What happened? Is Eggman or the Hard Boiled Heavies the villain? What is that gem? Why can it warp reality? Why do we go from Studiopolis into a TV to get to the 4th zone which jist fades to black for the 5th zone.
and can we not bring up the true final boss? That.was a mess. The tweaks the old zones I hilariously think are the best bits. They disnt get the levels right especially the new ones. The 5th zonw is just dull.īut here's the thing. I love the music and "almost" all the visuals. And 2 of them just feel like ROM Hack levels. I like the old zones a hell of a lot more than the new ones! Im not a fan of how they completely shift bwtween acts. It works perfectly well, however, and the squashed display isn’t as much of a hindrance as you may think.
It’s also a shame there’s no online multiplayer Competitive mode, which apes Sonic 2’s split-screen races, is offline only. Leaderboards are included, but it doesn’t appear that you can compare times with your friends list, which would’ve added to this mode’s appeal. Holding triangle restarts the level if you mess up, and it can be quite addictive searching for the optimal route. Time Attack mode is a welcome addition that's perfectly equipped for speed runs.
Turning isn’t as tight as you’d expect, and jumps can be difficult to judge, both of which can lead to some frustrating failures. But while they're not as difficult as the blue sphere stages (they return as bonus levels, should you want the challenge), the controls during these segments are fairly loose. The new UFO-chasing special stages are possibly the best ones, with an easy to grasp set of rules and fun courses to race through in your quest for emeralds. If any criticism can be lobbied at the level design, it’s that off-screen hazards and sinisterly placed badniks and springs do occasionally crop up, although it’s never quite as frequent as seen in the classic games. The original zones, meanwhile, slot in nicely alongside the classic ones and are nicely varied in their aesthetic and their unique challenges. The classic levels, which make up two thirds of the game, are vastly overhauled – especially the stages returning from Sonic 1 and 2 – and feature many brand new elements, such as Green Hill Zone’s zip-lines, helping to keep things fresh despite familiar backdrops. Items, special stage rings, and more are frequently teased in seemingly inaccessible places, and it’s fun seeking them out. There are many paths through each level, and it’ll take you a good few runs to discover everything. You’ll be making good use of it throughout the game, too, as the levels are large and meandering, akin to the structure found in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It’s such a simple feature that it’s mind-boggling it hasn’t been thought of before. It also further removes Sonic from his pals who, while unable to perform the drop dash, have their own navigational perks. You can very quickly change direction, for example, or execute it while running along for an extra burst of speed. Essentially a mid-air version of the spin dash, it makes getting around even easier. But this isn't just a re-tread: Sonic’s brand new manoeuvre, the drop dash, is a brilliant addition to the hedgehog’s modest moveset.