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Sonic the Hedgehog


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Tons has changed, they just don't really have a reason to care about the things that have, when the presentation for the most part is horrible. I've done essentially all of it now (I delayed my review some to be able to comment on Shadow's episode aswell) and I'm writing my review now.

 

Not that it'll tip over the average on Gamerankings in answering whether it's a good game for everyone, but I might touch on things that make some sense. I can say this though; it's a game for people who want to play a Sonic game that plays well and tells a good story - it's not for people simply looking for the next good game to buy.

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I can say this though; it's a game for people who want to play a Sonic game that plays well and tells a good story - it's not for people simply looking for the next good game to buy.

 

Thats the thing though, majority of reviews that are coming out are saying it doesnt play well at all. Regardless if the story is good or not playing a game that punishes the player not for there own mistakes but due to dodgey controls cant be that fun.

 

I will let a few other peeps buy it first and see what they think.

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Thats the thing though, majority of reviews that are coming out are saying it doesnt play well at all. Regardless if the story is good or not playing a game that punishes the player not for there own mistakes but due to dodgey controls cant be that fun.

 

I will let a few other peeps buy it first and see what they think.

 

Yeah me too. If I didn't have Gears of War, Viva Pinata, and Zelda to play over the next month then I ould but... I do.

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Well, I dunno what to say to that. To me, good controls is when you can come to grips with it and suddenly it just clicks and you feel in control. Good controls isn't when it's so forgiving you just pick up the pad and mess about and you essentially never die.

 

A lot of the reason why I persevere with Sonic is because I love Sonic (hint in my signature pic) but the reason I say it plays well isn't because I'm blinded by my love for the character and universe. I do feel that people generally misunderstand the way some parts of Sonic games are designed though.

 

They quote trial and error as a problem - a flaw - when racing games never let you take a curve perfectly before you know it's there. EG said the worst thing ever when reviewing Sonic Rush: "Sonic isn't its own genre". That's possibly the single most ignorant statement in regards to games I have ever seen, and it's evidence of extreme narrow mindedness.

 

The reason you miss platforms, fall to your death, run into enemies in Sonic games is 9/10 times because you don't know they're there, and this usually happens further into the game where the difficulty ramps up. That said, this iteration is still very forgiving, with a lot of things streamlined to protect players from cocking up too much. Things like the homing attack working on all kinds of rails, catapults and spring-thingies.

 

The failure to control the game, and this game more than any of the 3d sonics, is a matter of adjustment, not bad controls. The reason it's immediately more difficult to come to grips with is that it's sort of by definition faster than every other 3D platformer, and that's not something that's bound to change.

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All very good and fair points but in just about all the 3D Sonic games the homing attack usually ends up killing the player, you press it and fly off the edge for no reason. Dont get me wrong I love Sonic games, I even took the time to get every emblem on Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 and I really would like to buy this game but the flaws of the 3D series really need ironed out. Im hoping Sonic on the Wii can sort it out.

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Yeah, they definitely need to fix it, and even when I say this game plays well, I say that mostly in relation to the 3D Sonics in the past. The concept here of bouncing around on enemies and sort of.. doing everything in a succession and pulling everything off is so fun, but it's executed with certain.. wobblyness still. This game helps matters by not having as linear and dangerous levels though. You mostly have a lot of footing to stand on at all times, and it's way more focused on combat.

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That's the spirit!

 

And yeah, there's a lot to get here.. with like.. three difficulty settings for levels and stuff. I've only gotten the Silver and Sonic "cleared" awards so far, and there are some for "completed" and "mastered". :o

 

Miles to run before I sleep! :)

 

And also, Gears is pulling my sleeve some.. only on act 2 in that so far.

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I'm deffo buying Sonic still. I'm used to the flaws in Sonic games, and they really don't bother me. I admit, Heroes and Riders were crap - but only because their concepts weren't presented well enough. I really like the concept behind this new Sonic; all the best elements of SA1 and 2 combined, with some new twists to the gameplay.

 

From what I played in the demo, it seems good, though it did take some getting used to. I'm not expecting an amazing gaming experience, but a decent Sonic game just to pass the time.

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In Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic once again shares the spotlight with a cavalcade of chirpy critters -- fellow hedgehogs Shadow and Silver feature in their own single-player campaigns (through the same levels as Sonic, naturally), while various "amigos" such as Tails, Knuckles, and Rouge the Bat pop up for various minimissions throughout the adventure. Rollerblading badass Shadow the Hedgehog wisely holsters the guns from his dismal Ratchet & Clank-inspired solo outing, but clumsily steering a collection of silly new vehicles lends his levels a similarly undercooked feel. Newcomer Silver fares a bit better with his creative telekinetic attacks, but his sluggish pace gets tiresome quickly. The amigos also quickly overstay their welcome: 10 seconds of haphazardly flying and shooting ring bombs (from a baffling first-person perspective) as Tails will have you cursing his very presence. Thankfully, you can opt out of playing as also-rans Shadow and Silver for the most part....

 

The pure Sonic game within Sonic the Hedgehog tries awfully hard to recapture the zeitgeist of the original Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, but it expands the town sequences, narrative, and cut-scenes to a laughably ambitious degree. The sunny, vaguely European metropolis of Soleanna provides a neat backdrop to the action, but it's almost too large and convoluted to offer much real gameplay. Too often, you're tasked with merely gathering information from townsfolk...and that's a bit too much RPG than we need here. At least the addition of simple Grand Theft Auto-inspired town missions adds some extra depth.

 

Once you get Sonic into an action stage, the game's true triumphs and failures become quickly apparent. The core gameplay of steering our beloved blue hedgehog through all manner of loop and corkscrew remains a visceral thrill, and the lock-on combat feels more precise and forgiving than in past games. Unfortunately, confusing camera angles and slippery control means that once again, you'll be constantly plummeting to your doom with little warning. Seriously, you'll sometimes find yourself falling into a bottomless abyss at the very outset of a stage. Ugh. Sure, playing 3D Sonic games requires some skill, and good players will find a plethora of spectacular shortcuts hidden throughout these areas...but most gamers will likely get frustrated long before graduating to high-level play. In fact, weak-willed players will likely surrender before making it through the entirety of Sonic's first (overlong and overly difficult) first level. It's a shame, really, because a few well-designed, attractive stages such as Radical Train and Kingdom Valley easily rank among the best the series has ever offered.

 

From a technical standpoint, Sonic the Hedgehog doesn't really impress. A few areas look excellent, but the majority of stages appear vaguely last gen, with only slightly enhanced textures and massive amounts of motion blur. When giant rock formations crumble into the ocean with nary a splash, it simply seems lazy. Thankfully, most of these graphics are whipping past you at breakneck speed, so you don't miss the details too terribly. In fact, a handful of new "mach speed" stages that distill the Sonic experience to its purest form -- running, jumping, and dodging -- will help you recall why we all cared about Sonic in the first place. If only the developers had focused on delivering a simple, fun experience rather than trying to create something far beyond their reach.

 

1up! = 1up-55.gif

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I think they need to go back to Sonic's core concept of Mario-at-a-billion-MPH and start over. One day there's going to be a proper Sonic, free-roaming, 3D, super fast action/platformer, and it's going to be the best anything, ever. Question is, how long is it going to be before they work it out?

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