Sonic fanboys will probably hate me for saying this, but I don't think Sonic 4 deserves it's title so far. While Episode II is an improvement over Episode I and is a lot of fun, both episodes have failed to capture the magic of the classics. Let's explore a little bit deeper.
First and foremost, I will talk about the physics. The physics are one of the crucial elements in a Sonic game, 2DSonic fanboys will probably hate me for saying this, but I don't think Sonic 4 deserves it's title so far. While Episode II is an improvement over Episode I and is a lot of fun, both episodes have failed to capture the magic of the classics. Let's explore a little bit deeper.
First and foremost, I will talk about the physics. The physics are one of the crucial elements in a Sonic game, 2D or 3D, and Sonic 4: Episode II lives up to this well. Sonic feels surprisingly nice to control and everything feels a lot more smooth than Episode I. The rolling, however, still doesn't work properly. Sonic only picks up a little bit of momentum even when you hold forward while performing it and on half of the slopes on the game, it works just as badly as it did in Episode I.
I've no idea why the developers of Sonic games these days can't get rolling right. Ever since the end of the Advance series, rolling is pretty much pointless these days and that's not how it should be. Rolling was an awesome and fun way to earn speed effectively in the classics and it's a shame that it can't be put to use like that anymore.
The graphics are excellent. This is a major improvement over Episode I - everything pops out and looks clean, fresh and realistic. No longer does Sonic run over plastic grass but he now runs through achingly pretty, fully rendered, 3D environments. The only real criticism I have on the graphics is the lack of anti-aliasing. Some of the edges look really rough, like on a Wii game at times. I don't know why it wasn't included, it's not as if the PS3 can't handle it, after all. Nevertheless, great job, DIMPS.
The music is... disappointing, to say the least. There are no longer dying cats in the melodies, which is a definite positive, but some of the tracks sound so repetitive and boring, it's easy to fall asleep. Don't get me wrong - there are some great tunes in the game, my favourites being the Metal Sonic boss fight and Sky Fortress Act 2, but c'mon, Jun Senoue. You've done better.
The level design is... OK. It doesn't flat out suck but nor does it shine. There's a good amount of platforming involved, which is great, but there's a lack of multiple routes and exploration going on and the amount of times the game plays itself for you is ridiculous. There's loads of speed boosters everywhere and so many springs. It's like they were trying to turn the game into a movie.
What I hate just as much is the use of the homing attack. This move is simply a stupid idea for a 2D Sonic game. Is it REALLY that difficult to jump on an enemy? That's how it was done in the classics, the Advance trilogy and even the freaking Sonic Rush games. This wouldn't be so terrible if it wasn't forced upon you! Seriously, there's always a chain of stationary Bubbles badniks flying in the air for you to use your attack on. It's REQUIRED to beat the game. WHY?! What if I don't WANT to?
This also extends on into the combo moves. With Tails with you, you can now do a load of combo moves like flying or doing a 69-roll of death. Some of these moves are pretty handy and fun to use, like the submarine combo, but others kinda... suck. The 69-roll, like the homing attack, is forced upon you and it's very overpowered.
A nice feature with Episode II is the ability to play with another person either locally or online. It's great fun to play with and it's probably the mode I play the most on now. The problem with it though is that you are forced to have both players on screen at the same time, even when online. I don't know why split-screen wasn't implemented but it's not that terrible if I'm honest. Just a tad frustrating at times.
Overall, Sonic 4: Episode II is a fun title (with some great plot elements, I must add), but this game doesn't deserve it's title. It's not a bad game, but it will probably be forgotten in 10 years time, unlike Sonic 1, 2, CD and 3&K. I give the title a 6/10 and if you want to have a nice little platformer on your console, go ahead.… Expand
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