Part 2: Gameplay, Strengths and Weaknesses on both ends
Welcome Back! If you missed the previous Part, check it out here.
Part Two gets into the heart of the debate: the strengths and weaknesses of gameplay that goes with both of these games, once again starting with Sonic Mania.
Part Two gets into the heart of the debate: the strengths and weaknesses of gameplay that goes with both of these games, once again starting with Sonic Mania.
Sonic Mania's Strengths
From the beginning of the actual game (meaning the intro into Angel Island Hill Zone only to be transported to Green Hill Zone) you can tell the gameplay not only stays true to Sonic's roots, but also provides enough uniqueness (the Drop Dash in particular) to make it its own experience. The layouts of the stages are easily defined and provide more than enough challenge to them to make each run as unique as possible. Every Act in Every Zone has a "Big Ring" that brings you into a Special Zone (ala Sonic 3 & Knuckles) where you go after the Chaos Emeralds being held by a UFO. The Special Zones are already a feat of gameplay design; gather blue sphere to increase your speed while you gather rings to increase your time. Also, avoid the pitfalls, spikes and explosive devices to ensure you don't lose rings (doing so cuts your time down by 10 seconds/crash or just ends if you fall out of the area). There are many enjoyable tidbits thrown throughout each Zone, making them memorable in their own right. Each of the characters have fluid controls to them and the right amount of 'weight' to make pressing buttons a more precise means of overcoming obtascles. From Easiest to Challenging, Miles "Tails" Prower would be the game's 'Easy' mode in that he can fly or swim past most obstacles, cutting down the challenges while making it easier to find the Big Rings for Chaos Emeralds. Sonic is standard in that he has Speed, Spin Dash, Drop Dash, the Shield Abilities (in place of Drop Dash) and more (unlockable when completing enough Blue Spheres; yet those abilities are only available in the No Save Mode). Finally, there's Knuckles, which acts as the "Hard" mode in that he branches out into different paths and lacks some top-speed, the Shield Abilities of Sonic, and Tails's ability to fly (he glides and punches through certain walls).Sonic Mania's Weaknesses
YES. They do exist. First, a lot of the gameplay can be challenging for players NOT familiar with the Sonic Franchise. YES, there are players that have never heard of Sonic. That means it's difficult from fresh players to jump into the series; it is encouraged that you do. Second, the most common issue with gameplay can be how stages sometimes transfer over and sometimes fade to black. While that is more of a design choice, the inconsistency CAN affect gameplay in that you have players wondering why they just jumped to a different Zone without warning. However, the developers are aware of this and plan to provide a more seamless transition (to their best ability). Third, while few in number, there are moments in the game that have difficult transitions in reaching the end of the stage in the traditional 9:59:99 minutes. This mostly happens in the Sonic CD inspired Zones and some of the later zones at the end of the game. The one thing that shouldn't happen TOO often is disorientation. Especially in a game where speed-running is everything. These transitions (usually the distance from beginning to end) will need to be addressed should the developers are green lighted to make a sequel by SEGA.
Sonic Forces' Strengths
YES. SONIC FORCES DOES HAVE SOME STRENGTHS. First and foremost, it has a sense of canonical consistency not seen since the Adventure Series. This game is the direct followup to Sonic Mania in that they are both using the Phantom Ruby. Also, the cast from Sonic Boom make a return by reprising their respective roles. Sadly, that's about as much praise as I can give them in the game. And yes, that wasn't related to GAMEPLAY at all...
Sonic Forces' Weaknesses
Well, to start, the Boost Gameplay is tied to Wisps instead of Rings. This doesn't make sense as canonically, the Wisp were set free by the efforts of Sonic and (sorta) Tails. That would mean they were RE-captured yet again. Speaking of Wisps, Original the Character (the unoffcial name of the Rookie) has an entire arsenal of weapons centered around them. That would mean the Wisps were not freed, making Sonic Colors' story non-canon, even though it IS canon. But enough on that; Sonic Forces' biggest weakness is consistency of gameplay. While Sonic Mania is fairly consistent in how the game is played, you literally have to learn three times as much for essentially a Modern (aka Boost) Sonic, 'Classic' Sonic, and Original the Character. Let's break them down:
The Overall Gameplay Experience
Overall, with 30 levels, 3 Shadow Levels and 6 'Bonus' Levels, it's an inconsistent jump from one short experience to the next. In traditional Sonic Games, levels were designed to be POTENTIALLY beaten in under 90 seconds but not always possible depending on routes. Here, on average, all levels CAN BE BEATEN in under 70 seconds. At the end of every level is a Ranking System which determines the reward amount you get. In most cases, you can almost effortlessly earn an S Rank (the highest rank in the game) provided you are 'quick' and never die once (not that it matters as there is no lives system in place). Challenge is not as abundant here as it was in previous Sonic Titles, so don't expect much on that front. Let's move into the main three playable characters, Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic and Original the Character.
Classic Sonic
Pretty much the worst offender of the three, Classic Sonic has almost NO RELEVANCE to the game at all outside of his image and speed. Running animations are locked, no real sense of momentum when running, and he falls like a meteor every time he jumps. The gameplay remains the same; go left to right, Press Down and (assigned) button to Spin Dash and so on. They also added the Drop Dash from Sonic Mania, but it lacks almost all the functionality and sense of speed it did in Mania.
Modern Sonic
The most bland of the three. While it's easy to just dismiss his gameplay as "Boost to Win" there is hardly enough level to boost in, or the lack of mobility options (aka Drifting and Sidestepping) make it almost meaningless to Boost. It also doesn't help that the option to Boost is entirely dependent on a scarce resources (Wisps). Modern Sonic suffers the same problems in terms of jumping as Classic, but at least he has a 'double jump (for lack of a better term)' to compensate; which is undermined by the level design and layout. It also doesn't help that in most levels there is a lack of innovation and cohesion compared to Mania. If you've played one level, you've played them all. Which brings us to...
Original the Character
Somewhere stuck between offensively bad and incredibly bland lies our Avatar. Yes, he/she sits smack dab in the middle. You start off by creating OtC (Shorthand for Original the Character). Depending on the animal species chosen, you get special abilities, but ONLY for that species. You pick your poison and then Knuckles hands you a Wispon (Wisp Weapon for the uninitiated) and tells the Rookie (OtC) to get to work. Here the game basically has you just go full Werehog on enemies with your Wispon of choice to the goal. Depending on your score, you're rewarded with...clothes... along with additional Wispons to further customize OtC. These clothes offer no powers or protections, 'it's just cosmetic' and the Wispon range from useless to broken to why did they bother creating this at all. There is one thing in common with Sonic and OtC: Double Boost. A Quicktime Event that has you go Double Werehog on enemies at highspeeds. However, OtC can't Boost on his/her own so I fail to see how they could do it together. Finally, the layout of levels for OtC is a complete mess. Ring placement is at random location that can only be reached by specific Wispon setups (sometimes even specific species ON TOP of Wispon setup). Clearly this was the focus on the game as far as the developers were concerned as a lot of these levels are centered more on OtC than the mainstay of the series itself.
Putting it all Back Together
Gameplay is much to be desired for Sonic Forces than for Sonic Mania. While both share some inconsistency problems, Forces has it much worse than Mania; but that's not to say that Mania is perfect. Bottom line, each has their own unique take on this memorable franchise. This concludes the Gameplay Critique; tune in next time as I critique the aesthetics and lore in Part 3: The Ensemble: Music, Story, Impact. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
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