An old Hedgehog tears off his life support and goes full throttle in this latest adventure.
SEGA finally got their act together with Sonic Generations, the game that celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the first Sonic game. After the disaster that was Sonic 2006 and the disappointment that was half of Sonic Unleashed, Generations combines the gameplay of the the three-dimensional "modern" Sonic games with the two dimensional "classic" Sonic games by bringing together two versions of the hog from different times.
The story of the game is rather simple for a modern Sonic game, even more than Sonic Colors'. A mysterious monster decides to screw with the timeline of all the Sonic games, turning the world white and transforming Sonic's pals into cement. Modern Sonic meets his younger, strangely silent form and they both agree to save all of time and space by... well, running. Despite the simplicity of the story, which is actually a nice breather considering the horrendously complicated plot of Sonic 2006 and the surprisingly dark plot of Sonic Unleashed, the story is a bit too bare for an anniversary title.
Apparently, the main focus of SEGA's production was the gameplay, which is probably the most hectic and exhilarating experience in the series. The trademark loops and hills are there, but instead of the the entire game being a sort of tunnel, like in Unleashed, there are now multiple paths for the Sonics to traverse on, the difficulty of which depends on how skillful you are with them. It is a rewarding experience to find a nice shortcut that contains good loot, such as the evasive Red Rings, which will unlock bonus pieces in the museum section of the Hub World.
Since the game is pretty much divided by the two Sonics, this review will discuss each one separately.
Classic Sonic, the chubby, younger version that everyone seems to love, is restricted to a completely two-dimensional plane as he was in the original series on the Genesis. His stages tend to be a bit harder than modern Sonic's due to a gimped jump and some slope issues, but they are all unique in their own ways. This Sonic also exclusively has the Spindash move, which has received a considerable upgrade from the old series as he now takes off like a rocket at full charge. Although it can be hard to control at first, it can be used to blast through stages and get some nice enemy combos.
Modern Sonic, the skinnier, green eyed version that everyone seems to hate for no good reason, retains similar gameplay he had in Sonic Unleashed and Colors, transitioning from 2D to 3D seamlessly. The modern stages seem to be the main selling point of the game, lavishly showing off beautiful environments remade from series, new and old. The graphics here are stunning, even though a normal player will probably only see them for a split second. Modern Sonic tears through the stage using the Supersonic Boost move, which allows Sonic the break the sound barrier. Unlike Unleashed, the stages aren't as dependent on the Boost and a mix of good old fashioned platforming is thrown in to good effect, even in the 3D sections, which is something that would have been nice to see in Sonic Colors.
The boss fights are unlocked after playing the main stages. Each one is extremely unique, and usually require a change of strategy throughout different segments of the fights. The rival fights are also exhilarating and fast-paced as you race and beat senseless an enemy hedgehog, although the point of some of the rival fights in the main story is questionable.
Skill Sets are introduced into the game, leeching off of Call of Duty's customization of weapon sets. They can be extremely useful in-game, such as quickening upward ascension or being able to boost for an infinite amount of time. Abilities, such as Elemental Shields, can be unlocked via side missions that extend the overall length and enjoyment of the game, but can be frustrating at some points too.
All in all, the game is rather short, and a player could probably beat it in one sitting, but the game is very replayable because of the large amounts of in game goodies, such as the Red Ring unlockables and ludicrous amounts of side missions. It is worth a try and if you are a Sonic fan, then it is definitely recommended that you buy this game.