A genuine standout in a series of dubious quality. From the start of the game until its' end, it knows exactly what it wants to be. It wants to really show you what Sonic's capable of as a franchise and even a work of art, and mostly delivers with 100% sincerity. The game heavily encourages replayability almost to a fault, as beginners will most certainly have a difficult time with it and may feel like dropping it.

Despite all of that, though, this game is something you want to really feel out rather than jog through in a day like any other Sonic game. The gameplay is like a craft to master, and even gameplay clips can make it extremely clear who cares about the game and who doesn't.

The daytime stages, still have yet to be outdone in my eyes, even with Sonic Generations attempting to take them to a new level. Every setpiece, every loop, every strand of grass feels like it belongs there, like you're really traversing through the world of Sonic, and that you're using the environment as your obstacle course. The momentary glimpses of beauty you get really show what the PS3/XBOX 360 are made of, like the swirling grind rail of Apotos' sea, the climbing up and down of the clock tower of Spagonia's captiol, the great walls and dragon statues of Chun-nan, it's all meticulously thought out better than any Sonic game that has come out after, even Mania, as bold as that seems.

The Werehog's gameplay is also something that is very misunderstood. I wish the game had encouraged more diversity within the combat, because there is A LOT you can do with what's given to you as you level your stats up. A fully leveled Werehog is one of the most fun gameplay styles Sonic Team has ever created and it's a fucking shame it was never expanded upon due to the backlash it received at the time. The level design is very much an obstacle course, but rather than traversing thousands of miles in seconds, it's more about climbing the rooftops and slashing your way through. A vast amount of the slower parts always have a faster workaround, albeit with less of a reward, given the somewhat strict ranking system for level completion. I would love to see a remaster that gives a 30% speed boost to the Werehog, at the very least.

The hub worlds are also extremely easy to navigate and can really add to the feel of the world you're saving. The medal collecting is bullshit and locks the pre-final stage behind a HUGE wall with a number on it.

Overall, this is what I would absolutely call the best 3D Sonic game. It's got the most polish, the most heart, and the highest stakes. Would recommend to anyone who'd be up for a good platformer.

Contrary to my upcoming AVGN-clone series' episode on this, I don't entirely hate this game. I think this game absolutely needed another half-year of polishing. The game's hard and sometimes straight up unfair (snakes falling from the sky, anyone?), but I see a lot of ambition to make something really campy and charming. Lester the Unlikely is a game that chews you up and spits you out, but sadly not in the Castlevania way. It's much more rigid and frustrating to slog through, with controls that you CAN get used to, but you would just have more fun picking up any other game from that year. The music is forgettable at worst, and kind of memorable at best. I enjoyed seeing Lester get a confidence boost and gain an ACTUAL WEAPON, I enjoyed the feeling of finally getting a level over with, and even some cool stuff like the jaguar chase scene and the absolutely FUCKIN' BONKERS ending, but the game simply isn't worth trudging through. Watch a playthrough if your curiosity peaks.