I could go on and on about how Sonic just doesn't work well in 3D, but it wouldn't change anything. Still, don't let these quibbles (or the hateful grumblings of the other reviewers) deter you-Heroes is worthy.
These issues seem almost endemic to the series at this point, but it'd be nice if a future update could clear 'em up. So, what's not to like? Mostly stuff that no 3D Sonic game has managed to get right, including an annoyingly touchy camera, lame bosses, and an overabundance of deaths caused by falling off edges. It's a breathtakingly gorgeous game that's unmistakably Sonic. In classic Sonic fashion, the game looks spectacular, with dazzling Day-Glo colors, ultrasmooth movement (well, on GC and Xbox at least-scope the sidebar), and trippy effects: Every single stage explodes with breakneck speed, insane loops, absurd corkscrews, and other gravity-defying razzamatazz. Heroes offers a surprisingly long experience (for a Sonic game), and it's one that gets better the longer you play. Plus, by the time the gameplay clicks, the Milquetoast early levels give way to wildly cool areas that have you spinning through giant pinball machines, reversed-gravity haunted mansions, and stratospheric airship armadas. This constant switching seems confusing, clunky, and forced at first, but after a few levels, it becomes natural, and it's fun to experiment with different leaders to find new paths. A simple button press switches leadership among the three guys, and the clever level designs basically guarantee that you'll have to switch leaders in order to break a few walls and soar over pits to succeed. The four teams you can choose from have minor differences (see below), but with each one, you're simultaneously controlling three characters: one speedster, one powerhouse, and an annoying, chirpy one that flies. Heroes' basic gameplay echoes the classic, side-scrolling Sonics of yore, but with an interesting twist-team play. Nearly every review (be it critical or from li'l Jimmy the consumer) boiled down to "I just want to run!" Thankfully, Sonic's handlers listened: Heroes has the 'hog doin' what he does best in a rewarding return to form. That ill-conceived title unsuccessfully tinkered with the traditionally speedy Sonic experience by forcing players to suffer through tedious crystal excavation and hovering stages that simply sucked. You get the picture.Įver since Sonic Adventure 2 (for GC and Sega Dreamcast), Sonic's status among the pantheon of top-tier mascots has been in jeopardy. Sonic is fast, Tails can fly, Knuckles can punch through blocks.
In the case of Team Sonic, that means the blue streak is flanked by Knuckles and Tails, though there are three other teams to choose from as well - Teams Dark, Rose and Chaotix.Īt the flick of a button (or mouse-wheel if you must), your team changes formation, and with it the character you're controlling, giving you access to a different set of abilities and insane special attacks. The key difference here is that instead of running solo, you now control a team of three characters. The gameplay is still remarkably simple - go fast, collect rings, bop the occasional robot on the head. Eschewing all the woeful adventure' elements of recent titles, Sonic Heroes puts the focus back on breakneck dashes through madĪrchitectural dreamscapes, with all the loops, corkscrews, bounce pads and boss battles your watering eyes can handle. "reward" might not be the word for it.Now, four years too late, Sega is finally starting to get 3D Sonic right, and Sonic Heroes is the highly likeable result.
Explore, and don't think for a second that the path you've taken will remain the same - turn back, keep your eyes peeled for changes. Some may have even been replaced by new, sinister worlds where the influence of 'X' has spread. Some old secrets still lurk but may appear different in form. There are some performance optimizations made to the game's engine to help the gameplay experience feel that little bit smoother.
"This update brings a variety of graphical improvements, audio improvements, no less a few 'not-so-little' updates to the game world. That said, he did update the game post competition so let's take a look at what he says was changed or added: The dev is clear that this isn't a full-on game, nor a great example of his skills.
Sonic.EXE is, of course, Sonic.exe, a portable game that does not require installation. Sonic.EXE is a dark, twisted take on the classic Sonic games created for a gaming competition.