ArcaneCrystal
2001
treasure hunting stages rule, true precursors to botw. speed levels are simpler but also the controls are better, sonic doesn't instantly go flying off in any direction. they got more confident with the cutscenes, game looks good and classic soundtrack.
1998
great aesthetic, really cool and ambitious level design. wish the camera didn't get stuck so much and that the controls were better. it's so easy for sonic to just go flying in any direction while the levels are asking for slower considered movement
2022
cool aesthetic. really drills down to the heart of completing a checklist and watching the numbers go up. i wish it had any friction at all, or ever forced me to make difficult choices. i ended up feeling more like a gig worker rising and grinding my way out of poverty than someone struggling to afford my life saving medication. even when i thought i was making bad choices, the game always gave me a convenient way out or presented me with an incredibly generous opportunity. but the early hours when i still felt a little stress and pressure were great.
2021
they made metroid 5 dude. they made the best metroid game
this is open world gaming to me. sometimes you gotta be a 17 year old japanese teenager who speaks like a 40 year old man and spends all day smoking in a cafe and reading the brothers kamarazov