Sonic the Hedgehog
Score: 45% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Sega Developer: Sonic Team Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Action/ Platformer
Graphics & Sound: After a disastrous downward spiral, Sonic the Hedgehog is Sega’s attempt to reinvent the series and get its marquee character back into the limelight he enjoyed in his earlier days. Unfortunately, the game fails to achieve the desired effect and ends up dealing another punishing blow to the already faltering series. Visually, Sonic the Hedgehog gives you two things: great-looking FMV story sequences and bland gameplay elements. The story sequences are great and full of the energy that the series has been lacking for the past few years. Unfortunately, this is neither a Square Enix nor Kojima-produced game, so you’ll eventually have to transition into gameplay. Sonic retains the series' signature style while making a few changes. Sonic has received a slight, though not overly noticeable, redesign and Dr. Eggman is either coming off a guest stint on The Biggest Loser or is in dire need of an intervention for his eating disorder. Character designs look great until they move, and then the stiff animation kicks in. Environments fare a little better, but are still pretty bland. Most areas feel like high-resolution Xbox or PS2 visuals. Sound is one of the game’s better aspects. The soundtrack is a mix of high-energy music and some ska-influenced tracks that fit with the series. None of the songs are as memorable as past Sonic games, but they still work. Most of the voicework is of the over-done, hyperactive anime type, though you do get to here Lacey Chabert’s squeaky voice during the Princess’ scenes.
Gameplay: The main attraction to playing a Sonic game is blazing through a level filled with loops, jumps and other assorted gadgets you would typically find in a pinball machine. Along the way, you might fight one or two enemies, but these are little more than speed bumps. Sonic the Hedgehog attempts to bring back that same style of gameplay, only in 3D. It’s not that a 3D Sonic couldn’t work, it’s just that the game’s design feels firmly rooted in the past. Rather than trying to compete with and improve upon recent platformers like Ratchet & Clank and Rayman, Sonic feels like it is still trying to outdo Mario 64. Although you spend most of your time playing as Sonic, you’ll also control a menagerie of other characters. Aside from Sonic, Shadow and Silver receive the most face time. Each plays differently and has their own abilities. Sonic has his speed while Shadow ditches the guns, but carries over the vehicles from his ill-fated spin-off. Silver is the newest cast member and sports an array of telekinetic abilities such as the ability to hover and deflect projectiles. Other members like Amy, Tails and Rouge also make appearances. The variety of play styles is a cool idea, though they don’t work as well as they should. None of the abilities are all that new and most have been done better. Levels are connected through the hub city of Soleanna. While in the city, you can take on side missions from the various townsfolk. Side missions are bland and repeat themselves often. Their only discernable purpose is to act as artificial barricades to keep you out of certain areas. Missions, as with most of the game, are also plagued by long load times. You begin missions by talking to someone, only to sit through a load time that brings up the same mission briefing only with different words. From here, it is on to another lengthy load time and finally the mission. Level designs aren’t conducive to the style of gameplay that made the series as popular as it was before the jump to 3D. It is rare that you are able to get a full head of steam before having to stop because of an obstacle or more commonly, an unnecessary camera switch. All three main characters have their own chapters, though there are times when you will have to switch characters mid-level. The transitions are jarring, not all that interesting and stop your momentum.
Difficulty: If it weren’t for camera and control issues, Sonic would be a much easier game. Sadly, this isn’t the case and Sonic is nothing more than an exercise in frustration. Enemies aren’t tough and will usually go down with one or two hits. The problem is that enemies are usually off-screen, so it is very hard to tell which enemy to go after – and this is when using homing attacks! What makes the lack of control and a decent camera even more painful is that your lives are limited and the save system is terrible. It was rare that I lost a life because of something I did. Instead, most deaths were purely a result of sloppy mechanics. Death is cheap and comes often.
Game Mechanics: Both the camera and the controls work in tandem to make Sonic nearly unplayable. Most of the problem lies with the camera, which is never set in the right spot, giving you the most awkward angle possible. You can rotate the camera for a better view, but it isn’t worth the hassle. Camera controls are hard to get a handle on and even if you do manage to get it will reset back to an unusable angle within minutes. Not surprisingly, angle changes come at the worst possible times and can severely cripple the gameplay thanks to the unresponsive controls. A stationary camera probably wouldn’t have been all that bad of an idea… but, again, rather than trying to move platformers forward, Sonic seems content with sticking to the past. The minute you tilt the analog stick in any direction, it becomes clear that you’re in for an adventure. At best, the controls are slippery, causing Sonic to feel like he’s walking on a freshly waxed floor in a frictionless world. Sonic feels ungrounded and completely disconnected from the game world. Things only get worse once the camera begins its acrobatics. Whenever the camera switches around, the controls don’t react to the change in view. This isn’t an uncommon problem, but with a game that is so dependent on forward momentum, it is a killer. As a result, you’re force to not only memorize entire levels, but the exact moment the camera will switch on you. Believe it or not, Sonic’s controls are actually the best when compared to the other characters – especially Tails. The ability to move vertically only complicates the already problematic camera. Even if you are the most die-hard of Sonic fans, it is hard to recommend Sonic the Hedgehog to anyone. From top to bottom it is riddled with problems and the few glimpses of potential only make the flaws that much harder to overlook. A demo is still available for download on Live, so if you’re still not convinced, give it a look and decide for yourself. Otherwise, skip it.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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