he secret of Sonic video games is in the flow . It was the particular bet of this license since 1991: speed. Precisely, the problem that has recurrently had to face the Sonic Team has been the control of that speed.
In 2D environments they knew how to perform well, but the arrival of 3D was a headache. Sonic Forces reminds us, fight against it, with a result that is even better than expected.
On many occasions I have fallen into the void or the rings have been removed without my feeling it was my fault. The clumsy handling of Sonic and his allies is the biggest draw that can be put to the game. However, when it works remember the best moments of the hedgehog , both in 2D and 3D, from his first appearances in Megadrive to Sonic Adventure Dreamcast (considered as a three-dimensional top).
Sonic Forces vibrates at times, with exceptional situations and even ingenious. When our character goes full speed ahead of enemies, you fall right where you want and the music puts your hair like escarpies, then the mechanisms resonate. That is Sonic . Not all the time, but enough to give the fans something that many had already lost: hope.
Sonic Sensations intertwined
To understand well before what we are, it is good to pull the library. Sonic Colors (2010) and Sonic Generations(2011) are the main inspirations of this title, which is committed to a remix of experiences based on the past, although without neglecting the novelties.
In the exclusively 2D phases we control a classic Sonic that reminds a lot of Generations, including control. Very simple, run and jump, but very charming.
The most important are those that put the protagonists to run in 3D , with the camera on their backs. They are the most rebellious in terms of control, with problematic situations that lead to some frustrations, due to a questionable level design. And although it seems paradoxical, the game at the end knows how to thank the time invested. If you manage to overcome the obstacle and enter the dynamic, it becomes fun, inviting you to do the best times (there are online markers).
As in Colors and Generations, these levels alternate perspective in third person and lateral, adding dynamism to a formula that does not undergo major changes. Propellers, loopings, rails … Classicism prevails. What changes the tonic a little is the great innovation of Sonic Forces: our avatar . The levels we play with a character of our own-designed by ourselves-change how we overcome them. The reason is that we can equip weapons to advance in a different way by the level, either by driving through ring roads or by flying to reaction.
It is one of the most colorful Sonic games
The third experience is the most classic, with stages in the purest 2D Sonic 2D style , recovering -among others- the mythical Green Hill. Eggman returns in some other confrontation, something that of course also does in the 3D plane, along with new villains who join the formula. The plot is not far from that seen in other deliveries, and perfectly serves its function: to serve as a link between levels. That makes it great, with quite frequent in-game dialogues and in several languages (including Spanish, English or Japanese).
The phases corresponding to our avatar allow the use of weapons and special abilities. Taking advantage of them can have an impact on finding new routes to break times and scores.
But for you to get a clearer idea, Sonic Forces is a real hodgepodge of proposals, with phases in 3D, in 2.5D and in 2D by those who are parading classic Sonic, modern Sonic and a vast repertoire of characters from the license. As icing, yourself, in the skin of an avatar that could be interpreted as the representation of the fan. And, after all, the title is a metaphor for the current image of the hedgehog, in which his followers are his most faithful supporters.
For them a videogame with many ups and downs is dedicated , but at least it shows the effort deposited. The control is very improvable. The bosses are interesting but they lack variety. There are apotheosis levels and then others less inspired. The number of levels is respectable, but the duration is rather poor, because in 4 or 5 hours you have overcome them.
However, there is something very important in Sonic Forces, and that is that once the credits were seen, I felt like returning, of repeating levels. That’s when you see the magic of making perfect games, dealing with control problems, but going ahead and enjoying, which is what counts. For that type of user, the video game is especially satisfying, since completing the levels with the “S” and unlocking the rewards / challenges easily leads to double or triple the duration. The replayability is powerful.
