Sonic the Hedgehog and disappointment go hand in hand these days. Anyone who played the abysmal Sonic 4 when released in late 2010 will know what I mean. No matter how many times they crank out another Sonic game Sega just don't seem to learn what makes the game great and what makes the game bad. This self-congratulatory 20th-Anniversary pastiche of his so-called 'best bits' transports across all of Sonic's strengths and, unfortunately, all of his crippling weaknesses.
The story has Robotnik/Eggman ravage Sonic's world with a time vortex, leaving him stuck in a Limbo that only high speeds through various levels can repair. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Sonic just does NOT belong in a 3D world. His best stuff is 2D. Sega have had many chances at getting the 3D presentation right but they just don't get it. It's incredibly difficult to keep control of Sonic, as a weird inertia pulls him in directions you don't want him to go, and if you get the timing wrong just once you'll pretty much have to quit the level and start over as you're always being judged on speed; something that this game consistently prevents you from achieving. Even with the 2D sections in this game they don't seem to understand that hurtling the character down a declination at a furious speed, the screen unable to keep up with him, only to hit an unforeseeable dead end, is ABSOLUTELY INFURIATING!
My biggest complaint is one which ALL Sonic fans will be familiar with. The one where Sonic is on an ever-so-slight inclination but just cannot get up it because he needs to build up speed. This character, this hedgehog, is sold on speed. GIVE US SPEED! Stop giving us dead ends and cement shoes! What don't they understand? And can anybody, anybody at all, explain to me the purpose in giving us tokens that knock 5 seconds off the counter when it takes about 10 seconds to reach and collect said token? Is it no more than a sick joke at our expense.
Graphically, the game is very intense, and it may take a while for you to get used to it. The soundtrack is, as usual, absolutely brilliant and features many unlockable classics from Sonic's history, but I think they really missed a trick by not including the Lava Reef Zone theme (undoubtedly the best Sonic tune), Bridge Zone, or even a new version of 'A New Venture' from Sonic Rush Adventure. The games they chose to pay homage to are a curious assortment too. I expect reincarnations of stages from Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic & Knuckles but why give us re-hashed levels from the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Unleashed - games that were universally hated and practically disowned by Sega. They should be ashamed of those titles, not referencing them. The Sonic Advance games were far better, as was Sonic Rush. Why were they not remade instead?
The game also features 50 trophies, but there's no way I'm going for the Platinum, I've got better things to do with my time than play the same levels over and over and over and over. I got to 52% and I'm happy with that.
Sonic Adventure DX, despite it's flaws, was a better game, which is quite sad as it's 12 years older than Generations. I really wish Sega would initiate stricter quality control with their mascot. The one thing that brings Sonic down again and again is the controls (and frequent agonizing slowness).
Pros:
Lots of sunshine, blue skies. Brilliant soundtrack by Jun Senoue.
Cons:
Unresponsive, sluggish controls. Lots of slow sections.
Graphics A Sound A Gameplay C Lasting Appeal C
