Sonic is cursed.
The first thing you'll notice when you pop this in is the graphics are pretty darn good for the Wii. This is certainly one of the game's strengths, and each level looks fantastic. It is a shame that many of the cut scenes are just pictures; the video cut scenes are very well done.
I wish I could say the same thing about other aspects. The music, for the most part, is awful. Many of the levels feature techno/rap style music that feels very out of place. What is the problem with instrumental music? A few people may enjoy the music in this game, but I could not stand it.
The voice acting also feels out of place, with many characters sounding bizarre. I hear this game's voice acting is an improvement over previous games, so if that is true, at least they're moving in the right direction.
The multiplayer is practically unplayable. It is an assortment of mini-games, with a multitude just flat-out not working, and others with terrible control. I personally did not consider it a negative against the game; I just wondered why it is there at all. If they were not going to make it remotely acceptable, they shouldn't have had it in the game.
What I have mentioned up to this point seems to be accepted by the majority. The game play seems to be the controversial element: some love it, some hate it. I can understand both sides, there are design elements to this game that are mind-boggling, and some that allow the game to shine.
The game uses the motion control of the Wiimote to move Sonic. The control is what most people complain about, but it is not the idea of motion control itself that hurts this game. What hurts this game is that the gamer starts with poor control and speed, and has to level up through an RPG system, so that they can finally earn good control and speed at the end. I could appreciate such a system if the gamer was moving from good control and speed to great control and speed. However, the game starts Sonic off with the speed and agility of a turtle. The gamer is forced to play through most of the game in this state until they finally earn the quick Sonic they were expecting. Such design is inexplicable, and very hard for most gamers to forgive. At halfway through the game and still with poor control, I was very close to selling the game back. I ended up keeping the game, but I know others who were not so forgiving.
You will also find that the game is on-rails: that is, Sonic cannot deviate off the paths provided. This wouldn't be that big of a problem if it weren't for the lack of other rails to give the game some sort of exploration. The stages are almost entirely linear; if you've played a level once, you've seen all it has to offer. This is compounded with the problem that the game only has 7 full-size stages. There are a few smaller stages and plenty of challenges, but these are not the focus of the game. To design a game with only seven major levels, all of which are linear, greatly diminishes the replay value of the game.
Despite all of this, the game manages to be a lot of fun at times. At its peak, Sonic and the Secret Rings has a good balance between speed and timing that creates an exciting and challenging experience. There are power-ups that allow the gamer to speed quickly through the long stretches and slow down during the tricky parts. The challenges are varied, and although most are not mandatory, they add depth to the game beyond the standard levels.
Such is a glimpse of what Sonic and the Secret Rings could have been. It is unfortunately blundered by poor controls and linearity that ultimately provide a diminished experience. The result is a package that can't be recommended at the full price, and should only be played if the gamer has the patience to get through the game with bad control to play it once more with good control.