Hey hey! I just replayed and beat this game in 2024!
Is it still good?
Yup.
Great?
Depends.
So if anyone else is familiar, this is where a lot of fans considered 3D Sonic to be peak. And I kinda almost agree.
For the time it came out, it was an impressive-looking game; and even playing it now radiates with the energy of retro 3D games and the late 90's going into the early aughts. Outdated phrases like "Tight" and "Radical" dot a corner of the screen that is guaranteed to make you laugh or cringe. Character models are goofy looking at times, with CGs featuring mo-cap that looks decent at best but aimless at worst; but still possessing that low-poly charm that only highlights each characters simple pronounced features and makes them all look just adorable. The music is a delightful arrangement spanning different genres that match the personality of every character: from buttrock lyrics that gets stuck in your head, to heavy metal instrumentals, to lo-fi rap to relax and find emeralds to, and to Lupin the 3rd-esque lounge jazz. The camera sweeps, cuts to different angles, and pulls back, revealing the colorful and elaborate Dreamcast era environments and void-like skyboxes that just precedes modern games forays towards the uncanny valley. It is no wonder why so many fans, myself included, have such a fondness for this game.
Sonic and Shadows' stages are the absolute pinnacle of well designed 3D Sonic stages! They're a strong mixture of platforming with a decent enough weight, split-second timing that greatly rewards, alternate routes that can keep you going forward after a fumble, and blasting through courses at such a breakneck speed that still somehow feels untouched compared to certain games after. These parts of the game would form the foundation of Sonic games to follow, and it stands to reason why! It's fun! These course were designed to be replayed and in different ways: the time-attack, lost chao, and hard mode challenges shining especially. I wish the light speed dash and homing attack were a little more consistent in how they worked; we looked past it a lot more at the time, but man have they aged poorly.
The Tails and Eggman stages are a nice breather between Sonics and Shadows, but the flaws are easier to notice. While I personally delight in the chaining of shots for a high score (Starfox 64 always making me yearn for that itch), the game slows down way too much at times and the near-constant pitch of the cannons focus-sight is enough to give me tinnitus 2. There is a fair bit of solid platforming to break up the monotony of every hallway, but the environments are so often cast in grays that it's a bit too dreary to enjoy its rather meticulous environmental design.
And last of all are the most egregious examples of SA2's flaws: Knuckles and Rouge's stages. These stages are beautiful diaramas of fantastical and interactive environments that it is such a shame it's teemed with the absolute worst physics and camera. The respective characters move at almost the same speed as Sonic/Shadow, which makes for quick traversal over these massive levels, but makes platforming on a smaller level so frustrating. You'll overshoot every jump or walk so often, you have to rely on gliding and climbing to get you anywhere. Standard attacks propel you forward and you have to commit to whatever direction it sends you.
The camera. Dear God. The camera! Have fun trying to look up and down these vertical stages with just L and R. The camera will freely do as it pleases as you move around these environments too, whether or not it is a matter of helping you get through somewhere or it accidentally clips with the environment, and it's an issue that occurs through every stage of the game. It works great during the more cinematic sequences of Sonic and Tails stages, but it will either remain fixed or try to "correct itself" when you need to explore somewhere off the beaten path. This serves as a major source of frustration throughout.
The story is meh, it's reflected more in its characters but not much else and is pretty standard fair for a Sonic game. Splitting up the narrative between Light and Dark does serve as a fun way to break up the game.
And that about covers this far-too-long review. It's a game that is no doubt well designed, influential, and filled to the brim with that charming early 2000's energy, but does still lack polish that keeps people from enjoying it's less speed-centered gameplay.
Also Chao Garden is far too cute and addictive and needs to be it's own game. Bye! ❤️
Is it still good?
Yup.
Great?
Depends.
So if anyone else is familiar, this is where a lot of fans considered 3D Sonic to be peak. And I kinda almost agree.
For the time it came out, it was an impressive-looking game; and even playing it now radiates with the energy of retro 3D games and the late 90's going into the early aughts. Outdated phrases like "Tight" and "Radical" dot a corner of the screen that is guaranteed to make you laugh or cringe. Character models are goofy looking at times, with CGs featuring mo-cap that looks decent at best but aimless at worst; but still possessing that low-poly charm that only highlights each characters simple pronounced features and makes them all look just adorable. The music is a delightful arrangement spanning different genres that match the personality of every character: from buttrock lyrics that gets stuck in your head, to heavy metal instrumentals, to lo-fi rap to relax and find emeralds to, and to Lupin the 3rd-esque lounge jazz. The camera sweeps, cuts to different angles, and pulls back, revealing the colorful and elaborate Dreamcast era environments and void-like skyboxes that just precedes modern games forays towards the uncanny valley. It is no wonder why so many fans, myself included, have such a fondness for this game.
Sonic and Shadows' stages are the absolute pinnacle of well designed 3D Sonic stages! They're a strong mixture of platforming with a decent enough weight, split-second timing that greatly rewards, alternate routes that can keep you going forward after a fumble, and blasting through courses at such a breakneck speed that still somehow feels untouched compared to certain games after. These parts of the game would form the foundation of Sonic games to follow, and it stands to reason why! It's fun! These course were designed to be replayed and in different ways: the time-attack, lost chao, and hard mode challenges shining especially. I wish the light speed dash and homing attack were a little more consistent in how they worked; we looked past it a lot more at the time, but man have they aged poorly.
The Tails and Eggman stages are a nice breather between Sonics and Shadows, but the flaws are easier to notice. While I personally delight in the chaining of shots for a high score (Starfox 64 always making me yearn for that itch), the game slows down way too much at times and the near-constant pitch of the cannons focus-sight is enough to give me tinnitus 2. There is a fair bit of solid platforming to break up the monotony of every hallway, but the environments are so often cast in grays that it's a bit too dreary to enjoy its rather meticulous environmental design.
And last of all are the most egregious examples of SA2's flaws: Knuckles and Rouge's stages. These stages are beautiful diaramas of fantastical and interactive environments that it is such a shame it's teemed with the absolute worst physics and camera. The respective characters move at almost the same speed as Sonic/Shadow, which makes for quick traversal over these massive levels, but makes platforming on a smaller level so frustrating. You'll overshoot every jump or walk so often, you have to rely on gliding and climbing to get you anywhere. Standard attacks propel you forward and you have to commit to whatever direction it sends you.
The camera. Dear God. The camera! Have fun trying to look up and down these vertical stages with just L and R. The camera will freely do as it pleases as you move around these environments too, whether or not it is a matter of helping you get through somewhere or it accidentally clips with the environment, and it's an issue that occurs through every stage of the game. It works great during the more cinematic sequences of Sonic and Tails stages, but it will either remain fixed or try to "correct itself" when you need to explore somewhere off the beaten path. This serves as a major source of frustration throughout.
The story is meh, it's reflected more in its characters but not much else and is pretty standard fair for a Sonic game. Splitting up the narrative between Light and Dark does serve as a fun way to break up the game.
And that about covers this far-too-long review. It's a game that is no doubt well designed, influential, and filled to the brim with that charming early 2000's energy, but does still lack polish that keeps people from enjoying it's less speed-centered gameplay.
Also Chao Garden is far too cute and addictive and needs to be it's own game. Bye! ❤️