A good way to describe Sonic Heroes would be "really janky and fun". The game really shines in its level design which (for the most part) felt very engaging and fun. The game offers a variety of fun levels utilizing its unique team mechanic to run throw stages or get across various obstacles. The soundtrack is great, something to be expected from the Sonic franchise. The final boss goes so hard, so raw.
With that said, this game really is a huge pain mainly due to the controls. They are absolutely awful, it feels like you're running on ice. The slightest movements or misinputs can send you flying off the stage in an instant. It takes a while to tolerate these absolutely painful controls which really kills part of the enjoyment of what I thought to be really fun levels. The special stages make this issue even more apparent, with special stage controls that can randomly slow you down at the worst times, or straight up make you face backwards. It's an absolute struggle and can make you rage (looking at YOU Special Stage 4). Luckily some later special stages can be completed REALLY quick, leaving you with less time to deal with the controls. The different teams idea is a nice concept, but three of them don't offer much besides varying difficulty aside from Team Chaotix and Team Rose (literal watered down baby mode). Having these 4 teams to play means you'll have to complete every stage as each team 4 times. Although there are slight differences to accommodate the slight differences in playstyle, it really can get really repetitive. And you HAVE to do this in order to unlock the final boss which really to some may not be worth the effort. The story is fairly simple, nothing special aside from Team Dark for me.
Overall, Sonic Heroes got some things nailed down right, with an amazing soundtrack and level design, but ultimately gets shot down by absolutely poor controls, repetitiveness, and sheer length.
With that said, this game really is a huge pain mainly due to the controls. They are absolutely awful, it feels like you're running on ice. The slightest movements or misinputs can send you flying off the stage in an instant. It takes a while to tolerate these absolutely painful controls which really kills part of the enjoyment of what I thought to be really fun levels. The special stages make this issue even more apparent, with special stage controls that can randomly slow you down at the worst times, or straight up make you face backwards. It's an absolute struggle and can make you rage (looking at YOU Special Stage 4). Luckily some later special stages can be completed REALLY quick, leaving you with less time to deal with the controls. The different teams idea is a nice concept, but three of them don't offer much besides varying difficulty aside from Team Chaotix and Team Rose (literal watered down baby mode). Having these 4 teams to play means you'll have to complete every stage as each team 4 times. Although there are slight differences to accommodate the slight differences in playstyle, it really can get really repetitive. And you HAVE to do this in order to unlock the final boss which really to some may not be worth the effort. The story is fairly simple, nothing special aside from Team Dark for me.
Overall, Sonic Heroes got some things nailed down right, with an amazing soundtrack and level design, but ultimately gets shot down by absolutely poor controls, repetitiveness, and sheer length.