Easily one of my favorite Sonic games. Sonic's control and movement is honestly some of the best in the series in my opinion, both in 2D and 3D, in general just feeling really fluid and going really well with the level design. A lot of Sonic Unleashed's moveset carries over here, but definitely feels more fine-tuned - particularly the stomp, airdash, drift and quick step. I will say I don't like how the latter two are limited and can only be used in certain sections, but they still feel pretty nice here. Plus, the introduction of the Wisps brings a lot of variety, especially with how they are incorporated into the level design for finding different paths and new areas.

My only major gripe other than the limitations of the drift and quickstep would probably be that some of the stages do feel a bit short - with some feeling pretty gimmicky, or in other cases feeling like separate parts of a bigger level, which isn't too surprising, considering levels were separated to form a 6 act structure (along with adding the mission stages with the main levels). Still, I feel like the game's really good levels outweigh the bad ones, and when this game's levels are good, they are definitely really good.

This also isn't to mention the creative stage themes, great soundtrack (potentially my favorite in the series), and visually being one of the best looking games on the Wii.

Overall, I still think this game holds up well and makes for a really good experience that's easy to get into if you're a newcomer while providing challenge for those who intend to 'master' it.