this series is all about asking simple questions
for the first one the dev asked : what if sonic 2D was cool, and then went on to answer that question.

then for the second game he dared ask : what if sonic 3D was not only cool but functional too, and then went on to make an amazing game that its so responsive and balls to the wall fun that i still cannot fathon it actually exists.

then the crazy dickhead went on and asked : what if spark 2 was epic ? and went on to make one of the best games i've played.

somehow its even more responsive than the second game, its a perfect sonic game, it doesn't restrain you, it doesn't scare itself and lock you into a straightfoward momentum or a pseudo game cutscene, or jank you into clunky deaths that were never your fault.
no, this is a concise, straightfoward and confident game that will deliver mechanics you can rely on, and challenges to put those mechanics to the test, and not once did they fail me, even at the absolute gauntlet that is the last level (that you gotta beat with limited lives, for once i like limited lives).
story wise it tries to hold itself but you can clearly see the bonkers going on in a larger scale, but this time its a bit more well developed, even if it still goes dragon sonic and the sevel jutsu balls revengeance, i love this game, if this game was a man, id let it go to bed with me.
as a bonus the dev even ported all levels from spark 2 into this one with all the perks of having a upgraded mechanic and movements, the delight of replaying these is unmatched

are there problems ? sure, not being able to remake the keyboard controls is silly, forcing some levels in order to prgress, lack of last power ups, a not so great last boss.

but i'm willing to look these as just rough parts of a diamond, this is it, the perfect sonic game. no, spark made its own identity, now sonic has to keep up if he wanna prove he has quality over spark

I'm no Sonic stickler. I appreciate the hedgehog and his endeavors... but MAN, if it was a competition, this game would kick Sonic's butt. As far as fast-paced 3D platformers go, Spark the Electric Jester 3 is, while not perfect, certainly awesome. It has both speed and spectacle without sacrificing engaging gameplay.

Gameplay:
As mentioned, Spark the Electric Jester 3 is a fast-paced 3D platformer. I haven't played the previous games in the series, but it does play a lot like Sonic Adventure 2's Sonic and Shadow levels with some modern Sonic game design philosophy sprinkled in. This game borrows a lot from Sonic. You got homing attacks, speed boosters, a spindash knock-off, bounce pads, grind rails, and probably something else I'm forgetting. Sure, it's derivative, but the game adds onto these things to make them its own. Platforming is very smooth thanks to a momentum system that feels natural and a moveset that is useful. I always felt in control of my movement, even in the fastest sections of the game. It's good stuff, and combined with the level design, I had tons of fun.

Most levels have you running from point A to point B with some really fun and creative obstacles to overcome. Some levels have cool gimmicks while others have you on a time limit, or both. The level design is also pretty open, so there's tons of different paths to travel on. Reaching a goal isn't the only type of objective in the levels though. There's a few that have you running around, finding enough medals before time runs out. They sound like they'd be boring in concept, but in reality, I found them to be pretty neat levels that focused on platforming and exploration. There's vehicles levels too which are ehhh. The car was nearly unusable at times. The ship was more consistant but still not great. There's also combat focused levels that have you defeating waves of enemies or fighting bosses. Combat is scattered throughout normal levels too. The combat system is alright. It's kind of arbitrary, but it at least does enough to not feel like a slog. Throughout the levels, there's a currency to collect which you can spend to upgrade your abilities. There's not a whole lot that's done with this, but it's still significant enough to mention.

Story:
I honestly do not know how to reasonably sum up this game's story. It is actually wild. I don't know why a game with a fast yellow guy in a Marx hat had to fly off the rails and into outer space, but it did. It got so cheesy at times that I actually skipped a couple of the cutscenes. There's some crazy moments that feel like they come out of nowhere. It's uhh... an experience. I assume the story's tone might make more sense if you've played the previous games.

Sound and Visuals:
I really liked the sound design. There was some fun sound effects. The soundtrack was also pretty sweet. I'd probably listen to some of the songs on their own.

The visuals were pretty great overall! The aesthetic is colorful with some great stylization. The environments looked totally awe-inspiring at times. There's quite a few fully animated cutscenes, and even some that switch up the art style. I also thought the character designs were pretty cool, though there were some that were weird enough to make me laugh. As a whole, this game's visual style is very distinct and well done. I liked it.

Conclusion:
If you want more Sonic Adventure-esqe gameplay in your life, then Spark the Electric Jester 3 is a must-play. With its well-crafted levels, great sense of momentum, and polished presentation, you'll probably have a good time. I know I certainly did. It's an easy recommendation from me.

Pretty big improvement over 2. Enemies have coloured lights to signal attacks ala Metal Gear Rising, levels are longer and more interesting, tons of bonus levels and new gimmicks, and everything flows alot better. However, gripes including getting caught on tiny bits of elevation rather then simply stepping over them (presumably because of how loops work), enemy doors killing flow, and some difficulty following twisting paths due to spark not turning very easily.

Also the story makes no bloody sense lmao

Holy shit, i was not expecting this much of an improvement. I was never able to get into the Sonic games, but i did enjoy the Spark series. Spark 1 was fun but not my thing, Spark 2 was super janky but i had a lot more fun with it than with 1.

Spark 3 is amazing and i consider myself a fan now instead of a curious tourist trying something outside of my confort zone.
The controls feel SOOO much better, the levels are long and fun, the combat is way better and the parry actually requires timing now, it polished every problem Spark 2 had.

I need to mention the story, i never cared about it in the previous games (and i still kinda don't care) but it becomes really crazy and entretaining near the end and it was so fun to watch, i need to see what happens next.

I'm definetly playing Spark 4 when it comes out, in the meantime maybe i'll see if i can find a Sonic game that "clicks" with me like this one did.

Another game in the now prolific "indie games made largely or entirely buy one guy appealing to fans of a specific subgenre that manage to blow every other game in that subgenre out of the water because they get everything right that no one else seems to be able to" genre. I'm working on a better name for it.

Spark 3 is an action platformer in the "high speed momentum based 3d platformer" genre. Basically, it's inspired by 3D sonic, but it's good. Really, insanely good.

Levels are all enormous playgrounds with boosters, shuttle loops and springs, but they still have good conveyance to the end and are designed for you to find the fastest routes to the end. Spark can dash, jump and homing attack from enemy to enemy to gain speed. There's also a technique where, if you homing attack and boost right at the same time, you gain absurd speed and can sail over entire level sections. It's so fun. This game was designed for you to break it apart and find big skips.

The sense of speed and momentum in this game is so incredible and yet, you never feel out of control. Spark isn't slippery or floaty or any of that nonsense, he does just what you tell him to, it's remarkable.

Throw in some abilities like an extra boost, a float ability that extends your jump, and a few others and you can beat some levels in under a minute.

Shoutout to the combat, too. There's inspiration from DMC here on display. It's very light but you can straight up chain light and heavy combos, buffer special attacks, air juggle enemies and bosses, and mix in your dashes and special abilities to further mix things up and help deal with bosses. It's remarkable how fun the combat is, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much, coming into a Sonic inspired platformer.

The dev knows it too, considering he added a Bloody Palace style mode where you fight all the enemies and bosses. It rules.

This game rules. Play it.

One of the greatest 3D Sonic games I've ever played.
Spark the Electric Jester 3 is something I've always wanted Sonic Adventure 2/Sonic Herores to actually play like.
No gimmicks, no weird physics and controls, no strange decisions. Just faced paced running through amazing well designed levels.

This is an overall improvement from the 2nd game, which this game includes all the levels to as a bonus. So if you just wanna play for the gameplay, skip the 2nd one and go straight to this (unless you care for the story).

My only gripe, like the first 2 is the fan-fiction writing story this has. But honestly, that's not what this game is for.

That sure was a story, huh? I like how it goes off the walls and the cutscene budget was vastly improved from 2's.

The gameplay's like Sonic Adventure 2, but with beat 'em up combat that still isn't great my hands hurt from mashing X and Y, but that's vastly made up for by the speed gameplay being so thrilling. It lets you do whacky things that don't feel intended like use things that'd usually have collision removed work in your favor, makes you feel like you're playing a game rather than be guided on a tour, and it's some of the coolest feelings when you navigate your own way around. Give me more of that in Spark 4 that's the stuff dreams are made of.