I went into Sonic Generations with low expectations. After all, this is a post-”Werehog” Sonic game. But I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed Generations. Basically, there’s old-school Sonic and new-school Sonic, and they cross paths because Sonic is traveling through space and time. The game doesn’t waste a lot of time with plot, and it plays like a retrospective of the Sonic series up to the end of the 360 / PS3 era. There’s a “Green Hill Zone,” as well as Dreamcast favorites like “City Escape,” where you get chased by an eighteen-wheeler through a city resembling San Francisco. Though occasionally the stages are poorly designed, with cheap deaths, Sonic Generations still impresses with fun gameplay and remixes on classic levels, leaving me wanting more by the end.
There are noteworthy differences between the two Sonics. Old-school Sonic generally doesn’t pick up new abilities, and can only jump and spin-dash. New-school Sonic picks up a new ability with each stage. Old-school Sonic only stays on a two-dimensional plane, while new-school Sonic can travel in 2D and 3D. I found the earlier old-school Sonic levels much more fun than the later levels, although new-school Sonic levels remain enjoyable throughout. There’s one Act for each Sonic in each stage, and completing both Acts completes the stage. Additionally there are challenges after completing a stage, like surviving on one ring, or competing in a race with both Sonics. Finally, there’s a boss, and after defeating him, you unlock three more stages. There are only nine stages, though the various challenges add a bit of replay value. The game has actually been delisted from Steam, but it looks like you can pick it up for $12 on eBay for the backwards compatible Xbox 360 edition. That’s a reasonable price.
The graphics are fair. This was a 360 game after all, and the Sonic game-engine tends to run pretty heavy and have a negative impact on framerate. The game will not run above 60 frames-per-second. Still, stages like City Escape and Planet Wisp were colorful and vibrant. The framerate never dipped on my PC, and in fact any modern gaming PC should have no trouble with this one. The music keeps the action exciting, though it’s mostly rehashes of old Sonic tunes. The game is trying to be a tribute to the series so far, so I’m willing to give it a pass on reused tunes. The music is rearranged, at least.
I had a great time with Sonic Generations, but it was over far too soon. The challenges scattered throughout the overworld provide quite a bit of replay value, but for the most part they can be skipped. You need to play only one challenge per stage to progress in the game. The good news is, you only ever play as Sonic. It’s not like Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, where you’re switching between Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Big the Cat, and all his other miserable friends. Still, those additional characters in past Sonic games made those titles longer. I finished Generations in 7 hours. Seeing that I’m on my way toward 100 hours in Skyrim (which I am currently playing), this isn’t as grand of an adventure. But as a fan of the series, I found it to be a fun romp through Sonic history. Shadow X Sonic Generations contains the full game, so that’s probably the best way to play it. Enjoy the ride.
4/5
Blimps Go 180 