Sonic 06 was one of the first games I purchased for my PS3. I picked it up for about $20 from Gamestop a few days after purchasing my PS3 not knowing what to expect. I know all about the negativity surrounding the game so I was a little skeptical, but I thought I'd give it a chance and return the game if I hated it.
I was very pleasantly surprised with how fun Sonic 06 is. My first impression of the game when starting up Sonic's story and running around the city as Sonic was: "Wow, this has REALLY great game feel." Sonic's run animation is nice and smooth and he controls nicely. I really like the way the controls feel in this game. When you move the analog stick to make your character turn, they turn very quickly making navigation feel nice. I feel like I have complete control because the characters I control move and react really quickly. At first these controls may seem kind of "loose," but once you get used to them, you'll find that they're very intuitive and easy to use. The game has a somewhat steep learning curve because the controls feel different from the controls in other Sonic games, but I think it's a welcome change.
What makes this game great is how it's reminiscent of Sonic Adventure 1. It has adventure fields, multiple stories with different characters that interconnect, multiple variations of the same level to offer replay value and a final chapter that's unlocked once the main story arcs are all completed. I'm so happy they brought back adventure fields. That was my favorite part of Sonic Adventure. Having the adventure fields to explore is so much fun. There would be some secret items and secret areas to discover. I loved it. Bringing back hub worlds in Sonic 06 is my favorite addition. Having that freedom again to run around an open world is excellent. There are side missions in the hub worlds/adventure fields that offer some replay value. And when you're bored, there's nothing more fun than exploring the city.
But the bulk of the game isn't spent in the hub worlds. The game's focus is on the levels. If you liked Sonic Adventure 1 and/or 2, you'll like this game because the gameplay style is very similar. The levels consist of typical platforming action and some minor combat.
The thing I hear people complain about the most is that they don't like how Sonic controls. As I said before, the controls don't take very long to get used to. Once you get passed that, this game is loads of fun. Every game has rules and patterns that you need to LEARN from in order to get better, and Sonic 06 is no exception.
The plot of the game is painfully sub-par though. That's all I need to say. Feel free to ignore the plot and skip the cutscenes.
I feel like I need to address the "issue" of the glitches this game has. It's no secret that this game is unfinished and rushed. They had a constraining deadline to meet. But if you play through the game the way it's MEANT TO BE PLAYED, you'll experience practically NO game-breaking glitches. It's very easy to find these game-breaking glitches only if you TRY to find them. In fact, these glitches are actually pretty fun to exploit. So I don't even see them as a bad thing.
Overall, there is plenty of fun to be had playing Sonic 06. Most gamers were simply disappointed because it didn't live up to the hype. Don't play it with the mindset: "This game is going to suck." Maybe you'll enjoy it more if you appreciate the game for what it is. This game is a simple platformer that works well and is just plain fun.