the game since its first glimpses earlier this year, then you should at least know that this game involves two Sonic the Hedgehogs. One, classic Sonic, who derives from the glory days of the Sega Genesis, and modern Sonic, whose “new” image became the official look of Sonic starting with Sonic Adventure on the Sega Dreamcast.

    Modern Sonic is celebrating his birthday, no doubt to mark the 20th anniversary of the series. Many of Sonic’s closest friends have shown up to the festivities to celebrate the occasion together. This happy moment is short lived because out of nowhere comes a giant dark haze of matter. This new monstrosity begins to suck Sonic’s surroundings, including his friends, into its vortex.

    It doesn’t take Sonic long to figure out what’s happened to his friends. In fact, the dark ghostly haze that attacked them is known as the Time Eater. It’s not only a matter of “where” Sonic’s friends are, but “when” too. The Time Eater incident has caused the time continuum in Sonic’s universe to rip apart and Sonic now finds himself in a dimension made up of nothingness, or White Space. It comes as a surprise when Modern Sonic speeds across his younger, classic self. Classic Sonic has also been affected by the irregularity in time.

    Both Sonics agree to use their combined efforts to rescue their friends and defeat the Time Eater. To get there, they must take a nostalgic journey through Sonic’s past and continue onwards through Sonic’s present. This is where Sonic’s latest adventure begins.

    Graphics

    If it’s one feature that Sonic games have really exemplified in proficiency, it was how they looked, especially their use of colorization. So Sonic Generations is no exception. To see the classic Sonic stages of Sonic games past remade in the full wonder of high definition is enough to marvel at. You might find yourself slamming the brakes during Sonic’s speedy adventure to let all the detail from his surroundings sink in. The art team in Sonic Generations didn’t just slap on an HD skin on these stages and character models, far from it. They polished it, imagined it from a new perspective, and perfected it, from every plant in Green Hill Zone, right down to the menacing purple water of Chemical Plant Zone. To see only screens of these remade stages would be a crime. These stages beg to be played. So they must be experienced by the gamers who call their first video game, Sonic the Hedgehog.

    Sound/Music

    The sweet nostalgia of Sonic Generations is not confined to graphics, but is literally amplified by its sound and music too. Fan favorite sound effects like spring pads, Sonic’s spin dash, the “pop” sound when Sonic jumps on top of a badnik, and even the “bwoop-bwoop” sound of those blue chemical spheres from Chemical Plant Zone (you know what I’m talking about) hasn’t loss their touch over the years. Modern Sonic’s ability to break the sound barrier with break neck speed is evident with every “boom”, sonic boom that is.

    One of the greatest features has got to be the game’s soundtrack. Traditionally, Sonic games feature unique music for each act of the game. The same happens in Sonic Generations. Classic Sonic (Act 1) and Modern Sonic (Act 2) have background music independent of each other. Many memorable pieces of music from Sonic games, new and old, have been refined or remade for each Sonic. Green Hill, Chemical Plant, Sky Sanctuary, Speed Highway, even to Planet Wisp; there’s plenty of music here to enjoy and more. One of the greatest features that made its way into the game is the option of changing the background music to your liking, provided that you unlock the various music tracks by completing challenges. For example, in the boss race against Metal Sonic, would you like to change the background music from Stardust Speedway to say… “Sonic Boom”? Well you can! This option just makes the game’s use of music much more enjoyable.

    Gameplay

    Playing through Sonic’s history will start from the classic stages of the Genesis games, to the Dreamcast games, and stages based on games when Sonic went multiplatform. You’ll play through three stages, each with two acts, and then fight a boss to move on to the next point in the Sonic timeline. You can see why the game is called Sonic Generations. Both classic and modern Sonic can be used interchangeably when you’re in the world hub. Switching between hedgehogs can be done with the push of a single button.

    Classic Sonic plays like the older Sonic games did on the Sega Genesis (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and including Sonic CD). Gameplay involves side-scrolling platforming as you remember it from these classic games. Sonic must speed his way to the end of the stage to receive a rank based on the player’s proficiency in the stage, with rank S being the highest. Along the way will be items to help Sonic progress through the stage more easily. Some of these items should be familiar, such as bubble shields, lightning shields, invincibility, speed sneakers, and even skateboards. The speed at which classic Sonic moves is very reminiscent of the Genesis games, and in no way does it lag as severely as Sonic the Hedgehog 4 did.

    Modern Sonic involves gameplay primarily based on previous Sonic games such as Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors, in which the Hedgehog engine allows for incredibly fast action sequences. Modern Sonic will rely on the boost meter, which is what enables Sonic to boost his speed to motion blurring speeds. The boost meter can be filled by picking up rings, defeating badniks, and performing tricks while in midair, which is a gameplay element first seen in Sonic Colors. When Sonic speeds off a ramp into midair, pushing the control stick in any direction allows Sonic to do tricks, and pressing the shoulder buttons simultaneously before hitting the ground will allow for a final trick to give you a sizable chunk to the boost meter. Again, the faster Sonic makes it to the goal at the end of the stage awards the player with a rank for their hard work.

    There may be occasions in which you find yourself dropping down a bottomless pit, which can be frustrating at first. Yet Sonic games were made for flawless speed runs and memorization is key to getting some of the fastest times possible. Like many Sonic games before it, there’s a multitude of alternate pathways to the goal and finding the right ones can shave seconds off the clock. For hardcore Sonic fans, Generations brings on the challenge, with each stage leaving you itching to run through again and again.

    One drawback to the game is its length. While traveling through Sonic’s history seems like a long journey, there are really a set of nine stages, and if you play through them without taking on the Challenge gates, which will be highlighted later, you can speed through the game quickly. However, I promise you that there is plenty to be had with Sonic Generations. You’ll see.

    A gameplay element that returns to Sonic Generations is the use of experience points. Experience points are earned at the end of an act when your score is tallied. The faster you are in reaching the goal, and a large count of rings in hand too, awards you with more points than taking longer to reach the goal. Points will always be rewarded regardless of how many times you replay a stage. These points can be spent on another new feature to the series: Skills. From the world hub you can speak to Omochao who will sell Sonic an assortment of skills in exchange for your experience points. Skills can be customized to your liking and you have the option of applying a set of skills to each Sonic, and change them at any time. Among these are skills that allow you to stop immediately no matter how fast you’re going, move faster through water, start a stage with ten rings, increase the capacity of the speed boost, and much more.

    After blasting through the action stages a boss battle is required to move on. Sonic is given the opportunity to collect some of the Chaos Emeralds at this point. These segments may require some practice at first but you should get the hang of how boss’s behave and therefore predict their attack patterns.

    Lasting Appeal

    While there are nine stages to play, each comes with two acts for each Sonic. While this may not look like enough, there are the Challenge gates within each stage. Completing both Act 1 and Act 2 of a certain stage will unlock Challenge Gates, and there’s a plethora of challenges waiting to be completed. This is where Generations gets it replay value. Challenges come in different styles of gameplay. Sometimes it’s a race between Sonic’s friends or a doppelganger, teaming up with friends to reach the goal, using a variety of power ups to reach the goal, giant enemies, there’s so many. Many of these extra challenges are very creative, and, above all, especially fun.

    You’d think having extra Challenges for each stage was a bonus, when actually the Challenges come with bonuses for completing them. After finishing a Challenge gate, a bell will appear above said gate. Ringing the bell will cause a musical note to flutter around the world hub and touching it will unlock music, movies, artwork, and more. Additionally, there’s a set of five red rings hidden in the main action stages for both classic and modern Sonic, which also reward you with special content. All of these extra features can be accessed through the special features area found in the world hub. Here you can play music in the game, including special tracks that were remade for the 20th anniversary of Sonic, while looking at artwork, or glancing videos.

    Rivals such as Metal Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Silver the Hedgehog will appear in the world hub, allowing you to do a rival challenge. Defeating Sonic’s rivals will award the player with one of the seven Chaos Emeralds. Once all seven are united… well you know what happens, right? Yeah, Super Sonic.

    There’s also the inclusion of leaderboards for two modes: Ranking Attack, which has you racing to the end of the goal in a stage for the fastest time possible. So any friends that like to compete can compare their statistics. Then there’s 30 Second Trial, in which there’s 30 seconds on the clock, the greater distance you cover in the 30 second time limit raises your name on the online leaderboards.

    Conclusion

    Sonic Generations is the Sonic game that many fans of the hedgehog have been waiting for. The first time you play through the game you’ll realize, as I did, that Sonic Generations is a love letter from Sega to the gamer, signed, sealed, and delivered. If you were one to invest hours into the classic Sonic games of years gone by, the classic Sonic gameplay will take you on a sweet trip back to the good old days of gaming. Furthermore, modern Sonic gameplay is a pulse pounding and adrenaline fueled experience that keeps you coming back to break your best time record. One could only hope that Sega has downloadable content planned for the game. The inclusion of more fan favorites would be a welcome addition. If you’re a fan of platformers, especially Sonic the Hedgehog, please go get yourself a copy of Sonic Generations as soon as possible.

    Score
    9/10

    Comments 1 Comment
    1. Gusto's Avatar
      Gusto - 11-20-2011
      You need to see it in 3D Jason, it's amazing!

  • Review Scale

    Score 10- Flawless Victory: A score not handed out to every game. Games earning this rare score sit at the very pinnacle of excellence. These games act as the examples for which all others should be measured with. They are instant classics from the beginning. These games not only deliver what was expected of it, but also exceed the player’s expectations. The game’s features are innovative and original. No game is without its absolute flaws, but the finished product you bring home surpasses the anticipation the game has formed. A day one buy is a must. The game you hold in your hands with this score is a video game jackpot.

    Score 9 - 9.5- Outstanding: Games earning scores such as these absolutely must be played. Games that achieve this high ranking do so because they define the genres that they are in. Flaws are few and barely noticeable. Features seen in the game have been renovated to provide something new and fresh. The story, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal are all fantastic and is reason enough to bring the game home and to enjoy with family and friends. Every penny you spend on the game is so worth it.

    Score 8 - 8.5- Great: Any flaw the game may possess is overshadowed by its fun factor. These games would be great for gamers to play. These great games appeal to gamers more and more outside its normal player base because of what it brings to the table.

    Score 7 - 7.5- Good: Flaws do exist in these games, but the positive features of the game can counterbalance the flaws. Additionally, players who are predisposed to liking a game of a particular series or genre with this score should enjoy the game. These are in no way bad games, and much fun can be had with them. An overall good game is worth taking a look at, whether you are willing to buy the game or rent it first. That or you can also wait for the game to reach a good price.

    Score 6 - 6.5- Decent: Games falling into this category may suffer from numerous flaws (for example, graphics or gameplay), but are still worth playing. Granted, the player should be aware that a game with these scores may not guarantee them full satisfaction.

    Score 5 - 5.5- Average: An average game is one in which a game’s features are neither good nor completely terrible. Instead, the finished product is manageable. Little has been done to hold the player’s interest. If anything, rent this game before you consider buying it so that you can at least get a feel for the game’s overall experience.

    Score 4 - 4.5- Poor: Games falling into this category may only keep gamers entertained for a short while. While the game may seem enjoyable for moments at a time, it can quickly grow old and may never be revisited again. The game’s overall function is lacking in quality and may not hold the player’s attention for long. The game leaves little or nothing else to return back to.

    Score 3 - 3.5- Bad: If any positive qualities about a game in this category exist, it is not enough to redeem the game for its shortcomings. Sure you may find yourself playing it, but for how long? You will wind up not giving the game a second glance.

    Score 2 - 2.5- Horrible: Games such as these may not be totally unplayable, they nearly are. Additionally, they may lack, or greatly suffer in, the fundamental functionality of the software as a whole. The game simply does not come close to meeting industry standards at the time of its release.

    Score 1 - 1.5- Appalling: Gamers should avoid this game at all costs. The game was clearly not ready to make its way to store shelves in its status. Save your money and find something else. See it in the bargain bin? No! Stay away! Keep moving and look for something else.