Sonic Adventure 2 is my favorite Sonic game of all time. Sonic Team saved the best for last for Sega's final game system
I played Sonic Adventure, and it was fun, but there were a few wishes I had that Sonic Adventure didn't have. Some of my wishes were granted when Sonic Adventure 2 came out. This game amazed me when I first played Sonic Adventure 2 in the summer of 2001. It certainly made my summer a great one thanks to some of the fantastic things found here. Most of the gameplay elements are superb and in some ways are improvements from Sonic Adventure. The action stages have tons of interesting paths and areas that can be very special to any action fan. SA2 has Speed stages, for Sonic and the new character, Shadow, Mech games, for Tails and Eggman in their machines, and Treasure Hunting stages for Knuckles and Rouge. The best ones are probably the speed and mech ones, since they are action packed and pretty fast too. Treasure Hunting is also pretty good, but it does have a few drawbacks. Sonic Adventure 2 also introduces brand new techniques for each game mode. In speed stages, you can now grind on rails, swing on poles, and summersault. In the Mech games, while shooting and destroying objects, you can also upgrade you machines to use them to get to certain places. The Treasure Hunting stages haven’t changed much since Sonic Adventure, so there aren’t really any dramatic differences. In addition, now the Chao Gardens are even better then it was in Sonic Adventure. You can take your chao to school and give it various Chaos Drives or Animals to change your chao. And unlike Sonic Adventure, there are Light and Dark chao, which your chao can change into depending how you take care of it. Also unlike Sonic Adventure, there’s a 2P mode that’s mildly fun for you and your friends. There are several different game modes, so there should be something worth playing for you and your friend. Sonic Adventure 2 has so many interesting aspects that make it one of the best Dreamcast games ever made.
Graphics:
These are some of the best graphics I've ever seen on the Dreamcast. They are a huge improvement from Sonic Adventure. The frame rate now runs at 60, which is perfect for an extremely action packed game like this. The Characters are really well detailed, and don't show off too much blockyness. The only problem is that the frame rate sometimes slows down at some cutscenes, during intense conditions, and during the 2P mode. Still though, Sonic Adventure 2 has big environments, colorful textures, and polygons so well detailed, they make Sonic Adventure 2 one of the flashiest Dreamcast games ever shown. This game doesn't look as great as 2004 standards, but it looked outstanding back in 2001.
Sound:
The best modern Sonic soundtrack out there. The rock songs are so memorable, and the techno music fits the game perfectly. The Voice acting from Sonic Adventure is back, but better then ever. Sonic Adventure had only a fair voice acting, because some characters did not put in enough effort on their lines. Also, Knuckles from Sonic Adventure had a lifeless voice. But this time, Knuckles gets a new voice, and its better then the original. And the other actors actually put in a better effort on their lines then before. I am truly impressed with the game's sound work. It's so legendary in the Sonic Series
Conclusion:
This is one of my favorite video games of all time. As of now, no game has ever replaced the goodness in Sonic Adventure 2. I have way too many memories with this game. It showed me that video games can be very addictive that you can’t ever put the controller down. If you’re thinking about getting a Dreamcast and if you are a Platformer fan, give Sonic Adventure 2 a try. I'm sure you'll like it, because I loved it.
Pros:
-Improved Speed action gameplay from Sonic Adventure.
-Better music and voice acting
-One of the most pretty-looking games on the Dreamcast.
-Semi-touching story
-Better Chao raising system
Cons:
-Occasional frame rate slowdowns in the 2P mode and during some cutscenes.