Several gameplay problems interrupt the fun racing in Sonic Riders
- Plenty of unlockable characters
- Gameplay offers some fun
Negative
- Frustrating and cheap AI
- Mediocre story
- Some annoyances in the gameplay can make the game a chore
The first thing you'll say when you first see the game is why Sonic is riding hover boards instead of using his feet. To find that out you'll have to start and play a fairly mediocre storyline which is filled with no charm or fun at all. There are many things in the game which need a ton more work and others which can be slightly improved to render the game more playable.
The story is boring, unimaginative and fairly mediocre. Sonic and friends are searching for the chaos emeralds when the stumble into a competition that whoever wins gets a chaos emerald. Sonic and co. have to ride hover boards and face off against new rivals in order to retrieve the chaos emerald. There is an impressive cinematic at the beginning, but the rest of the cutscenes need a ton of work. The story uses several different characters on different tracks. But this mode can be infuriating just as the game is. Most of the objectives require you to come in first place, but with that kind of AI it is a real chore.
The gameplay itself could have been a lot of fun, but as it is it's not. First of all the AI is terribly cheap and cheat all the time, sometimes you won't be notice. Their comebacks are unbelievable and they surpass without passing by you. There is the fact that the level design has plenty of shortcuts and obstacles to slow you down. The game is entirely played on hover boards. You need to accumulate speed which is shown in the air tank in the bottom right of the screen. The air tank decreases when you are using boast or are not gaining speed by performing tricks or using speed boasts. Some minor annoyances in the gameplay make the game irritating. There is stupid thing that you may require to pit to regain speed which kills the sense of speed and pacing. When the air tank is low or empty, your player will run on foot giving a severe disadvantage, and this sequence is terrible. Speed can be gained once more by pitting or gaining speed.
On the bright side there are plenty of characters to play with and unlock. The down side is that you have to play the story to unlock some fan favorites. The track design is interesting like the turbulence which is a slightly good idea. The tricks aren't very well thought out though and seem like an afterthought. There is the fact that the game doesn't even bother to tell you how to tell as well. Track design gives you plenty of shortcuts and if you don't know how to take advantage, you're toasted. Opponents take very single advantage in the track which will sometimes make them play dirty. The level of difficulty is totally messed up most especially in the story mode. Some races are cheese cake easy and others are mundanely hard and frustrating. Some sort of drifting can be performed to quickly take turns.
The graphics are a mixed bag. On one hand the game looks vivid with great production values, and on the other hand the track design is disappointing. The frame rate is pretty smooth, considering the game's sense of speed is good. The production values are a bit overused, and it's easy to notice that the graphics aren't great but it's still a colorful game. The sound section isn't much better. Cheesy soundtrack but its Sonic standard nonetheless, good voices acting and a slightly annoying announcer. Sound section doesn't stand out, but for a game from a source this is forgivable.
There are some multiplayer and other modes to boast. But in the end Sonic Riders falls in the category of fans only. It provides fan service and that for fans it's a good thing. But this is the problem with games that are based on movies, anime and cartoons. There should be fun as well as style and substance. Sonic Riders is frustrating, filled with cheating AI and minor level issues. Any Sonic fan should hitch a ride, but any non-serious Sonic fan should find something else to do.
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Graphics = 7.2
The game is quite colorful with good production values. But the track design needs a lot of work.
Sound = 5.5
Soundtrack is generic. Voice acting passes. Female commenter may get on your nerves.
Presentation = 6.5
Runs pretty smoothly considering the speed of the game. Cinematics look really good, but the normal cutscenes are forgettable. Camera and controls work well. Could most definitely use a tutorial.
Gameplay = 6.0
Terribly cheap and frustrating AI ruins the fun. The gameplay as some moments of fun but some other issues jump in. Track design always the AI to make too much comebacks. The game occasionally runs so fast you'll barely get any time to think before you act.
Story = 5.2
The single-player stories aren't any good. Plain story. Plenty of fan service though. Maybe you'll like playing with a friend.
OVERALL = 58 / 100
Several gameplay problems interrupt the fun racing in Sonic Riders.