Sonic Heroes

A Sonic game made complex for the sake of it.

Games such as Sonic and Mario were loved at the time, but technology quickly made them obsolete. Since that time, the companies that own the brands and trademarks have tried to make them relevant in modern times, and other than Mario Kart, they have completely failed despite the fact that people still pay good money for them. The problem is how to make a side-scrolling two-dimensional character and game relevant in a high-resolution three-dimensional world, and with Sonic Heroes, they addressed that question with added complexity.

Does The Added Complexity Make The Game Better?

This is a tough question, but since the game is pretty good, one has to assume a resounding yes. The developers have added a lot of features, such as being able to jump from wall to wall, flying, smashing boxes, etc, and it does seem to make the game a little better to play, though one wonders if the game would have a faster pace or more room for skill-building exercises if they were not in the game.

We Have To Stop Being So Hard On Sonic

As a whole, the gaming community still has a fair amount of lingering warm feelings for Sonic, but the critic community hates the purple hedgehog and has been trying to bury it for years. Sonic Heroes has struck back against the 2D problem by making it 3D third person, and by having the player run forwards instead of left or right. Looking back, it seems like the obvious solution for the 2D problem.

Run around with Tails and that red girl version of Sonic that came into existence because people made jokes that Tails was Sonic’s boyfriend. Each has his or her own set of skills, and you can switch from one to the other to negotiate your way around the levels and complete the game. The characters that are not playing will follow you around and make their own way across things so that you do not have to escort them or try to stop them from dying.

A Great Game With Only Minor Faults

The added complexity for the sake of complexity is a small flaw, as are the problems that arise with the camera angle every now and again. The only problem that most people agree on is how the gameplay rush is broken up now and again. There are times when you want to run your way across, bouncing, jumping and rolling your way very quickly, but the game will occasionally grab you by the collar and ask you to pull a lever or smash a few boxes. It is not a big flaw, but it is a little disappointing knowing you have to stop and do something when you have just gotten your momentum going.

Pros

• Great fast-paced gameplay
• An organic progression for Sonic
• New ideas and new game mechanics
• Reasonably pleasant graphics

Cons

• Some camera angles are annoying
• Gameplay sometimes forces you to lose momentum
• Added complexity for the sake of it