Sonic Generations (PC) Review

(Originally posted November, 2013)

                                         

(2011, PC)

I was a fan of Sonic during the 90’s, but lost interest in the series after Sonic Adventure 2. When Sega finally acknowledged and embraced the series’ past glory with Sonic Generations, I had to give the hedgehog another chance to run.

Taking a break from introducing new characters and gameplay mechanics, Sonic Generations simply brings back 9 main stages from the series’ vast, 20 plus year history and lets you play each one in both the classic 2D and modern forward movement style. Plenty of Sonic’s friends are there, but don’t intrude much further than as skippable cutscenes. Challenge-mode stages have been added to pad the game, but most are optional and only detract a bit from the straightforward 16-bit era pacing.

My greatest times with the Sonic series don’t come from actively playing the game, but rather in semi-passively experiencing it. For me, Sonic games are about getting the sights, music, colors and speed wash over you for as long as possible. In most platformers, the challenge of overcoming obstacles and enemies is the entire point. In Sonic, their presence is just a nuisance! That’s not to criticize the series design. I think it’s wonderful to have such a platformer, and Generations pulls it off as effectively as ever.

The stages are much larger than their past versions. Compared to the tight level design of Sonic The Hedgehog 1 and 2 on Genesis, there are a lot more enemies and cheap deaths to keep track of, but also just as many new surprises and alternate routes to explore. I may not like colliding with an enemy out of nowhere at 100MPH, but I’ll quickly forget as another roller coaster ride starts up! While all the stages are essentially taken from the past, the game is by no means a lazy effort. The general look and rough structure is there, but otherwise the levels are completely reimagined. Some highlights:

-        I actually laughed with joy while playing the Green Hill Zone. The most famous of Sonic stages is more alive than ever, giving off even more good vibes than the original!

-        Sky Sanctuary not only offers some many new camera angles and exploration opportunities, but feels even more epic and majestic than the Sonic & Knuckles version.

-        Playing City Escape made me feel that this is what the Sonic Adventure 2 team originally wanted, but wasn’t able to pull off on the Dreamcast.

-        Sonic Generations’ Perfect Chaos is the best Sonic boss I’ve ever fought. What more can I say than that?!

The main criticism I have is that I would have preferred more Genesis era stages, but more are waiting in the (quite different) 3DS version when the mood strikes. Although I largely enjoyed the levels, a few of them brought down the experience some:

-        Crisis City feels VERY out of place. Research revealed that the level was lifted from Sonic 06, which was criticized as one of the worst games in the entire series. Fortunately, it’s fun to play, if not odd.

-        I found Seaside Hill’s underwater antics just as annoying as Sonic 3’s Hydrocity.

-        Planet Wisp over does it with the form changes and disrupts the game’s flow.

Besides going back to basics and revisiting the past, Sonic Generations is remarkable in how much of a feast for the eyes it is. The “rollercoaster” style of the game is made even better in that you can play a level dozens of times just to enjoy it, while continuously discovering details hidden in the stages. Back in the 90’s, this is almost exactly what I imagined a future Sonic game would look like. Although my 3+ year old laptop seems generally capable of running Sonic Generations, areas with water effects suffer from severe slowdown. Many others on the internet have pointed out this same problem, which seems to have gone unaddressed by Sega. Sometimes the ultra-high resolutions highlight areas with poor texturing and modeling as well, but in general I’m thrilled with the graphics.

The classic sound effects are maintained, along with a default soundtrack made up of remixes. For me, nothing beats the aggressive, distinct sound of the Sega Genesis, from which several tracks can be unlocked.

Sonic’s a weird kind of game. I don’t personally find any of them to be that great, but they can still be a lot of fun when abandoning expectations and enjoying them for what they are. I don’t like constantly comparing a game I’m discussing with others. but it’s inevitable with Sonic Generations essentially being a reimagined throwback. As far as besting its past accomplishments, Generations doesn’t quite match the simplicity and focus of Sonic 1&2 or the epic mood and scale of Sonic 3 & Knuckles on the Sega Genesis. Leaving aside the comparisons, if you’re looking for a gorgeous ride-of-a-game full of surprises, Sonic Generations will not disappoint.