Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut

"We're going on an adventure..."

A friend of mine sent me a gift card for my birthday last year. Fifty dollars were available for me to use at one of the local video game stores. I didn't have an idea of what I wanted, but I checked out the Gamecube selection anyway. My eyes wandered past obscure and uninteresting titles. After some searching, I finally came across a familiar blue hedgehog. As soon as I saw Sonic Adventure DX, I knew it was the game I'd be choosing. After all, I knew I could rely on Sonic for a fun and entertaining gaming experience. If Sonic Adventure 2 Battle was so good, this new Sonic game must be awesome, right? Well…yes and no. Sonic Adventure DX has plenty to offer, but it does have its limitations.

For those of you itching for a decent storyline, look no further. The evil Dr. Eggman has returned with yet another rehashed scheme for world domination. Once again, the diabolical doctor is seeking out the seven Chaos Emeralds for his latest plot. Dr. Eggman has awakened a mysterious being called Chaos from its slumber in the Master Emerald. The doctor intends to feed the creature the Chaos Emeralds, thus giving it incredible power. With such a mighty being under his control, Dr. Eggman will have no trouble taking over the world. Sonic and his friends must find the Chaos Emeralds and stop the doctor's evil intentions. This overall plot of Sonic versus Dr. Eggman seems just a tad overused nowadays, don't you think? However, the majority of the progression in the game revolves around the storyline. You are given control of six heroes, each with their own storyline, abilities, and levels. Each of their storylines are intertwined, so you'll be seeing plenty of the same cut scenes from the various characters' perspectives. The more you play of each character, the more the overall story unfolds.

So you've got six characters to choose from. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are pretty much a given up till now. So who's left? We have Sonic's obsessive girlfriend Amy, a slow but loveable cat named Big, and Gamma, one of Dr. Eggman's robots turned rogue. Each character has their own set of levels designed to make use of the their unique abilities. Unlike Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, you can actually choose which characters you want and the order you want to play with them. You start off with only Sonic being available. But as you progress through his story, you can unlock the other characters. If you're sick of Sonic by then, you can try Gamma for a change. If you're tired of exploring with Knuckles, give Amy some attention. Once you've unlocked everyone, you can complete each storyline independent from the other.

The story begins with Sonic returning home from a long journey. He watches as his friend Tails crash lands in a nearby beach. The story progresses from there. Sonic still has to deal with fast-paced linear levels. You still have to collect rings, destroy enemies, and make use of Sonic's speed. There are a few platforming puzzles to mix up the monotony, but nothing very challenging. As far as level design goes, there's nothing really new to see with Sonic.

Tails owns and operates a small workshop near the Mystical Ruins. His technical knowledge is put to little use in his storyline. Tails has decided to stop playing second fiddle to Sonic and rely on his own speed. When playing Tails, you have to race Sonic to the end of the level. It sounds like an interesting idea, but that's really all there is to it. Your job is to rush Tails to the end of the level as quickly as possible. It's not exactly the greatest concept, but it allows us to make good use of Tails' flying abilities.

Knuckles is the guardian of the mystical Master Emerald. Dr. Eggman tricks him early on into giving up one of the Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles vows revenge in the sake of protecting the Master Emerald. For some reason, Knuckles has become a hybrid of Superman and Spiderman. He can fly across wide expanses in the pressing of a single button. He can crawl up walls just like a spider can. With such amazing powers, Knuckles' exploration levels are wide open for you to search every inch. And trust me, you will have to wander around every section to find the missing items vital to your success. And with massive levels to explore, patience really is a virtue.

Amy is presented to us as Sonic's lonely girlfriend. She has infinite amount willpower when it comes to the love of her life. Despite her dangerous obsession and burning desire, she still comes off as a damsel in distress. She's being chased around the levels by one of Dr. Eggman's robot flunkies. All she can do is run away or momentarily knock the robot off balance using her trusty mallet. It's like a cheerful version of a survival horror game.

I think that Gamma's storyline and levels are the best out of the characters. Gamma is the latest of Dr. Eggman's robot forces. After showing off his anti-Sonic skills, he is promoted to the doctor's elite fighting force. But after an encounter with Amy, Gamma begins to question the nature of his existence and his allegiance to Dr. Eggman's cause. In order to vent out his frustrations, Gamma begins shooting at everything that stands in his way. All you have to do with Gamma is mash the shooting button and progress through the levels.

Last and most certainly least, we have Big. Big lives deep in the jungle with his pal, Froggy. Everything seems peaceful for the loveable oaf until Froggy accidentally eats a Chaos Emerald. As part of his evil plot to resurrect Chaos, Dr. Eggman orders that Froggy be abducted for later use. Upset at the capture of his pet frog, Big grabs his trusty fishing pole and sets out to rescue his friend. All of Big's levels revolve around fishing. That's right, you have to fish Froggy out of a pool of water in order to beat the level. For those of you that love the super-fast gameplay of Sonic or Tails, stay as far away as possible from Big.

Each character has a different storyline, but the settings are essentially the same. You'll be visiting many of the same places, just with different characters. Most of the in-between level gameplay occurs in Central Station. You get to walk around a city and find clues and items essential to your progress. Also, you can take a metro train to the Mystic Ruins, a lush jungle with plenty of secrets to be found. Also, you are given clues as to where to find items or your next level. But if you can't figure out where to go, you'll spend plenty of time wandering around the different locales.

It seems like a big improvement from the previous Sonic games, doesn't it? You've got new characters, a great storyline and varied gameplay. But this game has a fair share of glitches that take away from the fun. We all know that Sonic likes to move fast. But if he moves too fast, he can walk on some walls without even meaning to. You can walk through walls and fall to your doom. Even the slightest incline can slow your character down to a crawl. If you're stuck in some corner, your character acts like it's having a seizure and starts shaking violently. Also, that irritating camera angle problem remains unfixed. In fact, it's even worse than before. There'll come a time when you'll be rotating the camera, and then it'll become stuck behind a wall or barrier. Sadly, there are plenty more glitches that have been ported to this Gamecube version that I haven't mentioned. If you can muster up the patience to look past this game's problems, you might still have a good time.

Also, the graphics haven't been updated that well. Everything lacks smoothness and proper texturing. The buildings, ground, and people look like painted cardboard. Everything seems just as blocky as before. The characters seem a little more detailed, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. The facial expressions don't match up with the emotions of the characters. The lips don't match up with the subtitles. I'm well aware that this game was ported from an older console, but the designers should have gone back and made a few improvements. This game makes no use of the Gamecube's graphical abilities.

So, where does this leave Sonic Adventure DX? In terms of a storyline and a variety in gameplay, this game is top notch. It boasts an intricate storyline with memorable characters. It offers a wide array of gameplay options in an attempt to appeal to everyone. But the numerous glitches and mediocre graphics take away the overall presentation. Sonic Adventure DX is a great game, but it could have been better. I'd recommend giving this game a go, despite the problems. For all those Sonic fans out there, this game is worth looking into.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/09/04