Sonic Generations Review

***This is a review of the PS3/360/PC version. There's also a version on the 3DS but it's different gameplay***

Okay, the time has finally come for me to write a review of the game I've been waiting anxiously for since earlier this year. Sonic Generations launched at the beginning of November (yes it's true, there WERE other games that debuted besides Modern Warfare 3 and Skyrim believe it or not) and I have spent enough time with the game to write a review that I feel can cover all the bases properly. Now anyone who knows me is already aware that I'm a huge Sonic fanboy, and I was afraid that I might end up being biased, but I think I can form an unbiased opinion and let you know what this game is about.

In case you aren't aware of the game's plot, a mysterious force sends modern day Sonic back in time to team up with his classic self to save the world before it's destroyed. Classic Sonic is the blue blur from the earlier games, namely the Genesis titles, Sonic CD, etc. He's shorter, with a potbelly-esque appearance, and doesn't speak. Modern Sonic is the one we've seen from the Dreamcast's Sonic Adventure all the way up to the most recent Sonic Colors for the Wii. This sonic is taller, has longer spikes, and as most fans have noted since the Dreamcast era, he unfortunately speaks. Most of the fans of the Sonic universe disliked when the franchise naturally progressed to the next level and added voice acting to their games, but Generations isn't HORRIBLE. Believe it or not, I even laughed at a few parts.

So why two Sonics? The two Sonics have very different play styles and that's what makes this game unique. Classic Sonic's levels are just what you'd expect: 2D side-scrolling classic gameplay. One of the developers stated in an interview that classic Sonic's style is "old-school momentum-based platforming" and I really don't think anyone else could describe it better. Think of the old days of playing your Sega Genesis, playing Sonic 1, 2, or 3, but imagine doing it with updated HD graphics, with much higher speeds and extended levels. It's truly platforming and timing at its finest and every level has branching paths you can choose from. If you can manage to stick to higher paths, you'll usually get to the goal faster but of course these are the more difficult routes as they require precision timing of leaping from platform to platform and bouncing off enemies with the right speed to get to higher ground. Overall, if you grew up playing classic Sonic games, this is gonna be a major nostalgia factor for you.

Anyone who has played Sonic Colors or Sonic Unleashed (the cool, speedy daytime levels.  Not the clunky, ridiculous werehog night time levels) will recognize gameplay for the Modern variation. Fast-paced action, speeding through levels with a third-person perspective following Sonic from behind the back, holding down the speed boost button and just barreling through enemies and obstacles at blinding speed. Modern gameplay is all about speed. As stated above the camera is usually behind Sonic while you send him forward through all the obstacles the level has to offer, but there are many points where the game will change to a 2D, side scrolling view similar to Classic Sonic's levels. Platforming is abundant in the modern levels but the style is different than classic. Modern Sonic has access to a homing attack, found in all of his games since Sonic Adventure, that locks on to the nearest enemy, spring or lever when you jump and with another push of the jump button Sonic shoots himself over to the target. This plays a major role in the modern levels but I can't emphasize enough that these levels are all about speed. Some of the best visual aspects of the entire game come from using the Boost through a modern level and just being amazed at the colors and scenery as they fly by.

Now that you know the difference between the two versions, this is where things get cool.  There are 9 Zones to play through each covering 3 sections of the Sonic timeline; Classic, Dreamcast/Gamecube, and Modern Day, and you get to do them as both versions of Sonic. Green Hill Zone, famous for being the first Sonic level ever, will be playable as Classic Sonic in 2D old-school glory, and then you get to play it from a whole new perspective as Modern Sonic seeing the same enemies and environments but with a twist. In similar fashion, some of the memorable later levels like City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 can now be playable in 2D mode with basic platforming and obstacles both old and new to cross your path. Remember the famous GUN truck chase scene from City Escape? It's back, with a vengeance. One of the coolest things about this game is playing through an old-school level (like Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic 2) as Modern Sonic and seeing how everything is familiar yet appears from a different angle. Another feature of the two versions is one of this game's highest selling points: the music.  If you play a level in its original form (old-school level in Classic mode, Modern Day level in Modern mode) then the levels have their original songs playing which DEFINITELY kicks up the nostalgia. But if you play on the opposite style, the Sonic Team has made remixes of all the songs to play in the background. If you thought "Escape From the City" was catchy before, wait until you hear the techno-ish remix. Or listen to the smooth jazzy sound of the new Green Hill Zone. You also have the ability to customize which songs play during a level. As you unlock more songs throughout the game, you can play them in the background of any level. Sonic 3's Angel Island Zone playing during Modern Green Hill? Sure. Why not?

The difficulty level of this game actually shocked me. As would be expected, the first few levels are relatively easy, and don't require too much skill to complete but as I got into the later levels (some of the Dreamcast levels and even a few Modern Day stages) I found myself legitimately challenged to find the right path and make it to the end without dying. I even got a Game Over a few times! It's definitely not unbearable and the escalated challenge level was a welcome change of pace in the late game. Overall, the game IS relatively easy though, and the campaign is short, maybe lasting around 5-7 hours. Despite the short campaign the game has a ridiculous amount of replay value in the form of collectibles and alternate paths. Every Zone (both classic and modern) has 5 hidden red rings to find, each of which unlocks a piece of concept artwork or a song from Sonic's vast library of games.  Most of the time these rings involve sticking to the more difficult high paths as I mentioned earlier, or finding a hidden route that every level contains. Each Zone also has 5 Challenge Gates to play through with various categories of things to try. Some of the challenges include racing one of Sonic's friends while avoiding obstacles, extra enemies, or collecting a certain number of rings before the goal. Other challenges test your skills with using various items and power-ups, and some are just speed runs to get to the end faster than usual. Everytime you complete a Challenge Gate you also unlock another concept artwork or soundtrack song. So let's do some math here: Two Sonics, nine Zones, each with 5 Challenge levels...that's 18 unique levels (not including 3 rival battles and 4 boss fights) all containing 5 hidden red rings, and 45 challenges for both Sonics to play through.  As if that wasn't enough replay value already, everything I just named has a Ranking system when you clear the level. If you got through the level in a quick time you'll be awarded an A-rank. If you do so without losing a life you can get an S-rank. Going back through the game and getting S-Ranks on every level is a daunting task only for the true completionist.

The game is not without flaws though. As stated earlier the Campaign is extremely short, so if you're not into replaying old stages and getting collectibles, you might just wanna rent this or go to a friend's house to try it out.  Also something that hardcore Sonic fans will be disappointed in is the use of Chaos Emeralds in this game.  There's no special stage where you have to pour your blood, sweat and tears into the system to earn them.  You get one everytime you beat a boss. Lame, right?  Major loss of respect for Sonic Team on that one.  Another thing I didn't like is the final boss. No spoilers here, but the game is great up until that. The music for this game is extremely awesome as I've mentioned, and the sound effects are spot on, but during some of the boss fights the overused voice clips saying the same five things over and over again DOES get really annoying.

In conclusion, Sonic Generations is a must-play title for anyone who has ever loved Sonic in their life, whether it was his early years as a platformer, or the more recent games as a speed demon, this game has a little something for everyone.  And if you're a completionist or Trophy/Achievement Hunter, Generations does NOT disappoint.


Gameplay: 9.0 - Classic levels give an awesome throwback to games of old with 2D platforming, while the Modern levels will blow you away with speed and power.

Graphics/Presentation: 10 - The recreation of old levels with new graphics is beautiful, and the beauty of seeing newer levels fly by you is awesome. There are parts that will take your breath away and make your eyes water from staring too long. Never once did I think "they could have made this look better."

Story: 6.0 - This game is about gameplay, not necessarily story.  With a short campaign, a lackluster story, and a horrible final boss, this is probably one of the game's few weak points.

Sound/Music: 9.5 - The music in this game is simply fantastic. The old music brought back, the new remixes adding a flare of style, plus the ability to collect songs from old Sonic games and re-use them is just awesome. The voice-overs really aren't THAT bad through most of the game until you get to the latter bosses, and a few of the challenges. Yes, I know it's a Homing Shot. (This will make sense when you play through the game :D)

Replay Value: 7.0  - Not gonna lie, I get bored with replay value sometimes. If it isn't DESIGNED for replay value (like the Smash Bros. series or Halo) I usually don't bother. But this game has me coming back for more. Unfortunately the replay value does have a finite amount of gameplay to it, there are a lot of opportunities to strive for an S-Rank, but it's also much easier to S-rank in this game than previous ones. But for a collector/completionist, this game will keep you busy for a while.

Overall Score:  41.5/50