Sonic the Hedgehog

"Certainly doesn't do much different, but still manages to be fun from start to finish"

It's hard to deny that Sonic has gone downhill these past few years. The 2D games have been true to the formula and overall great, but the 3D games have gotten heavy criticism, especially the latest in the series, Shadow the Hedgehog. Sega has created Sonic the Hedgehog to try and revolutionize the 3D Sonic games. Does it succeed? Read on.

Story: 8/10

Although the Genesis Sonic titles were never known for their story, Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast changed all that. Sonic the Hedgehog focuses on the story a lot more than other Sonic games, and it shows. What starts off as a simple rescue mission turns into (yet again) a quest to save the world. While this should sound familiar, Sonic the Hedgehog turns this into a centerpiece of the game. There are numerous CG cutscenes, and tons of other cutscenes and story elements, most of which look pretty good. The story itself is pretty epic, which gives you a reason to play through the game.

Graphics: 7/10

Looking at screenshots, it seemed as though this game would be gorgeous. Actually playing the game, however, reveals that the visuals are simply average. Sonic and friends character models haven't been improved that much at all, but the enviroments definitely look better than before. There's quite a few nice looking effects, like destructible enviroments. The CG scenes, like I said before, are good looking. The load times, while being medium in length, pop up A LOT. For instance, if you take a mission from someone in town, there will be a loading screen, he'll talk to you for 5 seconds, another loading screen, you'll finish the minute-long mission, another loading screen, he'll talk to you again, another loading screen, and so on. It gets very frustrating when you just want to play the game.

Sound: 6/10

The sound in Sonic the Hedgehog is a mixed bag. While the sound effects and stage music are quite good, the voice acting and music in town are pretty much awful. While I can tolerate not perfect voice acting, the game's voices are bleh. One major gripe I have is that Tails sounds INCREDIBLY girly. I guarentee you'll be suprised on how bad he (or she) sounds. The town of Soleana itself is home to one of the most annoying themes in video games. The music of the city sounds just like elevator music, and you'll spend a long time listening to it. I just wanted to rip my ears off. Thank god for custom soundtracks.

Gameplay: 7/10

If you've played any of the 3D Sonics, you'll probably know exactly what you're getting yourself into. There are three main story modes: Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. Each has their own unique playstyle. Sonic's story is focused on speed, Shadow's is focused on action, and Silver's is focused on puzzles. Each story mode, while being fun, is not without it's flaws. The frustrating camera from past games is extremely frustrating in Sonic's story. I found it hard to beat the first boss because I simply could not see it. The mach speed levels randomly change camera angles. And since you must be precise in these levels, a changing camera can mean changing direction and falling to your doom without warning. The camera is less of a problem in Shadow's and Silver's story. Shadow's story focuses on action, which means vehicles return (thankfully guns don't come back). The vehicles appear very often, but most of the time aren't necessary. Silver's story focuses on puzzles and slightly on action. Silver has psychic abilities that let him throw just about anything in the enviroment. While this is fun for about the first hour, it does get a little old. Each character also has supporting characters you'll play as. Sonic has (of course) Tails and Knuckles, Shadow has Rogue and E-123 Omega, and Silver has Amy Rose and Blaze the Cat from Sonic Rush.

Replay Value: 8/10

Multiplayer, while quite average, does extend the life of the game. Even though the single player isn't necessarily long, it's not short either. Rest assured, you should be able to play this game for quite a while.

Overall: 7/10

Although Sonic the Hedgehog certainly isn't the rebirth of the Sonic franchise like it has been hyped to be, it is still a solid 3D Sonic that can have it's great moments. If you've liked any of the 3D Sonic games, you should give Sonic the Hedgehog a try. If not, there won't be much here to change your mind.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/21/06