I'm taking a deep breath and wiping the blood from my wall and forehead. Holy fuck.
First of all, let me say, at this moment, I don't HATE it. This is the first Sonic game I've ever played more than halfway through, much less to the end. I know only the barest bones of the franchise; I know what fans and haters say. Basically, it seems the quality of the franchise looks like unstable stock market charts. Up, up, UP, meteorite crash, middling, sadness, depression, spike!, UP!, trapdoor to hell. So, when people say that this is an anniversary present to the fanbase, a loving tribute to a long-running series, I can only assume that Sega made this game kinda shitty to also pay tribute to the shitty games they made when they were running the franchise into the ground. I'm being harsh, so let me sing a couple praises. The music jams. It's not my particular style, but it is undeniable how fun and infectious it is. To have classic and modern Sonic side-by-side was bold and BOUND to alienate somebody, but they crafted great levels for both. (For the record, I had more consistent fun with modern Sonic and it wasn't even close 😬) I wish I knew the series better so I could appreciate the remixed stages and songs. And to make these stages with all these branching paths and alternate routes is SO impressive. A couple hours in, I realized what this game was. "Easy to play, difficult to master." How exhilirating it must be to know these maps by heart and to fly around them at breakneck speed for flawless finishes.
I just don't ever see it for me. It's too frustrating. Right when I get a little confidence and start booking along, I feel like I run smack into an unavoidable obstacle that's just there to troll me. FUCK, that's so bad to keep derailing my pace. And speaking of pace-killing, the optional challenges were the worst mixed bag. Some were really innovative and interesting, but others were just mind-numbingly dull and brain-crippling. I did the first 30, but I completely phoned in the rest and did the bare minimum. The game has a terrible habit of explaining the SAME thing over and over and over and over and over within a stage. The repetitious dialogue cues make me want to rip my ears off throw them down the sewer. The final boss was the most egregious of all. I probably heard "it looks like a homing shot" 19 times in 4-5 minutes. Do they think I've been lobotomized? Am I playing Playstation with Alzheimer's where I need constant reminders of what's happening to me? Did nobody test this out and realize how grating it is? UGH.
I'm not sorry I played this. Despite the whining, there were times I had a blast. When I was on a roll, it felt incredible. But, I ain't playing it again. One and done!
First of all, let me say, at this moment, I don't HATE it. This is the first Sonic game I've ever played more than halfway through, much less to the end. I know only the barest bones of the franchise; I know what fans and haters say. Basically, it seems the quality of the franchise looks like unstable stock market charts. Up, up, UP, meteorite crash, middling, sadness, depression, spike!, UP!, trapdoor to hell. So, when people say that this is an anniversary present to the fanbase, a loving tribute to a long-running series, I can only assume that Sega made this game kinda shitty to also pay tribute to the shitty games they made when they were running the franchise into the ground. I'm being harsh, so let me sing a couple praises. The music jams. It's not my particular style, but it is undeniable how fun and infectious it is. To have classic and modern Sonic side-by-side was bold and BOUND to alienate somebody, but they crafted great levels for both. (For the record, I had more consistent fun with modern Sonic and it wasn't even close 😬) I wish I knew the series better so I could appreciate the remixed stages and songs. And to make these stages with all these branching paths and alternate routes is SO impressive. A couple hours in, I realized what this game was. "Easy to play, difficult to master." How exhilirating it must be to know these maps by heart and to fly around them at breakneck speed for flawless finishes.
I just don't ever see it for me. It's too frustrating. Right when I get a little confidence and start booking along, I feel like I run smack into an unavoidable obstacle that's just there to troll me. FUCK, that's so bad to keep derailing my pace. And speaking of pace-killing, the optional challenges were the worst mixed bag. Some were really innovative and interesting, but others were just mind-numbingly dull and brain-crippling. I did the first 30, but I completely phoned in the rest and did the bare minimum. The game has a terrible habit of explaining the SAME thing over and over and over and over and over within a stage. The repetitious dialogue cues make me want to rip my ears off throw them down the sewer. The final boss was the most egregious of all. I probably heard "it looks like a homing shot" 19 times in 4-5 minutes. Do they think I've been lobotomized? Am I playing Playstation with Alzheimer's where I need constant reminders of what's happening to me? Did nobody test this out and realize how grating it is? UGH.
I'm not sorry I played this. Despite the whining, there were times I had a blast. When I was on a roll, it felt incredible. But, I ain't playing it again. One and done!