Ho-ly shit. What a game.
It emulates so much of what makes Sonic memorable within gaming at large while having this whole refined set of ideas and mechanics that is completely its own. While it's not quite like Adventure, which has you switch out gameplay styles entirely for a set of levels, here it's all either utilizing the same moveset in different ways or entering a vehicle for a part of a level.
And it controls so well, oh so well. The glitches from the second game were all eliminated, so much was added, so many movement options, all these ways to preserve momentum, speed up or correct yourself. The levels do not rely on spectacle during hands-off moments, they rely on constant control and awareness, seeing the challenge ahead from a mile away only to speed through it like a champ. Unlike Spark 2, where I drastically felt the removal of content from the first game within the 3D space, here it's a non-issue due to the sheer amount of options available to you from the get-go, and so many more inside the game's shop.
This game is an absolute miracle. Treats its 2nd game as a stepping stone and simply says: I will singlehandedly make that story cooler. It even has its own absolutely ridiculous story, weird cuts, sudden tone-switches, and more, meaning that Sonic fans should feel right at home. I absolutely do not want to spoil this, but the whole final level is singlehandedly one of the most unhinged things I've seen in gaming in a long while. This, inside a 3D Sonic-inspired game. The absolute freedom of a one-person game, a person who managed to make what is likely the best Sonic-type game since Adventure, is simply overwhelming, joyous and it OWNS.
I'll be revisiting this later down the line, when I will inevitably attempt to actually finish all the 3D Sonic games. I'm unbelievably excited at the prospect of forgetting parts of this game and seeing once again how cool these ideas are. There's just too many to fully remember them all.
Play it.
It emulates so much of what makes Sonic memorable within gaming at large while having this whole refined set of ideas and mechanics that is completely its own. While it's not quite like Adventure, which has you switch out gameplay styles entirely for a set of levels, here it's all either utilizing the same moveset in different ways or entering a vehicle for a part of a level.
And it controls so well, oh so well. The glitches from the second game were all eliminated, so much was added, so many movement options, all these ways to preserve momentum, speed up or correct yourself. The levels do not rely on spectacle during hands-off moments, they rely on constant control and awareness, seeing the challenge ahead from a mile away only to speed through it like a champ. Unlike Spark 2, where I drastically felt the removal of content from the first game within the 3D space, here it's a non-issue due to the sheer amount of options available to you from the get-go, and so many more inside the game's shop.
This game is an absolute miracle. Treats its 2nd game as a stepping stone and simply says: I will singlehandedly make that story cooler. It even has its own absolutely ridiculous story, weird cuts, sudden tone-switches, and more, meaning that Sonic fans should feel right at home. I absolutely do not want to spoil this, but the whole final level is singlehandedly one of the most unhinged things I've seen in gaming in a long while. This, inside a 3D Sonic-inspired game. The absolute freedom of a one-person game, a person who managed to make what is likely the best Sonic-type game since Adventure, is simply overwhelming, joyous and it OWNS.
I'll be revisiting this later down the line, when I will inevitably attempt to actually finish all the 3D Sonic games. I'm unbelievably excited at the prospect of forgetting parts of this game and seeing once again how cool these ideas are. There's just too many to fully remember them all.
Play it.