Sonic Adventure

"A 3D Sonic game...I am glad that it is better then Blast"

Back in the days of the Genesis, I always loved Sonic, in fact, it was one of my first games. And when I bought 3D blast a few years later, I was really quite mad. I loved the 2D style of Sonic, and I hated the horrible controls and bad gameplay of Sonic 3D blast. So when I bought this game, I was a little wary of how it would actually play. But I must say, I am happy to announce, it plays MUCH better then its 3D predecessors.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Story:

Sonic Adventure is, like every other Sonic game. You play as Sonic, Tails and their friends to save the world from the evil Doctor Robotnik. Strangely, though, like the television series, the name of Robotnik has changed to Eggman. But other then that, there has not been any specific changes. Saving the world is all in a days work when Sonic is on the job.

Tails is back in this game, still looking up to Sonic as always. Sonic is, as always, the badass. He is trying to save the world yet again, no matter the cost. Knuckles is back, as well. He is still Sonic's rival, and he retains all of his old cockiness.

But now there are some 'new' characters into the fray. Some of them are totally worthless, and some of them are rather interesting. Amy, who is somewhat 'new', is Sonic's lover. One of the most entertaining aspects of the game is when Sonic is trying to run from Amy, and ever the lady, Amy is unrelentless. She wont give up until Sonic is hers! We also have the ever-so-lame Big the Cat. he is totally worthless to the story, except for the fact that he is looking for his pet frog. And then there is a rather interesting character called E-102. He actually probably is the most interesting, as he was made by ''Eggman''. All of these characters come together, fighting as enemies or allies, but it still retains the Sonic feel to the game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Technical:

Sonic Adventure is a mixed bag, in the technical department. It is really a matter of preference on a lot of things, but some things can just not ignored.

First off in the technical section, is the graphics. The graphics themselves are quite pretty, with a wide variety of environments. Each of them are widely diverse, and actually stray quite a bit from the 2D games, which is a good thing. But what's this? No Green Hill zone? *dies* Nooooooo!!!!! Actually, its probably a good thing. But its a bad thing that this game has almost no nostalgic feel to it at all. Sadly thought, the Graphics tend to ''break'' a lot. I have seen many, many a time where the graphics have messed up causing my death. And the camera angles....ugh. While you can control the camera, the angels are just horrible at times. Especially when you run at high speeds. Come on Sega, we do not have as fast of reflexes as Sonic does...

The character graphics themselves are done very well. They look like well detailed versions of the characters from the 2D games. You normally view them from the back, so it does not matter as much, but the characters are quite pretty. Their tail (or other defining feature) usually moves well with the character itself, so it works well and looks nice. And if the character has weapons, the looks and actions change when the weapon changes, so character graphics are a big up area in Sonic Adventure.

The music in Sonic Adventure is really more of a ''Love-it-or-hate-it''. They are somewhat jazzy, though they have some nice melodies. The voice acting sounds a LOT like the Television show. That is both a good, and a bad thing. The voices are a little high, but they work with the characters. And I have to say...Amy's voice is absolutely perfect. Some voices can really annoy you, but luckily, there is more gameplay then scenes where you will hear them talk.

One flaw that this game takes from 3D Blast (NO, I MUST not compare them!) is the horrid camera angles. This can ruin the game. As I said before, they do not change well enough. It really effects the playability of the game, and will infuriate you so much that you may want to throw your controller down and scream at the game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gameplay:

As in every other Sonic game, the gameplay is the major factor. And Sonic Adventure's gameplay is quite impressive.

As in every Sonic game, the game is very fast paced. Sonic runs at high speeds with his ''Super Spin dash'' that has been his trademark from the beginning. He runs, jumps, and even flies around levels at high speeds. Tails flies around levels with his twin tails (ookies..I lost myself there). Knuckles, as always can fly, and all the new characters play differently.

Luckily, because of this fast pace, the controls are rather good. Even though the camera angels can be horrible, the controls are tights, and work well. Though turning at high speeds can be touchy and sometimes it doesn't work well, they are normally quite good. It is especially easy to perfect the jumps with the controls. But flying with characters like Tails or Knuckles can be annoying, as can shooting with E-102. But the normal controls all around are decent.

One of the best parts of Sonic Adventure is the character variations. Though you may go through the same levels with different characters, you will always have different goals depending on the character you go through with. Certain characters may have a very easy time with a level, while other have a harder time because they are trying to dodge a monster on their way. And other characters are just boring and sluggish. The latter factor is with a single main character, called Big the Cat. all you do in his levels is fish. There is almost no need for him in the game, so it is rather pathetic.

And with some other characters, the level goals so completely change that it is like playing a different game whatsoever. This fact alone gives the game more value, and keeps it from getting boring by doing the same levels over and over. But it is also a major flaw.

A new innovation to the series is ''safe'' levels. These levels work more like a platform games' ''Warp Zones''. You get the new levels from these ''safe'' zones, and you can even get new items. This works well with the 3D gameplay, and really helps the pace of the game. You even have to solve puzzles...yay! So unlike a normal Sonic game this is...

Sadly, the worst fact about the gameplay is also one of the best. As I mentioned earlier, your characters visit the same levels. And even though they have different goals in these levels, they are still the same. This lack of levels can be disorienting, as the game itself does not feel as big. Yes, there are character specific levels, but not as many as there should be. So the game can get very repetitive

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All in all, Sonic Adventure is a refreshing step away from the series' origins. Though marred with many technical flaws, the game itself is excellent. if you can get over the flaws, you will find one excellent game here.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/03, Updated 07/19/03